Fireworks Display

 

Ramdam mo sa bigat ng hangin.

Sa mga bulaklak na biglaang naglilitawan sa mga kalye.

Sa mga sari-saring tsokolateng nakapaharap at naka-promo sa mga suking tindahan.

Sa mga cut out ng inaccurately represented na mga puso na nakadikit sa mga pader kung saan-saan.

Sa mga bumebentang mga bagay-bagay na random na nalalagyan ng “I love you”.

It’s that time of the year again. For lovers, it is the time to celebrate love. For single people, it is the time to be hopeful to find someone someday. For businessmen, it is the time to sell sweetness at a reasonable price. But for recent dumpees like me, it is nothing but pure horrible hell.

Valentine’s Day.

Hindi ko sinasadya, pero for some reason, naisip ko na naman si Vic.

Vic, that sweet ass mofo who broke my heart.

I met him Valentines last year at a friend’s party. I was right there sitting alone and drinking my beer, contemplating on going home early, nung bigla siyang lumapit sa akin at kinausap ako. He was everything I imagined my ideal man to be. Good-looking, smart, funny. I’m really not much for holding up conversations, but with him it felt just right. We talked the whole night, and before I went home, he asked for my number. And everything started off from there.

Nag-date kami ng ilang buwan. Every day I marvelled at how perfect he was. The way he looks at me like I’m the only person he sees in the world. The way my heart skips a beat when he holds my hand. The way his lips feel soft upon my lips. Vic was a dream. He was my first love, my first kiss, my first everything. It was like a fairytale.

I should have known fairytales are not true.

By December, nakita ko siya sa SM na may kahawak kamay na ibang babae. I was with my friend Markie that time, and he tried to hide Vic from me pero nakita ko rin lang. Kumakain sila sa Chowking. Sinusubuan pa siya nung babae.  He was holding her hand. He was kissing her.

                                                                                                                                 

Gusto ko siyang sugurin pero hindi ako makagalaw. I wanted him to look outside and see me. I wanted him to run to me and explain. Pero nanatili siyang nakatutok dun sa girl.

After a few minutes of just standing there, tahimik akong binulungan ni Markie, “Fria, tara na.”

Nang papalakad na kami pauwi, I managed to send Vic a text.

u bastard. it’s over.

And I spent the remaining year trying avoiding him in the hallways.