13twick

[13twick]

Spring

If a person would ask me what were my fondest childhood memories, I’d say it was with her.

April of 2005,I was 9 at that time, my parents decided to let me study again in Manila. I know it would be quite challenging for me since I’d have to study Chinese again after a 2 year hiatus. I was just about to get closer with my friends back in the province, then poof... good bye friends for 2 years. My mom also told me that I’d be in 4th grade in English and 2nd grade during Chinse so I’d be with younger kids. I really had a tough time with the move again since, first i had to say good bye to my new friends and second i was not sure whether my old friends back in Manila would still recognize me because I honestly had a darker skin and an accent.

So when we got back in Manila, my mom took me to my old tutor who taught me ever since I started schooling. I was quite delighted when I saw her because I honestly missed her so much. So there we were, at the tutor house. There were about 2 dozen of kids tutoring under her. She hugged me tightly and asked me about my stay in Pangasinan, then proceeded to refresh my knowledge in basic Chinese.

After quite some time, a little girl with 2 pony tails on both sides entered the tutor house with her little sister and their yaya. I was honestly a bit curious who this girl was. She looked so cute and angelic. Imagine me, at a very young age already appreciating God’s wonderful creation haha. I think it is safe to say I had a “crush on first sight”. I swear, the first time i saw that little girl, my heart skipped a beat. I had crushes before, cuz you know medyo maaga ako lumandi, but when I saw this girl, kahit bata pa ako nun, I said I’d marry this girl someday.

She went to our tutor and hugged her. I think my tutor saw that I was looking at the girl, so she called me up to introduce the little girl to me. She said her name was Rica and told me the girl would possibly be my classmate in Chinese classes since she was in 2nd grade. I said hi, introduced myself, and reached for a handshake. She said hello and turned away from me and walked to her seat. I was wondering why she would not even bother to shake my hand. Bitch.. didn’t... even.... bother. It was as if I was not even worth her time. What a bitch right? hahaha. At this point, our tutor was teasing us why wont we talk to each other. She even said the one thing I’d always remember from her and it was “Oy, bakit ba kayo ganyan? Malay mo magkatuluyan kayo hehehe”. I think I answered back “Hindi ah! Ewww, pangit pangit kaya niya parang si Marimar”, I thought I’d get her attention when I said that, but nooooppppeeee, not even a single look. biiiaattchhhh.... And from that moment, I promised myself I’d annoy this girl as long as i live!

Fast forward to June, it was our first day of classes. I saw my old friends from kinder garden and grade 1. Reminisced some memories with them, had a few good laughs, and enjoyed the rest of the morning. During lunch time, we’d go back to the tutoring house and take our lunches there and prepare for afternoon Chinese classes. After taking our meals, my old pal Richie and I went straight for school. However, he was on a different floor since the 4th graders were separated from the 2nd graders. When i entered my Chinese classroom, cute 2nd graders were running around, playing, and talking with each other. I picked a seat and played with my awesome Yu-Gi-Oh pencil case, the one with secret doors and compartments. After quite some time... I noticed a girl entering the classroom. and it was none other thannnn.....RICA! To be honest, I had mixed feelings about this one. I was happy since I can finally execute my plan to annoy her as long as I breathe but i was irked at the thought of having a classmate who did not even bother to shaked hands with me. Bitch was about to get creamed.

To start my awesome plan, I went to her seat and asked the most annoying questions I could think of, like “May pencil ka ba?”, “Anong araw ngayon?”, “Kilala mo ba ung teacher natin?”, “Sino ung mga classmates natin?”. Hahaha annoying as fuck.

Imagine, every day I try to annoy her. Every. Single. Fucking. Day. My day would not be complete pag di siya naiinis. I know, I’m the worst kid/classmate ever. My plan would not stop at school, since we were tutormates so hangang tutor ung pangungulit ko. 

There were times she’d get so pissed she won’t look at me for a single day, but I swear there was this one time she almost cried. Wala eh, I could not help it, sabi nila di ba pag crush mo inaaway mo? hahaha.

After quite some time, siguro sumuko na rin. Narealize niya na that the only thing to stop me from annoying her was to talk to me. So there, we started talking. We actually became good friends. It was at this point, na i was certain na crushie ko nga talaga siya.

