Past, Present, Future

PPF Part 6: First Words of the Past

Habang nasa byahe ako at hawak ang pinakabagong camera na naipundar ng pagsisikap ko under my parent's company, hindi ko maiwasang maalala ang pinakaunang taong kinuhanan ko ng stolen closeup shot.

*Flashback*

Masayang binuksan ko ang regalo sa akin ni papa dahil nakita at na-appreciate n'ya ang effort ko sa school. I won a first place in a national academic competition in Mathematics, matimatician diba? Well, wala eh, nauna ko pang natutunan ang mag-add kaysa sa magbasa. Perks of having business man father.

The time I opened the box I saw a wonderful DSLR camera. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa pagkabigla and at the same time I felt a little bit nervous. Alam kong hindi sang-ayon si papa sa pangarap kong maging professional photographer pero bakit n'ya ako niregaluhan nito?

"Nagustuhan mo ba?" My father asked me, smiling. I stare at him. "Hindi mo ba nagustuhan?" Kinuha n'ya ang camera sa box. "Sayang naman kung ayaw mo, ibibigay ko nalang ito kay Anne (pinsan ko)." Tinignan n'ya ang bawat anggulo ng camera. Hindi ko maipaliwanag ang saya ko. Totoo ba ito? My father gifted me a camera?

"No dad. I really really love it!" Mangiyak-ngiyak ko namang sagot sa kan'ya. "B-but why y-you gave me t-that?" I asked him.

He smiled at me and said, "I know you really love it." Iniabot n'ya ang hawak na camera sa akin, kinuha ko naman. "Go outside, take the best shot you can then later, when we have dinner, titignan ko and I'll judge. Tignan ko kung pwede ka nang maging photographer." Lalong lumaki ang ngiti ng mga labi n'ya. Is it real? Is it real?

Like what my daddy said, I went outside to take the best shot I can!

Naglakad-lakad ako at pinuntahan ang kakahuyan para mag-take ng magandang shot ng mga damo't puno na nababalot ng manipis na mga ulap dito sa taas ng bundok.

After I went there and took some shots, pumunta naman ako sa bayan. Sa lugar kung saan maraming tao at mga sasakyan ang pwedeng kuhanan.

More than twenty shots I took but still wala pang closeup shot ng isang tao. Puro puno, establishments, cars and other people who are busy working and playing. Until I saw her. That girl at the coffee shop. The girl who was eating pancakes. The girl who my eyes stared for a minute twice. The girl who stopped my d*mn world. I saw her playing with her puppy. So, she loves dogs too. Just like me.

I readied my camera to take a shot of her and her dog. I focused my shot to her, to her lovely baby face with her cute pouted lips that wanting to kiss her puppy.

I grabbed the wonderful opportunity to capture that moment of them. I clicked the camera.

After I took the shot, tinignan ko s'yang muli. Again, I saw her deep dimples na nakakadagdag ng ganda ng mukha n'ya.

"Browny, saan ka pupunta?" Tanong n'ya sa aso n'ya na ngayo'y papalapit sa akin.

Tumahol ang alaga n'ya nang makalapit sa akin.

"Hello, cutie. Anong pangalan mo?" Naglalambing ko namang tanong sa alaga n'ya. "Gusto mong kandungin kita?" Tumahol itong muli. I tried to carry it, hindi naman ito pumalag kaya binuhat ko na at kinandong.

Tumingin ako sa kan'yang amo. She is looking at us, smiling. "What's its name?" Tanong ko sa kan'ya habang hinahaplos ang mabalahibong alaga n'ya.

Tumayo s'ya sa kinauupuan n'ya at lumapit sa akin. "Its name is Browny. I think it really likes you." Biglang kumabog ang puso ko nang marinig ko ang boses n'ya. Her sweet voice made my every heartbeat faster. She smiled at me, I saw her dimples again.