The Tale Of The Giant Brown Teddy Bear

Prologue and First A/N

M's...

Age 6

The sun is setting from the tangerine-colored sky while the songs from our favorite tracklist is blasting on the worn-out cassette tape player that my grandpa assembled for me on my bicycle. I already got off from it para mai-upo't maisakay itong giant brown cutie teddy bear that she had been aching to have all summer long– the one I had been religiously saving and skipping my lunch for all summer long, too.

Tanaw ko mula doon ang matayog na bundok na siyang nagbe-blend perfectly with the view of the setting sun. Simply breathtaking.

At parang sinusundan pa din ako ni Mr. Sun like he always does in the daytime, kahit na papalubog na ito. 'He' can be really cute at times, huh.

Though I'd love to stay and admire the picturesque view, dinalian ko na ang paglalakad at paghatak sa bike kong nasa gilid ko dahil nga papagabi na at baka mag-dinner na sila mamaya-maya. Once na mag-dinner na sila, malaki ang possibility na hindi na siya palabasin ng parents niya to play outside and I wouldn't want that. I can't wait another day to propose to her. The breeze and the mood was perfect for my plan. I cannot let this slip away. Ngayon na talaga ang tamang panahon.

I asked her to meet me on "the usual spot", kaya tinahak ko ang daan papunta doon.  

When I was halfway through the road, I saw her daddy's car drove past where I had just been not two minutes ago. Nilingon ko iyon. Lumakas ang ihip ng hangin dala ng mabilis na pagpapatakbo ng sasakyan nito.

He seems to be in a rush. Weird. Where will tito go at this time of the hour kaya? hindi ba dapat nagdi-dinner na sila? The windows of his car were heavily tinted kaya hindi ko naaninag kung may kasama ba ito, o kung si tito ba talaga ang sakay nun. Siguro may humiram lang na friend? Or probably may bibilin lang siguro sya sa marketplace?

Talking about their dinner time. . .  Oh, snap!

With that thought in mind, sumakay na ako sa bike ko at kinandong na si cutie bear sa lap ko para mas mapabilis na, though limited lang yung view ko at hirap na hirap ako dahil halos kalahati lang din ng puwit ko ang nakaupo doon.

Ibinaling ko na lang yung ulo ni cutie bear sa gilid para kahit papaano ay makita ko ang dinadaanan ko. It helped... uh. Sort of. I pedalled even faster, my limbs are starting to hurt but I didn't care, kailangan ko na talagang makarating doon. 

Naramdaman ko na lang na tumatagaktak na ang pawis ko at kasabay nun, tears were streaming down my face as well. And no, it sure in hell was not because of my limbs hurting.

It's coz little did I knew... I'm already late and hopeless.

Gusto kong sumigaw, magwala, magalit sa mundo at sa lahat ng tao. Gusto kong itapon sa kasagaran itong teddy bear na ngayo'y sumasalo na sa bawat luhang pumapatak mula sa mga mata ko.

Bakit? Bakit di man lang niya ako sinabihan? Bakit di siya nagpaalam? Kung sinabi ko ba na ibibili ko siya nitong teddy bear na gusto niya, hindi pa siya aalis? Or much, much better, hindi NA talaga siya aalis? What if? Iyon nga kaya ang reason?

Ni nagawa ko pang lokohin ang sarili ko at isipin na si tito lang talaga ang sakay nung kotse. and the other, funnier option- na may humiram lang noon. Bakit? Okay lang sana kung kahit nung moment na yun na lang sa kalsada siya nagpaalam, bumaba man lang sana siya para kausapin ako. Tatanggapin ko ang pamamaalam nya, kahit alam kong alanganin ang oras at lugar. Pero hindi, walang ganun na naganap. No words were left.