#sariwa

[marinavshifrin]

Shrimp and Tofu Lumpiang Sariwa

[linkedin-offficial]

hymnheart birds, better known as "hymns", or "travel mount" birds, are a genus of bird derivative from todays common flocking birds of sky (doves), and the less common nightbirds.

during the days of prosperity, these birds were bred to be large and capable of carrying many passengers, as skypeople flight was not a common form of travel. similarly, it wasnt uncommon to find a smaller version of these birds (usually bred by hand, and not by known breeders), meant for single person travel, that was also often used in racing. these lesser travel mounts are known to have sparked the use of mantas for racing and speedy travel, as mantas were faster and smaller, and functionally better for the same uses.

in modern day, these birds are considered to be extinct. after great technological advantages like flying boats becoming mainstream, and soon after the modernization of 'caped' flight, hymns numbers had begun to dwindle due to simply no longer needing them for their main purpose. unlike hymn travel however, manta riding remained persistent as a practice, as the species was abundant, and did not need skypeople aid to continue to breed.

few individuals, like those of the nester families, continued to breed these birds, but eventually discontinued the practice as it became laborious and took too much time.

[viovio]

man I haven't eaten anything today and none of the food here is scratching my itch

[ukuraichu]

(also happy lesbian visibility week TO: lucky domingo, nini salazar-roberts, isabela madrigal, nejire hado, mango rowan sariwa AND ofc myself. im awesomesauce.)

happy lesbian visibility week to them

[opal-owl-flight]

can I ask about the poster "agent 3" kids story?

Yes you can and here it all is!! Presenting…

tldr: She comes from a family of big name actors in the industry, and shes been raised from hatching to continue their legacy. Its…a lot of pressure to put on a kid, especially one who just wants to make her (impossible to satisfy) family proud. Despite being surrounded by impossible standards, the fakest friends chosen for her, being given everything she can ever want (except what she really needs), and putting on a hundred masks for everyone in her life for survival’s sake in a cutthroat industry, she chooses to be kind.

more details under the cut!!

Her name is Sariwa, which means “fresh” . Named for her spring green tentacles and as a blessing from her parents that shed stay youthful, beautiful. a hope that she would be seen and be adored (as freshness implies coolness/popularity in sploonworld).

Shes hatched into the acting industry, with both parents being big in the industry. From hatching she was expected, trained to be an actor like her mother is. The media adores them, this “sweet little family”, but no one knows how nefarious everything is when the cameras are off.

The dad is neglectful, disappearing into meetings most of the time. The mom is a helicopter parent to make up for it. Pointing out every flaw that Sariwa apparently has in either performance or appearance. Never giving praise. Except when she performs “well enough” on stage. This instills in the child this need to make them proud. to…to make everyone happy. She becomes someone whose dependent on other peoples’ praise to function.

Shes given everything else, dont get me wrong. Every material thing she’ll ever need. all the big popular “friends” chosen for her. But…shes not allowed to turf. yknow. biggest event in an inkling’s life here in Inkopolis. and shes not allowed to go to school either. shes too busy memorizing lines for adverts or-

The second she turned 14, she was chosen as the lead role for Cuttlegear’s brand new show abt Agent 3. She looked exactly like the legendary hero, according to the sources. All her time went into this project. Thankfully, unlike at home…her co-actors were very kind. Her parents didnt choose for her this time. She was meeting actual people who dont put on masks beyond their job. the actor they got for Cuttlefish, in particular, is a very kind soul, defending her when the directors get too pissy with her performance. (Those are the only people she fears, tbh shes fearful of most authority figures.)

*Cuttlefish is also depicted as kind and supportive in the show. and in most games. Unlike the real Cuttlefish, which is kind of a loony old man who pushes ideas on young inklings. He still gives more support and kindness that 3s dad ever gave, but thats only RELATIVE to how little he gave in the first place. One can only imagine the longing this inspires in the real 3.

Sariwa…since shes hatched shes had to put on an act. Be the perfect little doll for her parents. For the world. But her friends here, they inspired her to…have fun with what shes doing again. To take off the mask (mostly beyond the clock). Breathe life in the character when she can. (But lets be real…shes getting 3 spot on with how many parallels they have with each others lives.)

