Ink and Prints

Chapter 5: The Midnight Bloom

In carnage of the beautiful dandelions
I place my vow unto thee
For my undying love to you
Drowned out the lives of these flowers

_

She's as beautiful as her name, as graceful as the moon herself. She's as serene as the moonlight, cascading the oceans with white rays of vivid light. She drowned out the sunlight that morning I saw her, and she illuminated the theatre at the night I gazed at the darkness. She's as cold as the moon herself, but accepting of warmth from the sun, even making her more beautiful than the daylight hoped. Luna Selena, that's her name. Ever since our eyes first met on that beautiful morning, I was amazed by how beautiful she is, despite her bitchy demeanor, Luna seemed something more than that. She's also more beautiful than those twilight twined twit which boasts nothing. She's just that beautiful, seeing her twin, Sol, makes me realize that her beauty is not that far off, being brighter than the sun.

I haven't talked to her ever since that faithful day though, when we hugged that frigid day, on the room of pressure, I didn't have the courage to speak to her once more. When our paths rarely crossed at the university, our eyes would meet, and we would look away. Damn, she's more than I anticipated her to be. When our paths cross, when will that ever be, for today is the day we leave Le Sommet Université. I am not certain that I should already go out to the world, I'm not confident that I can be what people expect me to be, especially because of the acknowledgement of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, people have always expected highly of me, I don't even know if I could meet their wants, but nonetheless it's time.

A phone call rang my phone as the sound reverberates through my empty room. I simply answered it, the caller was my cousin, Celeste.

"Hey, Lumiere, are you ready? It's already 11pm," she said asking for my state.

"Oo, Celeste, ready na ako. A-attend ba kayo ni Lola?"

"Of course, Lumiere. Excited na nga si Lola na makita ka sa stage, e. Saka namiss ka na raw niya, kadalang niyo na lang daw bumisita."

"Magkikita naman kami ulit ni Lola, e. Sa graduation mo lang din niyan, a-attend ako, of course."

"Well, Lumiere, aalis na niyan kayo. I'd better finalize my preparation. Ingats mamaya, Lums. Congrats din."

"Thanks, Celeste. Bye."

Celeste made everything more tolerable for me, so I want her to be at my graduation. Graduations in Le Sommet Université are actually a little bit peculiar, they all begin at exactly 12am and their motif has always been Midnight Blooms. This is to signify the blooming of each individual to a dark and cold world while also standing out and being beautiful.

"Hey, Lums, are you ready?"

"Yes, kuya. I'm ready for it na," I said to my Kuya Dale. "Nakahanda na ba kayong lahat?"

"Hindi pa ready si Jameson, pero siguro matatapos na. Mom and dad are waiting for you downstairs. You should greet them," my brother said while giving me a reassuring smile.

I went downstairs to see my mom and dad. They look so classy and respectable. I wish I had those physique, I don't know, even in our family, I don't fit well with them. My attire consisted of a white longsleeve, black pants, black shoes and my sablay, like some universities, we don't really use toga for our graduation. I also wore my glasses because it's night and I can barely see in the dark.

"Ang ganda mo tignan, anak. Ang gwapo mo ngayon, ha. Mana ka sa 'kin," my dad flamboyantly stated.

"Dad, ang kapal ng eyebags ko and ang gulo ng buhok ko. Plus, I'm really not that handsome compared to Kuya Dale or Jameson."