Whisper of the Heart (COMPLETED)

CHAPTER VI

Ate. Ate May!"

Maymay opened her eyes. It was already morning. She blinked her eyes many times,   half of her brain was still dreaming. But a part of her pushed her eyes open. She saw Inah's face looming over hers. She's already in her school uniform.

Maymay's eyes darted on the wall clock. 8:10.

"Halaaaaa.. Maliwanaaaag naaaa!" Bakit di mo ako ginisinggg???"

"Aw!" It was a painful headbutt.

"Late ka na kasing natulog kagabi. Kaya di na kita ginising." Inah caressed her hurt forehead.

Maymay smiled inwardly with Inah's concern.

She arrived home late last night, it 's understandable she'd wake up late. But when you have deadlines to meet, that is NEVER an excuse.

"May rush akooooo." Maymay quickly get up, go downstairs and went straight to the bathroom.

Inah called out to her.

"May luto nang pagkain te. Kain ka muna bago umalis. Papasok na ako!"

So she is Inah, Maymay's younger sibling. She's already in her fourth year in college, taking up BS Pschology. She has another brother, the youngest, and he's in Senior highschool. Grade 11. Jeff. He has already left for school.

Just after five minutes,  Maymay went out of the bathroom. How she did that, well i don't know. She speedingly ate her breakfast, changed clothes,  brushed her teeth. And a moment later, she's going out of the house.

Her hair still dripping.

At 27, She didn't care.

She rode on the first bus that arrived. There were no available seats available so she stood along the aisle of the bus, among other random passengers.

Maymay looked tired. Her eyes sleepy, dark circles are already forming around them.

Inah is nearing graduation, and the nearer it comes, the more expenses are to be expected. She's becoming tired. Emotionally. Financially.

She squared her shoulders.

Konti nalang May. Konting tiis na lang. Just a little longer, they will pull through everything. Inah will graduate soon. And everything will be much, much easier.

Maymay works as an animator,  a freelance animator. With that, she supported herself and her siblings, and they were able to pull through. Their mother left them for another man, when Maymay was just twenty. And their father, who became depressed,  got sick and died just months later. And maybe that was why she didn't took care of herself that much. She was used to taking care of others, that attending to her own needs seemed like a luxury for her.

Left alone with two younger siblings to support was on hard fight for Maymay. And it was just so fortunate of her that she was able to make it to an animation company with no diploma to offer, just pure talent. She got hired at first as an assistant animator, and six years later, she was picked by her supervisor to train for free as an animator. By and by, hardworks paid off for Maymay. She's even able to build a house for them three. A decent house.

She sighed. As her memory from more than a years ago came, when Inah's schooling was jeopardized, and they were threatened to be ousted of their own humble little home. Her eyes got teary. But she fought back the tears.

There's a long queue of passengers in the tricycle terminal so she chose to just walk her way to the studio.

While walking, her phone rings. At first she thought it wasn't hers. But she could feel her phone vibrating from the inside of her bag. She stopped walking and rummage her bag. She's now cursing the design of the bag, why did she even buy it, it doesn't even have divisions or inside pockets to organize her things. Her things were all mixed up inside.

At last she found her phone.

Its Amy. "Hello?"

Beep.  She already hang up.

"Di bale tatawag ulit yun."

Maymay looked up.

And she froze. There at the coffee shop, looking at her. Is Edward. His lips ajar.

For a moment Maymay felt the time stood still. It is the same handsome face. Same lonely eyes.

She knew one day they would meet. But she still isn't prepared.

And she thinks, never will she ever be prepared.