Behind Every Pages

Chapter One:

Ezra

“Congratulations ulit, Mr. Ezonme” I accepted his hand.

I have just finished signing our contract and attending a meeting about the upcoming printing of the story I have written online to be published as a book again, it's my fifth book to be exact.

I began writing when I was seventeen. It took a while for my work to be noticed and gain recognition. There were times when I felt discouraged, thinking no one would ever read my stories, but I kept writing. It was always my dream to have my own book, to be an author. Now that my dream is coming true, I am deeply grateful for His guidance. He has never left my side on this journey as a writer.

I have chosen to keep my identity private, wanting to maintain a sense of separation between my personal life and my work. May pagkakataon pa ngang kapag nasa isang bookstore ako at may nakikita akong mga taong bumibili ng libro ko ay wala talaga silang ideya na nasa likod lang nila ako.

I know it might seem a bit odd. It's a delicate balance, as if I'm denying them the opportunity to get to know me, even though they are my fans, but I value my personal time and freedom. I don't want to lose that sense of anonymity, that ability to be just another person in the world.

Hindi katulad ng ibang mga sikat na author na pinagkakaguluhan, gusto kong tahimik lang kaya napagdesisyunan kong itago ang pangalan ko at gamitin ang pen name na Ezonme. Nakatatawa kasi base lang talaga 'yon sa kantang Easy on Me ni Adele. Wala kasi akong maisip noon na magandang pangalan.

Pag-uwi ko sa bahay ay nagpahinga lang ako saglit bago buksan ang laptop ko. Mahigpit kasi ako sa pag-check ng typographical error at grammatical error. Dapat bago i-submit sa publishing company, okay na dapat lahat. Ako lang ang nag ta-trabaho ng lahat, hands-on din ako sa designs and materials ng magiging libro ko. Gusto kong maganda at maayos ang lahat dahil nga pangarap ko ito.

However, my ultimate dream is to also become a renowned writer internationally. I dream of having my works published by an international publishing company in the U.S, which is why I am pushing myself to excel even further. There is nothing holding me back here in the Philippines if I am given the opportunity to become a writer in another country.

I came from an orphanage and grew up without anyone attempting to adopt me. I was frail back then, so it seemed like they were concerned about the expenses if they were to take me in. Palagi akong nasa hospital dahil mabilis akong magkasakit. Life was not easy there; we worked hard to put food on the table.

Kung ano-anong pinagagawa sa amin. Magtinda ng sampaguita sa tapat ng simbahan sa araw para may makain sa tanghali, at magtatahi ng sako sa hapon para may makain sa gabi. Paulit-ulit.

Matalino naman daw ako kaya inilakad ako bilang iskolar ng bayan noon kaya nakapag-aral ako. Doon ako nahilig at nagsimulang magsulat ng istorya, madalas nga ay hindi ko maiwasang maihalintulad ang buhay ko sa buhay ng karakter na sinusulat ko.

I often wish that just as how I wrote them become successful in life, despite the incredibly difficult journeys they endured to achieve their dreams, the same would happen to me through my works.

And here I am now, I can say my life is different from what it was before. I achieved things in life that I only dreamed before. Nakapagpundar na rin ako ng bahay at pinag-aaral ang sarili sa college. I took up business management because I've always had a passion for business. So, if I ever have a reason to stop being a writer, I have my business waiting for me.  Malayo na, pero malayo pa.

Napabukas ako ng cellphone ko matapos lahat ng mga kailangan kong gawin. Nakahiga na ako sa kama ngayon at nagpapaantok na lang. I can't reply to all the messages on my social media accounts, so I only managed to respond to a few. As I opened my messages, a fan's message popped up at the same time. I clicked on it and was surprised to see that she had been messaging me for a while, but I had never seen them.

Lestari Yvette Castellano
Dear Ezonme,

Hi again Mr. Author. I wanted to express again my deep gratitude to you for the beautiful story you have created. Your stories have been an inspiration for me, sobrang thankful ako kasi ang dami ko talagang natutunan, Author. Reading your story has taken me on a roller coaster of emotions. Mababaliw ata ako, Author. Iyak tawa ang nangyayari sa'kin but I appreciate how your characters have changed my perspective in such a profound way. I sincerely hope that our paths will cross one day, and I will have the opportunity to meet you in person and get to know you na rin hehe.

Sincerely,
Your secret number one fan.

A wave of warmth washed over me as I scrolled through her old messages. Every time I released a new book, she'd be there, sending her congratulations. She'd excitedly tell me about buying a copy and couldn't wait to dive into the story. And after finishing it, she'd share her thoughts, recounting the moments that resonated with her most. I also enjoyed reading her complains about some characters.

"Iritang-irita ka ah?" natatawang sabi ko nang mabasa 'yon.

I spent a while reading through her messages, the oldest one being from two years ago. I wasn't as famous back then, so it was sweet to see how long she's been following me. I finally replied to her after reading through everything.

My inbox was flooded with messages, especially since my page announced my book signing event tomorrow. I took the time to read and thank everyone for their support.

But one message lingered in my mind. The girl had seen my message, yet hadn't responded. I re-read my message, wondering if I said something wrong, but it seemed fine. I clicked on her profile, hoping for a clue, but all I found were posts about books she reads. No pictures of herself.

"Dump account niya ba ito?"

My phone slipped from my grasp, landing on the bed with a soft thud. I stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. Then, just as quickly, I picked up my phone again.

"Maybe she doesn't know about the book signing," I murmured to myself, almost as if I was trying to convince myself.  "I should remind her," after all, if she was truly my number one fan, she wouldn't want to miss it.

I seemed to be feeling excited without realizing it, but I waited for her reply for minutes. I was on the brink of falling asleep while waiting for her until I finally received a response. However, my earlier excitement faded upon reading her reply.

Lestari Yvette Castellano

:(( sorry I can't