Castle in the Air (One Shot)

Castle in the Air

One Shot

***

"Ched, magsisimula na 'yung online class mo!" sigaw ko mula sa kusina habang abala sa paghahalo ng cake batter.

"Ito na, ito na!" sagot niya, nagmamadaling lumabas ng kwarto.

Dali-dali siyang umupo sa harap ng laptop, hinihingal pa sa pagmamadali. Agad niyang ipinusod ang mahaba at malagong buhok bago sinuot ang headphones at inayos ang webcam. Kahit paulit-ulit ko na siyang nakikitang ganito, hindi pa rin nawawala ang paghanga ko sa kanya. There's a unique energy in her movements—it's as if no matter how routine her daily tasks are, I still find something new to discover about her.

We've been living under the same roof for months now, yet every time I catch a glimpse of her, I never seem to grow tired of looking.

She is my favorite sight.

Hindi lang dahil sa ganda niya—bagamat, hindi ko rin naman maitatanggi iyon. But because of the way she moves, how she breathes life into the space around her, how even in silence, she fills the air with something unexplainable yet deeply comforting.

Every morning, she is the first thing I seek. Every night, she is the last image in my mind before sleep takes over. At sa pagitan ng mga oras na magkasama kami, hindi ko maiwasang sumulyap—paulit-ulit—parang sa unang pagkakataon ko pa lang siyang nakita.

"Break ka muna," sabi ko, sabay abot ng tinidor.

Isang mabilis na ngiti lang ang isinagot niya bago bumalik ang tingin sa screen. Even though fatigue was evident on her face, she was still focused on the lecture. I could see her slightly furrowing her brow as she tried to grasp what was being discussed in class. Siguro ay may quiz sila mamaya. O baka may case study na kailangang tapusin.

Tahimik akong umupo sa tabi niya. Nang dumampot siya ng maliit na piraso ng cake, napangiti ako nang may naiwan na namang bahid ng icing sa gilid ng labi niya.

Dahan-dahan kong itinapat ang hinlalaki ko sa labi niya at pinunasan ang icing. She glanced at me, a bit surprised, but she didn't stop me.

"Ang kalat mo talagang kumain," natatawa kong bulong.

Hindi niya rin napigilang mapangiti.

We've been together for three years now. I'm a fourth-year engineering student, while she's a fourth-year nursing student. Our parents are supportive, including her mom. But her dad? That's a whole different story.

Hindi pa rin niya ako matanggap. Hindi ko alam kung kailan, o kung may pag-asa pang mangyari iyon. Pero hindi ko rin minamadali. Alam kong darating ang tamang oras para doon. For now, I wanted to show them that we're not just lovers. We're partners in life. Our dreams aligned. Our future too.

Kaya nagdodoble tiyaga kami sa pag-aaral sa gitna ng krisis nitong pandemya. Ang mga kursong skill-based ay napakahirap matutunan sa pag-o-online class. Kung hindi ka mas lalong magsusumikap at magdodoble kayod, ikaw ang talo. Kaya naman nagtutulungan kaming dalawa para mairaos ang taon na 'to. Mahirap pero dapat kayanin.

Wala naman kasing madaling daan. Walang shortcut. Our exhaustion isn't just mental; it also includes emotional and physical fatigue. Yet every day, we choose to keep fighting. Hindi pwedeng sukuan namin iyong pangarap namin. 

"Love, labas lang ako ah!" 

I paused my drawing, leaving my pencil suspended in the middle of a sketch. Mabilis akong lumingon sa kanya, kunot-noo. Nagsusuot na ito ng jacket.

"Saan ka pupunta? Gabi na."

Alas otso na ng gabi. Kakatapos lang ng online class ko, samantalang siya, may isa pang klase na dapat pasukan. Yet, here she is, rushing to get dressed, looking determined about her plan.