All My Life

02

"Okay. Love you, mwa!" PAULINE bid goodbye. She heard a soundy kiss smack on the other line and a giggle before the line went off.

RAVEN went home to his apartment that day. Hindi niya na kayang bumiyahe ng dalawa hanggang tatlong oras ulit pabalik sa mga mama niya, and then travel tomorrow morning for Pauline's check up. That's why he decided to stay here for the night. If ever Pau would need him, he would be closer from where she is and he can come right away.

Gaya ng napag-usapan, hinatid sya ni Raven pauwi bago mag alas-siete.

Her parents were never strict with curfews. Maluwag ito sa kanya kahit na bunso, but Raven is an over thinker coming from a conservative household, lalo na at kuya rin siya, he never stayed in their house past 10pm. Hindi hahayaang ihahatid o susunduin si Pauline na hindi nagpapakita sa magulang o sa kuya nito at nagpapaalam, kahit na hindi na kailangan dahil nakapagsabi na ang nobya. Hinding-hindi rin na ihahatid si Pauline galing sa date lagpas alas nuebe.

That's what earned him the trust of Pau's family. He was respectful of them and never once did he fail to address them with all his courtesy.

That didn't stop the two of them with their activities, though. Kaya nga sila nabubuntis 'eh.

He stared at the room he spent his whole college life in. Him and Pauline were from the same village during high school.  When Raven had to move with his family to another city for his Ate Ria's job, he decided to stay back and go to the same university his girlfriend goes to.

Ang daming sinabi ng mama niya noon. Bakit sunod ka ng sunod kay Pauline? Bakit kailangang magkasama kayo sa school ni Pauline? Bakit hindi na lang siya ang bumukod at sumunod sa atin nang matuto siyang maging independent? Na-brainwash ka na ba ng girlfriend mo?

His mom has always nagged Pauline to the bone. She was protective of him and as a mother, she doesn't want her child away, but all that fuss pre-college was unreasonable. That's why he understands if Pauline doesn't want to meet his mom sometimes, or if she's scared to be part of his family. They had a huge fight about that but he still ended up getting his own apartment, and attending the same university as his girlfriend. 

It was a good and known school, and has a high passing rate sa board exam. The best part however, is that he gets to be with Pau most of the time. Hindi naman sa praning siya o wala siyang tiwala kay Pauline at sa taong kasama palagi ni Pauline- seloso lang siya talaga. Pauline is not hard to fall in love with too, magkausap pa nga lang sila ng matagal noong high school, gusto niya na agad itong halikan sa pisngi kasi ang cute niya kapag nagsasalita. 

His love for her is just overflowing. He can argue that he enrolled there because of their statistics or the school's image, but that's not true. He didn't even know about the school or their achievements before Pauline mentioned that it's the school she wanted to enroll into.

Humirit pa si Pau ng "Sana magkasama pa rin tayo sa college". Ano pang laban niya doon? Wala na. Nag-research na siya agad ng magagandang qualities ng eskuwelahan para payagan siyang bumukod ng mama niya.

Raven went to his small study table and sat there for a while. Pag humiga siya sa kama, makakatulog siya agad. He still has people to talk to- his sister, Ria, whom he ditched earlier that afternoon; Pauline, whom he has to remind about tomorrow; and his mom. 

There are books and papers around. Nagkalat din ang highlighters at ballpen niya. Nagulo siguro nung umuwi siya sa kanila at napabayaan nang ganoon dahil ngayon na lang siya ulit nagawi rito. He arranged it to keep some things off his mind for a while. He used that time to sort out his feelings and thoughts as well.