There was this time we were seated annex to each other. She was like across from my seat. I did not know what I was thinking, pero I wrote a note on a paper and gave it to her. The note said, “May crush ka na ba?”. I think she was confused because she gave me a weird look. After a couple of minutes, she wrote back and asked a classmate to pass it to me. I opened the note and below my question was “Wala pa”. When I read that, I was cheering deep inside. I was so happy kase naisip ko wow may chance na ako. O diba very landi at a young age? Sorry parents. So ayun, hindi ko nanaman alam ano naisip ko and i wrote back, “Pwede bang ako na lang?”. Panis. Confident at 9 years old. Pak. I really did not know where I took the guts to even ask that. Siguro at that time, I did not expect her to even reply. Pero wow, I would not forget what she wrote there. When the note came back to me, it said “Hindi ko pa iniisip yan eh, pero tignan natin pag 2nd year HS na”. Wow, I have a chance but I have to wait for a long time pa pala. Having mixed emotions again, because yes i do have a chance, but yun nga lang i have to wait pa. But hey, look on the bright side, ang nainterpret ko dun is may chance ako, meaning.... She likes me too!

We continued exchanging notes ever since that day. I’d write the cheesiest lines a 9 year-old could think of. I swear, I feel like Shakespeare possessed me to write those amazing lines. (Confession time: there were times when I’d borrow my classmates’s pencil cases, because some cases had love quotes on them. So I’d write those quotes on a paper and give them to Rica.) She loved them all and thought I was eloquent. hehe. However, sad part about this one. I could not share this to anyone since we both made a pact not to tell it to any body. I think she just did not want to associate with me because I have a reputation of being “malandi”. (Okay, hindi ako proud of being malandi at a young age ha! It’s not my fault napagkakamalan ung friendliness ko sa girls of being flirty. Inggit lang sila.) So ayun, we had to keep it a secret.

Everything was going great. Until one day....

She told me di na niya ako crush...

Awtsu bes... Di ko kinaya. I asked her why and biglaan. She told me because somebody told her na I have another crush. So ano un? Two-timing cheater ako at age 9? Huwaw. I tried explaining myself but she would not even bother again. I think we were at the library. Di ko nanaman alam ano naisip ko, at bigla akong kumanta ng “Ulan” by Cueshe. Dinedicate ko un sa kanya and left.

Aba, my very first heart break. Kahit bata pa lang ako nun, it was so painful. Ang saya saya na kase ng lahat, then booom. Iniwan. After nun, sinabi ko sa sarili ko, okay back to annoying her. hahahahaha, I told myself ‘Sa huli ako ang magwawagi! Matitikman niyaaa ang bataass ng alipiiinn!!”

I’d have the last laugh. Walang nangiiwan kay David Sim. Siya ung nangiiwan (huwaw, pogi). I promised myself I’d make sure mafeel nya ung sakit na naramdaman ko that time. Sinabi ko pa sa sarili ko kahit anong mangyari, kahit kunin pa ni Lord ung favorite Power Rangers Wild Force Megazord ko, hinding hindi ko siya mapapatawad and mamahalin...

or so I thought....

[13twick]

Chances

Hindi lahat ng tao nabibigyan ng second chance, minsan nga diba no chance at all. Kaya ba gustong gusto ng mga tao ung movie na “One More Chance” kase at least dun nagkaroon nga isa pang chance, isa pang pagkakataon to fight, to risk, and to change what was inevitable. Kaso kahit gaano mo pa planuhin o kontrolin ang mga bagay, di talaga lahat masusunod sa kung paano mo inenvision ito. Kahit ilang beses mo pa inisip kung paano mangyayari ang mga bagay bagay at kahit ilang contingency plans pa ang ginawa mo, di talaga nakakasigurado na mangyayari ang kagustuhan mo. Minsan mapapaisip ka na lang kung saan ka ba nagkamali o nagkulang sa pagplaplano, pero at the end of the day wala na rin talagang magagawa kung hindi tanggapin ang mga pangyayari. Maraming nagsasabi na kaya mong palitan ang destiny mo, sipag at tyaga lang ang kailangan at tamang pagpili ng desisyon at magbabago ang kapalaran mo. Ngunit minsan iniisip ko, kahit mapalitan ko ang nakatadhana sakin, hindi ba destiny pa rin tawag dun? Gago ang labo, pati ako naulol dun sa sinabi ko. Bottom line is madalas mapapa-what if ka na lang sa mga desisyon na ginawa mo, and i guess that makes us human? Nothing wrong with living within your fantasies, just make sure na kaya mong lumabas at magpakatotoo. Mahirap talaga sumugal sa mga desisyon, kaya nga diba wala naman actually yumaman sa sugal.

