I know I shouldn't be here. Because as far as I know, it should be our parents who's sitting here because it's their job. It's their responsibility.
I yawn for the nth time. I'm sleepy. Really. I was out last night with my friends wasting our pretty little time... Having some fun. It's almost one in the morning when I came home- a bit tipsy- and headed to my room then sunk on my bed.
Then I was at the middle of a wonderful dream-that I already forgot but I'm sure it was- when suddenly, I heard my mom's voice. She wake me, saying that there will be an unexpected meeting in our company and said that I should be the one who will attend the program in the school of my little brother, Philip.
I sighed.
Nasa gilid ako banda nakaupo kasama ang parents ng iba pang high school students na nakaupo naman sa gitna. It's the first friday of their academic year at kung tama ako, ang speaker sa stage ay nagpapaliwanag tungkol sa rules and regulations, vision and mission of their school, at kung anu-ano pang nakapaloob sa kanilang handbook.
"So, sa violations naman..."
Actually, hindi naman ako nakikinig. Kaya hindi ko malaman kung anong saysay ng pagpunta ko rito. Maybe it's just the formality kaya andito ako.
Napatakip na lang ako sa aking bibig dahil sa aking paghikab. Unti-unti nang bumabagsak ang talukap ng mga mata ko. I straighten my posture and tried to stay awake. Pinipigilan ko ang antok pero sa huli, wala na rin akong nagawa. Kinain na ako ng dilim.
🍷🗼🍷
"Miss..."
Napamulat ako nang maramdaman kong gumagalaw ang pinapatungan ng ulo ko at may tumatapik nang mahina sa pisngi ko. I groaned. Inaantok pa talaga ako. Sino bang hindi kung kulang ka sa oras ng tulog?
Napakusot ako ng mata. I heard footsteps and chairs being moved making me frown.
Anong meron?
Until realized where I am at the moment. With shocked written all over my face, I straightened at my seat. Looking around, I saw people leaving the High School Auditorium where the program was held. My eyes looked at my side and saw a man beaming at me.
"Okay ka lang?" tanong niya.
"O-oo. Tapos na 'yung program, right?"
Hindi nakatakas sa paningin kong hinahawak-hawakan niya ang kaniyang balikat at parang minamasahe ito. Napakunot ang noo ko pagkatapos ay napaisip.
"Oo."
"Um, ako ba ang may kasalanan kung bakit...?" Itinuro ko ang balikat niya.
"Nah, ayos lang ako. Nangalay lang." Ngumiti siya ulit.
Napakagat ako sa ibabang labi ko. Gosh, Bree! Sumasandal ka sa taong ni hindi mo kilala!
"Sorry..." Napatingin ajo sa suot kong White shoes.
Tumawa siya. "Ayos nga lang." tumayo siya saka lumingon sa paligid na parang may hinahanap. "Mauna na ako, may ibibigay pa ako sa kapatid ko." Muli itong ngumiti sa huling pagkakataon bago umalis.
Sinundan ko siya sandali ng tingin bago tumayo at nag-ayos ang gusot ng suot kong blouse.
"Ate!" napatingin ako sa lalaking tumawag sa akin.
"Hi, little bro!" sabi ko saka ginulo ang kaniyang buhok. Agad naman siyang umiwas saka muling inayos ang kaniyang buhok. Saka ako tiningnan nang masama.
"Ate naman, e. Ginuglo mo 'yung buhok ko."
"Sus, arte! O, siya. Mauuna na ako. Umuwi ka na lang ng maaga mamaya."
"Sige po. Saan ka pala pupunta, ate?"
"Sa trabaho. Hindi naman na ako makatutulog sa bahay dahil anong oras na, o," sabi ko kahit na ang totoo ay kakagising ko lang. Tiningnan ko ang relo ko. Alas dose na pala.
"Okay. Bye, ate! Ingat!" sabi niya saka tumakbo sa grupo ng mga lalaki.
