Mr. Picture Perfect

The beginning of a fairy tale.

It was the last day of our exams in our first semester of our junior year.  After a week of cramming and late night studying, the examination was over.  We headed towards the pavilion near the open field, after we passed by the school’s church.   My peers and I were all laughing and counting over a hundred times about our right answers to the tests, when my friend Liza approached me and told me not to go to the pavilion.

 “Why?” I asked her.

 “Let’s just go home,” she said.

 I wasn’t sure why, but my other friends came back to me because I was behind them. “Please.  Don’t look up! Please!” they told me. I got curious, so I looked across the pavilion.  I’d never been so shocked in my entire life.  It’s like the whole world had turned upside down. I saw what I never expected to see.  I didn’t see it coming.   The guy that I was drooling over in my whole college days was being too cozy with another girl.  You might ask me why I am being too sentimental about this matter.  I have to tell you the whole story.

 I was in freshmen then.  After four years in an exclusive school during my high school days, it was scary to be a part of a known institution in Manila.  Likewise, to be in a society of the opposite sex, it was frightening.  I had adjusted with the dilemma of a college freshmen.  The once shy and frail girl, paved way to the normal life of a student.  I would not tell you the story about my whole university days.  It would take all the necessary files to enumerate all.  I would only concentrate on the very special part of it.  The one I had with Mr. Picture Perfect.

 *****

 My cousin Aries never had a sister.  As the youngest girl in our kin, I was his favorite.  He was like a brother to me who teases and tickles me during our childhood days.  He was four years older than me, same age as with my eldest sister.  He had been my constant protector and listener. 

Aries had grown into a fine looking young man.  He was not that tall but had this alluring personality that pulls girls towards him.  I couldn’t even remember all the names of his girlfriend, except for Vi-ann, who eventually became his wife. 

 He was often referred to as the black ship in our brood.  He was known to be one of our problematic cousins.  He graduated elementary and high school in the same university I was in college.  Because of low grades he only took a vocational course after college.  In high school, he was part of the cheering squad and fraternity.

 He had always been the leader, even my own brother looked up to him.  He was our confidant.  In my first year in college, I stayed with our old house in Sampaloc where Aries lives.  The house was near the university.  Aries was working on a fast food chain and had a serious girlfriend which was Vi-ann.   We would always play video games during the night.  Our favorite past time was eating pancit canton and hot pandesal.  I could still remember the time when our aunt would yell at us and told us to go to sleep because it was already past midnight.  Aries would turn off the lights and minimize the volume of the television while we still watched MTV Asia.

One late night in September 1996, while we just had our midnight snack we sat in our favorite spot in the house, the window on the second floor, overlooking the rest of the houses nearby.

“You still don’t have a boyfriend?”

“Nah, nobody seems to like me.”

“Why?  Maybe you study too much.  Don’t be a geek.”

“I’m not a geek.  I’m just plain.  I think.”

“No you’re not plain.  You’re just a late bloomer.  You should try to wear contact lenses.  You look older with your glasses.”  He said.