Unrequited (GL) [HSS #4, Completed]

Chapter 36

"Happy birthday!" All of us greeted her.

Napailing pa ang birthday celebrant na si South nang magsabog ng confetti sa paligid namin. Para bang ito pa yata yung affected dahil ang daming kalat. But it's her birthday naman, she needs to enjoy and just worry about the mess later.

Everybody urged her to blow those bunch of candles sa malaking cake na handa para sa kanya ─ which she did. Everything is prepared in utmost simplicity and elegance pero yung cake, iba rin. Ang extravagant tingnan, parang iyon talaga yung pinaghandaan sa lahat. It was beautiful and the cake reminds me of her eyes, it's designed to be like an ocean, even the candles were arranged like it was waving, and yet the overall appearance of it spells classic.

Sabi ni North ayaw ni South na pinaghahanda siya sa kaarawan, pero ito ako ngayon sa gitna ng isang party. Ang lakas naman pala ni Jade doon sa masungit na blue eyed Hansen na iyon.

The celebration was very simple and intimate. Hindi ko kilala karamihan nang nandito, pero nabanggit nga ni North na puro close friends lang ang inimbitahan ng mga magkakapatid while I was the only one informed about this, aside siyempre kay Jade.

Minsan nakakainggit talaga si Jade dahil dito siya nakatira tapos kami ni North, nakakapagkita lang when we're both free like kung weekends. Nag-uusap naman kami either chat or calls pero it's nearly not enough. I often miss her.

The ambiance was really comforting. There's lights everywhere, nice music, cool wind and the calm sky laced with few stars. Ang sarap din ng lahat ng pagkain na si North mismo ang nag-prepare habang tumulong naman daw ang kambal sa desserts. But of course, the halo-halo was made by no other than my girlfriend.

"Yes! Pahinging cake!"

"Mamaya na."

"Eh!"

"You okay?"

Bumalik ang tingin ko sa kanya. She's so pretty as always, she never failed to make me stop breathing for a while with my heart drumming so loud as if it wanted to get out just to get close to her, too. "Ayos lang ako. Aren't you tired? Ang dami mo ring ginawa, eh."

"I'm fine ─" Natigilan siya nang mapansin niyang nawala ang ngiti ni East na kanina lang ay nagh-hyper at tumuon ang atensyon sa may gate. Pati tuloy ako ay napalingon. "Dad..."

Tiningnan ko yung lalaking iyon na nasa gate na may bitbit na sanggol. May katabi rin itong dalawang babae ─ ang isa ay hindi nalalayo sa edad niya habang yung isang babae naman na may katangkaran ay mukhag kasing-edad lang ni South, she also has a pair of blue eyes.

Siya yung daddy ni North? The one she almost would never mentioned sa tuwing nagkukuwentuhan kami? Wala akong alam sa ama niya. I just recently learned lang din that the Hansen are really wealthy, even their mother. Kahit hindi iyon nakikita sa mga magkakapatid sa sobrang simple nila sa buhay. Kung hindi ko pa ni-research ay talagang maiiwan ako sa dilim.

Si Jade lang noon ang alam namin na galing sa prominenteng pamilya, the rest of my friends are of middle class families. Although wala lang naman din talaga ang status namin, hindi rin naman kami ang may kaya sa buhay kung hindi ang mga magulang namin. Kaya si Jade talaga madalas sinasabi niyang wala siyang pera, or tagtipid siya. Because it's true, she's earning on her own and has no plans of actually inheriting their businesses. I think ganoon din si North.

Pinanood kong lumapit si South sa ama nito habang hila-hila si Jade. Inabot naman ng lalaki ang dalang sanggol sa babae na tingin ko ay baka asawa nito. I saw how South embraced his father like she really missed him.

Bigla kong naalala si Tatay, ilang taon na rin akong hindi nakakadalaw. Nasa province kasi sila at doon na naisipan mag-settle, even my siblings decided na mamalagi na lang din doon. May business din kasi ang pamilya ko roon.