Lumabas ako ng Auditorium saka pumunta sa parking lot kung saan nakaparada ang kotse ko. Pagkasakay ay dumiretso na ako sa aking pinagtatrabahuan.
Pagkababa ko pa lang ay nakita ko nang tumatakbo sa direksyon ko si Thalia, kaibigan ko sa trabaho.
"Britany!" excitement can be seen at her face.
"Bakit? May problema ba?" I asked thinking if I've done something wrong.
She shrieked. "Isasama raw sa runway 'yung designs natin!"
Pagkarinig ng mabuting balita ay nakaramdam ako ng pagtalon ng aking puso at paguhit ng ngiti sa aking mga labi. "Talaga?!"
"Oo nga, tara!"
Palakad-takbo ang ginawa namin papunta sa aming working place. Doon ay naabutan ko ang aming boss na si Madam Silvia. She's examining some papers when our eyes met then she smile at me.
"Already heard the news, Ms. Madrigal? Thalia here seems so excited on telling you, isn't she?"
Nakita kong namula ang pisngi ni Thalia saka yumuko.
Ngumiti ako. "Salamat po, Madam Silvia!" I actually want to hug her but stopped myself from doing. This news seems surreal. It's as if I'm dreaming!
It wasn't really the first time that my designs will be in the runway, but it feels the same as the first. I think, it will always will. After all, I work hard for it. And I know my works are worth it.
"Don't be. Those kind of works should be there," with a smile, she leave.
Pagkaalis niya ay tumingin sa akin si Thalia. Nakangiti siyang tumingin sa akin saka lumapit nang nakadipa ang mga kamay, nag-aadyang yumakap.
"Ang galing natin!" sabi niya nang nakayakap sa akin at tumatalon-talon pa.
With that good news, we treat some of our co-designers for they will not stop bugging us until we do. Nagpaalam kami na pupunta sa malapit na mall at doon kumain. Pagkatapos ay pumasok kami sa loob ng isang fastfood.
"Bree, ikaw na lang maghanap ng upuan natin. Mamaya mo na lang daw bayaran 'yung kalahati," pagkasabi ni Pierr noon ay iniwan na ako nito. Tiningnan ko sila ng masama kahit na alam kong walang makakakita dahil busy sila sa pagtuturo ng mga order nila.
I sighed. Lumapit ako sa isang lalaking staff ng pinasukan naming fastfood.
"Um, excuse me..."
"Good afternoon, Ma'am! How may I help you?"
Sinabi ko sa kaniya na labing-dalawa kaming magkakasama at kung saan kami pwedeng umupo dahil nga marami-rami kami. May kinausap siya sandali at saka ako binalikan kasama ang isa pang lalaki. They set tables and chairs for us. And afterwards, I give my thanks and some tip.
I am waiting on my chair, eying every part of the fastfood restaurant's interior and looking at some outfits-looking for ideas- when a couple entered, my eyes focusing on them.
I bit my lip and suddenly become interested in anything inside my bag.
Oh, yeah... My phone.
I became busy scrolling, not really looking or reading any post at my Facebook feed. Yeah, scroll.
When I heard something being place on the table in front of me, I looked up.
"Ito na lang ang in-order ko sa 'yo, Bree, a?"
Sumilip ako sandali sa gilid ni Thalia at nakitang nakaharap sa akin 'yung lalaking pumasok kanina habang nakatalikod naman 'yung babaeng kasama niya.
"O-okay na 'yan."
Umupo 'yung iba naming katrabaho saka nagsimula nang kumain. Nagsimula na rin akong sumubo pero hindi ko maiwasang tingnan ang lalaki sa kabilang lamesa. After a few glance, Thalia seems to noticed and follow my gaze.
"Ayiee! Tinitingan niya si cush!" sabi niya kaya naman nagtinginan ang mga kasama namin sa akin saka sabay-sabay na tumingin sa malalapit na table. I blushed.
