Iwas
"Liv, sabay na tayo papuntang classroom" bungad ni Mau sa akin sa entrance ng school. Nabigla nga ako dahil siya agad bumungad sakin ngunit hindi ko muna siya pinansin because I was looking at Gabb, I have been wondering why he's waiting like that every morning but now I understand that it was because of Sianna.
"Liv, hello!" pukaw ni Mau sa akin
I sighed "Morning, Mau" tiningnan niya naman ako na nagtataka.
Dumiretso kami papuntang room ang she's busy talking about the party last night at Gabb's place, I felt sorry for not listening well to her.
"Bakit nga pala hindi ka pumunta kagabi?" tanong ni Mau.
I sighed again " I told you last night that I had a good conversation with Ma" I saw it in her eyes that she wasn't convinced.
It was true, I asked Mommy last night...
"Ma, is there a chance that you and Dad will get back together?" I asked her whilst we were watching a teledrama.
Napailing si Mama "Sorry, Liv because if I wasn't able to give you a complete family"
Masaya na kami yun ang importante. I can justify that Mama's happy now. I won't do such crazy things to make her sad again and I won't mention Papa Ben to her.
"I know Ma, tanggap ko na. Hiniwalayan mo lang si Dad hindi kami nila kuya" I looked at my Mom, she's shining always.
"We were born to left or to be left. I left my husband but not my children. Umalis ako sa poder ng tatay niyo at nalaman ko na buntis ako sayo. I was really devastated that time, naiwan ang mga kapatid mo kasi hindi ko sila kayang buhayin noon" Mom's narrating now. Dad came from a wealthy clan but money won't make my Mom happy.
"Your Dad treated me like a queen, I was the queen of his life but everything went dark when he faced trials in their business then he lost himself. I loved your Dad but I can't tolerate what he did" Mama continued.
"And you gave up easily?" I commented.
Umiling si Mama "No. Ilang beses ko siyang pinatawad. It triggered me to leave because he brought his other woman. Even though I loved him, I still gave him to his woman because if he loved us he wouldn't look for another."
"When you were just five sumugod tayo sa mansion dahil sinabi ng mga kuya mo. She had a serious fight with your Dad and I told her If I had known that you would leave him, I wouldn't have let you ruin our family. I was hurt dahil nagpakampante ako na masaya na ang tatay niyo. I left him because I knew he would be happy with her... he asked me to come home but that time you and Ben were my home" I was surprised when she mentioned Papa Benedict again. Pinanindigan lang ni Mama ang desisyon niya and I respect her for that.
"How did you cope up, Mommy" I was dead serious because I called her Mommy.
"I have you. I know you will not hurt yourself, protect yourself like how I protected you. Don't disappoint me, you should not follow what I did because you have your own path"
Mom married at the age of eighteen because she was pregnant already. Up to this day, she still apologizes because he has not been able to provide us with a complete family. She was sorry because she was the reason why we were caught up in this situation.
Bumalik ako sa reyalidad at tumigil sa kakaisip kagabi. I haven't listened to our lectures because I was preoccupied with something.
"Let's go, Liv. Naghihintay na sila Rojan sa cafeteria" si Mau.
"I can't may dala akong food, luto ni Ma" nahihiya kung tugon sa kanya.
"Ano ba yan!" asik ni Mau.
"Dito na lang muna ako kakain at may pupuntahan ako mamaya" rason ko at inirapan niya ako.
"Okay, ako na lang ang pupunta" she pouted and it's cute.
Kung hindi nakita yung kahapon hindi siguro ako magkakaganito. Mabuti na rin na nangyari iyon. Mahirap ito. Kaya pala ayaw niyang pumunta ako sa department nila kasi he has a thing for Sianna. It's fine gusto ko lang naman siya, this feeling was too shallow to be shaken. I wasn't even afraid or something. I've already made up my mind.
Galing akong library at tumigil muna ako sa student lounge, hinhingal ako. Naramdaman kong may tumabi sa akin. Oo. Mag-isa ako ngayon hindi ako sumama sa mga kaibigan ko dahil alam kong nakabuntot din sa kanila si Gabb. Hindi nga rin maintindihan ang sarili ko bakit ba ako nagpapaapekto kay Gabb at Sianna. Tiningnan ko kung sino ang umupo na katabi ko. Si Alec.
" Kumusta, Alec? " tanong ko sa kanya.
" Buhay pa rin naman" humalakhak siya sa sariling sagot " Nakakapagod kasi senior high na ako and President pa ako ng SSG. Ang daming responsibilities na nakasabit sa likod ko. Pero I love what I am doing, I love serving the school."
Nakakabilib naman ang binatang ito. Napaka boyfriend material para sa lahat. With honors, athlete and leader. Good catch. Indeed. Kung may iban man akong hinahangaan si Alec yun, I've met him sa La Consolacion kaibigan pala siya ng pinsan ko.
" Nakakahanga naman ang kasipagan mo kung ganon" papuri ko sa kanya.
" Thanks but I have to go may gagawin pa, nakita kasi kita kaya lumapit na ako. See you around" paalam niya.
Ngumiti ako sa kanya bilang tugon. Pero nawala iyon nang makita ko sila Rojan palabas ng cafeteria at kasama si Mau. Alam ko na ang iisipin ni Mau, naririnig na ng utak ko. Humiwalay ng direksiyon sila Gabb at si Mau papunta sa akin. I saw Gabb giving me unfamiliar look in his eyes.
"Ano yon?" tanong ni Mau tapos sinisiko-siko ako.
"Wala iyon, nag-usap lang" sagot ko at hinila ko siya.
Hindi ako nasundo ni Ma kaya nag commute ako pauwi. Sa walang dahilan kinakabahan ako. Binati ko si Manong guard ng La Asuncion, wala pa ang mga tricycle kaya naglakad na lamang ako kahit medyo malayo pa ang bahay gusto ko kasi tingnan ang mga bulaklak dito.
Tumunog ang cellphone ko " Da, kumusta?"
" Kailan ka lilipat dito pwede bang madaliin mo na?" namimilit na naman siya.
" Daddy, napag-usapan na natin ito diba? Isang taong paghihintay na lang nariyan na ako"
" Noted. Mag-aral ka ng mabuti. Mag-iingat ka palagi riyan. Say hi to your Ma for me. How is she?" sabay kaming natawa ni Dad sa tanong niya. Tinatawanan ko na lang ang nangyari sa kanila ngayon. He always asked me about Mom but he could not get answers from me.
"This summer uuwi ako riyan, Da"
Napahaba ang usapan namin at natatanaw ko na ang gate ng bahay. Ang puso parang tumatambol sa lakas. Namawis ang mga palad ko sa kaba at gulat.
"Gabb..." mahina kong wika, nakasandal siya sa gate namin.
" Gabb... why are you here?" tumuwid siya ng tayo
"Are we okay?" tanong niya agad anong ibig sabihin niya? What?
"Pardon?"
"I saw you with Alec, what was that?" he asked.
I gasped "Nag-usap lang kami" Ano ba iniiwasan ka na nga tapos lumalapit ka pa. I liked this man in front of me, I never imagined this but it's happening. I don't know where it started. Isang araw pa nga lang ang ginawa kung pag-iwas tapos ganito na? Sabi ko noon hindi ko siya magugustuhan pero ngayon kinain ko na lahat ng sinabi ko.
"Nag-usap lang talaga kami, you should go home" tugon ko.
"Uuwi na ... napadaan lang ako" tumalikod na si Gabb
"Ingat" pahabol ko.
