On the graduation day. Anabel was watching how elegant Johnny while marching and receiving his medals as the valedictorian of his batch. Anabel also excited for the picture taking so she and Johnny will a photo together.
While Johnny is the valedictorian on his batch, on the other hand Anabel has the lowest average on her batch. Her parents, Sally and Vincent didn't attend anymore because she didn't get a medal.
She was looking on Johnny while marching with his mother and remunerate his excellent awards.
After the giving awards and closing program message, taking pictures was now open. Anabel smiled as Johnny surround his eyes in the crowd. She knew he is the one he is looking for, even if it is still unknown. She come close.
"Congratulations!! Oh for you" She handed the rose along with her present in a small wrapped gift.
Johnny seem surprise since she just appeared out of nowhere but he mask it by smile "thank you."
There are some changed attitude that Johnny showing to Anabel. He smiles at her and only occasionally uses his shrill voice. She is so happy with the change but she is happier if Johnny's change behavior is pure and not forced. What if his just doing that to deviate his way of disappointing her so she would stop bothering him?
If that theory of he is right. Anabel will prove that her adoration is not that shallow.
"Let's take a picture" Johnny suggest. "Brother! Take us a photo." He called to his older cousin, Jowel, who was holding the camera.
Anabel put her arms around Johnny with a big smile as the camera clicked. She felt him stiffen when she also squeezed his arm... Concur a touch too! Her mind laughing. One more click happened before brother Jowel showed their photo.
"Wow.. We are really a thing, Johnny.." She clasp her hands stupidly as she saw the photo of them both smiling.. Anabel is satisfied at the photo.
"Who said that is stupid" Johnny furrowed his eyes.
The next photo was their last shot. She laughed cutely because he was looking at her hand that was on his waist instead of the camera, while she was gazing at the camera smiling widely.
Johnny is now annoyed. "What are you laughing at?"
"You.. It looks like you're please on my arm around you, you're looking at my hand, oh." She point out, teasing him.
"Hand that to me, I'll delete that photo" His brows meeting. Johnny's was about to snatch the camera from her when Anabel quickly run to kuya(1) Jowel and gave him the camera.
"Kuya, don't let him erase our photo.." She even stuck her tounge at Johnny before rushing to go home, it's a good thing to revert home, Anabel didn't want to upset Johnny more since it was his graduation.. She didn't know that there's a smile playing on Johnny's lips as he watch her run to Home.
When she arrived at their home, Anabel rolled on her bed, she screamed until the door of her bedroom opened. Anabel stopped and gaze at her the door, Sally was looking at her as if she's gone crazy..
"What happened to you, dear? why are you screaming, I thought you were being raped.." Sally dry her bubbled hands on her skirt.
"Mom, I'm thrilled, because the one I was giving a rose to looks like reciprocated my feeling already. And the best thing is we took a picture together!" She saith happily then she continued rolling back and forth..
"Who is that, dear? You didn't mentioned him to us, when you begin to act like you are the guy between the two of you.."
"He's .." She was still doubting if she will tell her mother or not but in the end he decided to just say it. "He is Johnny Agbayani"
Her Mother's eyes widened. "Jesus! Is that the gay, son of the hotel owner here in our municipality?" Johnny is known in their town because apart from being the hotel owner's son, he is also eye catching handsome gay. She just learn that a month after she started to approach him.
She nodded. "Yes. He is.."
"Jesus!! That's why you're the one giving and giving a flowers because you fall on a gay!. Anabel dear, there are many straight in this world let alone in our town , don't choose someone whose eyes are on his akin." Her mother advice with emotional face.
"Mother! He's still-" Sally slapped her mouth. But she still continue "He's still a man, it is just a matter of time and he will give me his sweet Yes as a sign that he love me too!.." Anabel argued.
"But he's softer than you, dear. And he likes straight men.." Her mother insisted.
"Mom, the important thing is that he can get me pregnant..'" She say nonchalantly.
"Annabel!!" Sally was scandalized by her daughter's vulgar words. Her eyes widened and she screamed before slapping Anabel's mouth again. "Don't speak vulgarly.!"
"I'm sorry but I'll get him impregnate me if I have no choice."
"But not now, it will take a long time." She added quickly because her mom was about to smack her in the mouth again.
The next day she dress into her new clothes and go out. She will go to Johnny's house in the other barangay.
