Enchanted

Challenge # 11

Even though

Five years later...

Aurora's

Music filled the air. I was humming along with that rave music as I am dancing along with it. It feels so good dancing along with these bunch of people, even if I don't know any of them. I moved my body like there's no tomorrow. I feel free. I feel so independent. I feel invincible.

"Whoah!" I even screamed. Nagtatatalon ako habang umiindayog. I like this music. This is my jam! It makes me feel alive. I felt a hand on my waist so I looked back to find Elishua dancing along with me. May hawak siyang bote ng tequila. Inabot ko naman sa kanya ang shot glass kong nakasukbit sa leeg ko. Sinalinan niya iyong akin at sabay kaming uminom. Sa bibig niya nakalagay iyong lemon that's why I moved forward to bit it, kaso, hinalikan niya ako. I felt him smiling against my lips. I kissed him back. I pushed the lemon inside his mouth bigla siyang kumawala kaya natawa ako.

"Damn, Silly girl." He said. I just winked at him and danced again.

I am in Amsterdam. Hindi alam ng pamilya ko. Noong gabing hinatid ako ni Daddy sa airport para magpunta ng America, sumunod naman ako. But on the plane, there was Eli. I cried to him about my broken heart 'cause by someone that I choose not to name. Mas kilala siya ngayon bilang he-who-must-not-be-named. Talo niya pa si Lord Voldemort.

Eli and I landed in New York eighteen hours later. My eyes were swollen, my nose was red and the first thing that came out of my mouth is that I wanted to runaway. Eli didn't aske questions pero ayaw niya akong payagan, kaya sumama siya sa akin. We bought a ticket to Italy. Hindi ko alam kung bakit sa Italy but we did.

We stayed in there for a month and a half. Pareho kaming walang pera, walang permanenteng visa o kung anuman, basta nagpapalipat – lipat kami ng lugar. I totally went off grid. Hindi ko alam noon kung hinahanap ba ako ni Daddy – that's for sure. I also asked Eli to not tell anyone in his family about us being together.

Tumagal iyong pagtatago ko ng tatlong taon. Sa ikaapat na taon ay nakita na ako ni Daddy. Pagkakamali ko rin kasi iyon. Nagpunta akong La Union para bisitahin iyong kaibigan ko at nang hapong iyon, bigla kong naalala iyong green house ni Dad, kaya naisipan kong dumaan bago ako umuwi. I told myself na sandali lang naman ako, pagdating ko roon ay ang siyang paglabas ni Dad at ni Cindy. Cindy is already fourteen then.

Dad got mad when he saw me. Galit na galit siya – kulang ang sabihing galit siya talaga dahil hindi ko ma-explain ang naramdaman niya nang makita ako. Nasampal niya ako, pinilit niya akong umuwi pero kung matigas siya ay may matigas ako. Hindi ako umuwi. Nakatakas na naman ako sa kanya pero hindi na niya ako tinigilan noon. He asked me to come home, he asked Mommy to talk to me so I can come home. Hindi ako pumayag, instead, nagpunta ako sa Ibiza, doon, magkasama na naman kami ni Eli – another country, another party.

Life goes on.

Si Eli ang kasama ko habang pinupulot ko ang sarili kong binasag ni he-who-must-not-be-named. Hanggang ngayon ay nakakapalan pa rin ako sa mukha niya. Naisip kong may ganoon tao pala talaga, iyong tipong mangangako tapos ibibitin ka sa huli. Kaya pala talaga may mga taong nasasaktan dahil sa mga taong tulad ng mga iyon na walang awang manakit.

But like I said, life goes on. And this is the life I choose to live.

"Let's go." Eli whispered to my ear. I nodded at him. Magkahawak ng kamay kaming lumabas ng bar na iyon, we were even running and giggling. Kapag kasama ko si Eli nakakalimutan kong may masakit at nasaktan ako. He makes me forget about the pain.

Tumigil kaming dalawa sa may bridge. I looked at him. I tiptoed to kiss him. I wrapped my arms around his neck. Hinalikan niya rin ako at nang pareho na kaming hingal ay tumigil siya. Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko at saka kami tumakbo papunta sa hotel na tinutuluyan namin. He kissed me again when we were inside the room.