Seeking Serendipity

Kabanata 09

Kabanata 09

Poem

Friday morning came. I already made up for myself. I'm sitting at the kitchen counter with a bowl of cereal. Ngayong araw kami bibili ni Laurence ng mga appliances para sa camp.

The doorbell rang. I went to the door and immediately open it. There I saw Laurence with a big grin stretched across his face. Beside him is a pretty small girl holding tight with her pink teddy bear. And I figured that she's Laurence's sister.

"Pasok muna kayo." mahinahong saad ko.

Pinaupo ko naman sila sa salas. Napansin kong nahihiyang umupo ang batang babae. I think my brother is two years older than to this girl.

"Aleng, nandiyan ba si tita Loreit?" he asked.

"Yes, why?" I curiously asked.

"May pinasasabi si mama sa kaniya."

I nodded. "Okay. I'll call her. Pero nagmeryenda na ba kayo?"

"Oy si Aleng..." he chuckled. "Siyempre naman,"

I nodded once again and head up into the kitchen. I saw mom is busy preparing to our snacks.

"Ma, may sasabihin daw po si Laurence sa iyo." sambit ko.

Mama looked at me with a smile. "Okay."

We walked together back to the living room. Ang kapatid naman ni Laurence ay nakasimangot habang nakatingin ito sa kaniya. At konting-konti nalang ay mukhang iiyak na ito.

"Hi tita." bati niya.

Mama smiled wider. "Hello. Anong sasabihin mo for me?" she said as she touch the cheek of the girl.

Tumango naman siya. "Opo. Uh tita, if you don't mind puwede bang dito muna si Sheena pansamantala habang mamimili kami ng mga gamit ni Ale--Lauren," he chuckled. "May lakad kasi si mama at walang magbabantay sa kapatid ko." nahihiyang tugon niya.

"Aba'y of course, no problem." nakangising sagot ni mama.

Ngumiti naman si Laurence. "Naku, salamat po talaga tita Loreit."

"Ano kaba, and I think Sheena isn't going to be bored dito kasi my son and her will play some toys." she paused. "Edhyle! Sheena is here!" tawag niya sa kapatid ko.

Galing sa pagkakasimangot na mukha sa kapatid ni Laurence ay bigla itong lumiwanag nang nakita ang kapatid ko na buhat-buhat ang lagayan ng mga laruan niya. She even waved her hand to my brother and smiled. Mukhang magkakakilala na sila, sadyang outdated lang talaga ako.

Laurence faltered a smile to them. Tumingin siya sakin. "Tara na." saad niya.

Lumapit naman ako ni mama at nagpaalam na. Nagbigay naman siya ng pera at yung iginawa niyang snacks.

I took a glance to Laurence. In his black v-neck t-shirt, black short, and white sneakers, he looked so full with authority and arrogance. When in fact, it's opposite to his true personality.

Naglakad kami patungo sa bilihan ng arts materials na malapit lang sa plaza. We buy different types of brushes and paints according to the list given to us when we enrolled. We also buy some easels and canvas. Hindi na kami bumili ng clean rags dahil marami naman sa bahay. Turpentine, pencil, drawing pads, painting cloth, and erasers were choosen by him. Hinayaan ko lang siyang mamili don since we have the same taste.

"Okay na ba tuh?" tanong niya habang
seryosong nakatingin sa pinamili namin.

"Nandiyan naman siguro ang lahat. May bibilhin ka pa ba?" I asked.

"Ikaw," sambit niya.

"Huh?" I confusely asked.

He chuckled. "Ikaw ano pang bibilhin mo?"

Natawa naman ako. "Ah, wala na." I answered.

Ngumiti naman siya. Naglakad siya dala-dala ang mga pinamili namin. I insist to help him but he refused.

We're walking back to the plaza. Umupo kami sa iniupuan namin dati. Nothing changed. It still the plaza I used to go before. The whirling wind from the north made my hair explode. Naaamoy ko rin lalo ang bango niya dahil doon. Sinikop ko ang buhok at bahagyang itinali.

We wander around the plaza. Napansin kong masayang pinagmasdan ni Laurence ang mga tao at mga aso't pusa na naglalaro dito. There are some ice cream vendors giving ice cream to some adorable kids. May iilang bata rin na bumibili ng mga lobo.

"This is good. They're living happily and contented." mahinang saad ni Laurence na siyang ikinalilingon ko sa kaniya.

"You don't know who are actually living happily and contented among them. May iba diyan na hindi totoong masaya at nakukulangan, they were dead inside, physically happy but mentally dead." pagkokontra ko.

Because I belong to some people who are not actually living. I am just existing.

"And I'm happy," he said with a big smile.

"Happy for what?"

"For you," sagot pa niya.

My brows furrowed for his incomplete phrase. "Spill it."

"You're slowly changing, you can now vibe, smile, and share your thoughts without being hesitant and cagey. Ibang-iba sa Aleng na nakilala ko nong una. You're like an empty can, but just like a can you are able to do a bunch of noise." he answered with satisfaction.

I looked at him with a mark by ease. Hindi ko kayang matingnan ng diritso ang mga mata niya. Kaya itinuon ko nalang ang buo kong atensyon pabalik sa mga tao.

Am I really changing?

Do I shared too much for these past few days up to now?

I'm unconsciously opening up because I don't want him to think that I'm weird. Day by day, I became comfortable around him. He's weird, that's fact. But a kind of weird that can give you light to stand up and recolor again your life.

"Umuwi na nga lang tayo!" iritado kong sambit sabay tayo.

Narinig ko namang tumawa siya ng mahina. "Okay Aleng,"

Naglakad kami pabalik sa condominium namin. Si Laurence na rin ang nagdala sa lahat ng mga kagamitan namin at idinala sa condo nila. Pupunta lang ako mamaya don para kunin ang mga pinamili ko.

Bubuksan ko na sana ang pintuan nang biglang hinawakan ni Laurence ang kamay ko at may ibinigay na papel. Ibinuklat ko naman ito. It's a piece of poem.

Never let the darkness,

Fade your inner light,

Just burn a bit more bright,

And shine like the stars at night.

Magpapasalamat sana ako pero nang binalikan ko na siya ng tingin ay wala na siya. Nakapasok na siguro sa condo nila. I smiled.