Pursuing from the Shore (Sun Rays #2)

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Daniel Lancevin Velazco

Art... it became my rhythm.

Everything can be a piece of it. That's something I held on to.

Not because it sounded good, but because it made sense. I used to be careless. The kind of kid who never stayed still, who made noise just to prove I was there.

I didn't think much of consequences back then. I didn't think one moment could stretch this far into my life.

People say I didn't have it hard growing up. Well... they're not wrong.

I had a roof over my head, a name that already meant something, and a future that was practically written for me. But no one really talks about how quiet things can get. How silence can follow you around until you learn how to live with it.

So I did.

I found something that made sense of it.

Art doesn't ask you to explain yourself. It doesn't rush you, it doesn't measure you against anything.

People do that instead.

They like things that can be labeled as stable, practical, predictable. Something they can point at and say, "That's worth it." But art doesn't work like that. It doesn't beg to be understood, it just exists—and if you're paying attention, it stays.

I think that's why people dismiss it so easily, not because it's meaningless, but because it doesn't need their approval to matter.

But I don't mind that. I never needed everyone to understand why I draw—I just needed to know why I couldn't stop.

Because for me, it was never about proving anything. It was about keeping something alive—even when everything else starts to fade.

"Davin, saan ka na naman nanggaling? Ako ang malalagot sa Daddy mo kapag napahamak ka r'yan sa labas!"

Hahakbang pa lang sana ako papasok sa mansyon nang marinig ko si Nanang Milet. Medyo may edad na siya kaya minsan mainit ang dugo niya sa paligid, lalo na sa 'kin. She's a grumpy old woman.

"Palagi ka na lang tumatakas! Kung nakikita lang ng Mommy mo 'yang ginagawa mo, hay nako, malalagot ka sa kanya! Kung paano ba naman kasi hindi ka manlang mapalo!" sermon niya. I continued to sneak inside even though she had seen me already. "Halika, ako ang papalo sa 'yo!"

Para akong nabuhayan. Makarinig lang ako ng ganoon ay ginaganahan ako lalo na tumakas. Humagikgik ako at kunwari nangtatago sa mga shelves, sinisilip ko pa si Nanang na ngayon ay may hawak nang hanger.

"Nye! Hindi mo 'ko mapapalo, Nanang! Habulin mo muna 'ko!" lumundang ako sa harapan niya at inasar siya.

She looks pissed as she started chasing me inside the mansion. Tuwang-tuwa ako habang umaakyat sa hagdan. Huh! Ito ang kahinaan ni Nanang, ang umakyat sa hagdan dahil babagal siya rito.

"Halika rito, punyemas!"

I giggled as I went inside the art room. Magtatago lang naman sana ako kaso naabutan ko si Mommy na nandoon. She's painting again. The room, as usual, is quiet, filled with the scent of lavender. Hindi lang basta tahimik dahil kaunti lang ang tao, kundi dahil tahimik din si Mommy. She's deaf. She hasn't even noticed my movements yet.

Hanggang sa makalapit ako sa kanya. Nakatalikod siya sa akin habang abala siya sa pagpipinta. I gently tapped her shoulder for twice, making her startle a bit as she looked at me. Nabuhayan naman ang mukha niya nang makita ako.

"Hi, Mommy ko," I beamed while smiling. She smiled at me too. "Woah, ganda!" komento ko sa pinipinta niya.

Kumuha siya ng maliit na papel at lapis para magsulat. I haven't learned sign language yet. At my age, I still have trouble remembering things. Kahit mga basic sign language ay nakakalimutan ko rin agad.