Madaling araw ng Bagong Taon. Tahimik na ang paligid matapos ang sunod-sunod na paputok. Naiwan sa hangin ang amoy ng usok, tanda ng pagtatapos ng maingay na selebrasyon.
Sa bahay nila Angel, walang ibang gumagalaw kundi siya. Tahimik ang sala, at ang Christmas lights na nasa bintana ay patay-sindi na lang.
Sa loob ng kanyang kwarto, nakaupo si Angel sa harap ng laptop. Ang ilaw ng screen ang tanging nagbibigay-liwanag sa dilim.
She stared at the blank space on her browser for what felt like forever. Kanina pa niya binubuo ang lakas ng loob.
"Bagong taon, bagong simula," she whispered to herself. Her fingers hovered above the keyboard. Kaya ko 'to.
Matagal na niyang iniisip ang bumalik sa RP (roleplay) pero ngayon lang siya nagkaroon ng lakas ng loob. Hindi para magkunwaring ibang tao, pero para magbahagi ng passion niya-ang pagsusulat ng tula.
Para kay Angel, pagsusulat ang naging takbuhan niya mula noong bata pa siya. It was her escape, lalo na sa mga panahong nararamdaman niyang mag-isa siya.
Minsan, sinusulat niya ang nararamdaman sa diary. Pero ngayon, gusto niyang subukan kung paano ang magsulat para sa iba.
After a deep breath, she began typing.
Akimi Cinquain
That was the name she chose for her account. Akimi sounded elegant and unique, habang ang "Cinquain" ay inspired ng kanyang paboritong poetry form na may limang linya-simple pero malalim.
For her, it represented a part of who she was, kahit na nagtatago siya sa likod ng alias na iyon.
Nag-scroll siya sa mga groups at tumigil sa isang pangalan, a newly built hood named Penulis.
It was a hood para sa mga manunulat. Ayon sa group description, it was a space for writers to share their work, collaborate, and inspire each other. She stalk the hood first and check the feedback.
Sa bawat comment, nakikita niya ang camaraderie ng mga tao, parang pamilya even though it's still a newly built. "ito na yun" isip niya.
With one deep breath, pinindot niya ang Join.
Pagkalipas ng ilang minuto, tumunog ang notification:
Welcome to Penulis, Akimi Cinquain!
"Yes!" she whispered, smiling to herself. Finally, she was in.
Pagbukas niya ng feed, napansin niya ang pinned post mula sa mga admins. May welcome thread para sa mga bagong miyembro. "Introduce Yourself!" ang sabi ng caption. Excited at kinakabahan, she typed a quick comment:
"Hi! Akimi here. Happy to be part of this hood! Looking forward to learning and sharing poems with all of you."
Agad namang sumagot ang ibang members;
"Hi, Akimi! Welcome to Penulis!"
- Vienna
"Welcome! Excited to bardagulan with you🫰"
- Sky
"Enjoy sa hood, don't hesitate na makipag sabayan at maki-pag-bardagulan"
- Riley
Angel couldn't help but smile. Ang init ng pagtanggap sa kanya ng mga tao sa Penulis. It felt like she had finally found a place where she belonged.
Sa mga sumunod na araw, naging active si Angel sa Penulis. She posted poems and left comments on others' works. Mabilis niyang natutunan ang culture ng hood-ang pagsusulat ng mga "pieces," pagbibigay ng feedback, at ang mga events na kadalasang pinaplanong maigi ng mga admins.
Unti-unti, nakilala niya ang mga higher-ups ng hood.
Kai, ang enigmatic owner ng Penulis. Hindi siya madalas magpakita, pero ang presence niya ay ramdam sa mga desisyon at updates ng hood.
Thala, ang co-owner, known for her straightforward yet kind personality. She was often the one organizing challenges and events.
Zehan, ang foundress, approachable and friendly. Lagi siyang aktibo at laging nagbibigay ng encouragement sa members.
Silas, the co-founder, tahimik pero magaling magbigay ng constructive feedback.
Lionel, ang founder. May sharp humor siya na nakakagaan ng loob sa lahat, pero seryoso siya pagdating sa pagsusulat.
Angel admired them all from afar. Sa tingin niya, ang taas-taas nila, pero ramdam niyang they were approachable.
One evening, Angel was browsing through the group's posts when a challenge caught her attention. It was a poetry prompt event organized by Thala.
"Share a poem about beginning" ang nakasaad sa post. Excited si Angel. She quickly grabbed her notebook and began writing, letting her thoughts pour out.
"Rebirth"
In the ashes of a fading year,
A phoenix rises, bold and clear.
New dreams form in quiet light,
A softer glow, a calmer fight.
This is where the story starts-
A woven tapestry of hearts.
She hesitated for a moment before posting it. What if they don't like it? Pero naisip niyang kaya siya nandito ay para ipakita ang sarili. With one click, she shared the poem with the caption;
"Here's my take on the prompt. Be gentle-it's my first post here!"
Within minutes, comments flooded in.
"Beautiful imagery! Loved the phoenix metaphor."
- Hanna
"Ang ganda! Simple pero tagos sa puso."
- Sky
"Great start, Akimi! Looking forward to more of your work."
- Thala
Angel's chest swelled with pride. This was why she wanted to join Penulis-so she could share her work and feel understood. She didn't regret to be in rpw again and be a writer this time.
As the days passed, Angel became more visible in the hood. People started to notice her thoughtful comments and consistent contributions. She made friends with other members and felt a sense of belonging she hadn't felt in a long time.
One day, habang nagba-browse siya, nakatanggap siya ng private message mula kay Hanna, ang foundress.
"Hi, Akimi! Napansin namin na sobrang active ka sa hood, and we're really impressed with your work. Would you be interested in helping us moderate? Gusto mo bang maging co-admin?"
Angel blinked, rereading the message several times. She couldn't believe it. Co-admin? Ako? She had only been in the hood for a few days, pero parang napansin agad ang effort niya.
Nagsimula siyang mag-type ng reply;
"Hi, Hanna! Thank you so much for considering me. I'd love to help!"
Sa puntong iyon, hindi alam ni Angel na ang simpleng desisyong iyon ay magdadala sa kanya sa mas malaking pagbabago. Penulis was no longer just a hood. It was about to become a part of her life-and maybe even her heart.
ஜ : itong story iikot sya sa kwento ng dalawang rp writer. You'll now meet Angel or must I say Akimi. When kaya si ano?
-🧸
YOU ARE READING
Unrequited Love
Historia CortaA love between two writer's who wrote different genre.
