If I Let Go (Book 1 of If I Trilogy, Villaraza Series #2)

01 | Eleven

01 | Eleven

"Sweetie, why don't you play with the dog outside?" malambing na suhestiyon sa akin ni Mommy. Tinutukoy niya ang beagle namin. "The weather is fair today. There are also children. Play with them! Make friends, darling."

Dahan-dahan akong umiling-iling. "I don't want to go out! I want to go home!"

Mommy held my chin. "Sweetie, we are home. Your Tita Glenda will be here any moment with her children. Befriend them, okay? They're nice."

Hinalikan niya ang pisngi ko bago ako iniwan. Nang nawala na si Mommy sa paningin ko ay tinakbo ko ang daan patungo aking kwarto.

No. I wasn't home. America was where I belonged. Absolutely not here!

Dalawang linggo na mula nang dumating kami sa bansa. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa ako nakakapag-adjust sa bagong lugar na ito. I didn't feel welcome here! I felt like I abandoned my real home and that was the America!

I knew our business was the main reason we got here. And I hated it!

I picked one of my books and started working on it. Kahit anong pilit ko sa mga magulang ko na bumalik kami sa Amerika, hindi nila ako pinakikinggan.

I didn't do much these days other than crying and coloring books. And things were really getting boring for me.

Later on, I heard my Tita Glenda's voice from the living room. She was my Mommy's best friend and she lived next door. Nakilala ko na siya noon dahil ilang beses na siyang dumalaw sa amin noong nasa Amerika pa kami.

Hindi ko pinansin ang pagtawag sa akin ni Mommy at ipinagpatuloy ang ginagawa.

Minutes later, I was so engrossed with the colors and book. Hindi ko namalayan ang dahan-dahang pagbukas ng pinto ng kwarto ko.

"Hi, Addy."

I lifted my gaze. I saw a tall, young man looking at me with a smile.

Strange, but I felt a sudden jolt inside my chest.

Nakaputing polo siya na hanggang siko ang haba ng sleeves at napapatungan ng vest. Naka-cargo shorts rin siya at tennis shoes.

He looked like some Spanish. Medyo may kaputian ang kutis niya at expressive ang mga matang sobrang itim. His nose was sharp and his lips were pale pinkish, too.

Wow. He was good-looking!

"I'm Iñaki. I'm a neighbor of yours," nakangiting pakilala niya saka binalingan ang ginagawa ko. "Oh! You love coloring books?"

Hindi ko alam pero nag-init ang mga pisngi ko. I slowly nodded at him that made his smile wider.

He sat next to me and looked at my work. "This is beautiful. But you should color the trees green, Addy."

I was seven when I first met him. Siya naman ay sampung taong gulang.

Eleven years . . .

I had been in love with him for almost eleven long years. I had been a coward in the last eleven years of my life. Within those years, kinontento ko ang sarili ko sa pagiging kaibigan niya. Labag man sa kalooban ko ay ipinagkasya ko roon ang pagiging uhaw ko sa pagmamahal niya sa paraang gusto ko.

It was my safe zone.

Iñaki used to be a playboy. Alam na alam ko kung sino-sino ang mga babaeng d-in-ate niya. Minsan nga ay pinagsasabay pa niya!

Ganunpaman ay kampante ako. Alam kong wala pa siyang balak na magseryoso kaya hinayaan ko siya. Alam kong mas importante pa rin ako sa kanya kaysa sa mga babae niya. Alam kong naglalaro pa siya.