But what is she beyond the mask, her role? She wasnt allowed to do anything beyond this. She was forced to depend on her abusive parents and their associates. She cant live alone beyond them. Not allowed to turf bc shes “a prim and proper young lady; above such violent drivel that only delinquents participate in”. They gesture to 3, whos one of the faces Squidforce uses in their promotions, and say (ironically.) that she must not become that. Face ripped to shreds and eye mangled.

No one knows they got that from the real war that Sariwa is pretending to show.

The show does its best to be an accurate telling. Child friendly, to a point. Horrifying things still get kept in somewhat. Things that will horrify a child on stage.

If Sariwa is terrified of the props, can you imagine how it was for 3?

————————

And once she realizes all of this. Once she gets out of this situation thanks to Callie, Marie, and 3 themself. Does she feel guilt? Guilt for depicting the horrors in a way that glorifies it instead? A part of a project that aims to make people complacent to the real horrors that churned below?

There is one thing Sariwa feels about 3, that I am aware of rn.

“Im glad, that out of every story I couldve told, Im glad it was yours.”

Just like 8, she sung this tale in her hearts. Just like 8, she used this to break out of this terrible situation, answering the call of the ones who promised her safety. A better life. Like the way she stage broke through that prop in the choreographed Octavio fight, she broke through the influence of those around her.

*She actually went off-script a bit in that scene. After she beat down Octavio, she held out her hand. Mostly to help the actor up. But then, without realizing, she spoke, she spoke of making things better between the nations. That maybe he doesnt have to steal the zapfish anymore.

Her time with the octoling actors, and hearing the stories from the ex-octarians, made her aware and know the fact that theyre people too. The directors kept it in. They knew that if they released this as they have planned it, there will be fuckign riots from the ex-octarians or the Inkling “sympathizers”.

She saw the value this story held, despite the subliminal messaging that she wished wasnt implemented. That she wished she wasnt a part of. She saw that its a tale of hope. A tale that inspires one to become the hero of their own life. A tale that inspires one to make the world a better place.

————————

So she was hatched and raised to make people smile, singing her songs and dancing their dances. Much like the clan singer that was 4, except the tradition is much more healthy compared to industry standard. And she didnt become as mean as the people around her, at least not internally. She put on a mean mask but she felt the void within. When she was given kindness for a long enough time, she put her walls down.

And just like the real 3, she underwent through the horrors of expectations she had to hold up, and trying to make uninterested parents proud. They dont see her as their daughter, shes just a means to an end. She had to wear a hundred masks to survive and it made her lose her sense of identity. She had to be mature, she had to take the shitty behavior of adults who expect her to be like one too. It made her lose grip of who she is beyond this role. Hell, they made her so dependent on their handouts that shes not sure she can exist beyond this hell. Much like how 3 struggles to know a life beyond their duty.

And much like 8, she used the story she was telling to break out and get herself in a better situation. She met with the real Agents 1 and 2 (without her knowledge) and asked. Begged. for help, after her show ended. (3 also kind of pointed the two in her direction. Bc cod knows how horrifying this industry is. Shes lucky she didnt get any of the grosser horrors ~~its bc I didnt feel comfortable writing such topics~~)

And then shes faced with the same problem all the real legends faced. What comes after the end? When the dust clears, what happens next? She wasnt given a damn choice, she wasnt allowed to try to learn things beyond this role. to be beyond an imagined agent 3. a soldier for the screen. who is she now, that shes out of that battlefield?

little does she realize that the real 3s asking the same question for themself.

[mufos-photo-album]

Fluffy baby bird saga (Ilaw and Sariwa sourced from @linkedin-offficial)

[hypocrisssy]

"Hindi pa pala ako handang bitiwan ang nakaraan. Nandito pa rin ang ating mga pinagsamahan. At pakiramdam ko ay matatagalan pa bago kita tuluyang makalimutan. Dahil sariwa pa ang lahat; parang kahapon lang tayo nagmahalan, parang kahapon lang tayo nagkakilala. Mahal ko pa rin ang ating mga alaala. Mahal pa rin kita."

