Mimi Turns Pretty - SOON TO BE PUBLISHED ✅

Chapter 2

Present Day

It's fascinating how your memory keeps certain things about the people that mean a lot to you. Years may pass but you always remember. And it's not the big things, but the little things like how they walk, how they wear their hair, the way they laugh or how they call your name.

The jeep stopped in front of us and the windows rolled down. I hold my breath.

"Mimi?"

Buti na lang naka-sunglasses ako para pwede ko siyang titigan nang hindi nahihiya. I can't believe after six years, I'll get to see him again.

"Ollie". I say, monotone.

Bumaba siya ng sasakyan and I took my time to check him out.

Ollie from back in the day looked neat, laging mukhang mabango, maputi, his dark brown hair was a little wavy but always cut right above his ear and it falls down on his face when he laughs. Itong Ollie sa harap ko ibang-iba, his hair is long abot sa shoulders niya and half of it was up in a bun on top of his head, medyo naging moreno siya at mukhang maganda ang pangangatawan. He's wearing a blue buttoned up short-sleeved shirt na hindi nakasara all the way up, kita ang collarbone niya, he's wearing faded blue jeans and slip ons. His style is different but his face is the same.

His eyes are still his best feature, brown with long lashes that always appears as if he's squinting but looks best when he smiles. He's got a pointed nose and full lips.

Lumapit si Ollie kay Kuya. He gave him a hug pero sa akin siya nakatingin.

"Pare, kumusta?" Kuya pats him on the back.

I stand there just watching them. Siguro mukha akong supladitang ewan but I just don't know what to do, hindi ko alam kung paano mag-act around him. Not anymore.

Kuya pushes Ollie away at itinuro ako, "Si Mimi. You remember?"

Umismid ako kay Kuya, he's trying to get a reaction out of me.

Ollie smiles and gives me a once over at namulsa, "You look great, Mimi."

Dahil nakatago ako sa sunglasses ko tiningnan ko muna si Kuya bago sumagot, he's still assessing how I would interact with Ollie. This is dangerous.

So I took my bag, "Yeah. Whatever. Can we go?"

"Mia." Kuya admonishes and I almost flinch.

Kuya is really a Kuya when it counts. Madalas niya akong pagalitan lalo na when he thinks I'm out of line like now.

Hinampas lang ng magaan ni Ollie ang braso ni Kuya, "Don't worry about it. She's probably jetlagged."

Lumapit sa akin si Ollie at ang natural na reaction ko is huwag huminga. Sana 'di kami masyado madalas magkasama nito baka ikamatay ko pa.

Kinuha niya ang suitcase ko at ngumiti sa akin bago pumunta sa likod ng kotse niya, sumunod naman si Kuya na may pagtaas pa ng kilay nang daanan ako. Gusto ko siyang belat-an pagkatalikod.

I opened the rear passenger door at naupo. After nilang ipasok lahat ng bagahe sumakay na si Kuya at Ollie. I just looked outside para hindi nila ako isama sa usapan.

***

"Grabe na ang traffic dito, pare. Nakakabuang." Sabi ni Ollie.

Tumawa si Kuya, "Kaya ka pala nagtago."

Ngumiti si Ollie, "Kung hindi dahil sa 'yo hindi talaga ako lalabas ng lungga ko."

I might have imagined it pero I think he looked at me from the rearview mirror when he said that. Ako na yata ang nabubuang.