Melting You Softly (Student Series #1)

Chapter 49

Chapter 49

"Asturias, Eleftheria Isra Q."

My heart thumped in excitement, and the smile on my lips went wide as I stepped onto the stage. I accepted my diploma and shook hands with the line of respected people on the stage before I went to the center front to take my quick bow.

"Anak ko 'yan!" I heard the loud, clear, and proud voice of my father. "Proud sugar daddy here!"

Humagalpak ako sa tawa kasabay ng ilang tawanan. My smile did not falter from my face even though the commencement exercise took hours.

College has been a rollercoaster ride. For the past four years, we were encouraged to be brave, confident, and resilient. Ilang beses madadapa pero patuloy lang na tatayo at muling maglalakad patungo sa daan ng pangarap.

Before, I lived by the four-word motto: due tomorrow, do tomorrow. Now it turns into: do it today because you might not have the chance to do it the next day. Life's too short to do important things late.

Pagkatapos ng seremonya ay nagpunta na kami sa kani-kanyang pamilya. Mama was smiling broadly while Papa was crying like he had just lost a child. Si Raghnall ay wala dahil may pasok pero ang sabi niya'y hahabol naman siya. Sabi ko naman ay kahit sa restaurant na lang namin siya dumiretso para sa celebration.

They gave me a bouquet of beautifully arranged flowers.

"Congratulations, Izzy! I'm so proud of you," ani Mama at niyakap ako nang mahigpit.

"Proud ako sa 'yo, 'nak," si Papa naman at nakisali sa yakapan habang umiiyak pa rin. "Tangina may graduate na talaga ako ng college. Akalain mo 'yon? Buti hindi ka na-delay? Puro ka delay sa mga ginagawa mo noon, e!"

Tinawanan lang namin siya ni Mama. He was always the emotional one during this kind of event. Pagkatapos ng iyakan at yakapan ay nag-picture na kami. I searched for my friends and apparently we were all searching for everyone of us so we could take pictures together. Siyempre, nag-picture din kami kasama ang iba naming kaklase at pamilya.

Graduate na ako. Graduate na kami.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as reality sank into me. I made it again. Hindi man naka-graduate ng may latin honor dahil nagkaroon ng tres at singko noon, nakapagmartsa naman ako. I've long accepted that those kinds of achievements are not meant for me. What's meant for me is to march onto the stage, get my diploma, and make my parents proud of me... for what I can achieve with my skills and knowledge.

"Babe!" someone shouted behind me while I was busy laughing and crying with my friends.

Pinunasan ko ang pisngi at pagkalingon ko pa lang sa likuran ay halos matumba na kami pareho ni Harley sa lakas ng impact ng yakap niya.

"Congrats, babe! Oh my gosh! I'm very proud of you!" Humiwalay siya sa akin at nilingon ang mga kaibigan ko. "Sa inyo rin! Great! Congrats sa inyo!"

"Thanks, babe," I told her with a grin.

Bumaling siya sa likod at natagpuan ko ang kanyang boyfriend na si Simeon, may dala-dalang mga bouquet ng bulaklak. Kung hindi lang matangkad ay baka natabunan na ang kanyang mukha.

Kinuha ni Harley ang nasa pinakaibabaw at iniabot iyon sa akin. Sunod ay isa-isa niyang ibinigay ang iba sa apat.

"One for you, one for her..."

"Taray! Daming pabulaklak ni Mayora!" Tumawa si Seth.

"Izzy..."

My eyes found the pair of eyes that always make me dissolve at a hundred-degree celsius whenever it comes into contact with mine. The looks I knew could never lie to me, but I could not trust them anymore. Natatakot ako na baka kapag nagsabi siya ng totoo, masasaktan lang ako.