AMACon 3: Oikos - Home

Belen - December 20: Him

Wala pa kong tulog. Pero gising na gising ako para magsimbang gabi. Who are you and what have you done to Nicom?

He smiled at his thoughts as he looked at his closet for something to wear. Nicom remembered the last time he cared about his appearance for a girl: NEVER. Girls tell him that they like him because he's Nicom, he's himself and not pretending to be anything. Not that he's pretending now, but he just wants to look good in front of her.

Tapos di pala single no?

Nicom looked at his clock, 4:30 am. He already showered, dressed up, and still have time to spare. So he checked his FB app, scrolling through their messages from last night.

From when she came back to when she said goodbye, Aldene never answered his question. Nicom had repeated it infinitely without getting any response.

They had talked about anything and everything. Light topics such as his favorite number in an electric fan to sensitive ones like politics. But Nicom had observed that they never talk about their families, and he's grateful for that.

Nicom doesn't know how to talk about his family without sounding ungrateful, especially now that it's Christmas.

4:45am. Time to go down.

"Aga mo naman." His Tatay was making himself a cup of coffee, greeting him with a yawn. Nicom smiled.

"Good morning,tay."

"Oh Nicolo. Ang aga mo naman."

"Di pa ko natutulog nay."

"Pero mas gising ka pa sa tatay mo ha. Anong meron?"

"Pasko na nay." Nicom smiled and left his parents dumbfounded. He went to the church earlier than this family and found Aldene already dressed as Mary, seated like a statue already.

Nicom tried to distract her by making wacky faces at her, but Aldene ignored him. Just as she ignored his questions about her relationship status, she ignored his attempts at distraction as well.

Ang galing talaga.

He brought out his camera and took videos of the belen, circling around it, in different angles but Nicom's eyes never strayed away from hers.

Gagalaw ka at mahuhuli sa camera pramis.

Nicom placed his camera on top of the pew, in front of the belen, and sat down as his family arrived.

"Anong himala to?"

"Ang himala pag pumayat ka Taba."

"Coleen, upo na. Hoy ikaw Com, saya mo ngayon ah?"

"Bawal ba?" Sabay lingon kay Aldene, sige Nicom, di ka talaga mahahalata niyan eh. Di talaga.

The mass went off without a hitch. The parishioners celebrated their fifth Misa De Gallo and Nicom spent almost the whole time just looking at her.

This didn't went unnoticed by his sisters. With just a look, both Niki and Coleen understood. Their baby brother has a crush on their new friend.

Nicom was focused on watching Aldene that he didn't notice Coleen taking his camera, pointing it to him for a while and returning it back.

"Iba na 'to Ate." Coleen whispered to Niki.

It was cemented when Nicom stayed after mass, very unlikely of him. Niki tilted her head to Nicom's direction, and Coleen grinned. Nicom is smiling at the belen, where the human nativity is still frozen.