"Grabe! Ang gwapo-gwapo mo, Yoyo! Hindi halatang may bobo eyes ka!"
I laughed after hearing what Yana had to say, I was in front of my mirror, wearing my graduation suit. Today is my commencement exercise. I'll be graduating from College with honors and I know that I have made my parents proud – lalo na si Mymy.
Humarap ako kay Yana. She was wearing white, knee-length off – shoulder dress. May lace iyong gilid noon. Naka-braid iyong buhok niya. Mukhang siya ang ga-graduate at hindi ako.
"Bakit naman ganyan ang hitsura mo? May date ka?"
Umismid siya.
"Wala. Sabi kasi ni Mymy ganito daw dapat ang suot ko, Kuya!" Lumapit siya sa akin tapos ay may inabot na blue na box. I was watching her.
"Sorry, Kuya, iyan lang iyong nakayanan ng ipon ko. Pero galing iyan sa puso ko. Happy Graduation tapos mami-miss kita kapag nasa Harvard ka na." Kumindat pa siya. Dali-dali kong binuksan ang regalo sa akin ni Yana. It was a customized watch. Sa loob noon iyong nagsisilbing numbers ay ang litrato naming dalawa – mula noong one year old siya hanggang ngayon na seventeen na siya. She was grinning at me.
"Love you, Kuya. Congratulations! Sana maging Cum Laude din ako."
"You can do it, Yana. Basta focus."
"Ano pa bang ginagawa ninyo diyan? Male-late na tayo sa Graduation mo, Yohan." Napatingin kami ni Yana sa may pinto ng silid ko. Naroon si Dydy. He seemed so happy while looking at me. Kasunod niya si Yuan – lahat sila ay bihis na.
"Dy, nasa baba na si Mymy. Picture daw tayo sa baba."
Nagtanguan kami ni Yana. Yana will always be my baby. Siya naman talaga kasi ang kaunaha-unahan kong naalagaan. Hindi ko alam kung magiging ganito ang family namin kung hindi siya dumating.
When we got to the living room, naroon si Mymy. She was waiting for us. Nakaupo siya sa couch habang nakangiti. Naiiyak pa yata siya habang nakatingin sa akin.
"My..." Wika ko. "Don't cry." She giggled.
"I can't help it Yohann. Parang kahapon lang iniiyakan kita habang nasa incubator ka ngayon, magma-martsa ka na sa stage. I am very proud of you."
"I love you, Mymy."
"Let's go everyone. We'll be late for Yoyo's graduation."
We all rode the family van. Si Mymy at Dydy ang nasa first row, ako naman at si Yana ang nasa second kasama namin si Yuan. I was very excited about this. Hindi ko nga alam kung saan ko ilalagay ang excitement ko.
Dumating kami sa PICC. Napakarami nang tao roon. Bumaba kaming pamilya. Sinabi ko kina Dydy na sasama na ako sa pila ng mga classmates ko pero bago ako nakaalis ay may isang itim na SUV ang pumarada malapit sa amin. Saglit akong natigilan, hinihintay ko kung sinong bababa mula roon and I got the biggest surprise of my life when Alester went out of the car and hugged me.
"Yo! I missed you man!" He exclaimed.
"Fuck you! Hindi mo sinabing uuwi ka!" Nagtatawanan kaming dalawa. Nagmano si Alester sa Mymy at Dydy ko. Tapos ay nakipag-appear kay Yuan. Si Yana naman ay tumango lang nang bumaling sa kanya si Alester.
"Hindi naman ako magtatagal. Papanoorin lang kita tapos makikikain lang. I have to go to Singapore tonight. Nandoon si Mommy kasama si Tommy." He explained. Wala nang mapaglagyan ang saya ko. Tatlong taon rin kaming hindi nagkita ni Alester.
Muli akong nagpaalam sa pamilya ko. As I walk to my classmates, bigla na lang akong natigil dahil sa gitna ng malaking lugar na iyon, I saw Lena San Ildefonso.
She was wearing a beautiful yellow dress. May gumamela pa sa sa tainga niya. I swallowed hard. Lumapit siya sa akin at may inabot na isang malaking yellow box.
Themed ba ang outfit niya ngayon?
Malena San Ildefonso is very different from all the girls I know. Hindi siya vocal sa feelings niya para sa akin but she always makes me feel like I am very special to her.
Matagal ko nang kilala si Malena. Junior high pa lang kaming dalawa ay magkaklase na kami. I was also there that dreaded moment when she received a call from her grandmother – si Granny Helena as she calls her – saying that her parents and her only brother died in a car crash in Baguio – I saw how hurt she was then. She was only fourteen...
"Congratulations, Yohan." She greeted me.
"Bakit hindi ka naka-toga?" Nagtatakang tanong ko.
"Hindi ako a-attend. Aalis na kasi kami ni Gramsi at ni Granpie today."
"Out of town? Gift nila sa'yo?" I asked.
"No. It's for good. I'll be leaving the country. My grandparents want to retire in England."
Nakadama ako ng panghihinayang.
"I just want you to know that I am so happy to have met you and have you in my life, Yohan. That I... well, you know it already so I won't say but we're just too young for that and you have other priorities. I am happy that you have made your parents proud, Yohan. I am happy to see that your Mymy's happy."
"Hindi ka na ba babalik?"
Hindi ko alam kung para saan ang takot na iyon...
"It's a small world, Yohan. Maybe one day when you're in England, well cross paths again. I'd be holding a yellow umbrella and you'd be in your gray trench coat, soaking wet in the rain. I'll be on the other side of the street and you' d slowly look up at me, you'll recognize me and then a smile will form on your face and you'll call my name. I'll run to you and we'll share the yellow umbrella---"
"And I will do this..."
I stopped her. I moved forward to take her by the waist and bent down for me to be able to kiss her. Her eyes widened. Iyon ang pinakahuling bagay na nakita ko habang magkalapat ang mga labi namin. I closed my eyes and savoured this moment...
The moment that I had been waiting for the longest time.
"Oh my god..." Lena whispered. I ended the kiss. She smiled and touched my face, after that she turned her back and left. Sumakay siya sa kotseng tila kanina pa naghihintay sa kanya. Inihatid ko siya ng tingin.
"Hey..." Umakbay sa akin si Alester. "Lena left huh..."
"She did..."
"Yeah..." He said. "You know, sometimes, people leave but most of the times, something pulls them back to return..."
Napatitig ako kay Alester. He was intently looking at Yana who was chasing Yuan that time.
I shook my head. Muli ay binalikan ko ang kinatatayuan ni Lena kanina...
We will meet again...
