Memoir of Summer [Editing]

Chapter 3

Itinaas ko ang kanang kamay ko, sinusubukang harangan ang mainit na sinag ng araw. It's a great day. The sun is hot, but it blended with the cold breeze of air well.

Ito yung gusto ko sa probinsya. Hindi gaanong masakit ang sinag ng araw, at napakasarap ng hangin sa pakiramdam.

I returned my gaze at my sketch pad, and then peeped at the woman who was running around the field freely.

Ang ganda niya. Napakaganda. Her first name is the perfect name for this season, and her second name suited her very well. Summer Angel, the woman who has been the reason for the chaos and the calm inside my heart. The only woman who caught my eyes.

"Maven!" she called. I smiled and asked why.

"Halika rito, dali! May ipapakita ako," she said with full of life.

7 years had passed since the day I first met her. Sa loob ng ilang taong iyon, maraming nagbago.

This province became civilized, somehow. May mga matatayog na building na sa bayan rito. Dumami rin ang bilang ng populasyon rito.

As for me, I'm a grown man now. I became taller and my physical features became that of a man's. My way of thinking changed as well. I became rational.

Gumraduate na rin ako ng high school, but sadly I didn't graduated as the valedictorian of my batch. My actions from the past became an hindrance. Pero naging okay kang iyon para kay Mama at Papa. They were even proud of me because I was the salutatorian.

I got the best gift from Summer. But it was not what you think. She just shouted how proud she was for me. Wala mang nakarinig sa sigaw niya maliban sa akin, alam ko naman na ramdam ng mundo kung gaano kami kasaya sa mga oras na iyon.

I'm currently taking up BS Biology in a prestigious university. I'm planning to proceed in med school after this.

Hindi na nga ako iyong totoy noon na trying hard maging cool. Natatawa na lang ako kapag naaalala ko ang mga kagaguhan ko noon. Pero ako pa rin naman ito. The immature child who fell in love with an angel older than him.

Marami ngang nagbago sa akin, at sa mundo. Pero hindi para kay Summer.

After years and years, nothing changed. She is still the young sweet but sadist girl that I met. The time stopped for her. And I could feel her pain for that.

No matter how she tried to smile at me for sometime, to show that she was fine, I could sense the lingering sadness in her eyes. I could hear her cries from inside. Alam ko na minsan pakiramdam niya hindi siya kabilang sa mundo. At 'yan yong bagay na ayaw kong maramdaman niya. Because for me, she's my world.

"Hoy!" she snapped.

"Ah! Ano nga iyon?" I smiled. Pero hindi siya nagsalita. Tumingin siya sa mga mata ko at pagkatapos ay nagpakawala ng buntong-hininga.

"Sige na nga. Umuwi ka na lang," marahan na sabi niya habang nakayuko. Hindi ko maiwasan na mapangiti. Mukhang may nagtatampo rito.

"Look, sorry for being inattentive a while ago," paglalambing ko na ikinanguso lang niya.

I'm older than her now, but I acted like younger than her. Damn, how could she be this cute?

"Hindi, okay lang. Umuwi ka na muna. Mukhang marami ka pang gagawin na dapat problemahin," she said with a hint of huff. She, then, flashed a fake smile. Napabuntong-hininga na rin ako.

"Sorry if I was not here last summer. I had a summer class to attend kaya hindi na ako nakapagbakasyon rito. Pero andito na naman ako eh. Babawi ako sayo," I explained.