Delicate

ONE

"Manila! Gising na. Huy!" Nagising ako sa boses ni Ate Ayen. "Ate..." Tawag ko dito habang kinukusot ang mata.

"Tumawag ang Paris! Kinukuha ka nila, Manila!" Natahimik ako. Paris Opera Ballet. Syempre pinangarap ko iyon. Ngunit bakit hindi ako masaya? Bakit hindi ko maramdaman?

"Sige ate. Pakisabi naman, pag-iisipan ko ha. Sandali, puntahan ko lang si Kuya." Tugon ko dito at lumakad patungo sa banyo upang maligo at mag ayos. Nakatitig ako sa salamin, walang buhay ang mata ko at hindi ko na naiintindihan ang mundo.

Unang pumasok sa isip ko si Papa. He would be very proud for sure. Si papa pa. He is very supportive sa kung ano ang gusto ko gawin. Unlike mama. Mama is more about what she wants and not what I want. She wanted me to take law. Pero ewan ko, law school is just not for me.

Bumaba ako ng condo unit ko at sa pagbukas ng elevator, tumambad sa akin ang isang pamilyar na mukha. Nagtagpo ang mata namin. He looks better in light than in dark, I must say.

"Capt. Vasquez." Bati ko dito at ngumiti. He looked at me and nodded. Antipatiko ang gago! Pumasok siya sa elevator habang ako naman ay lumabas. What is he doing here? Does he live here? I shrugged and walked towarda my car.

Pumasok ako sa kulay pula ko na Toyota Vios at binuhay agad ang makina. If he lives in my tower, I probably would have seen him already. Is he visiting someone? A girlfriend perhaps? I decided to shut the thought off and drive to my kuya's hospital.

"What brings you here?" He asked and chuckled as he enter his office and see me messing with his things. I smiled and showed him the cake I had bought from his favorite cakeshop.

"Y-you went there?" He asked. Namula ang tainga niya. Tumawa ako at tumango. Of course. His ear would turn red dahil kinikilig siya.

"Nicola made it. Personally." I said and winked. He grinned and shook his head before closing the door. Nicola San Lucia. He had been chasing that pastry chef for over a year now. Kababata namin si Ate Nicola. I remember playing dolls with her when I was young and kuya loved the woman ever since.

Too bad for him, ate Nicola is getting married already. If I remember it right, negosyante ang fiance ni ate. I think he was in the line of constructions? Haru Ichisaki is his name, if I'm not mistaken.

"Tangina lang kasi ikakasal na siya doon sa hayop na hapon." Iling ni Kuya habang binubuksan ang kahon ng cake. Kuya loves that woman so much. Sobrang bait din ni Ate Nicola kaya hindi ko din masisisi.

"Paris called, kuya. Gusto nila ako kuhanin." I said and looked at him. He beamed and hugged me.

"That's great news, Manila!" He excitedly said. I smiled and hugged him back. A better news if only mama would support it. Wala ako narinig kay mama about competing and performing in the Philippines. But leaving the country? Hindi ko na alam.

Mama never used to meddle with my ballet career. Una di siya interesado, pangalawa hindi siya sang ayon. Kung bakit di niya ako pinipigilan is because we have a pact. Na I won't leave the country and my family because of ballet. And this is what I'm worried about.

I am bound to chase my dream, and I might lose my mother on the way. Bago pa ako muling makapagtuloy ng kuwento, isang katok ang narinig namin mula sa pinto. It was him. Again.

"Capt. Vasquez!" Masayang bati ni kuya dito. Putangina. Andito na naman siya.

"Atlas nalang, Zagreb. Masyadong pormal." Tawa nito. I looked at him. He was wearing a white long sleeve, tucked in his black slacks, folded up to his shoulder. His hair is quite messy, parang di na pinagkaabalahan ayusin. His eyes are like before. Sharp and precise, na parang hindi ka pwedeng magkamali sa harap niya.