She bid goodbye to her parents before heading to the waiting area of the passenger car. She was already riding a tricycle when an idea of buying a motorcycle pop up in her head because it would be easy to visit Johnny if she had her own service. "Ah I will tell this to father."
She dismount when she reached the two-story house, that is own by the Agbayani family. It was bigger, wider, and taller than a normal house. Anabel went to press the doorbell, soon someone opened the big gate. She must be a maid because she was still holding a broom and ofcourse Johnny is an only son.
She greeted him before asking.
"Is Johnny there, please give this to him and can you please tell him to see me?." She handed the flower..
"I'm sorry, miss, the whole family isn't here,they're on vacation. They traveled last night. They will return when the school start again."
Her shoulders dropped as she turned back. I wish I had made the most of it yesterday.
"Worst day ever!" Frustrated, she mess up her hair..
She just went home in bad mood. When she got home, Anabel found her parents just sitting and talking seriously. She heard them talking about her so she eavesdrop.
"Oh Vincent, that youngest of ours can't wait and she's the one doing the moves?" Her mother complained.
"Sally, it's not bad for a woman to court as long as she knows her limits."
"But she is not wooing a man!" Sally said grumpily.
"What do you mean?" Her father, Vincent, sat up straight.
"Jesus, Vincent! Didn't you even ask her? She picks roses in your flower Garden every day weekdays!. The guy she's wooing is gay!" Her mother is hysterical "And I only found out yesterday,"
His father held his own head. After a while he spoke. "Maybe it is not a bad thing. Maybe it is better so our daughter doesn't get hurt. Maybe it won't be long before she realize that she doesn't like-"
Anabel didn't let her father finish and went inside.
"Hello! I'm back..." She sat down next to Vincent. "Dad, I would like to ask you a favor for something, can you plant a rose in the backyard? My favorite one? You know, my plants doesn't survive. Don't worry, just plant them and I'll take care the rest." She hopes her father will agree. Her father does have a green hand, anything he plant, it will live healthy. It is opposite to Anabel everything she plant die so she ask her father to plant a flower in the backyard so she won't be often at the flower garden.
"What else do you want, dear?" Her adorely patted her head.
"Mmm. Can you buy me big bike?"
"And why is that? Why big bike?"
"Uh, I wanted to ride a big bike Papa." She wanted to tell that she wants a big bike so she could visit Johnny anytime she like. But she have second thought, Vincent might not like the idea.
She kiss them goodbye and enter her room, she lie down her sadness. She opened the window and fixing the curtain when she heard the neighbor, the mother and daughter who always fighting like they are foreigners. The two are in the yard. The daughter is dressed in pink and hug her curves, off shoulder and above the knee and her makeup are rubbed well . She's beautiful Anabel give her that. The Mother is dressed but the make-up is so thick. Her day suddenly ruin she felt like screaming..
"Mommy why don't you understand me?!" The daughter screamed.
"There's no way Margaret, your too young to have a boyfriend! break up with him now!!" The Mother shouted back..
"But mommy I love him. We love each other and I'm seventeen now.!" Margaret argued.
Anabel irritations are severe every second she's hearing the Mother and daughter shouts, including the shrill voices of the quarreling and her disappointment because she missed Johnny. She looked out the window.
"STOP YOU TWO!! You always argue about boyfriend!!! Daughter just fuck your boyfriend and run away with him! And you Mother slap your daughter once! " She shouted her lungs out.
The two were stunned when someone interject and shout at them. They snapped there head together at Anabel direction.
"What!!? "Anabel shouted at the surprise face of the two. She closed the window loudly. The bedroom door opened just in time. Her Father and Mother came in.
"What was the shout we heard?" Sally asked worriedly.
"Nothing, Mother, father. I only yelled at our annoying neighbor.." She answer lazily.
"Why did you yell?" Vincent
"Because they were shouting, I was annoyed and interjected. Look, they have stopped.." She said referring to the quiet environment.
Her father sigh. "Come help me plant Roses." Vincent turn away. "That needs to be finished before dinner. The grass in the yard is already thick come help to remove those grasses.."
"And your siblings will be visiting today, hurry up and help me cook Anabel.." His MOTHER.
Her eyes widen. Since the two older siblings of hers start a family, they rarely visit. Ate(2) Neneng is the eldest of the three and kuya Balung is her only brother, her dage.
When dinner came, he forgot his sadness because their house was already noisy. His brother has children. They are naughty, they are the ones who make noise in their quiet life.
*Elder brother
*Elder sister