The Past, We Await

Kabanata 2

Kabanata 2

When I was only nine years old, based on what I remember, I was very happy when I found out that the Zacarias were going to move near our house. Marami ang posibleng dahilan. Iyon ay para mas malapit na lang ang bahay namin ni Andrino sa kadahilanang magkaklase kami at pareho naming kailangan ang tulong ng isa’t isa.

Bukod pa roon, at that time, our fathers were building a new facility that they would both work on, different from their individual companies. Dahil sa ganoong paraan, mas mapapadali kaming lahat.

Sa mga katabing bahay din namin nakatira ang iilan sa mga pinsan ko kay Mommy. Mas dumami ang bahay sa amin kaya ginawa na lamang nila Daddy na residence at nilagyan ng malaking gate sa labas.

When Andrino didn’t live near our house, their driver would drop him off and pick him up every day so that we both could study, or play—depending on whether he wanted to go home even if there was nothing to do. And I’m the same with him. We always go back and forth to each other’s houses.

Kaya labis ang tuwa namin pareho nu’ng nalaman namin na bibili ng lote ang magulang niya malapit sa bahay namin. Kahit hindi pa namin gaano naiintindihan ang pinaguusapan ng mga matatanda noon, we know that the Zacarias couple have a plan to build a house in phase 1 where we live.

For the meantime, when Andrino’s parents are not in their house, he sleeps at our house. Palagi kaming magkatabi matulog. At hindi rin kami nakakatulog kapag hindi kami binabasahan ni Mommy ng kung ano-anong kwento.

Pero isang gabi, inabot ng madaling araw ang pag-uwi ni Mommy galing sa trabaho kaya naman hindi kami pareho makatulog. Not until he decided to read a book for me. Beauty and the Beast ang napili niya sa book shelves ko.

“There was once a very rich merchant who had three daughters; being a man of sense, he spared no cost for their education.” umupo siya sa gilid ko, nakahiga lamang ako habang naka-yakap sa iba’t ibang plushies ko.

At those times, I just stared at him while his eyes were on the thin book he was reading. I could barely listen to what he was talking about.

And that little girl was in awe of the boy in front of him for a moment. Hindi na maitatanggi, noon pa mang bata pa lang kami ni Andrino ay kapansin-pansin na ang kanyang mukha. Gwapo din kasi si Tito Leon nu’ng kabataan nito, idagdag pa ang mala artistang ganda ni Tita Rhyza.

He has enticing deep almond eyes, his long eyelashes are also noticeable. At his age of nine years old, his black eyebrows are quite thick. Iyon yata ang isa sa mga namana niya kay Tito Leon dahil kapansin-pansin din ang makapal nitong kilay. Bukod roon, matangos din ang ilong niya. Hindi pang-karaniwang tangos ng isang Filipino.

Mapula ang manipis niyang labi. Kapag ngumingiti siya, mayroong lumilitaw na maliit na dimple sa kanang bahagi ng pisngi niya.

Sakto lang ang kulay ng balat niya. Hindi siya ganoon kaputi, hindi rin siya ganoon ka-moreno. Iyon siguro ang isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit morena ang tipo niya sa babae.

Matangkad din siya pero may pagka-chubby siya, bagay na kinagigiliwan ko sa kanya noon dahil gustong-gusto ko kapag pinipisil ko ang pisngi o ang malaman niyang tiyan. And because I’m also tall, if my memory is not mistaken, my height reaches his ears.

Noon pa man talaga kapansin-pansin na ang kagwapuhan ni Andrino, pero mas tumindi iyon nu’ng nagsimula na kaming magkaroon ng kilala sa labas ng residence.

“Thereupon the prince sent for the merchant and his daughters, and he was married to Beauty, and they all lived happily ever after.”

I didn’t realize that he had finished reading, I didn’t fall asleep either. Ibinalik niya ang libro sa pinaglalagyan nito at tumabi sa akin. Tulad ko, tinakpan niya ang kalahati ng katawan niya ng makapal na kumot.