Jacob's Eighth Collection (Major Editing)

Chapter 16: The Bitch

***

(Althea)

"Hi, ang ingay no? Puro sila business." Napatunghay ako mula sa pagbabasa ng libro nang may lumapit sa aking isang babaeng nakasuot ng isang puting gown. Sa tantsa ko kaedaran ko lang sya.

"Ah. I'm Sandra. Sandra Santiago." Inihaya nya sa akin ang kamay nya. Nginitian ako nung babae, kimi kong ibinalik ang ngiti na yun.

"A-Althea. Althea Gomez."  Pakilala ko saka inabot ang kamay nya.

"Wow nakakatuwa naman. So, ikaw pala ang anak ni Tita Amanda at Tito Enrique?" May ningning sa mga mata nya, nang sinabi nya sa akin yan. Napakunot ang noo ko.

"Alam mo ba, idol kong chef ang mommy mo." Nakayuko sya habang sinasabi nya yan. Mom has a restaurant and yeah, she is an amazing chef. While my dad is a business tycoon.

"Talaga? That's nice."  Yub lang ang naisagot ko sa kanya. Tumango tango lang sya bago nya ako tinitigan mula ulo hanggang paa. Now it's time for me to look down. Aloof ako sa mga tao, mababa ang self esteem at confidence.

I'm enganged in my own world. Books. Which all of them say it's boring. But they're wrong. I love reading books, because, in them I can relate my self. With them my imagination becomes unlimited. Sa mga libro, nakakapag pantasya ako at nakakagawa ng sarili kong istorya. Stories that always end up with a happy ending.

"Why are you wearing glasses? Are you a nerd?" Takang tanong nya. Nerd. Palaging bansag sa akin. Kahit alam ko sa sarili ko na hindi iyon totoo. Wearing thick glasses? Kahit sino naman siguro pagkakamalang nerd ako. But I am not. Walang grado ang salamin ko. It's just that, I'm hiding my self. Nagtatago ako sa mga mapanghusgang mata, which always say wala akong kwenta. Since I am 7, I started to be like this. Living in my own world. No friends. Loner. They always judge me. They say wala man lang akong namanahan ng talino at skills mula sa magulang ko and that hurts big time. Disappointment, isa akong malaking kahihiyan sa pamilya namin. Habang sila nagtatagumpay, nasa isang tabi naman ako, reading books. Living behind my parents. Living on their shadows.

"Being a nerd is different from being a hiding sheep." Makabuluhan nya akong tiningnan at nginitian ng pagkatamis tamis.

"I like you. Can we be best friends?" Suddenly parang may natunaw na kung ano sa puso ko, after 3 years of living in the dark, finally may nakapansin din sa akin. Finally may kaibigan na ako. Finally hindi na ako nag iisa. I win't hide in my shell again.

Teary eyed akong tumango at niyakap sya. She returned the hug and whispered something which made my heart jump up with joy.

'Best friends forever.'
***

That was the time, I met Sandra. She's the best gift that I have recieved. She treated me as her own sister, itinuring nya akong simpleng babae lang na kailangan ng simpatya. She treated me as a simple girl, not the heiress of the Gomez's.

We shared every moments in our lives, whether good or bad. Until the high school years came. She chose to study at St. Martin Academy, while I'm in an all girls school. Dun sya nag umpisang magbago. Ang minsanan naming pag uusap ay humantong sa walang pansinan portion. She became a cheer leader, and since then, she became a bitch.

Nabalitaan ko na lang rin na may boyfriend na sya. Nasaktan ako that time, kase nag promise kami noon na sabay kaming mag bo boyfriend. I tried to talk to her to asked what happened. Bakit bigla bigla na lang nya kinalimutan lahat ng pinag samahan namin.

***

"Sandy, let's talk please!" I tried to reach for her arms, but she denied me.