The 'Friendly' Date
MABILIS akong nagtype ng pangalan sa search engine. I only searched the word 'Rara', but the results came out continously. I settled down in bed, mulling what to read first among the thousand articles about that lovely actress. Aside from the articles, there are also pictures, videos and links to shop the magazine she covered.
"Let me see this first," I muttered and clicked the very first link about her awards and nominations.
Rara garnered three awards in Japan and the New York Asian Film Festival. The 29th Tokyo International Film Festival presented Rara with a Best Actress Award. She won a Rising Star Award and a Special Jury Award for Outstanding Performance at the New York Asian Film Festival in 2021.
Rara also won the Best Child Performer at the age of 10 in her lead role in indie films. Added to her awards are the PMPC Star Awards for TV German Moreno's Best Actress Award and Best Single Performance by an Actress award.
Shit! She has so many awards, and most of them are international awards. Huminga ako ng malalim at ibinaba na ang cellphone sa kama. Pero kaagad ko rin 'yon dinampot at mabilis na nagtipa ng mensahe sa babaeng laman ng isip ko ngayon.
To: Aphrodite
Hey, miss Rara!
I bit my bottom lip after sending that text. I named her contact Aphrodite because she looks like a goddess, literally. I looked at my phone, waiting for her reply, but there was still no reply after five minutes.
Nangati ang kamay ko, so I typed another text message for her.
To: Aphrodite
Hey, It's me, Dustin. I'm the guy who helped you earlier. I just want to make sure about our date tomorrow.
Fuck. Kanina pa ako naghihintay ng reply pero dumating na ang araw, wala pa rin. Maybe she's busy? Kung oo, bakit naman hindi ako mapakali?! Damn it, Dustin! Matulog kana lang!
Kinabukasan, nagising ako dahil sa sikat ng araw na tumatama sa mukha ko. I yawned before slowly getting up from the bed. When my eyes lay on the clock, I cursed because it was seventy-thirty in the morning!
"Shit! I still have class!" I hissed and jumped off from the bed.
Dumiretso kaagad ako sa walking closet at hinila ang towel ko, pagkatapos, pumasok na ako sa banyo para maligo at magtoothbrush. I went outside my bedroom wearing my uniform consisting of a summer white-collared polo with an aims collar pin and my name cloth on it, black necktie, white slacks, plain white undershirt, black socks, black naval shoes, white garrison belt, and of course, my shoulder board with two goldish stripes in it, indicating what year I am in.
Umuwi ako sa bahay namin sa Ayala Alabang kagabi. Mom texted me we were going to have dinner since Dad got home early from the senate office. Mabuti na lang talaga, I have an extra uniform here.
My pressing cap was in my hand since my hair was still wet. Nasa balikat ko naman ang bag ko. Hindi na ako nag-almusal at kumuha na lang ako basta ng mansanas na kakainin ko habang nagdadrive ako. Why did I wake up late again?
"Kuya! Did you shower yourself with perfume?" Duke asked when he saw me leaving the kitchen. Mukhang papasok na siya dahil nakasuot na rin siya ng uniform.
I arched a brow. "So?"
"Too much perfume can give people migraines, allergic reactions, it may also lead to a range of health problems including worse is a lung disease, and organ damage," aniya na animo doctor.
