Mistakes We Can't Laugh About (Loser #2)

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

I'm growing used to dedicating chapters to people whose kindness and support mean a lot to me. And now, I want to dedicate this chapter to Sean Kurt, who was trying to get into college with a BS Psychology program after being inspired by DOS and this novel. Good luck on your journey, future mental health practitioner! See you sa field!

***

Mabilis naming naproseso ang mga kailangang dokumento. Mrs. Dela Paz was kind enough to shoulder our plane tickets. May nahanap na rin kaming apartment na malapit sa PAI. It was pricey, but it was the cheapest apartment we had seen online.

Dahil maganda ang transcript of records namin ni Leon ay magtatrabaho kami bilang psychometricians doon. We'll validate psychological research tests and questionnaires. Isa sa mga pinagpopokusan ng PAI ang research kaya may kataasan ang salary grade namin.

"Are you scared?" tanong ni Leon habang hinihintay namin na tawagin ang flight namin.

Umiling ako. "I'm excited."

"Me, too," he said. "My only concern is how we'll manage our time. Baka wala ka na namang maging pahinga."

I pursed my lips. "Para namang bago sa 'tin ang pagiging working student."

He breathed. "Still . . ."

Ngumiti lang ako. Dahil Lunes hanggang Biyernes ang trabaho namin, tuwing Sabado at Linggo lang kami makakapag-aral. We'll work while studying for a Master of Arts in Psychology at an international school there. Kaunting units lang ang kukunin namin dahil baka hindi namin mabalanse ang oras.

I knew it would be difficult, but I taught myself that the road to success has always been narrow. Walang instant na pagyaman. Even those who won the lottery must have sat tight for years before their numbers were drawn. At sa mga napagdaanan ko, napakalaking oportunidad na nito sa akin.

I went from being a child who wanted a chocolate drink but couldn't afford it, a child who longed for her parents, and a child who thought that makeup could conceal her sadness, to becoming a woman who was now creating her own mark in the industry she had chosen to work in.

Nang tawagin ang flight namin ay napabuga ako ng hangin.

I'll walk down yet another narrow road, but I'm glad I have someone to hold my hand along the way.

"Leon, sigurado ka na ba sa 'kin?" I asked while we were snuggling in our bed on our first night together.

Maliit lang ang apartment namin. It only has one small bedroom with a double-size bed, a small bathroom, and a small kitchen. Ang pabilog na mesa ay parang isang tao lang din ang puwedeng makakain.

"Oo naman," sagot niya. "Years . . . and you're still the one I can see my future with."

I breathed deeply as I pressed my cheeks on his chest, erasing the picture of our apartment in my head for a while.

"Pero hindi ako madaling mahalin, 'di ba?" bulong ko. "You've known me for years. Nakita mo kung paano ako magalit . . . kung paano ako pangunahan ng emosyon ko. You've seen all the best and worst parts of me. Baka may mga araw na masigawan kita at hindi agad ako makakahingi ng sorry kasi hindi ko agad makikita na mali pala ako."

I gulped as I clenched on his shirt. The words of my parents haunt me even if I am miles away from them.

"I'll need a lot of patience and understanding, Leon," I added. "Baka maubos kita. Baka makampante akong nand'yan ka lang lagi para sa 'kin. Baka dumating ang araw na mapagod ka."

Just thinking about it makes me feel sick to my stomach.

"Sinusubukan ko, Leon. I'm trying very . . . very hard." Humigpit ang yakap niya sa akin nang mabasag ang boses ko. "I wake up every day telling myself that I should be better because you don't deserve a broken me."