Cousin
As the wind came, I closed my eyes. The mysterious relaxing effect of silence allows your soul to be at peace with your thoughts.
The sky above our heads, the waves hitting my feet, the white sand as my sit and the gorgeous man beside me. Everything is almost perfect if only I am not me; the bastard girl. I am my own problem.
"A penny of your thoughts?"
I turned my eyes to him and caught him looking at me. Napangiti ako.
I hide my problem behind my smile. Behind my happy face lurks a world of suffering. Pain is the least thing you need in your life, Edge.
Lumakas ang simoy ng hangin na siyang dahilan ng pagsabog ng aking mahabang buhok. Agad ko itong sinikop.
"Hmm. I'm thinking of cutting my hair short." liar, Traiva!
"You look good with your hair, you don't need to cut it." aniya at nilagay ang takas na buhok sa aking tainga.
"I won't cut it, then."
His cherry red lips quirked upwards in a bright hideous smile. Nag-iwas ako ng tingin. Nilagay niya ang kanyang daliri sa aking baba at hinarap ulit iyon sa kanya.
"When your eyes come into mine, I always wonder what is going through your mind. " ang mga salita niya ay tila bulong sa hangin.
You have no idea, Edge. How fast my heart races whenever I see you. But I don't have the guts to say that.
I'm just staring at him while his eyes are so busy checking every details of my whole face.
"You were with girls earlier. Who are they?"
Bahagyang nanlaki ang mata ko sa sinabi ko. Traiva, bakit mo hinayaang magsalita ang isip mo! I bit my lower lip.
He chuckled softly.
"Friends."
"K " maikling sagot ko. Gusto kong lamunin ng alon dahil sa tanong ko.
He chuckled again but this time he's looking at me with his amused grin. Bumaba ang tingin niya sa aking labi, bumalik sa aking mata at bumaba ulit sa aking labi.
Napakurap ako. He tilted his head at unti-unting lumapit sa akin. Kaunting distansya na lang ay mahahalikan ko na ulit siya nang may nagsalita.
"Traiva, is that you?"
Boses iyon ng hinayupak kong pinsan at naramdaman ko ang paglapit niya. Tinulak ko si Edge, agad akong lumayo at lumuhod sa buhangin na tila may hinahanap.
"Seashells, seashells, seashells." malakas kong sabi. Napapikit ako ng may na-realize. Fuck, mali!
"What are you doing?" nalilito ang boses na tanong ni Cliff.
Unti-unti akong humarap sa kanya at ngumiti. Ramdam ko ang kapulahan ng aking pisngi.
"She sells seashells by the seashore."
He tilted his head. Nagtataka akong tinignan ni Cliff.
"She sells seashells by the seashore!" ulit ko.
Nakita kong napangiti si Cliff, sabi nang kakagat siya!
"If she sells seashells by the seashore, where are the seashells she sells by the seashore?" natutuwang dugtong ng pinsan ko.
"I don't know! But one thing I'm sure, she sells seashore shells." sagot ko.
Nakita ko ang tingin ni Edge sa amin na tila alien kami ng aking pinsan at nanggaling sa ibang planeta.
