Piece by Piece

Chapter 11

"But I think we both knew, even then, that what we had was something even more rare, and even more meaningful. I was going to be his friend and was going to show him possibilities." —David Levithan

11

"Akala ko ba fashion designer ka bakit di ka marunong mag paint!" Pangaasar ni Karylle kay Vice.

Kasalukuyan silang nasa loob ng kwarto sa Arts and Novels kung saan nagpapaint si Karylle ng mga itinitinda niya. Yes, she finally allowed Vice to go inside, he was so amazed by the beauty of all her paintings. Madami pa dito ang mga tinatago niya at ayaw pa ring itinda.

"Pasalamat ka maganda ka! Fashion stylist ako, di ako fashion designer. My gosh, di alam ang difference!" Maarteng sagot ni Vice at kunwari'y iniikot ikot pa ang mga mata nito.

Sa inis ay mariing hinampas ni Karylle ang paint brush na hawak niya kay Vice causing it to stain his pants. Halos lumuwa ang mga mata ni bakla nang makita ito.

"OH MY GOSH KARYLLE! These are so expensive! Huhu ang bad mo!" Kunwaring naiinis na sabi nito habang sinusubukang alisin ang mantsa sa pantalon.

"Arte! Akala ko ba fashion stylist ka? Uso kaya yan ngayon!" Tinignan siya ng masama ni Vice.

"Ah talaga ba?" Sabi ni Vice sabay pahid ng paint sa suot na acid washed pants ni Karylle.

"Oh my gosh!" Sigaw ni Karylle at akmang babawi pa sana kaya lang hinawakan na ni Vice ang mga kamay niya. They were laughing so loud that you can actually hear them outside the room.

Pasimpleng napangiti si Daniel nang marinig niya ang masasayang tawa ng kaniyang Ate Karylle. It has been so long since.

"Tama na! Tama na! Kwits na! Nakabawi ka na o!" Sabi ni Vice. Sabay pakita ng panibagong stain sa kaniyang pantalon. "Dali na kasi, just teach me how to paint!" Sabi ni Vice.

"How do you know what to paint?"  Biglang seryosong tanong ni Vice.

"Emotions. What you feel the moment you are painting."

"Eto anong emotion mo dito?" Turo ni Vice sa isang painting niya. It was her painting of a woman's silhouette as if she was slowly fading into butterflies.

"What do you think?"

"Takot. Sadness. Pain." Biglang sagot ni Vice. "Ang lungkot ng paintings mo, girl. Depressing." Sabi niya nang mapadako ang mga mata niya sa iba pang paintings ni Karylle.

"Kaya nga mabenta eh." Sagot ni Karylle.

"Pain sells. People are so infatuated with the idea of pain. Painful ballads, painful novels, painful movies... Even painful paintings. Gustong gusto nila yan." She added.

"All because nobody is spared by pain. That's the miserable reality of life. It's part of our purpose." Sagot ni Vice.

"Alin? Ang masaktan? Grabeng purpose naman yan." Sagot ni K.

"Hindi, how that pain renews us and turns us into a much better individual, yun, yun ang purpose of pain and to learn from it is our purpose." Sabi ni Vice, hanggang sa dumako ang mga mata niya sa isang painting, it was so familiar, as if he already saw it before. And then he remembered.