Behind Her Shadow

Chapter 16

Maria Adelaida's POV

Miss Amaranth burst into quiet laughter, covering her mouth too late—so she reached out, gently pressing her hand over mine to stop me from reacting.

And then suddenly, we were inches apart. My eyes were glued on her. Her lips were stretched beautifully into a smile. Her eyes were smiling as well—like the moment didn't weigh anything, it's just as if joy came naturally to her.

I couldn't look away. Not when she's smiling cheekily.

Definitely not when she's laughing happily like a child successful of her prank.

For the first time when I met her, she was smiling—laughing, above that.

Parang biglang hindi ko alam ang gagawin. The last time I saw her not as a Professor but as a kapitbahay was when her car suddenly stopped working, tapos biglang narito na naman kami, nasa park, nasa playground.

Siya na tuwang-tuwa sa pananakot sa akin habang ako ay hindi makaimik man lang!

I could only glare at her because her hand were covering half of my face, trying to shut me up through stifled laughter. And that's where I noticed.

That's where I realized that she's wearing a simple dress. White linen, sleeveless, and cut just below the knees. It looked soft—maybe even airy—because it moved with her, effortlessly, like her curly hair did when the wind swept past.

It fluttered around her like it belonged to the breeze. And for a second, I wasn't just glaring anymore. I was just... staring.

"What a scaredy-cat you were, Montecer," the impostor, Miss Amaranth, grinned as she removed her hand on my mouth.

Sinundan ko siya ng tingin nang umupo siya sa picnic blanket ko habang patuloy na tumatawa dahil sa kalokohan na ginawa niya sa akin.

Tuwang-tuwa siya ngayon na parang wala siyang ibang iniisip kung hindi ang ginawa niyang pananakot kani-kanina lang.

She looked... carefree.

Like nothing mattered to her but her playful act, and who am I to be the villain in her fairytale story?

Natawa na lang din ako sa ginawa niya nang ma-realize. Sinabayan ko ang tawa niya habang nanatili ang mga mata ko sa kaniya. Talagang tuwang-tuwa siya, 'yong tawa niya, hindi nakakasawa, dahil ang totoo, nakakahawa iyon.

"I'm surprised you know your way here," pang-aasar ko sa kaniya para umingay ang paligid, sinabayan pa ng pag-uusap namin ang music na kasalukuyang tumutunog pa rin hanggang ngayon.

"What am I? A three-year-old kid?" she chuckled, her shoulders moving. "Seems like you're the three-year-old kid, not me."

"Uh-huh?" Hinintay ko ang susunod niyang sasabihin habang bahagyang tumataas ang gilid ng labi ko, nangingiti.

"Scared of ghosts, really? Superbook theme song?"

I laughed, my fingers playing with the hair tie hanging on my left wrist. "Ang sama mo! Childhood ko 'yon! And it's about Jesus!" Tila biglang may anghel na dumaan nang sabay kaming nag-sign of the cross.

After a while, her playful demeanor appeared again. She raised an eyebrow, teasing. "A classic song for scaredy-cats, maybe."

"Grabe ka!" Suminghap ako. "It was scary kaya! Imagine, Undas, tapos may kakaluskos, may magbabato ng bato?! Kahit sino matatakot doon!"