Laura
Girls, do you remember paano kayo unang niligawan?
First time ako naligawan in high school. Single long-stemmed rose sa chair, a mysterious note, usually with a poem, from a secret admirer (na kilala mo naman), stuffed toy gifts, random phone calls na nagpapa-cute-an sino unang magbababa ng phone...
Ethan seemed hell bent on recreating it.
After the week na lagi siyang may food for me during lunch with sweet notes for me and warnings for whoever plans to take the food, I would arrive at work with a rose at my desk.
He tries to make a sweet poem but the best it got was:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Hindi ako marunong mag-rhyme
But, I find you cute, too!
Kapal ng mukha. Pero kinikilig naman ako. Kairita ka, Ethan.
By Friday, this was his note:
Sorry, the flowers I bought are dried up na. Kaya ang bigay ko lang today ay santan. Galing sa garden namin yan! Kung nauuhaw ka, pwede mong pullout yung gitna, inumin mo yung tubig dun.
Ang labo pero I kept laughing.
Ang cute, cute, cute nitong si Ethan.
He wanted to buy me a giant teddy bear pero sabi ko sa kanya huwag na. Sayang lang kasi itatambak lang sa bahay. Ang ginawa niya, he bought a giant one for Alena and a small one for me.
Yung small bear doubled as a picture frame, on its chest a heart shaped space where he placed his photo. "Para maisip mo ako parati."
As if I'd forget! Eh we're always texting or on the phone - yes, parang biglang uso na naman sa akin ang telebabad kasi ang kulit ni Ethan. Paguwi namin makikipagkwentuhan pa yan.
Surprisingly, we don't run out of topics to discuss but if I begged for space so I can read or enjoy quiet, he would give it.
"Antok ka na?" He usually asked after a chat.
"Medyo. Toothbrush na tayo?" Then, we would put each other on speaker and go about our nightly rituals. Once settled in bed, "O sige na. Bye. Good night."
"Good night! Sige na baba mo na phone."
"No, ikaw na," goodness, nasasanay na ako sa banat ni Ethan, sinasabayan ko na.
"Ikaw na. Or sabay nalang. One... two... three..."
"Hindi mo binaba!"
One time, sobrang antok na niya, nababaan niya talaga ako. Tumawag pa ulit para magsorry.
"Sorry pleaseeeeeee!!!! Don't get mad at me!!!!"
"Huy! Ba't ang OA?"
He laughed. "Wala lang. Joke lang. Good night!"
The next day I said to him, "I was thinking, tama na itong pagpapacute na ganito ha. Kapag hindi ito nasustain, madidisappoint lang ako, tapos magaaway tayo. Yung normal self mo nalang."
"Eh ganito ang normal ko? Cute talaga. Paano na?"
I rolled my eyes at him.
I honestly tried to keep myself in check, huwag umasa. But one day na walang paramdam in the morning, I texted him,
What time did you get in kanina? Kanina pa ako naghihintay, wala man lang message?
No reply pa din.
