Love, Love

Prologue

Prologue

Sino bang hindi nakaka-alala ng first love nya? I mean, come on! First loves don't always work, but it never die! At tsaka, first love is the beginning of everything 'di ba? It was your first teacher, it taught you everything on how you perceive love. And for me... remembering the story of your first love will always be the sweetest feeling one could have.

Ako? Ang first love ko ay si Robin Castillo. I've known him for almost my whole life. Four years old palang kami nung unang beses kaming mag-meet, sa day-care. Of course I could not remember anything back then bukod sa mga school events na todo support sa'min ang mga stage parents namin, at 'yung mga times na enjoy na enjoy lang kami sa paglalaro ng outdoor games like taguan, piko, tumbang preso, and so on. And I really can't remember any specific moment with Robin back then.

Until we entered grade school. Pareho kaming inenroll ng parents namin sa St. Augustine Academy. Bigger environment, of course, and the beginning of everything. Still, no specific memorable moments with Robin. Simpleng classmates-slash-batch mates. We were never even friends. Kahit mommies namin hindi naman naging close. Well, si lala naman kasi ang guardian ko during those times. Anyway. In more appropriate term, we're simply acquaintances.

Pero nung grade six, wala akong choice kundi magkaroon ng low-key connection kay Robin. Trisha, my best friend since grade five, suddenly developed a puppy crush on him. And being a nice best friend I could be, wala akong choice kundi sumunod sa kanyang i-stalk si Robin. Palagi nalang syang Robin, Robin, Robin! Sobrang nakaka-irita na. Gumawa pa sya ng scrapbook na puro stolen pictures ni Robin (Something she got from Thai movie Crazy Little Thing Called Love). Tuwing break time, walang palya! Hindi pwedeng hindi kami dadaan at sisilip sa classroom nila Robin. Since wala naman akong crush that time, at ayaw ko naman ma-loner sa classroom namin, sumusunod nalang ako sa kanya. Trust me, wala akong pake kay Robin. Eleven years old palang kami non, for God's sake. Ni hindi ko nga alam kung pa'no kinikilig si Trisha dun eh. I mean, kay Shane West pa, pwede!

Hindi ko ma-gets kung bakit gustong gusto ni Trisha si Robin. Fine, gwapo sya. Heartthrob nga daw eh. Pero, I can't see anything special other than his face. Siguro kung 'yung classmate naming si Marky pwede ba. He's handsome, too. Matalino pa at marunong sa musical instruments. Pero si Robin? Not that I hate him, pero wala lang talaga akong makitang kagusto-gusto sa kanya.

Noon.

Kinain ko lahat ng sinabi ko nung grade six on the first day of our first year in high school. Wala na si Trisha non, lumipat na sila sa States nung grumaduate kami ng grade school. Ako nalang naiwan, and few friends. Sa St. Augustine ko pa rin napiling magaral. I hate change, lalo na sa environment. Ang hirap kung bigla nalang akong magshi-shift ng surroundings 'di ba? Imbis na i-enjoy ko nalang 'yung moment, magpapakahirap pa akong mag-adjust? Thanks, but no thanks. Okay back to the story!

I ate everything I said about Robin on the first day of high school.

Si mommy ang naghatid sa'kin non. Dumaan muna kami sa simbahan na katabi lang ng school namin. Medyo religious din kasi ang family namin ('di lang halata sa'kin).

Lord, kayo na po ang bahala sa'kin this new school year. Bigyan nyo ako ng strength, inspiration, and beautiful start, Lord. Amen.

Hindi ko alam kung answers ba ni Lord sa prayers ko 'yun, or tinamaan lang ako ng lintek (or more like, tinamaan ng pana ni Kupido - sobrang cheesy, kadiri!) 'pag labas ko ng simbahan eh.

I've known him for like seven or eight years, pero nung nakita ko sya that day, it felt so different! Hindi ko rin maipaliwanag. Parang... parang sa movies! Nag-slowmo 'yung pag pasok ni Robin sa school gate. And I was hearing chirping birds and classical music na hindi ko alam saan nanggaling. My heart fluttered when he smiled and laughed dahil sa sinabi ng kasama nya. I swear, also just like in movies, I froze to my position and let the hallucinations take over me.

Para talaga akong nagayuma, or nakulam, or... napana ni Kupido.

It felt like... love at nth sight.

And that... was the beginning of the story of my first love.

Seriously, what happened? Hindi ko ma-comprehend. Until now na fourth year na 'ko, at in love pa rin ako sa kanya. Hindi ko pa rin ma-explain, how the hell did that happen? For almost ten years he was nothing to me, then one day, he's already the apple of my eye.

But now that I'm older, a little maturer, I came to think... Am I really in love with Robin? Or am I just infatuated?

--to be continued