Forgetting Samuel

Kabanata 1

Kabanata 1

Unang Pag-ibig

IPINAGSALIKOP ni Adelaide Garduce ang magkabilang kamay.

Sinubukan niyang tanggalin sa isip ang katotohanang nakita niya lang naman si Samuel Dalton sa pader ng Ignacio Central Park. Huminga siya ng malalim at nagdisisyong wala siyang gagawing lalo lamang niyang ikasasama.

"No, Adelaide! Hold your horses." she whispered to herself. "He doesn't even know you. He forgot about your whole existence!"

"Mukhang babagyo na ho talaga, Miss Adelaide?" ani Mang Mio nang eksaktong bumuhos ang napakalakas na ulan.

Hindi sumagot si Ady sa kaniyang driver, bagaman ay lumingon lamang ito sa nadaanang lugar. Lumingon sa entrance ng Ignacio Central Park. Tanaw na tanaw niya ang malaking arko kung saan naka-emboss doon ang pangalan ng parke. Gusto niyang maikumpirmang nandoon pa rin at nakatayo sa labas ng entrance si Samuel kahit na ang lakas na ng ulan.

Samuel Martin Dalton.

Ang kaniyang unang pag-ibig.

Kababata rin na mukhang nakalimutan na siya.

She's been going to St. Anne Institute for her entire schooling history. She was on her Seventh Grade when Samuel also enrolled there. And during his five-year stay at the same campus, he never laid his eyes on Ady. He never noticed her or approached her even once.

There are no signs for Ady to figure out that he still remembers her.

Ady then realized that Samuel must have really forgotten her whole existence—after all, she's nothing more than a boring and unsociable person. Ni hindi nga siya sikat sa buong school despite her family background.

She's that invisible. And she worked hard to achieve that. Attention was never an excellent thing when it comes to Ady.

And it's not like she cared for fame and elegance of life either. For what it's worth, she's thankful pa ngang umaayon sa lahat ang buhay niya. Ang gusto niya lang ay matahimik ang buhay niya for once.

Parents fighting over non-sense every time na magkakasalubong sa bawat sulok ng bahay? It's too frustrating for Adelaide. Ang kaniyang school life na lamang ang tanging maayos sa kaniya. The only good thing about their family business is the fact na pinaglalayo nito ang magulang niya. Dahil kapag nawala ang harang sa pagitan ng magulang niya, ay sasabog na naman silang dalawa kapag nagkatabi.

"Miss Adelaide? May naiwan ho ba kayong gamit? Babalik ho ba tayo?"

Agad lumingon si Ady sa kaniyang driver at napabuntong hininga, "Wala po, Mang Mio. Let's just go straight home. I'm hungry na rin po 'e."

"Opo, at balita ko 'e magluluto ang Mama ninyo para sa inyo."

Napaangat ng kaniyang kilay si Ady sa matandang pasulyap-sulyap naman sa kaniya sa rear view mirror habang nagmamaneho.

"Really, Mang Mio?"

There was an evident trace of hope in Ady's eyes as they sparkled hearing the sudden news. Her mother never cooked her meals. It's such a surprise to her hearing this news.