Haplos ng Hangin (Yutang Bulahan Series #3)

HNH - 40

THE FIESTA.

Pinaikot-ikot ko ang lapis sa aking mga daliri habang pinagmamasdan ito. Wala na sa pageant ang attention ko. Okay lang naman na wala sa kanila ang atensiyon ko. Paniguradong naka'y Daniel Padilla na ang atensiyon nila ngayon.

Ang nakakatawa lang dito sa pageant na jina-judge ko ay ang mga contestants. I've got nothing with others. Nakakatawa lang kasi hindi ko inaasahan na isa sa mga kasali sa pageant na ito ay si Thelaine Ponsica. What age is she by the way? Twenty-seven? Gosh, sana binigay na lang niya ang spot sa mga newbie aspiring beauty queens. Kung sa Bb. Pilipinas pa ito, she's out of range na. She's like the oldest among the contestants.

Pero, oh well, buhay niya 'yan. Kung saan siya masaya, doon siya. Sana naman hindi siya masaya kay Siggy. Pero mukhang naging masaya siya kasi roon siya napunta, e. The heck with that.

Today's the thirtieth day of May. Highlights of our city's annual Manlambus Festival. Kaninang umaga, nanood kami ng street dancing. I was with the VIPs. It was fun but kind of tiring. Ang mas nag-enjoy yata ay 'yong si Nissa, Chivas, Martin, at Ms. Yang. They got to experience the province life fiesta.

Hindi ko lang alam kung talagang maraming tao tuwing fiesta ng city namin. Sa pagkakakaalala ko, hindi naman ganito karami ang nakiki-fiesta. Is it because of me? Ewan lang, I don't want to assume.

At ngayong gabi, nandito na naman ako sa pageant ng Manlambus Queen. Coronation night ngayon. Kasama ko bilang judges tonight ay si Chain Osmeña, Teagan Osmeña, James Yap, and Darwin Charles Lizares. Fourteen kasi ang contestants kaya kailangang odd number ang numbers ng judge. Darwin Charles Lizares is the chief judge since Lizares Sugar Corporation daw ang main sponsor ng pageant na ito. The secondary sponsor is the Osmeña Business Empire. And the rest is history.

The theme of the selection of judges for this year's fiesta ay ang mga nagbigay ng pangalan sa city namin. Teagan Osmeña brought honor by being a versatile actress. Chain Osmeña by being a popular model. Sir James Yap as one of the known professional basketball players in PBA, he's the OG among us. Darwin Charles as a son of the Lizares clan and a graduate of Harvard. And me, well you already knew about it. Dapat kasali si Mikan dito but he declined this one, sabi niya hindi niya forte, baka raw mag-drool lang siya sa swimsuit competition. Gago, ang manyak talaga kahit kailan ni Mikan Osmeña.

Darwin Charles is the youngest of the Lizares brothers. I already saw him from the homecoming event of the Osmeñas last May twenty-five. And I already know him as my cousin's boyfriend, Callie Dela Rama. Mag-pinsan kami sa ina ni Callie, in case you didn't know.

I'm casual with him since he's casual towards me too. Since kami ang magkatabi na dalawa, it's either me or si Ate Teagan ang kakausapin niya. And I just noticed na masiyado siyang awkward kapag Osmeña ang kausap niya. And I also bet he didn't know about me. I bet he didn't know that I once lived on the penthouse he owned. Speaking, kumusta na kaya 'yon? Naibalik ba kay Darwin Charles 'yon? Kinuha ni Siggy? Or ibinenta na lang na parang walang nangyari? I wanna know. Tanong ko kaya si Nissa mamaya. Or mas better kung si Siggy ang tatanungin ko. Pero baka supalpalin ako, 'wag na.

The crowd's still in a wild stance. Masiyadong na-excite nang makita si Daniel Padilla at hinaharana pa sila. Pagtingin ko nga sa may stage, halatang kinikilig din ang mga contestants. Including that Thelaine Ponsica.

"What can you say about Thelaine Ponsica? Do you think she has a chance?" Darwin Charles is in my right kaya napatingin ako sa kaniya.

My brows furrowed, medyo nag-isip. Wala lang, para masabing nag-iisip talaga ako.

I then shrug my shoulder. "She's good. She can project well and I like her confidence."

"So you like her."