Candice Point of View (POV)
Kailan ba ang unang beses mong maramdaman ang magmahal? Kelan mo ba sinimulang mag hintay? At hanggang kalian ka mag aantay?
As for me, it was 5 years ago. I fell in love with a boy. Yes, a boy who is 7 years younger than me. Awkward right? So, 2nd highschool palang siya nung magkita kami. I saw him and nothing really special happened.
“Ate, pink ba ang favorite color mo?” Tinanong niya ako noon at our first meeting. It was just nothing at all kasi parang, Hello? Unang pagkikita nalang naming favorite color agad? Di ba pwedeng pangalan muna? Nakakatuwa kasi when we first met, grabe! Ang tagal naming nag-usap. I really felt so comportable nung makausap ko siya. We were laughing, sharing some thoughts, drawing at each others hand and playing thumb boxing. It was some kind of childish ways, so I asked him, “Ilan taon ka na ba?” I was waiting for his answer. Ang tagal kasi niya sumagot. Ewan ko ba sa kanya. May pagka-ewan din kasi tong batang toh. So he said, “14 na po ako ate. Ikaw po?” Hmmm. 14 huh? Wow! And I said, “hmmm. Hulaan mo. HAHA. Wag na. 21 na ako. 7 years older. Teka anong pangalan mo? Kanina pa tayo nagkukulitan dito a.” He laughed and get shocked nung sabihin kong 21 years old na ako. Di ba halata? HAHA. “Ate. Ate talaga! Parang po kayong 16 o kaya 15 lang. Hmm. Alex nga po pala.” Hmmm. Not bad huh? Mukhang bata pala ako. So at the moment na nag shake hands kami, naramdaman kong nanginginig siya at namumula. “Ah. Ang bata naman nun. So I’m ate Candice. Natatakot ka ba sakin?” Tinanong ko siya, kasi sino ba naman ang taong manginginig ng ganun ng wala lang? “Hindi po ate. Natutuwa lang po ako. Ang ganda niyo po kasi tapos ang sarap kasama tapos ang galing niyo pa kumanta. IDOL ATE!” Although he was acting a little childish that time, he captured something in me. Sinabi ko nalang sa sarili ko, why would I like someone who is much younger than me? Kasi naman. It’s a little awkward to think na mas bata sakin ang nagugustohan ko at take note, upon first meeting, I liked him.
Minsan may pagkakataon na sinasabi niya sakin, “Ate, hintayin mo ako huh? Ako nalang ang future boyfriend mo. Pag 21 na ako, boyfriend mo na ako!” Natatawa ko namang sinabi,”Alex pag 21 ka na, 28 na ako. Syempre, tatanda padin ako!”
2 years had passed. He never stops acting weird. Binibigyan niya ang ng notebook na pink, flowers na pink, chocolates na pink, couple shirt na pink, sapatos na pink, at unan na pink. All of those really matters to me. Aside from the fact na lahat yun ay pink, I was overwhelmed to think na someone is putting so much effort to give me these things. Pero teka? Galing sa baon toh ah? So nung magbigay siya ulit sakin, this it was a pink pen. Tinanong ko siya, “San mo nakukuha yung pambili mo dito?” He looked down and said, “Pinagtrabahuhan ko po yan. Nagtrabaho po ako at sumali sa mga contest. Just for you ate.” I was shocked. Grabe lang? He was working all this time just to give me this? But I am still a little confused so I asked him, “Para san ba toh?” This 16 year old boy held my hands, looked into my eyes and handed me a bracelet, this time silver na siya, and said, “Gusto kitang ligawan ate, pwede po ba?” Oh no! A 16 year old boy is courting a 23 year old lady? No way! I just said, “Huh? Pero…” Nawala ako sa sarili ko ng konti kasi in my 23 years of existence, ngayon palang may nagsabi sakin niyan. And I admit it, kinilig ako sa ginawa niya. Paano ba toh magagawa ng 16 years old eh wala pa siyang alam sa love! “Ummmm. Alex kasi…I am 7 years older than you” Tapos mas lalo niyang hinawakan ang kamay ko. “Pero, age doesn’t matter diba? I poprove ko sayo na tama yon” Ewan ko. Gusto sabihin, ‘Sige. I want to see you to grow with me’ pero I said, “Alex, out there in the bigger picture, mas madaming deserving na babae na kasing edad mo. And I know hindi pa ito right time. Siguro ako nga yung para sayo, pero hindi ngayon.” He cried. Nasaktan ako nung makita ko siyang umiiyak na parang bata. Oo. Bata pa siya, pero sa pagkakakilala ko sa kanya, siya yung 16 years old na parang hindi 16 years old.
