Summer Vacation

10

"It's already late. Why are you still here?"

I turned my head to the owner of the voice. Oh. It's him.

"Hairo," I said his name. "I thought you're already asleep."

He tilted his head and sat next to me. Umusog naman ako ng kaunti. Tinignan lang ako nito at nagkibit-balikat.

"Yeah. Well, sort of," he replied with a shrug. "Nagising lang ako nang lumabas ka."

I nodded my head. "Oh. I see," I simply said and looked at the constellation I was looking at earlier.

Then my wish at the constellation knocked on my mind like someone knocking on our house's door. I wish I can have the moment with him . . . Hairo.

Tumingin ako sa lalaking katabi ko. Nakatingin din siya sa kung saan ako nakatingin. Bago pa niyang mahuli na nakatingin ako sa kaniya, binalik ko ang tingin sa taas at ngumiti ng palihim.

Did the constellation grant my wish? If that so,.. I'm glad.

"You didn't answer my question earlier," he spoke to break the silence between us.

I cleared my throat and answered: "Uh, that. Can't sleep," I shrugged. "Ikaw? Bakit ka nandito?"

"Just because," he answered dismissively.

"Eh?"

He chuckled while I pouted. Silence engulfed us again. We're just both staring at the constellation.. maybe, battling with our own thoughts, or maybe thinking about something dear to us? I don't know.

What matters for me... is this. Just the two of us, engulfed by silence, under the stars.

Minutes of silence, Hairo cleared his throat and asked.

"Do you mind if I ask you if you have a boyfriend or ex?" He asked with such awkwardness.

I let out a soft laugh. "Nope. I don't mind," sagot ko. "The answer is none. I had none. With my guy cousins, how am I able to have a boyfriend?" I answered with a laugh.

I had a lot of guy cousins and most of them are protective of us.. the girls. Lalong lalo na si kuya Zure. He's the eldest, that's why. And I'm their baby. All of them are protective of me. Naalala ko pa noon, may gustong manligaw sa akin na kaklase ko. Ate Zurie, Juri's older sister, was against of it. Well, all of them are. Ate confronted my classmate at piningot ang tainga niya. For what reason? Well, ate Zurie said and I quote: “Ang bata mo pa ngang siraulo ka, manliligaw ka na sa pinsan ko?! May alam ka na ba sa panliligaw?!”

My classmate, which is Kevin by the way, cried because of what ate Zurie did to him. Tawa naman ako ng tawa kay Kevin noon. Dahil tama nga naman si ate, ang bata pa namin noon. Imagine, we were just grade six that time! And he asked if he can court me. Ayon tuloy, napingot. Pero doon nagsimula ang friendship naming dalawa ni Kevin. At ngayon, we're kind of inseparable.

"Oh, right." He said. "But you have a lot of admirers and suitors, do you not?"

I chuckled. "Ewan ko, noh. Pero baka marami naman, di natin sure." Pabirong sabi ko sa kaniya.

He chuckled. "I'm sure you have," he insisted. "I've witnessed Zach being stressed because of one of your suitors."

I tilted my head and turned to him. "Yeah? And when was that?" I asked.

"College. Fourth year," he answered.

Napaisip naman ako. Kanino ba na stress noon si kuya? Hmm..