Tapunan Ng Feelings

Franco x Mayang

A/N: Huhubells di ko natiis. Pasensha na. :)

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Franco, a man in his twenties with mild autism, and his aunt were going in and out of stalls at the public market.

Franco said, “Tyang, sabi senyo okay lang ako wag na ko samahan eh. Big boy na ko!”

“Hay nako Franco, okay lang. Bibili din naman ako ng gulay para may mahapunan tayo. Hingal lang ako nang konti,” his aunt replied.

“Sigurado kayo, Tyang ha?” He asked.

“Oo sigurado! Saka baka maloko ka pa dito sa palengke, mahirap na.” His aunt assured.

“Tyang, thank you tyang. Aylabyu tyang.” Franco has always been a sweet boy.

“Sus nambola pa tong batang to. O halika na, hayun dun tayo mukang magaganda tinda dun sa isang yun.” His aunt pointed at the next stall.

They went to the stall that sells art materials and was greeted by a young sales lady.

“Magandang hapon po! Pangkulay po ba? Papel? Lapis? Pintura? Kahit na ano pang gamit pang drawing, meron po kami nyan!” The little girl said.

“Hello bata! Anong pangalan mo?” Franco greeted her back.

“Hello! Ako si Bebeng! Ikaw?”

“Franco,” he said with a smile on his face.

“Hello Franco! Ang cute mo naman. Naghahanap ka ba ng pangdrawing?”

“Oo bibigay ko sa kuya ko, birthday nya eh!”

“Ay! Tamang tama! Ito! Magaganda tong mga bagong dating na crayola dito!” The little girl started getting samples of each kind to show Franco and his aunt.

“Ineng, mag-isa ka lang bang nagtitinda? Hindi ba parang ang bata mo pa?” Franco’s aunt asked.

“Ah hindi po. Yung ate ko po, nagpapalit lang ng barya, pabalik na po yun. Bumili naman po ng meryenda yung-- ay! Ayan na po pala yung tatay ko!”

Bebeng’s father immediately went inside the stall, carrying a plastic bag of banana cue.

“Tay! Naghahanap si Franco ng pangregalo sa kuya nya!

“Franco?”

“Ah, heto hong pamangkin ko, si Franco.”

“Ahhh. Franco iho, o pumili ka na!”

“Sige na, pumili ka na ng regalo para sa kuya mo.”
Franco looked at all the materials in front of him, touching each box and even smelling one. When he saw what he wanted, he immediately picked it up.

“Eto! Eto, tyang!” He lifted his hand proudly holding a pack of colored pencils.

“Ayos! Maganda yan!” Bebeng cheered.

“Magkano ho ito, kuya?” Franco’s aunt asked Bebeng’s father.

“Isang daan na lang, Misis.”

“Huy, miss pa ako ha!”

“Ay! Pasensya na. Miss. Isang daan benta namin nyan pero para sa inyo nitong si Franco ba? Ninety na lang!”

“Salamat po! Matutuwa po ang kuya ko nito!” Franco almost clapped.

“O akina, nang mailagay sa plastic.”

Franco handed back the pack of colored pencils and Bebeng proudly bagged it while he started counting his money from his black wallet.

“O bilangin mong mabuti, yung tinuro sa’yo ni Teacher,” his aunt encouraged.

While he was counting his money, someone suddenly snatched his wallet from his hands and ran.

“Waah!” was all he could say.

But young woman with braided hair came out of nowhere and ran after the snatcher.

“Hoy! Lokong to bumalik ka dito! Teka dyan lang kayo hahabulin ko tong hinayupak na to, dyan lang kayo!”

Franco and his aunt were both worried and wanted to just go home.

“Wag po kayong mag-alala, matulin po yang ate ko, maya maya lang po nakabalik na yun kasama wallet nitong si Franco.”

A few minutes later, the young woman came back panting.

“Whoo! Pinagod ako nung isang yon! O kuya, kay laki laki mong damulag, naiisnatchan ka! O hetong wallet mo.”

She didn’t immediately notice that the young man was mentally challenged, until she looked up and really saw him.

Franco very rarely and has difficulty keeping eye contact with anyone. But as soon as he saw the young woman, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Ay. Sorry Ate, di ko napansin na ano… sorry.” The young woman apologized to Franco’s aunt.

“Okay lang, salamat sa paghabol at pagbalik ng wallet, kahit isang daan lang naman ang laman nyan.”

“Ah.”

She couldn’t help but gaze back at him when she noticed that he was staring her straight in the eyes, his shy smile revealing a deep dimple on his left cheek.

“Hello. Ingatan mo na yang wallet mo sa susunod ha!” She said, but Franco remained tongue tied and just stared at her face.

“Ang galing ng ate ko no Franco!” Bebeng broke the silence.

“Ah Franco? Franco pala pangalan mo.” The young woman smiled at him, though awkwardly because he just kept staring and smiling at her wildly.

“Franco! Huy! Ayan bayaran mo na yung regalo.para makauwi na tayo!” His aunt said.

That broke his silence, but not his eye contact with the young woman.

“Tyang, ang ganda nya.” In his head, he whispered it, but everyone heard.

“Maganda talaga ang Ate Mayang ko!” Bebeng proudly exclaimed.

“Mayang? Mayang pangalan mo? Ako Franco.”

“Ah eh, oo. Hello, Franco.”

“Ang ganda mo Mayang. Ahm. Ako pogi daw ako sabi ng kuya ko. Siguro bagay tayo?”

“Haluh!”

They all burst out laughing at Bebeng’s remark.

And that’s how the epic love story of your Lolo Franco and Lola Mayang began.