Embracing the Wind of Change (Batchmate Series #3)

Chapter 18

“Only you can make all this world seem right. . Only you can make the darkness bright. .”

The soft music gently struck my eardrums in the middle of sleeping. Dahil doon ay napagtanto ko agad kung saan galing ang musika. 

I smiled crazily alone knowing that it was Isagani again.

Without fading a smile, I tugged my face onto the pillow. It was only a short while when I decided to pull up my back from the soft mattress. 

I walked slowly to the door, gently parting the curtain to catch a glimpse of Mom and Dad in the kitchen. As always, Dad was swaying his hips, hugging Mom from behind, creating a moment of pure bliss.

“Only you can make, oh, this change in me. For it's true, you are my destiny. .”

When he had his fill, he took Mom's hand and placed it on his shoulder, his own hands resting lovingly on her waist.  Sinabayan niya pa iyon ng banayad na pagkanta.

Seeing Mom smile so radiantly brought a surge of warmth to my heart.  Their eyes are locked at each other like they have their own different world.

“When you hold my hand, I understand the magic that you do. .”

He reached the hand of mama and kissed the back of her palm. I heaved a sigh dreamily.

“You're my dream come true, my one and only you. .”

That scene was in my head during reviewing. Napagpasyahan namin na magkitang magkakaibigan ng magsimula ang bakasyon para sa nalalapit na qualifying exam. 

Amidst my reverie, my thoughts shifted to the heavy burden of our debts. Duda lang ako talaga kung gaano kalaki ‘yon kaya nang tanungin ko si kuya ay hindi siya makasagot.

“Basta malaki, Zel. ‘Yon na ‘yon,” aniya sa akin.

“Bakit walang exact amount?”

“Kasi bawal, huwag ka ngang makulit,” pagsaway niya sa akin.

I didn't get the answer I needed kaya palaisipan sa akin kung bakit lumaki ang utang namin bukod sa gastusin namin sa araw-araw. Sa katunayan ay kaya naman namin i-budget yung sweldo ni papa sa isang buwan.

“May part time kayo, Harem?” I asked them.

Tiniklop ni Harem ang libro. “Meron, tutor, gano'n.”

“Seryoso?” my face lit up.

“Oo, yung pamangkin ko lang tinuturuan ko, bakit? Naghahanap ka ba ng trabaho?”

I nodded. “Ngayong bakasyon lang naman halos dalawang buwan din.”

Nilingon namin si Chie na napalundag palapit sa akin. “Ah, sayang yung part time ko ngayon sa convenience store kaso hindi na hiring.”

“Eme ka, hindi mo man lang ako sinabihan!”

Chie chuckled. “Eh, ‘di ba sabi mo hindi ka pinapayagan ng magulang mo na magtrabaho?”

Ngumuso ako, hindi nakaimik. I planned to keep it to myself. Wala naman akong balak na sabihin sa magulang ko, e. Saka ko na sasabihin siguro kapag medyo tumagal na. Bakasyon din naman.

Time flew by so fast when I decided to visit Gan ngunit wala naman daw ito ngayong linggo dahil nasa church daw. Abala raw si Isagani dahil mayroon itong pinaghahandaan na qualifying exam na ngayon ko lang din nalaman.

“May qualifying exam talaga ang mga interior design, every year yun gaya sa atin na mga first-year,” it was Tabitha on the video call.

“Hindi man lang sinabi,” bulong ko.