~BIRTH-DATE~
It's been a while since that day. So far, wala namang nangyaring hindi maganda between Ian and Lance. I'm not saying that they're already friends. Pero hindi rin naman sila nag-aaway. Naging ok na kami ni Lance at bumalik na naman ang dating sistema.
I'm now walking at the corridor. Pauwi na. May importante daw kasing gagawin yung mga teachers this afternoon. Sila Cin at Ina nakauwi na. May ginawa pa kasi ako kaya pinauna ko na lang sila. I'm about to pass along the way towards the backgate but I'm used with the front so I just kept on walking.
But suddenly...
...
...
I quickly used my reflexes and pinned the person who grabbed me on the wall through putting my arms on his neck.
But then, kumunot ang noo ko at bigla kong natanggal ang braso kung idinidiin ang leeg nya sa pader.
“Lance?”
Binigyan nya 'ko ng alanganing ngiti.
Napaiwas ako ng tingin.
“Ano bang ginagawa mo?”
I heard him sighed.
"A-ahm...may gagawin ka ba ngayon?" He suddenly asked.
Napakunot ulit ang noo ko.
"As far as I remember wala naman. I'm just on my way home. Bakit?"
Ngumiti lang sya and then suddenly he just grabbed my hand and ran.
***
Sumakay kaming dalawa ng bus.
“San tayo pupunta?” I asked.
"Just wait and you'll see." Saka sya tumingin sa 'kin at ngumiti.
Napatitig ako sa kanya.
Agad na lang akong umiwas ng tingin at pumikit na lang.
***
It took a while bago kami bumaba. Pumunta kami sa isang park na hindi pamilyar sa 'kin. I roamed my eyes around. Andaming puno at pino ang damo. Malinis rin ang lugar na 'to. I closed my eyes. Ang sariwa ng simoy ng hangin dito. May ganito palang lugar.
"What's this place?"I asked him.
I felt him looked at me. Then, he diverted his eyes to the river.
He guided me to sit on the grass.
I looked at him.
"You're still not answering my question. What do you call this place?"
He chuckled.
"This place? It's my paradise." Then he looked at me.
Kumunot ang noo ko.
"You own this place?" I curiously asked.
He chuckled again.
"Of course not. Everyone owns it. Even you. It's just that, it's this place that gives me the peace of my mind whenever I feel so exhausted. This place gives me comfort."
I smiled at hearing those words from him.
Silence covered us for minutes then, he spoke.
"You know? I really like seeing your smile."
I chuckled.
"And why is that so?"
Napatawa sya.
"Because it shows the real you behind that cold voice and blank face."
I seriously stared at him.
"Really? So what did you see?"
He smiled sadly.
"A girl with everything except for happiness."
He told me that while looking at my eyes. I just stared at him.
Then he held my hand and pulled me.
"Kain tayong ice cream." He told me habang nakangiti.
Tiningnan ko lang sya.
Ano bang nasa likod ng mga ngiti mong yan Lance?
***
We stopped in a front of a vendor.
"Dalawa nga po Manong."
And the vendor started to scoop ice cream from those tubes.
Then after a while binigay nya na samin at nagbayad na si Lance.
We sat on a wooden bench.
I tasted the ice cream. It's colorful. So cute.
I looked at him.
"It's delicious. Ngayon lang ako nakatikim nito. What do you call this?" And I took another bite.
He chuckled.
"It's what they call 'dirty ice cream'."
Napatigil ako sa pagkain.
"Dirty ice cream?"
Tanong ko ng nakakunot ang noo.
"Silly." At ginulo nya ang buhok ko.
"I know what you're thinking. It's just what they call it but it's clean." And he chuckled.
Inayos ko naman ang buhok ko. Then I heard my phone's message tone.
I opened it.
From: Cin
Birthday pala ni Lance ngayon. Naalala ko lang kanina nung nalaman ko yung date.
Napakunot ang noo ko sa nabasa ko. Birthday nya pero hindi nya man lang sinabi sa 'kin. I looked at him.
Tumingin naman sya sa 'kin.
"Why?" He asked.
"Birthday mo ngayon?" Bigla namang naging seryoso ang muka nya.
Seconds passed bago nya ko sinagot.
"Oo."
"Pero kanina pa tayo magkasama at di mo man lang sa 'kin sinabi."
"What for? Para pag abalahin pa kayo. Naging masaya naman ako sa araw na 'to kaya para ano pa ba at sasabihin ko."
"Masaya? Tayo lang ang magkasama halos buong araw. And you're saying na naging masaya ka. That's weird."
I heard him chuckled.
"You don't have an idea Len." At nakangiti lang sya.
Nakatitig lang ako sa kanya.
Then I just realized something, it doesn't take everything to be happy. Even just small things, if you appreciate it, it will give you happiness.
And with that, I remembered Lance's statement a while ago.
'A girl with everything except for happiness.'
I smiled.
Not anymore Lance. Not anymore.
BINABASA MO ANG
The Ice Vampire Princess
Ficção AdolescenteI was once a daughter, a friend, a princess but now... I'm only a girl, not a daughter, not a friend, not even a princess, just a girl, an alone one. I tried to escape from the pain, from the sadness, from the fear and anger, but unfortunately I fa...