 “Oi Devin, asan ka na ba? Baka mamaya humaba na ung pila sa enrollment, may date pa ako mamaya.”

 “Eto na tol, OTW na Sta. Mesa na. First time ko kaya mag LRT. Oo nga pala Jaster, nadala mo ba ung TOR natin?”

 “Shet! Kailangan na ba un?? Di bale, next week na natin dalhin.”

 “Ay, cge cge. Text na lang kita pag entrance na ako.”

 Nagmamadali si Devin na sumakay ng LRT, ung OTW niya kase patoothbrush pa lang siya non. Medyo natagalan siya magayos kase mukang napuyat siya kagabi kakaisip ano mangyayari ngayong araw. Big day to para sa kanya. Bagong school, bagong friends, bagong opportunity, at bago ring love life? Sympre bagong school un panigurado maraming chicka babes. Kinikilig si Devin kakaisip sa mga bagong girlies na dadating sa buhay niya. Sa bagong school na to, pwde niyang kase baguhin ang image niya. Susubukan niyang magpakaclassy gentleman, kase un daw ang gusto ng mga girls ngayon kaso naisip niya masmabuti pa rin ang magpakatotoo ang hope for the best. Pagdating ni Devin sa entrance ng kanilang school, tinext na niya si Jaster upang sabay na sila makapagenroll.

 “Tol, here na me sa entrance, where na u?”

“Dito sa may room, 20A, dito daw pipila para sa mga subjects na ieencode. Dalian mo may chicks. In fairness baka matypan mo. Mukang this is the one.”

“Ikaw talaga, alam mo naman di pa ako nakakamove on dun sa ex ko. Pero sige, maganda ba? Hihi.”

“Oo naman pre! Pipili ba kita ng di mo magugustuhan?”

 Napaisip si Devin, kung ano kaya itsura nung babae, Chinita ba? Morena? Sexy ba o cutiepie? Matangkad ba o short? Pero short girls are cute naman daw so okay na. O baka naman ginagago lang siya ni Jaster at sinabi lang un para bilisan niyang umakyat? Napakamot na lang ng ulo si Devin at sinabing, basta hindi maarte okay na. Iniisip niya kung chance na niya kaya to. Di naman masamang mangarap. Habang paagkyat siya, ito ang kanyang iniisip. Napapangiti pa si gago kakaisip kung ano kaya itsura ng babaeng sinasabing the one ni Jaster. Sa kakaisip niya, muntik na siya sumudsod at may nabangga siyang babae.

 “Ay ate, sorry po.” patawang pag pasabi ni Devin

“Okay lang po, sorry din” ngumiti lang si ate, at nagmamadaling tumakbo rin.

 Pagtingala ni Devin, di siya makapaniwala sa nakikita niya. Nasa school pa ba siya o nasa langit na. Ano ba sakripisyo ang ginawa niya at biniyayain siya ni Lord ng magandang view na yun. Sabi ni Devin sa sarili niya, kung ganito ang  itsura ng mga babae sa school na un. Most probably maganda nga talaga ung sinasabing girl ni Jaster.

 “Sino kaya un?” tanong niya sa sarili. “Chicks amputa, ang ganda. Shet! baka destiny hihi”

Pagpasok ni Devin sa loob ng room na iyon, pinuntahan na niya si Jaster. Nakipagkamay ito at nagtanong.

 “O asan na ung sinasabi mo?”

“Lumabas kanina eh, may kinuha lang. Pero mamaya na yun, patulong muna tayo pano magenroll. Ayun o, dun sa nka T-shirt ng “Ask me”

“Cge cge, lapitan mo.”

 Tumayo si Jaster sa kinauupuan niya at nilapitan si ate girl na tagabantay. Ito naman ay sinundan ni Devin dala dala ang kanilang mga papeles.

 “Ate, pano po ba ung encode? Pwede po bang patulong. Bago lang po kase kami dito.”

 “Hi, bago ang lahat, ako nga pla si Jaya, at ako ang iyong Enrollment Aide. Una muna is dito sa room na to, pili kayo ng subjects to encode tapos tsaka na kayo magbabayad sa Accounting Office….”

