"Hey, Luke. Are you just going to stand there? Our show is about to start." Tawag na sa kaniya ng babaeng kausap niya kanina. So he's name is Luke?
He just look at me and smile before patting my head in such firm manner. Before he could left, nagulat ako nang may tumapik sa likod ko. I quickly turn around and found Aaron, a friend of mine, smiling at me while his hands in his pockets.
Agad din namang nawala ang nasisiyahang ngiti ni Luke nang napansin niyang nginitian ko si Aaron pabalik. What's the matter with this guy? Wala namang namamagitan sa aming dalawa ni Aaron cause I know that he likes Peony and I was helping him out.
Luke just purses his lips together before he turn his back on me and left us standing there with so much confusion. I just ignore him at ibinaling ang atensyon kay Aaron.
"So, have you ever tried talking with her?" I giggles.
"No, I couldn't try to reach out. I'm good with this kind of 'admiring from a far' thing." Sagot niya na may halong kalungkutan.
"You're just hurting yourself. " I said as I look at Peony who's still talking with her friend.
"But, I'll try." He nodded. I just smiled and gives him my biggest thumbs up. "Well then, I gotta go. See you around." Pagpa-paalam niya bago umalis. Just as when Aaron finally left, Peony came with so much excitement, she pulls my hand to walk towards the grand entrance.
"Mag start na, tara sa gitna, mas maganda ang view doon eh." Turo niya sa mga upuan na nasa gitna.
The play did really went well, there are some errors na nagagawa ng mga bata but it's normal though since they're still learning, I can tell.
Their parents who's watching them on stage looks so proud that they even burst in tears of joy. I hope my mom would feel the same way—the proudest, be the happiest for me. But she never stop looking down on me.
"I saw you talking with that guy kanina." Tango ni Peony kay Luke na on going pang nag pe-perform. "Kapit-bahay namin siya eh."
Agad na nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa sinabi niya. Ano?! How did that even happen?!
"Funny ka." I scoffs taking it as a joke.
"Huh? I'm not joking, Via. Check mo pa mamayang gabi. Lagi siyang nasa terrace ng room niya. And remember last night? You asked kung bakit may paulit-ulit na nagpapatugtog ng classical music? That's because it was him." She explained.
Sige na lang.
Hindi na ako umimik, itinuloy ko na lang ang panonood. After the performance, the room was filled with loud applause. It was good, good mood na ako.
Agad na kaming umuwi dahil pagod na raw si Tita Irish. Mag ga-gabi na rin kasi. Nag take out na lang din sila ng hapunan sa isang Italian restaurant since they're too lazy to do the cooking now.
"What a day." Peony sighed as she sat beside me.
Nasa sofa kami ngayon sa may hall room at nanonood ng romantic movie gamit ang malaking flat TV screen na nasa tapat namin.
"Hindi ka pa matutulog?" Agad na tanong niya habang yakap-yakap ang isang maliit na unan.
"I'll just finish this movie." Turo ko sa TV sabay subo ng fries na kanina ko pa nilalamon.
She didn't hesitate to put her head on my shoulder and I just let her do that. We're cousins anyway, hindi naman nakaka bother yun for me since Peony and I are close.
I thought it was a romantic movie—it really is a romance but the ending was tragic, more tragic than the story called 'Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare' .
Kinailangan ko tuloy ng tissue para punasan ang luhang kanina pa nahuhulog simula nung malapit na ako sa ending. Grabeng plot twist. Masaya sa una pero sa ending, grabehan.
I was about to start to watch a new movie again when I heard a sudden knock on the door out front. Dahan-dahan kong ipinatong ang ulo muna ni Peony sa isa pang maliit na unan saka kinumutan pa siya bago tumakbo papuntang pintuan para pagbuksan ito.
Pareho kaming nagulat nang makita namin ang isa't-isa. But his surprised face turned into smirk as if nagustuhan niya ang sumalubong sa kaniya. Inis na tinaasan ko naman siya ng kilay.
"What do you want?" I asked as I cross my arms on my chest.
"Ah, nalaman kasi ni mama na naka uwi na si Tita Irish kaya gusto niyang ipabigay 'to." Sagot naman niya habang malapad parin ang ngiti saka iniabot ang isang mamahalin na wine.
"She's sleeping, but I'll give it to her once she's finally awake." Sabi ko naman bago pa ito kinuha sa mga kamay niya na para bang nang hahablot.
" Kung maka hablot ka, para kang magnanakaw." Reklamo niya. " Pati tuloy puso ko, nanakaw mo."
Hearing that cheesy joke makes me feel so annoyed that I even slammed the door right onto his fucking face. Nakaka inis. Tumawa pa siya eh hindi naman 'yon nakaka tawa.
Inilapag ko na lang ang ibinigay niyang wine sa may dining table. Nawala na tuloy ako sa mood, nawalan na rin tuloy ako ng ganang manood kaya naman ay dali-daling iniligpit ko na ang bowl na pinaglagyan ko ng fries pati na rin ang basong pinaginuman ko ng juice kanina habang nanonood bago dumeretso sa kwarto para mag pahinga.
The classical music that Luke's playing was echoing. It sounds bit melancholic but I can tell that it's so relaxing like I was in a garden filled with beautiful flowers with such sweet scents while the sky is blue and the world is so much at peace.
But then, my heart start to beat faster than the normal. Sumunod na narinig ko na ay ang malakas na alon ng dagat, hindi mapakaling sumisigaw ang mga ibon at tila bang ang kalangitan ay unti-unting dumidilim kasama ang mga ulap na ninanais nang umiyak.
"Lourese!" My mother's voice was so loud that it seems wilder than the sound of the roaring waves of the ocean. "Lourese!" My mother's voice muffled.
"Ate..." Mahinang daing ko.
Dama ko ang paninikip ng dibdib ko, ang sakit-sakit. Mas masakit pa sa mga paghihirap na dinanas ko sa training.
"And once that we became the black swans. We will never stop dancing in front of the sea shore, even when there's countless rocks in the sand. We'll keep going. We will shine like a star, brighter than the sun, even if it's day time."
That's the final sentences that Lourese had told me before she's gone. It was painful. It never fades.
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YOU ARE READING
The Laurier Series 2: Meet Me At The Royal Opera House
Romance"You taught me to be me, to be your black swan. You never made me feel that I'm powerless, only freedom is what you're meant to give me, my love. And I've fallen so deeply in love with you, the first time I met you inside of that grand royal opera h...
