08:
Every weekends ay roon ako pumunta sa bahay nila Zowen para mag study, I also got comfortable out there chatting with Lola Paging. At halos mga binibake ni Uncle Gardo ay dinadala ko sa bahay. It feels home when i’m with them.
“Mag ingat kayo ro’n ha?” Uncle Gardo said.
Napatawa agad ako at kinuha ’yong suklay sa gilid at inayos ang buhok ko. Uncle Gardo stared at Zowen. . . maybe got uncomfortable now that he saw Zowen with full make up on. Ako ang nag make up ni Zowen para pupunta sa debut ni Ezra and I think this is her first time!
“Tapos mag dala kayo nung na bake ko na cookies at ’yon ang i-regalo niyo. . .” Uncle Gardo trailed off. Napakamot siya sa kanyang batok at siguro nanibago sa mukha ni Zowen na ngayon ay hindi nagustuhan ang itsura niya.
“You’re so pretty kaya. . .” I said teasing her.
She immediately rolled her eyes. Ganito talaga mga maldita.
“Hindi ako sanay,” usal niya sa mahinang boses.
“Uncle Gardo. . . maganda kaya siya ’no?” tanong ko kay Uncle Gardo na nasa gilid na namin ngayon habang hawak ang dalawang tupperware — and it’s so cute that he even put a pink ribbon on the top of it!
“Sobrang ganda! Kahit ’yong anak ni Mercita ma-iinlove sa ’yo!” tawa ni Uncle Gardo.
Napatawa agad ako. She immediately replied with Uncle Gardo’s remark, “Ew. . .”
Binaba ko ’yong suklay at kinuha ko ’yong maliit na bag ko at tinignan ang cellphone ko na ngayon ay tumunog. I received our driver’s message that he’s going to fetch us now. I cleared my throat and showed my phone to Zowen, she just sighed and nod.
“Pa. . . alis na kami.” tumayo si Zowen sa upuan at inayos ang kanyang dress na solid A-line. Mama bought that for me but I insisted because I want to wear a white dress for tonight, kaya binigay ko kay Zowen ngayon.
“Wala bang picture taking d’yan?” Uncle Gardo laughed, “Para naman may memories. . .”
Napangiti agad ako. I urged Zowen to take a picture with his dad, pagkatapos no’n ay nag selfie kami at sinabihan nalang si Uncle Gardo na i-sesend ko kay Zowen para ma-tignan niya mamaya.
Zowen looks so nervous while we’re on the way to the venue. Sa mansion nila sa Butuan i-held ang debut ni Ezra. Mom was invited too but unfortunately she have some business to attend too that’s she can’t come tonight. Kinuha ko ’yong cellphone ko at lumingon kay Zowen ngayon na tumingin lang sa labas at kabado.
“Are you comfortable taking a picture with me?” tanong ko.
She immediately shifted her seat and looked at me with the same bored eyes that i’ve always seen, she immediately rolled her eyes and nod. It was like a non-verbal word for ‘duh’! I rolled my eyes too and opened my camera to take a picture.
Lumapit ako sakanya at inangat ang cellphone at nag peace sign, she just smiled at the camera and don’t bother to imitate me!
I glared at her, “Mag pose ka naman! H’wag puro smile!”
She hissed and ignored my request. Aba. Tinago ko nalang ang cellphone ko at hindi na nag abala na nilabas ’yon, she hates taking picture and now she’s pissed! I only took five pictures of us in the car, hindi naman siya umimik ulit dahil kabadong kabado na siya lalo na nung sumenyas na ’yong driver namin na malapit na kami.
“Reina! I miss you!”
Nung pagkababa talaga namin ay bumungad agad ’yong malakas na sigaw ni Maria at hinagkan agad ako. Napatawa agad ako, I rarely seen her this past few weeks maybe because it’s almost finals and she need to caught up with her grades. We’re all busy.
