Thirteen
Time flies so fast and it's February now, busy ang lahat dahil sa darating na foundation day sa school. Lalo na syempre ang graduating students na sila Kuya Travis at Connor na ngayo'y lubusan ang pagsusunog na ng kilay.
Mag-isa lang ako ngayon sa bench. Sila Clifford at Damien ay kasali sa basketball tournament and sad to say, I'm not a fan of basketball game. Kaya hindi ako madalas nanunuod sa kanila.
"Hi, gorgeous." sabay upo sa aking tabi ni Damien na naka-jersey at pawisan. Lumayo ako sa kanya pero lalo siyang tumabi sa akin. Inakbayan niya pa ako.
"You're sweating! Eww, stinky monkey."
"And so?" dinikit niya pa ang kili-kili niya sa akin. Agad akong tumayo at tinitigan siya ng masama.
"So funny."
"I've been so lucky at the game today because of my shoes."
Ang nakasimangot kong mukha ay naging masayang ngiti. Ako ang nagbigay ng sapatos na suot niya ngayon. I gave that to him as peace offering when he was so mad at me. That limited edition shoes were very expensive, nakakapanghinayang man dahil ang laki ng nabawas sa sarili kong ipon galing sa mga allowance ko, ayos na rin nung nakita kong ngumiti siya sa akin nung nag-sorry ako.
"It's because I'm pretty and generous."
"I'll agree if you will smell my armpit now." tumayo siya at umambang yayakapin ako.
Agad akong tumakbo palayo habang tumatawa. Ngunit bago pa ako makalayo ay may humarang sa dinadaan ko. Nagtaas ako ng kilay sa dalawang babae nakatayo. Kulang sila, ah?
"Forgive us, Traiva. We're sorry." labas sa ilong na sabi ni Maxine.
"What we did to you was wrong. We're sorry." sabi ni Isabella.
"Bea's not studying here, that's why she's not with us."
"What's happening here?" boses iyon ni Damien na tumabi sa akin.
"It's obvious, Damien. We're apologizing." naging malambing ang boses ni Maxine.
"I'm giving you the privilege to slap me four times, Traiva."
"You can pull my hair for twenty seconds"
"I can only forgive but I will never forget." mataman kong silang tinignan.
Forgiveness is not always easy. At times, it feels more painful than the wound we suffered, to forgive the one who inflicted it. But always remember that there is no peace without forgiveness. It can warms the heart and cool the stings.
"That's why I'm giving you the opportunity to hurt us, too. It's time for your revenge." nagtaas ng kilay sa aking si Maxine.
"Nah. Just don't do it again. That's all I need."
Bad things are always going to happen in life. It's inevitable that people will hurt you. But you can't use that as an excuse to hurt someone back. Don't give them the satisfaction. Don't react. Don't stood in their level. Never sacrifice your class to someone who has none. Living well is the best revenge.
"What? Are you sure?" gulat na tanong ni Isabella. Tumango lamang ako.
"Let's go, Damien." sabay hila ko sa pinsan ko.
Nang makalayo na kami ay inakbyan niya ako. Sinimangutan ko siya.
"You exacted revenge in a manner that was nearly cruel. But they were easily forgiven by you."
"That's because I am never a trashy, I'm regal. A girl with mind, a woman with attitude and a lady with class." I joked.
"It's frustrating you know. I thought I'm going to see the badass Traiva."
