"Candidate number 3, Light Zalora."
I started walking gracefully when the host called my name. The crowd was silent as I walked because the host told them to.
I stopped and stood beside the host.
"Looking beautiful, Light Zalora."
I smiled sweetly. "Thanks." Nagsimulang magsigawan ang mga tao. Hindi sa pagiging assuming pero halos lahat ata ay nagsigawan at nagtilian sa simpleng pagpapasalamat ko. Ang iba'y mayroon pang itinataas na banner na mayroong mukha ko.
"You're always looking beautiful, though." the host looked at the card she was holding.
"Okay, silence, please. Hmm, I believed that this question was easy for you. Miss Light Zalora, your question is... What are the things that scares you or you don't want to happen?"
Inabot niya ang mikropono sa akin at tinanggap ko naman iyon.
"Thank you for that simple but wonderful question..." I stopped for a while. Tahimik ang crowd at tutok sa aking sagot.
"The thing that scares me was I think... darkness. Well, my name is Light. Ilaw. Liwanag. My life are lighted and bright. Sino ba ang gugustuhing mapunta sa kadiliman?" I sighed and continued.
"There are times that things are not going into the right places. There are days that you are sad... and empty. May mga araw na ubos kana pero you will still stand fully. May mga panahon na your life is at dark and you just wanna sit down or lay down and wait the day and night to passed by. Darkness always come to you and to your life but you still need to find light. You need to find the exit of what you are feeling instead of just staying inside of it. I don't experience that but I know, someone out there ay nasa gitna ng kadiliman na iyan. At iyan ang ayaw kong mangyari. Ang makain ng kadiliman. I don't want myself, Light, to enter darkness or even change her name from Light to Dark. But maybe If I got there, I can use myself as my own light. Because I'm Light, I can light and bright through the dark." I chuckled. "Thank you."
Ngumiti ako sa mga judges sa harapan. They are not looking in front because they are all writing something. Except one. The guy just looked at me and gave me a friendly smile.
Naglakad ako pabalik sa pwesto ko at inisip kung may sense ba yung sagot ko o kung nasagot ko ba kung bakit 'dark' ang kinatatakutan ko. I shrugged. Bahala na.
Oras na ang nagdaan at napapagod na ako ngumiti at tumayo sa harap ng maraming tao. Nagdasal ako sa sarili na sana ay matapos na ang pageant at agad naman itong tinupad. I won as first runner up only and I don't really care. Ang gusto ko lang ay makaupo at makauwi.
Sumakay ako sa van at ang mga gamit ko ay dala ni Ate Iya na nakasunod lang sa akin.
"My goodness, Light Ceres! This is the first time na natalo ka! At nung si Venus pa! At anong sagot 'yon?! You sounded like a sad and deep person carrying a deep problem." bulyaw ni Tita Dani sa akin.
Kulang nalang ay sabunutan niya ako pero siya rin ang mapapagod kung uulitin niya ang inayos nitang buhok ko. And 'natalo'? Duh, first runner up 'yon!
"Hoy! Ano? Wala kang say man lang?" tanong niya nang hindi ako sumagot.
"Tita Daniel-"
"Dani!" pagco-correct niya. Okay, he's gay.
"Okay, okay! Tita DANI, can we just talk about that next time? Please, I'm fucking tired." Ipinikit ko ang mata ko at sumandal sa upuan. Nakataas rin ang dalawang paa ko sa patungan na nasa harapan ko.
"Alright. Madali naman akong kausap. Ah! You have school tomorrow, Light." pahabol niya pa.
I just nodded, still eyes closed.