Habang nageexplain si Jaya kung ano ang dapat gawin nila Devin, di niya mapigilan isipin sino kaya ung babaeng nabangga niya. Freshmen din kaya un tulad nila? Baka naman Faculty pala lagot. Di niya matanggal sa isip niya ung certain smile nung ateng iyon. Understatement siguro ang masterpiece ni Leonardo da Vinci na Mona Lisa sa ngiti nung babaeng yon. Tapos parang kumikinang ilaw ng mga tala sa mapayapang gabi ung mata niya. There’s something about this girl na di niya matanggal sa isipan niya. 

Love at first sight ba peg nito? Gaano ka lakas ung aura nung babae para magkagusto agad si Devin sa kanya. Nagayuma ba siya sa pabango? Sino nga ba iyun at sana single pa siya. Ito’y siguro mga one fourth pa lamang ng mga tanong ni Devin sa kanyang sarili tungkol sa mysteryosong babaeng un. Nagdasal pa ito na sana makita pa niya ang babae o kaya makausap ito ng masmaayos.

 “…. tapos punta kayo ng cashier para naman dun bayaran ung tuition.”

“Ay ganun pala Jaya, salamat ah! Kaso baka naman pwede mo kaming samahan ni Devin, nakakaligaw kase dito sa school.”

“Ay mukang malabo Jaster, kailangan kase ng tao dito sa room, pero teka, asan na ba yung babaeng un…”

“Sinong babae?” pahabol na tanong ni Jaster

“Meron kase kaming aide specially for freshmen, para naman di kayo mahirapan sa pageenroll, wait lang ah subukan kong tawagan.” sagot naman ni Jaya

“Hello! Asan ka na ba? May mga freshmen dito sa room, punta ka dito samahan mo naman sila around.”

Habang kausap ni Jaya ang freshmen aide sa cellphone, abala naman sina Devin at Jaster sa pagaayos ng kanilang schedule.

“Ano bang section mo?” tanong ni Jaster kay Devin

“1PSA ata, ikaw ba?” 

“ako 2MKA, kaya ba PS kase Political Science?”

“Oo ata, ang weird naman ng section names. Parang pasa(bruise) eh hahahaha.”

“Gago corny mo.”

 “Aba sorry naman. Oi Jaster bakit ang tagal nung sinsabi mong babae, pero toooool may nakita din ako kaninang girl. Shet, basically lahat ng katangian na gusto ko sa babae meron na sa kanya.”

 “Taena mo, in love ka nanaman. Bilis mo talaga mainlove.” Sabay suntok sa braso ni Devin

“Aray! Bakit kasalanan na ba magmahal ngayon? Di ba pwedeng gusto ko lang mahalin ung mga beautiful creations ni God? Hahaha.”

Habang naguusap si Devin at Jaster, biglang sumigaw ni Jaya, napatingin si Jaster ngunit si Devin ay abala sa pagtetext.”

 “GGGIIIIRRRRLLLLL!!! Bakit ang tagal moooooo, kanina pa sila nagiintay dito. Nakuha mo na ba food natin?”

 “Sorry sorry ate Jaya, mahaba kase ung pila sa canteen.”

“So Jaster and Devin, ito nga pala si………….”

Pagtingin ni Jaster, dali dali niyang kinalabit si Devin at binulungan niya ito.

“tool, siya ung sinasabi ko sayo!”

“Asan?” tanong ni Devin ngunit abala parin sa kanyang cellphone

“Ayun oh”

 Dahan-dahan tumingala si Devin

…...

…..

…..

…..

 “totoo ba to?” tanong niya sa sarili….

“nananaginip ba ako?” tanong pa rin niya sa sarili

 Napapikit ito ay nagdasal

 “Okay Lord….”

“maraming salamat sa blessing na binigay mo sakin.”

“Di ko inakala bilis mo naman magreply”

“Mahal na mahal talaga kita, kahit anong hilingin mo sakin bibigay ko sayo. “

“Tenkyu so mats! I love you!”

 “…………...Athena Valdez nga pla, freshmen aide at your service!” ;)

END OF PART 1 

[13twick]

Greetings!

I made still page to be an outlet of my thoughts and fantasies. Stories that I will post are quite similar to what i am facing now in real life. These stories help me sleep at night and they also keep me sane from this pandemonium.

Thank you for visiting this page. Criticisms are greatly appreciated. God bless! :)