The Sweetest Downfall (Published Under KPNY Self-Publishing & Printing)

CHAPTER 19: About the girl I love

Tristan

"Jillian, bilisan mong kumain. Nag-text na si Mama, tinatanong kung nasaan na raw tayo," sambit ko pagkababa ng phone sa mesa. Napansin kong napatigil sa pagnguya si Jillian. Naisipan naming kumain muna sa Mcdo pagkatapos naming magsimba kanina. "Okay ka lang, Jill? Namumutla ka."

"Ngayon na ba talaga? Pwedeng next week na lang?" tanong niya. Ah, alam ko na, kabado 'to.

"Teka, natatakot ka ba kay Mama?"

"Kinakabahan ako. Baka hindi nila ako magustuhan," sagot niya kaya hinawakan ko ang kamay niya.

"Bakit naman? Na-meet mo na si Mama noon, 'di ba? Kapag gumagawa tayo ng assignments sa bahay 'tsaka groupworks."

"Tristan, iba na kasi ngayon. Noon magkaibigan tayo, ngayon..." napahinto siya.

"Ngayon nililigawan na kita? Jillian, magkaiba man ang noon at ngayon, tandaan mo na tayo pa rin 'to. Walang nagbago."

I looked at her straight in the eyes. Hinuli ko ang tingin niya.

"Jillian, listen. Three years ago, I always tell them a story about the girl who first caught my attention," pasimula ko. "Even the story on how I fell for this girl, they also know. Kung paano ko siya nasaktan at paano ko niligawan. That means, up to the present, they knew this girl. Since the beginning, Ate Sharlene wants to bond and hangout with this girl; my little sister, Cheska, asked me if she can play her Barbie dolls with this girl; and Mom keeps on asking me to invite this girl for a lunch or a dinner so they could bond more with cooking stuffs. And to be honest, even Dad asked me through skype about the girl I love." I held her cheeks and I noticed her tears are almost falling. I wiped the tears away before it could fall.

"Now, Jillian, why would they dislike you? Where in the first place they wanted to see you, and be with you to the point that they forgot that I am the member of the family and not you?" I explained to her and flashed a smile to assure her that everything will be okay. "Ngumiti ka na." She smiled, the smile that captures my heart every second.

"Ano, tara na? Don‟t be nervous. Kasama mo 'ko. Just be yourself, para malaman nila kung sino at paanong nabihag ng isang tulad mo ang puso ko."