My Goodbye Girl

Chapter 8

Araw na ng exhibit ni Dylan, and she has never been this excited in her whole life. Proud s'ya sa mga paintings nya na napiling ibilang sa exhibit na iyon. Here she is, doing what she loves and getting paid for it. Hindi lahat ng tao ay nabibiyayaan ng ganitong pagkakataon. She was very grateful for what is happening with her life. She was just so happy.

Katulad ng ibang mga pintor, Dylan has her favorite painting, and among all that she included in her exhibit today, there's this one painting she really, really liked. It was the first she did after her years of hiatus in painting. Ang una nyang obra matapos ang lahat ng unos sa kanyang buhay. Ang painting na itinuturing niyang hudyat ng lahat ng kanyang pagbabago. And she called it "The Emancipation."

"The Emancipation" bursts with colors. Shouting freedom. And it is also her self portrait. Ginawa niya ito hango sa kanyang itsura dati: Long, ebony hair, a face that does not need make up to be beautiful, and a coy smile. Contrast ang subject sa background nito. In the painting, the girl is smiling coyly, somewhat sending a notion of tranquility. But the back ground is just plain chaos. Mahihinuha ng makakakita sa larawan na ito na ang babae sa canvas ay masayang tinatanggap ang lahat ng nasa paligid niya. Maging ito man ay kaguluhan. Chaos, she thought, Everything is a sweet chaos.

Para sa kanya, ito ang pinaka-higlight ng kanyang exhibit. Naisip nya, kung may makakagusto man bumili ng painting na ito, ay sisiguraduhin niya na karapat dapat ito. After all, mukha naman nya ang nasa larawan. Hindi naman yata tamang nakasabit ang mukha nya sa bahay ng kung sinumang hindi marunong magpahalaga sa kanyang sining, hindi ba? Kaya binigyan nya ito ng medyo mataas na presyo. Biniro nga sya ng kanyang Mommy nang makita ang presyo nito.

"Ano ba naman yan, anak. Parang presyong ayaw." Ang ibig sabihin ng kanyang Mommy ay parang ayaw naman niya itong ipagbili dahil sa mahal ng presyo.

"Aba, ganyan talaga Mommy. Yan ba namang mukhang yan, ibebenta mo ng mura?" Pagbibiro nya.

"Ay, of course not, anak. Mana ka yata saken kaya ka ganyan kaganda." Nakangiting pahayag ng kanyang Mommy.

Ricky cleared his paper works early that day. Looking forward syang makilala ang pintor na nagtatago sa pseudonym na December. Ayon kay Gael, ngayon ang date ng solo exhibit ng pintor. Hindi niya alam kung bakit ganoon na lamang siya ka-engrossed na makilala ang katauhan ng pintor. All he knows is that he waited two long years for this.

He strode cooly on the hallways of the gallery. Kahit ano namang kagustuhan nyang makilala ang pintor ay hindi naman niya dapat ipahalata ang kanyang excitement.

What Ricky witnessed was a majestic display of colors. A parade of different moods that adorns the wall of the hall. Fine art at its best. December indeed is one hell of a painter. Lalo lamang lumiyab ang kagustuhan nyang makilala ito.

"Hey, Ricky! Buti naman na-decipher mo ang message ko sayo." Pagbati sa kanya ni Gael. He's wearing a proud smile. Hindi niya ito masisi, he smells the exhibit's success even if it was only its first day.

"Seriously, dude. Tigilan mo na ako sa mga cryptic messages mo. Creepy na ang dating mo sa sekretarya ko." Ngisi nya.

"Hmm. Kung nababaduyan ka pala sa'ken pare e, aalis na lang ako. Pa'no mo makikilala ang pintor mo?" Pang-iinis ng kaibigan sa kanya.

"Kita mo naman yang ugali mo. Porke't hawak mo ang alas ha? O sya, tara na sa loob"

All the paintings are great. Kung pwede nga lamang ay bilhin nya ito lahat. But there's this one painting that Ricky liked the most. "The Emancipation". May kamahalan ang presyo nito, he must admit. But to Ricky, there's more to it than the high price. And he'd have to find that out.

"El, I'll buy this." He declared.

"This one? Ooh. It's pricey. Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay. If you want discounts, I can work on it, pare. I'll talk to the painter." Gael offered to him.

"No, it's fine. Pero kung makikilala ko si December, I'd love that."

"Man, you really aren't gonna give that up, are you?" Nangingiting sambit ni Gael.

"Sige, gusto ko rin naman makilala ang bibili ng painting ko." Pagpayag ni Dylan. Ayon kay Gael, may interested buyer na kaagad ang "The Emancipation", which was unusual dahil first day pa lang ngayon ng kanyang exhibit. Sabi pa nito, the buyer wanted to buy her painting pagkakita pa lamang nito dito. Looks like we have a wealthy person who doesn't give a hoot for money's worth.

Dylan walked with confidence. She caught her reflection while passing by a mirror. Sinumang nakakilala sa kanya from high school or college would not recognize her now. She ditched her ballet flats and opted for Dr. Marten's boots. Ang closet nya ay sumailalim din sa major renovation. Unti-unting napalitan ng mga band tees ang kanyang mga girly blouses. The Dylan now is a far cry from the Dylan before. And she's happy with it.

"Ricky, I want you to meet December." Pagtawag ng pansin ni Gael sa nakatalikod na lalaki. To protect Dylan's identity, nagpasya si Gael na sa private office na lamang nilang tatlo pag-usapan ang pagbili ni Ricky ng painting ni Dylan.

Nang humarap sa kanila ang buyer ng painting, Dylan could not believe her eyes.

"Ikaw?!?" Gulat na sambit ni Dylan.

"Ikaw si December?!" Before Ricky could stop his eyes, isang matinding hagod ng tingin ang ibinigay nya sa babae.

Dylan suddenly felt inferior with what Ricky did. Naramdaman niyang hindi niya naabot nag expectation ng lalaki sa pagkakita nito sa kanya. Hindi niya mapigilan ang magalit.

"Oo! May problema ka?" Pagtataray nito sa kanya.

"Whoa, whoa.. Dylan, Ricky. I don't understand. Kilala nyo na ang isa't isa?" Nagtatakang tanong ni Gael sa dalawa.

"I met him the other night." Pagpapaliwanag ni Dylan. Leaving out a single detail – the kiss.