"Nako, sino d'yan ang papa mo, Bree?" maarteng tanong ni Eric, our gay friend.
Bago pa ako makapagsalita, tinuro na ito ni Thalia.
"O. M. G! Si Papa Landon 'yon, 'di ba? Anak ng may-ari nu'ng kumpanyang nasa East?"
I looked down. "Oo."
"In fairness! Win-win siya! Mayaman na, gwapo pa!" sabi naman ni Liza.
Sa tingin ko, isang dosenang pares ng mata ang nakatingin sa akin. Para akong nasa hot seat. At once na magsalita ako ng mali, may mangyayaring masama sa akin. And I hate the feeling. I don't want being intrigued. I don't want to discuss it. I don't want to talk about him and what I feel towards him. I need to get out of here. Fast.
Tapping trice on my phone, the Facebook Messenger's pop tone can be heard. They looked at me, obviously curious.
"Philip," I said. "He needs me. Gotta go."
Without a word, I stood up and race through the door, glancing once more at the couple. Abruptly, my eyes widen when I saw Landon looking and smiling at me.
Sa 'di malamang dahilan, naghahabol ako ng hininga pagkabalik ko sa kotse. Muntik-muntikan pa akong madapa habang nasa daan papuntang parking lot. Binuksan ko ang aircon at napatingin sa harap.
"Ano 'yon?" sabi ko sa sarili habang nakahawak sa aking dibdib. Tumitibok ito ng malakas na tila ba may kabayong tumatatakbo sa bawat pintig nito.
That's the first time I saw him smile... for me. I mean, I've seen him smiling but never that direct to me. Na nakatingin pa siya mismo sa akin.
I bit my lip. Damn my heart. It didn't stop racing.
I sit there. Staring into nothingness. Weighting myself. Thinking of different things specially why am I feeling this. When it start? How it happened? And why, Landon Parker, make me feel the feelings I've felt when I am with Jake, my ex boyfriend.
Well, I've known Landon because of our parents. Once there was an event where our parents force us to go and joined them in a party wherein all "Big" people in business world was invited with their sons and/or daughters. I'm so annoyed that day that I decided to sneak out while my parents are talking to the other businessman.
Pagkalabas sa venue ay pinuntahan ko ang sasakyan namin sa parking lot. Ngunit hindi ko pa nararating ang aming sasakyan, may grupo ng kalalakihan ang humarang sa akin. They look at me, come near me and start harassing me. They say things that makes every hair in my body stood. Then one of them held my wrist. I struggle hard but the guy's grip's strong. I was at the verge of crying when a guy came.
Pinagsusuntok niya 'yung mga lalaki habang ako, iyak na lang nang iyak. Hindi ko namalayang nakaupo na ako sa lapag at nakasandal malapit sa gulong ng isang kotse. Pinapanood ko 'yung lalaki hanggang sa magsitakbuhan 'yung mga humarang sa akin. I'm sobbing hard that it's harder to breathe. I only saw the man's silhouette waking towards me because my tears won't stop. Then it became blurred. The last thing I saw was an Eiffel Tower pendant of the man having a ginger hair.
After that, I woke up on a hospital bed. I heard the door creaked open showing my parents. Galit na galit sila nang malaman 'yung nangyari. Hindi lang sa mga lalaking humarang sa 'kin kung hindi pati na rin sa akin. Ba't daw kasi ako umalis. I wasn't really listening but I asked if they saw a redhead man. I want to show him my gratitude. Saying they do notice a guy with that hair color, I asked for his name and fortunately, they knew it. Well, it's not usual- the ginger hair color- so I was sure that it was him when I checked his Facebook account. Since that day, I think, somehow, I become Landon Parker's admirer. I hope I have the courage to thank him but I don't. I hope he don't leave too soon that day so I can give him my thanks.
Realizing what I truly feel, I drive home. I was about to enter my room when suddenly my phone rang. Looking at the screen, it flashed 'Mom'.
"Ma?" I answered.
"Britany, we need to talk."