War Upon the Sunrise | HS Side Story

Chapter Nineteen

Warning: Slight SPG

...

“Whoah! I didn't know Trivino have the prettiest sunsets!” I exclaimed as I opened my arms wide, standing on the bay, looking at the skies mixed in orange, pink, and light blue.

The bay is peaceful even with people around. There are families sitting on a wooden bench around the area, some were walking their dogs, some were roaming the place on a bike, some are dating. There are street food vendors around the area.

“Too bad I didn't brought my phone with me. I could've captured the beautiful sunset of Trivino,” I said as I pouted.

He's sitting on the brown wooden bench just behind me. He is holding all the food we bought awhile ago. He still is filled with charcoal dirt on his shirt and shorts, but he still looks so good on my eyes.

“Wala bang ganito sa California?” he asked, eyes narrowed, looking at the ocean reflected with the pink skies.

I pouted and looked at the ocean. The water is sparkling like a diamond on the vast galaxy with varied colors like pink, orange, and blue.

Isn't God so amazing? How did he came up with the idea of a sunset colored with pastel? How did he thought about each color? Maybe he made the sunset pretty to make people feel at peace at the end of the day as the darkness succumb.

He's definitely the artist of all artists.

“There are beautiful sunsets there too. It's just that I didn't really have much time to watch it,” I said.

“Bakit naman?” he asked.

I turned around and faced him. I then walked towards him and sat beside him.

“Like what I told you, I was busy. School and home are my only destination back then. I never really get to enjoy the sunset even the sunrise,” I said and smiled as I swing my feet.

“Ganoon kahigpit ang mga tumatayong magulang mo?” he asked.

I pouted and nodded. “Yes. But it's in the past now. At least I can now experience being under the sunset unlike before.”

We became silent. Only our breathing is what I can hear. Somehow, for a long time, I felt the peace I didn't know existed in my life.

I was a hardworking student back then. I worry about my grades. I worry about my performance in school. Because I worry about what might my adoptive parents would think about me if I would fail their expectations.

Now that I'm a grown up, I was able to discern a lot of things that I wasn't able to realize before.

Kids are just kids. They deserve to play on the mud, they deserve to experience being with other children. They deserve to laugh and giggle. They are called kids for a reason.

We only live ones so instead of putting pressure on the child's academic performance, why not let them play, make mistakes,  and learn through real life circumstances? The pressure you plant unto your kid will grow as his trauma when time passes.

“Masaya ka ba na nakabalik ka na sa tunay mong mga magulang, Lucy?” Lucas asked.

“Of course,” I answered and smiled.

“Kailan mo nalaman na ampon ka lang?” he asked.

“Hmm... just now,” I answered and chuckled.

“Paano mo nalaman?” he asked.

I sighed and pouted. “Hm... my adoptive parents told me. All of a sudden, they told me that I am actually adopted and that they saw me on their doorstep.”