Lumantad ang isang makabuluhang ngiti sa mukha ni Gab nang ibinaba niya ang telepono. Hindi niya makuhang itago ang sayang kanyang nararamdaman nang malamang unti-unti nang nagiging okay ang kanyang pamilya. One step at a time, and they'll get there, soon, she silently declared.
Pagkatapos noon ay mariing dumausdos ang kanyang hinahawakang ballpen sa unang pahina ng kanyang bagong kwaderno. Matapos niya itong bilhin ay ngayon niya lang ulit ito nabuksan.
But she wasn't yet able to write on the notebook when something halted her.
Nasaan na pala ang bookmark na isinuksok niya rito sa mga pahina ng kanyang kwaderno?
Agad niyang hinalungkat ang kanyang bag ngunit wala doon ang kanyang bookmark maging sa mga maliliit na bulsa nito.
Saan kaya niya naiwan ang bagay na 'yon?
Agad siyang napailing. Sayang, libre pa naman 'yon. Anyway, she shrugged. Bibili na lang siya ng bago.
Now back to business. Muli niyang kinuha ang kanyang notebook at ballpen.
Bago siya umalis ng dorm ay gusto niya munang magsulat kahit maikli lang. Sa ganoong paraan ay matutulungan nitong maibsan ang mga mabibigat niyang dinadamdam.
She couldn't help herself but overthink about the uncertainties awaiting her in Cebu. And also, natatakot din siya sa mga lalaki, most especially Harry. After her unfortunate encounter with the guy yesterday, she thought she needed to really distance herself from the guy. Para kasing mas lalo pang lumala ang pagkamanyakis ng Bumbay ngayon.
Siguro, mas matitiis niyang pakisamahan 'yong mga antipatiko at masusungit kumpara sa manyakis na Indianong 'yon.
But on a positive note, hindi naman siguro siya magiging totally aloof dahil makakasama niya rin naman si Taji. Kahit papaano ay mayroon siyang makakausap.
Sa lahat ng mga FBU ay si Taji lang kasi ang medyo napapalagayan niya ng loob. Taji was different. Ito lang ang FBU na nakuha siyang itrato nang mabuti. Well, maybe si Rio rin, that conversation they had was a great deal. But it was Taji who really risked to penetrate her walls at naglakas-loob na kilalanin siya.
I bear an undetermined feeling
Uncertain of what the future holds
But still I put my trust
On destiny.
My yesterdays may be so cruel.
Yet, I have to face this brand new day.
No matter what
No matter how
Still I fight.
Her ballpen aced every word and transcribed every parched feeling inside her. Her clumsy smile once again took over her face. She was awkwardly excited yet afraid at the same time. Mixed emotions ruled her system.
Some uninvited jitters were manifested in her hands as she closed her notebook and put it inside her bag. She clasped the handle of her suitcase.
She's ready.
This is it.
"Ingat ka, Gab," Hollie's sleepy tone slipped from her mouth when she felt that Gab was opening the knob.
It was five minutes past 4 o'clock in the morning and Gab didn't expect that Hollie would wake up and give her parting words.
"Ikaw rin, mag-ingat ka rito," matipid na sagot ni Gab. Nginitian niya ang kaibigang hindi na nag-abala pang bumangon. Siguro kung nasa tamang ulirat lang itong si Hollie ay malamang niyayapos na siya nito ng yakap bago tuluyan siyang makaalis. Pero wala eh. Ano ba namang laban niya sa himbing ng tulog nito?
BINABASA MO ANG
Petrichor's Haven
Fiksi UmumBorn in not so well-off family, Gabriela (Gab) Magtanggol's passion in creative writing pushed herself to secure a scholarship that gave her the privilege to study in one of the prestigious art schools in the country. However, her normal student lif...
