“One, two, three, kimchi!”
Game. Isa pa.
“One, two, th---”
Kiss!!
Flash!
Sobrang gulat ko, anlaki ng mata ko. Feeling ko luluwa na sya. Pero mas matindi nung nasapak ko si Kuya. Sabay labas sa photo booth.
FOUR HOURS (and a few minutes) EARLIER
“Sigurado ka, Tabel?? Kasi kung hindi sasa---.”
“Swear. I’ll be fine. You, guys, go have fun.”
I lie all the time. Pero eto yung lie na sobrang pinagsisisihan ko.
“Okay. Just text me if you need me, anytime. Okay?”
I smiled. I nodded. I waved goodbye. Turned back. And tried very hard not to cry.
Enchanted Kingdom. A child’s every dream, except Disneyland, ha. Sobrang daming rides. Feeling ko hindi ko matatapos ng ilang oras lang ‘to. Pero okay lang. I’m assured of a good time. Especially, kung may kasama ko. Pero dahil I’m the ‘most understanding and trustworthy cousin,’ pumayag akong maging chaperone para kay Marco at Leah. At dahil I’m the ‘most loyal of all her bestest friends,’ mag-mi-meet kami after nilang i-enjoy ang rides. Together. While I’m alone. Ugh! I hate this. Pero as if namang masasabi ko to sa harap ni Leah. Haaaaaaaay.
Pero dahil nandito na ko, why not enjoy myself. Kesa naman magpakalunod ako sa self-pity, diba?
So. Ayun. Nasakyan ko na almost half of the rides. Enjoy naman. Thrilling. Kahit mag-isa. Ha! Sino na kasing may sabi na kailangan may kasama ka para mag-enjoy ka sa EK, diba?
Sa sobrang enjoyment ko, I decided to rest sa isa sa mga benches na nakakalat sa vicinity.
That’s when I saw the photo booth. Cool! I’ve always wanted to try one. Yung tipong parang sa Japan. So for the fun of it, pumasok ako sa loob. Nag-smile. At Flash!
Isa pa. Hahahaha! Flash!
Isa pa ulit. Flash!
One more time. Flash!
This is sooooo cool! Last na. Flash!
Last na talaga. “One, two, three, kimchi!”
Fine, last na talaga. “One, two, th---”
It happened so fast I didn’t know exactly what happened. I felt na parang I’m looking through still shots.
First: I was posing for the last time. I swear it’s gonna be the last time. Well, probably after one more. Or one last, last photo.
Second: Pumasok si Kuya. (He’s so breathtakingly gorgeous. Tipong kahit maliit sya – barely passed six feet – pero sobrang hot.) He grabbed my shoulders. Then one hand slipped to the back of my neck. And… and… and kissed my lips!! Oh, no! My first kiss!! Flash!
Third: Sa sobrang gulat ko, sinapak ko sya. Straight to his (soft!) lips. Flash!
Then I did the most uncool thing I could have done in the situation. I walked out. And never turned back.
Dumiretso ako sa Ferris Wheel. Alone. And then I cried.
