Life Series #1: Onto Better Things

Chapter 9

"Mark! Bilisan mo!"

I was running in the beach shore. Kakadating lang namin dito sa Virgin Islands and it was almost sunset. I wanted to get to the perfect spot near the coconut trees para mas maganda ang view namin.

"Kapag ikaw madapa dyan bahala ka sa buhay mo," sagot ni Mark sa akin. He was trying to catch up with me.

I arrived at the place where we could see the sunset perfectly. Umupo ako sa buhangin habang pinagmamasdan ang langit. It was not yet sunset but I knew that after a few minutes golden hour would start.

"You like sunsets that much?" Mark said as he finally caught up with me. Umupo siya sa tabi ko. We were both facing the sea. There were not much people here. Halos kaming dalawa lang ang nandito.

"Yep! Don't you?"

"Why? Why do you like sunsets?" He asked me. I looked at him and he was looking at the sky in front of us. Binalik ko din ang tingin ko sa harap namin, feeling the soft breeze brush through my hair.

"Because it's pretty," I answered him and I got a grunt in return.

"Kilala na kita, Tin. I know you're not that shallow," he said to me. I laughed.

"Fine. Baka lang naman maniwala ka," I said as I took a deep breath. "I like sunsets because it signifies endings."

He kept quiet. He's giving me a chance to either elaborate or change the topic. He knows! He knows how much I didn't want to talk about things that makes me vulnerable. Sobrang observant niya. But sitting here infront of the sea and the looming sunset, I felt at ease. Maybe that's why I opened up.

"You know why I wanted to be successful so much? Why I worked so hard nung nag-aaral pa tayo? It's because I want validation."

I felt him shift. I can see from my peripheral view that he's looking at me now but I didn't meet his gaze.

"But you are validated. Summa Cum Laude, former president of the student body in La Salle and now you're working at one of the top companies in the Philippines," he reasoned out with me.

"And all of that didn't come easily. Pinaghirapan ko lahat ng yun. Pero alam mo ba na kahit hindi ko paghihirapan makukuha ko din yan?" I smiled bitterly.

"What do you mean?"

"I grew up an orphan, Mark. Both my parents died when I was young. Car accident."

"I'm sorry," Mark said. He was still looking at me.

I looked at him and said, "You don't have to be sorry. Matagal na 'yun. At least they died together. I was in grade school when that happened. My Tita took care of me since then."

He was staring at me intently that I had to break eye contact. His stares gave me goosebumps. I looked at the sky instead, it was turning orange now.

"At that time, I wasn't even doing well in school but I finished the year top 1 in my class. Same thing happened the next year and the next. You know, I actually thought I was a genius back then. Kasi hindi naman ako nag-aaral pero top pa rin ako."

This is the first time I actually talked about what happened back then. It kinda hurt but it also kinda felt good to let it all out.

"I ran for school elections and I won. I felt like I had the world in my palm," I said holding out my hand in front of me. Mark chuckled.

"I was young, okay? Do not judge me," tinignan ko siya ng masama.

"Wala naman akong sinabi!" He said but he was still trying to stifle his laughter.