Lost and Found

Kabanata 4

Kabanata 4

Kiro

Sunday morning. I decided to have my tea in my Mom's garden. I feel relaxed as I watch the blooming flowers dance with the wind as I hear the birds singing. My mom has always loved nature and so she built this beautiful garden with a small gazebo in the middle of it. I hated anything related to plants as a kid and now that I'm older, I start to appreciate simple things.

The gazebo was painted white with gold railings and details around it. The inner part of the roof of the gazebo was designed with different paintings of angels, which I made. It was inspired by Michelangelo's painting in the Sistine Chapel. My Mom's friends praised me for doing such a nice job.

"Busy?" lumingon ako sa gilid ko at nakita ang Ate. She's smiling as she held the gazebo's pergola and her foot stepped on the staircase. Umiling ako. Agad naman siyang nag lakad papalapit saakin at naupo sa harapan ko.

"Umagang umaga ang lalim ng iniisip mo, siya nanaman ba?" anito. I know very well who she's pertaining to.

Marahan akong umismid, "I am thinking of other things"

"Really? Like what?"

Umayos ako ng upo at humalukipkip "I'm looking for inspiration. I'm going to paint again but I don't know what to paint"

"So.. You want me to give you some inspirations?" Her forehead creased.

I chuckled, "Can you give me one though?"

"Girl, you know that I don't know anything about inspirations. Ikaw ang marunong diyan hindi ako" kibit balikat niya "But I can give you some advice" anito sabay kuha ng tsaa ko.

"Hey!" Sita ko pero ngumiti lang siya sabay inom. A moment later, she frowned and spit out the tea. "What?"

"You put milk on tea?" She asked, I nodded "You're disgusting. Hot milk tea?"

"Tastes good to me"

She groaned and wiped her lips, "So here's the advice, don't put milk on hot tea" kumunot ang noo ko at ambang aangal muli nang itaas niya ang hintuturo para patahimikin ako, "Second, Don't plan what your painting should be. In my opinion, paintings lose their meaning when made out of pressure. Just paint when you're free and happy" aniya

"I already know that Sophie" I said stating the obvious

" You already know but I don't think you remember what it means. You stopped painting for three years and locked yourself for a year. I don't think you're the same again, and you also know it yourself" she said and took a deep breath, "Well, I have to go. I just came here to say good bye"

"Where are you going?" I asked

"Work"

Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay, "It's Sunday, you don't have work"

She plastered a playful smile and wiggled her brows, "Iba ang tatrabahuhin ko today little sister" She has that dirty smile on her face and I knew exactly what she meant. Exactly and instantly.

Umarte akong nasusuka, "Now that's disgusting, get out" Image of her and her fiance started filling my mind.

Malakas siyang tumawa habang tinataboy ko siya. Alam kong fiance niya ang tinutukoy niya. "Oh I forgot to tell you" she stopped on her tracks, I raised my brow, "May bisita mamaya si Dad, you better dress up" anito

A few moments later I got up and left the gazebo to go to my art room. Nang makapasok ako ng bahay, halos lahat ng mga helper ay nag aayos. My Mom was also organizing the flower vases, replacing the withered flowers with a fresh one. Nag angat siya ng tingin saakin at ngumiti, "You okay? Your sister went to her fiance" She asked

Tinanguan ko siya, "I'm fine. Who's the guest?"

Her smile grew wider, "My old friend will be visiting today. She'll be staying with us for a week, I actually told her to stay here instead of staying in hotels. I mean we have ten bedrooms so it's fine" aniya.

Nilapitan ko siya para tulungan sa pag aayos ng bulaklak sa flower vase. I filled the vase with hyacinths, tulips and irises, all in white and pink shade. Iminuwestra ko iyong ilalagay sa side end table, "Here?" I asked and she nodded. "A week? Ano namang sadya niya?"

"Her husband and her son has a project here in Makati. They'll be expanding their engineering firms"

"What's her name?" Muli kong tanong

"Anastasia. Anastasia Del Prado"

MATAPOS kong matulungan si Mama sa pag aayos, dumiretso na ako sa art room. I pushed the glass door and stepped inside. All the things I bought yesterday were already brought in here. The sun was directly hitting the room and it looks like a scene straight out of the movies. Nag lakad ako papalapit sa stool bitbit ang isang canvas at inilagay iyon sa easel. I clamped my hair and took a deep breath. I have no idea what to do. I guess I'll just let my imaginations flow.

Few minutes after sketching the idea I have on my mind, I grabbed my paint palette and squeezed out a good amount of oil paint and started mixing colors. I have neutral colors in my palette right now. Kinuha ko ang paint brush at nag simulang mag pinta.

It was an emotional moment for me. To start painting again and let my imaginations run free and my emotions flow. I'm so happy.

Fragile.

That's what I want to call my painting. It represents me and what happened. A woman on her back with her head on her shoulders. She is hugging herself as she slowly breaks, fractures on her porcelain skin like a doll, breaking like a glass. With every fracture, liquid gold trickle down her skin.

Looking at my painting, I have my own perspective on what it means. I always choose to hide the meaning on my artworks and let the viewers run their imagination.

Natauhan ako nang may kumatok sa pintuan. It was Patch on her scrub suit, marahan niyang binuksan ang pinto at sumilip. "Ma'am, bumaba raw ho kayo sa sala, dumating na po yung bisita" anito

"Sige susunod ako" Umalis siya kaagad.

Iniligpit ko ang mga pinag gamitan at iniwan ang canvas sa easel. I walked down the stairs to my room to fix myself. Mabilis akong naligo at nag palit ng damit. I wore a black backless dress and red pumps. I put on some lipgloss on my lips and combed my straight hair. I checked myself on the mirror one last time before going out. I immediately heard laughter on the living room and chitchats. I held onto the gold banisters as I walked down, the sound of my heels silenced the voices and all their attention turned to me.

Four people on the living room. The other woman was beside my mother and they're both chuckling, I believe she's Anastasia. May isa pang lalaking naka upo sa pang isahang upuan na bahagyang naka ngiti at mukhang nakikinig lamang sa mga pinag uusapan.

Agad tumayo si Dad nang makita ako, "Finally my daughter's here" anito at malaki ang ngiti "Iha, lumapit ka dito" sabay lahad ng kamay.

I walked to them with a big smile on my face, "This is my youngest daughter, Hiraya Montebello" He introduced.

I turned my attention to the guests. My eyes instantly landed on the guy who's now looking at me. My breath hitched and I gulped. He looks like a person straight out from Alexandre Cabanel's painting. Jet black hair neatly styled. Thick brows, deep set eyes and red lips.

Hindi ko alam kung gaano katagal akong naka tingin sakanya kaya agad na akong umiwas ng tingin, I offered my hand to my Mom's friend. "Hi, you can call me Aya. Nice to meet you"

Tinanggap niya ang kamay ko, "You grew up to be so beautiful like your mother Aya. I'm Anastasia, your Mom's friend, you can call me Tita"

Nang bitiwan, nilahad ko naman ang kamay ko sa lalaking kanina ko pa pinag mamasdan. The man stood up, umabot lamang ako sakanyang balikat kahit may suot na akong heels.

Tinanggap niya ang kamay ko. His hands were too big for me and they were rough too.

"Joaquin Rosio Del Prado." his deep voice sent shivers down my spine. "Call me Kiro"

"I'm.. I'm Aya"