It's early in the morning. The sun is almost rising, and the land is still damp from the cold night that passed. I'm wearing a thick jacket to keep myself warm.
Papunta ako sa waiting shed para maghintay ng masasakyang jeep papunta sa university. I spend my two weeks academic break in my hometown where I did nothing but let myself relax and enjoy the idle life.
But now, I am back in reality and facing the life of being a college student, as usual.
Napangiti ako nang matanaw ko ang isang lalaki na naghihintay sa waiting shed. Mabilis ang bawat lakad ko, hindi ramdam ang dala kong mabigat na bag para lang makarating ako kaagad sa kan'ya.
Tila naramdaman niya ang presensya ko at lumingon siya sa gawi ko. Sumilay ang ngiti sa kan'yang labi at kumaway siya sa akin.
I smiled back. Pagkarating ko ay binati ko siya, "Good morning."
"Good morning," he greeted back.
Nilapag ko ang bag sa upuan na malapit sa akin at humarap sa kan'ya. "Are you usually this friendly?"
Napakunot-noo siya. "Yeah, why?"
I looked at him, teasingly. "I really thought you were a snob when we first met."
Lumingon ako sa daan, wala masyadong dumadaan na mga sasakyan kaya baka matatagalan pa kami bago makasakay ng jeep. Umupo ako malapit sa nilapagan ko ng bag.
Halata sa mukha ni Gian ang pagtataka kaya tumabi siya sa akin. Hindi pinansin ang bag niya na nasa kabilang upuan.
"Really?" he asked. Naamoy ko kaagad ang pabango niya nang makalapit siya sa akin.
"Hindi mo ako pinapansin noon," sagot ko.
Ngunit parang tunog nagtatampo ako sa kan'ya dahil lumawak ang ngiti niya sa narinig.
"I was shy," sabi niya habang diretso pa rin ang tingin niya sa akin. "When I first met you here, I remembered that you smiled at me. I was enchanted by your smile that it lingered in my mind for a long time."
Naramdaman ko ang pag-init ng pisngi ko. "You liked me since then?"
He nodded his head. "I was in denial that time. I kept telling myself that I like your smile, that's all. But when you talked to me before the oath-taking ceremony, that's when I finally accepted it."
Umiwas ako ng tingin. Ito ang unang beses na naririnig ko ito mula sa kan'ya, he's been courting me for more than six months, but we haven't talked about the past. Masyado kaming naging abala sa pag-aaral na wala kami masyadong oras para mag-usap nang ganito. Nagk-kwentuhan lang kami tungkol sa nangyari sa araw namin at minsan ay sinusurpresa niya ako ng pagkain, cute items like keychain, o bulaklak. But we never talked how all of these started.
I wasn't aware that we almost have the same experience.
"Alam mo bang may picture tayo noong oath-taking? I still have it," I said, trying to keep the conversation as light as possible. I don't want him to confess his feelings over again because I can feel my heart betraying me. Ang lapit lang niya at baka marinig niya ang pagwawala nito.
"Did we take a picture?" tanong niya, nagtataka. Napaisip siya sa narinig.
Umiling ako. "Stolen picture. Pinapasok ako si Julie noon sa event para gawin niya akong photographer. That time, tinutukso niya ako sayo kaya kinuha niya iyong picture noong malapit ka sa akin."
He looked amused. "No way. Did Kuya Phillip and Julie planned all of this?"
Ako na ngayon ang nagtataka. "Paano mo nasabi?"
BINABASA MO ANG
Marahuyo
Teen FictionHave you ever met someone for the first time and wondered if they'd become an important part of your life or they'd just passed by like a fleeting breeze? Arianne Valerio never thought of that when she met Gian Chavez at the waiting shed. Their firs...