Atik-Atik (Bisaya Rom-Com Novel)

C H A P T E R 49

The church was so busy that night. Naay simba pagkagabii ug daghan kaayo'g mga tao nga niadto. Me and Tessa was on the entrance of the church, gakulekta mi ug mga halad sa mga nagaabot nga tao ug gina-plastar namu ang mga halad sa ibabaw sa mga tables nga naa sa kilid sa entrance sa simbahan.

"Salamat," I kept on bowing down kada naay muabot nga maghatag ug halad nila.

"Salamat," Tessa said the same to the new comer. We stared at each other. Pareho na mi nga gikapoy. Tessa and I were both wearing a nun-like dress. Our casual church dress nga naa lay hood.

Tessa and I relaxed on the corner sa dihang wala na'y niabot. The church door is still open. Ngitngit na kaayo sa gawas except for those roads in which streetlamps are towering on every ten meters gap.

"Kamusta imong client?" she asked me. Nagsugod na ang misa. Nag-sign of the cross ko bag-o siya gitubag. He's pertaining to Janu Levi Teo.

"Okay lang. It was a cute tourist guy," I told her. I smiled at her. She just smirked as a reply.

Unlike me, Tessa got a short cury hair. She's already 20 year's old, she came from a family of farmers, she said she wants to be a teacher someday somewhere in Mindanao basta dili diring lugara, maong nag-helper pud siya diri sa simbahan while taking a short course nga next summer, just like me, makoha na namu ang certification. It's an first aid and embroidery class, a sort of a livelihood course. Tessa has great plans on her life. And I salute her for that because not all the girls here in this mountainous town have big plans. Some girls are contented to remain here, be born here, build a family here, and die here, repeat until the next generations.

I have big plans. One of those plans is to become a nurse at a far flung area and marry Seo when we're already stable. I hope God will help me to achieve it.

"Naa na kay Seo day," said she, smirking.

Naglagot ko. "I does not mean that I compliment a guy na cute, iilis na nako dayon kay Seo. I'll stick with Seo. Dili siya kumon nga lalaki," it's my turn to smirk too. Nikatawa lang siya. We're actually friends. Tough love friends.

Tessa and I maintained a very lonely life here in the church. Most of the nights, before going to sleep, nuns forced us memorize fourteen set of prayers. And without any choice, Tessa and I will do it, repetitively, like those girls who are contented to remain here in this town, be born here, build a family here, and die here, repeat until the next generations.

I believe having no choice is a choice. Wala lang. God has given us the ability to make decisions, the ability to choose what is right and wrong, the ability to make choices. And saying "wala ko'y choice", for me, is just a form of excuse not to think for another exit or escape of certain situation that makes you trapped from making choices. An excuse just like those girls here who are contented to remain here in this town, be born here, build a family here, and die here, repeat until the next generations. As their mantra say's "As if nako'y choice.", instead of asking, "Unsa pa akoang mga choices na puwede pilian."

Questions provide answers. And some answers are painful that's why some people don't ask questions anymore. As if nako'y choice, they say.

Yet for me, telling ourselves that we don't have any choice makes us trapped. Meanwhile, asking questions gives us freedom.

And for sure, the reason why I am here in this town, dili man nako ma-remember, for sure it's because I choose na maadto diri. Whatever the reason is, I know that the reason on why I'm here is because I didn't choose to be trapped on a certain rat race. Maybe because I needed to save my self that's why I ran away from my original hime. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe? I choose to keep it right now as a form "maybe", yet, I will continue asking questions, and gaining answers from those questions.