My First Love Experience

Chapter Four

     6:15 AM, my alarm clock rang and did its job: to freaking wake me up early in the morning.

     I'm not really a morning person, more like, I like the atmosphere given by evening essence. 'Yung, ang sarap humiga na lang buong araw sa kama mo tuwing gabi? 'Yung airconditioner niyong nakabukas tapos ang lamig-lamig. You would want to just lie down, feeling cold as you get used to it, and reading a book; a very good book while listening to some piano covers.

     Oh, yeah.. good times.

     Noon, madalas, nakasandal lang ako sa isang malaking puno sa malapit na park sa subdivision ng tita Mona ko dati and just, y'know, read a book, indulging myself inside the story, imagining all the scenes and visualizing it. May kasama pang music 'yun. It was truly a fantastic hobby of mine.

     Nai-tuloy ko naman yung hobby ko na 'yun, pero hindi na madalas. I left all my books back home in the Philippines. Actually, I didn't leave it on purpose. The airport staff made me do it. Marami kasi yung dinala kong libro. Haha. Over 30+ siguro 'yun, nagkakalahagang over 3,500+ siguro.

     Nanghinayang ako nang sobra dahil sa mga libro ko. I don't even know if my uncles and aunties had kept it safe for me.

     Pumasok na naman sa isip ko yung sinabi nung Kenneth na 'yun. Ano kaya yung gusto niyang sabihin? I couldn't help but feel nervous but curious at the same time.

     I opened my phone. Wala namang notifications. Wala namang messages.

     "Weird.. why do I suddenly feel down?"

     I just shrugged my shoulders off and continued to eat my breakfast. Usually, Mom used to cook for us pero si Papa na ang nagluluto ngayon para sa amin. He'd even wake us up in the most gentle way possible.

     "Thanks for the food, Papa." He just smiled and continued to prepare our lunch for the day.

     Sunday. My greatest enemy, my most hated foe, my most annoying day of the week.

     Homeworks being checked, homeworks being given. Mean girls coming in and out of our class and bigla-bigla na lang kami aawayin, na parang mga ewan. Teachers scolding us for not doing the homework.

     I truly hate this day.

     "Mariam! Did you do the homework?" Mariam is one of my best friends. She's smart, kind and very helpful. You would want to surround yourself with her. I met her two years ago. Along with everyone in the squad.

     She gave me the you-know-I-always-do-my-homework look. I just laughed.

     Mariam threw the question back at me. "Of course I did! Who do you think I am?"

     "You are Samantha-kutti-kameeni-pagal-Corpuz." She smiled so mischieviously.

     For your information, Mariam Khuram is her full name and she's an Indian. Well, before Lana, our school, was changed into an International School, it was previously an Indian school. So, puno na siya ng mga Indiano. It was only a year a go when they decided to change it into an International school--- open to all nationalities.

     "Oh, shut up." Sabihin niyo na lang na minura niya ako sa lenggwahe nila--- Hindi and Urdu.

     "Hahahahaha! Alright. So, anything happened this morning? You were online on WhatsApp. I. Saw. You."

     Naalala ko na naman si Kenneth. Since magkaibigan naman kami ni Mariam, nagdecide akong sabihin sa kanya. She's trustworthy anyway.

     "I woke up early today, around the time when you guys wake up and do Salah." Panimula ko, "A guy named Kenneth Jacob messaged me on Instagram."

     Sumabat naman yung isa pa naming kaklase, si Niya.

     "Did you say Kenneth Jacob?" I nodded. "Why? You know him?" She laughed so hard, even facepalming. Anong problema nito?

     "What's so funny?" Everyone asked me. I motioned that I didn't know.

     "Actually.."
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~TBC~ 💕