Beneath the Summer Sky

Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Pagkatapos kong kumain ng turon, tumayo si Silas at umalis saglit. Nang bumalik siya, may dala-dala na siyang ilang canvas na may kasamang mga makukulay na pintura at brushes, ipinagkalat niya ang mga ito sa telang inuupuan namin.

"Nag p-paint ka?" I asked, my surprise evident in my voice as I looked at the setup.

"Marami ka pang malalaman," aniya habang nakangiting inaayos ang mga iyon.

"Dami mo namang alam," saad ko habang nakatanaw sa tanawing nasa harap ko. "Ano naman mga pini-paint mo?" I asked, looking at a canvas that was covered with soft strokes of color.

"Mostly landscapes and abstract ideas," Silas replied. Kumuha ito ng ilang paint brush at inabot sakin. "I like to paint what I see and what I feel. Sometimes it's just a reflection of my mood, and other times it's a place I wish I could visit."

Napatango tango ako at kumuha rin ng isang canvas dahil gusto ko rin magpaint. Gusto ko rin subukan, kahit na alam kong hindi ako kasing husay niya.

Dumapa ako sa tela at nagsimulang mag pinta ng bulaklak. It was the only thing I felt confident painting. Maliban sa mga shapes, wala na. Iyon lang talaga.

"Pansy, pwede ba kitang pintahan?" tanong niya. Agad akong napatingin sa kanya, ang aking mga mata ay napako sa canvas na nasa harap niya.

Laking gulat ko nang makita ang tanawin na ipininta niya. Iyon ang tanawin na nasa harap namin--- ang araw na unti-unting lumulubog, ang talon, ang mga bulaklak. My eyes widened in amazement as I noticed the detail. Kasama rin kami sa painting niya! Makikita akong nakadapa sa damuhan na may tela habang siya ay nakaupo sa tabi ko, nagpipinta. Even Goya, was painted tethered to the tree.

"San mo ko pipintahan?" takang tanong ko.

My gaze shifted from the canvas to him, trying to understand his intentions.

Hindi siya sumagot ngunit marahan niyang kinuha ang palad ko, his touch gentle as he applied white paint to my thumb finger and I watched him as he repeated the process on his own thumb with the same color. When our painted thumb were ready, he carefully pressed them onto the canvas, creating a heart-shaped imprint.

As the paint on the canvas dried, I continued to gaze at the masterpiece Silas had created. May sinusulat pa kasi ito sa gitnang bahagi.

After a while, Silas stepped back, giving himself room to view his work from different angles.

This was my cue to get a closer look at what he had been working on. Mas nilapit ko ang mukha ko at nakita kong naka cursive ang isinulat niya.

You are the dream I paint.

I tilted my head. Sinubukan kong hindi bigyan ng kahit na anong eksplenasyon at meaning yon, pero hindi ko maiwasan na mag-isip.

My heart pounded in my chest. "Silas..." I began, my voice barely a whisper.

"It's nothing." agad na saad niya habang may tipid na ngiti sa mga labi. "Alam kong hindi ka pa handa. Pina-overthink ba ulit kita? Pasensya na. Hindi ko sinasadya. Kusang naisulat na lamang ng mga kamay ko."

"It's not nothing, Silas." umiling ako at napatigil sa ginagawa.

"It is," Silas admitted, his voice soft. "Gusto ko lang isulat at ipinta ang nararamdaman ko. I was lost in my thoughts, lost in my emotions. Hindi ko na napansing iyan ang naisulat ko."

He paused, looking down at the painting, his fingers lightly tracing the words. "I wasn't trying to ask for anything in exchange, Pansy. Hindi ko rin sinasadyang guluhin ang isip mo," aniya habang bahagyang nakalayo sakin. "Sometimes, expressing my feelings through art is the only way I know how to cope. It helps me process everything."