Because this is My First Time

CHAPTER 9

ZEI'S POV

It's the month of July. Malapit na pala birthday ko. Hindi ko namalayan ang mabilis na paglipas ng oras. Three days to go before my birthday. Mabuti nalang at weekend yung birthday ko. I don't know if I will celebrate it or not. So far wala pa akong plano. Ako yung tipo ng taong hindi mahilig sa celebrations. I do consider the day special but I prefer not to celebrate.

Maybe NO. Maaalala ko ulit yung nangyari last birthday ko.  That was last year but I still feel the fresh pain in my heart.

My birthday will also become Sean's first death anniversary. :( One year without him. Every day , laging may kulang dahil wala siya. A piece of my heart will always miss him and will always long for him.

Tama. I will not celebrate. Pupunta na lang ako sa puntod ni Sean. I will visit him. I missed him so much.

Anyway it's my 18th birthday but I don't want to celebrate. I don't want to celebrate just like what other ladies did. Maybe if my parents are here probably I will be forced to have a birthday party but of course most visitors are my parents business partners and connections.

Ayoko. Ayokong mag party.

:( :(

I opened my phone. There are two text messages. One from Josh and  the other one is from Brylle.

We exchange our digits in case of emergency but look what they are doing? Well they are my friends. I don't know how did I became friends with this two. I just think they're cool. Besides wala akong ibang babaeng ganun ko ka close dito sa Sereny pero sa Caries I have a lot of friends na close ko.

Josh: Hey, Zei it's your birthday soon. Advance happy birthday. :)

Josh is the First one to greet me. Hindi niya talaga kinalimutan ha.  :)

Thank you Josh. :)

  I replied. Hmm. This is rare. Haha.
I opened another message from Brylle.

Brylle: Huy, Sungit!!! Malapit na birthday mo. Libre mo 'ko.

Tss. Pati ba naman sa text message iniinis ako. Nakakaasar si Brylle. Hindi ko alam kung ilan ang sahod niya sa pang-iinis niya sa akin. He is so annoying. Bruhhhh..

Me: Tss. Whatever

Brylle: ???
Me: Tss. Get lost.

Tinabi ko yung phone ko. Whatever. Urghhhhh. He is weird. Minsan hindi ko siya maintindihan.

Biglang nag vibrate yung phone ko. Another message.

From Josh :)

Josh: Always welcome Zei. Saan mo gusto sa Sabado?

Hmm. Saan ko nga ba gustong pumunta? Wala akong alam except sa puntod ni Sean. I miss him so badly.

Me: hmmm. Kahit saan, But I have one place to go first sasamahan mo ba ako?

Josh: yeah sure.

Me: ok . Thank you :) :)

Hayss.  Buti pa si Josh.
May sense kausap. What about Brylle? Ang alam niya lang mang-inis at magmura.

Anyway I think it's time for Sean to meet my new friends. I'm so glad.

Wala na akong magawa.
I opened my laptop to check my social media accounts.

BRYLLE'S POV
.
Three days before Zei's 18th Birthday.

I'll make sure to make this one a once in a lifetime experience for Zei.

It's her special day.

I don't why am I doing this. Sh*t.

I didn't care about this things before  , pero ngayon hindi ko alam kung bakit ganito yung ginagawa ko. I've always thought that this kind of doing is somehow "corny" and I can't believe that I am doing this right now.

I've talked to her parents. They told me Zei have no plans yet. Hmm. Why? Hindi niya ba gustong mag party?

Hindi madaling kausapin yung parents niya lalo na yung Daddy niya. Doon yata siya nagmana sa pagiging masungit niya. Yung Mom niya naman mukhang Happy Go Lucky lang.

Kinausap namin ni Josh yung parents niya. They felt glad for Zei. We have also planned for her birthday.

Now we knew her experiences before. Kinuwento lahat ni Tita. Kaya pala parang may tinatagong sadness si Zei.

Don't worry Zei. We'll make you happy :)

I'll make you happy.

Tinext ko siya.
A normal conversation. I pretended not to know everything. I just want to suprise her.

I also asked Josh. I think hindi naman siya makakatanggi.
Agree din siya sa plans ko.

JOSH'S POV

  I texted Zei.

Me: Hey, Zei it's your birthday soon. Advance happy birthday. :)

Nagreply naman siya kaagad.

Zei: Thank you Josh. :)

A smile formed from my lips after reading her message.

We have planned this. We want to make her happy and we want her birthday to be memorable.
Nag-isip ako ng maaari kong i-reply

Me: Always welcome Zei. Saan mo gusto sa Sabado?

I have no idea about the places she likes. Wala pa rin naman siyang naikuwentong paborito niyang lugar kaya wala talaga akong ideya.
Kaagad naman siyang nagreply. :)

Zei: hmmm. Kahit saan. But I have one place to go first sasamahan mo ba ako?

    First place to go? Could it be possibly Sean's tomb? Maybe.

Well I already knew her situation and now I fully understand her. We have talk to her parents. And I just can't believe it. Despite of her experience she remained strong and positive as always.

Me: yeah sure.

Zei: Thank you Josh.

Sana magustuhan ni Zei.
I want to see her smile.

I want to make her happy.