- mga salita ni Angelika Aquino

[kairiscorner]

Hiii idk if ur asks are open but 42!Miles x Filo reader pls 🙏🏼

HI PO !! omg, ykw, i was thinking of this, BUT OK ANON CONSIDER IT DONE >:))

miles 42 x filipino reader

i kinda have this feeling that if you get this boy smitten with you, he's at your every beck and call :> like just hit him up with a text or a call (i think he prefers call cuz he wants to hear your voice all the time) and if you'd ask him to go with you to the ukay-ukay to buy a ton of clothes or to come with him to run some errands, BOY HE'S NOT WASTING ANOTHER SECOND, HE'S ON HIS WAY

and he does not follow filipino time ok, when he says he'll be there at one time, he'll be there at that time. if he says he's otw, he's otw (or there alr actually) and you'd probably be like, "akala ko otw ka palang?" ("i thought you said you were just otw"?) and he'd respond with a slight smirk and tell you, "mahal, i follow morales time, not filipino time. if i say i'm otw, nandito na ako (i'm alr here)."

OH AND WHEN HE LEARNS TAGALOG, HE SPEAKS TAGLISH MORE OFTEN AROUND YOU. it's not just to impress you or tell you how much he appreciates you and your culture, but it's also for him to learn more about you and your roots because he genuinely finds it interesting :>>

ngl, he also struggles with the tenses. like sometimes he'll go like: "wdym it's 'naglalakad' and not 'lumalakad'? 'nagtatago'? but 'tumatago' sounds right though..."

you chuckle a little when he messes up sometimes, and he doesn't get mad, it makes him laugh, too :> he's very open to learning more about you and your culture, ESPECIALLY HOW TO TELL YOU HE LOVES YOU IN MORE THAN ONE WAY<3333

being raised by the rizz master uncle aaron himself, he'd know a lot of ways on how to say he loves you without it being a simple "i love you" in english or spanish, and he'd def try that in tagalog and/or in your local dialect!

he found out about the different ways to say "i love you" in filipino dialects, so even if it isn't your dialect, he'd experiment and say them around you a lot just to let you know he loves you without it ever getting old <:)

he calls you: "mahal", "mahal ko", "pangga", "aking sinta", "iniirog ko", AND ON RARE OCCASIONS "beh".

i headcanon that, like miguel, he's very extra with how he tells you he loves you, but in a more lowkey way. like he's more concise in telling you how he loves you, but makes it so heavy.

"handa akong mamatay para sayo, mahal," "ikaw ang tanging minamahal ko," "hayaan mo na ako nang aalaga sayo panghabang-buhay", "wag ka nang mag-alala, ako nang bahala sayo, mahal," "palagi ka nandito sa puso ko, palagi kitang napapanaginipan." (ang cute ng tsikiting ko oh)

OH AND YOUR PARENTS??? JESUS, HE'D BE SO FREAKING RESPECTFUL I CAN'T. like you'd've told him about the mano po culture and saying "po" and "opo", and like noir, HE FOLLOWS IT TO A TEE.

he calls your parents "tito" and "tita", and though he doesn't show too much emotion in greeting them unlike his counterpart, he flashes them a chill smile, which... kinda led them to think he was way older than you LMAO

they fr ask if he was 15, because they have never met any other 15 year old boy like him who respects his own mother and uncle, is willing to learn your native language to understand you and your parents, never fails to do the "mano po" and say "po" and "opo" AND OFFERS TO DO THINGS FOR YOU????? man they're asking him alr if he's planning on marrying you in a few years fr

oh, and i think his favorite dishes would be adobo (pork and chicken adobo !!!!!!!) and lumpia (be it the fried or sariwa ones) >:) IDK I JUST LIKE IMAGINING HIM EATING THE LUMPIA YOU MAKE AND HE'D SMILE AT YOU WITH STUFFED CHEEKS AND TELL YOU, "ansharap mahal"

a/n: I WANTED TO ADD THE COURTING HEADCANONS BUT I MIGHT MAKE THAT SEPARATELY HUHUHU BUT ANYWAY ENJOY THIS ANON <333

[cirquedepacchan]

Kayong natuyan na, sa kapapasakit ng dakilang hangad sa batis ng dibdib, muling pabalungin, tunay na pagibig kusang ibulalas sa Bayang piniit. Kayong nalagasan ng bunga’t bulaklak, kahuy na sariwa, na nilanta’t sukat ng balabalaki’t makapal na hirap muling manariwa’t sa Baya'y lumiyag. —stanzas from Pag-Ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa by Andres Bonifacio

1/3 Bonifacio Day tribute, 1/3 belated International Day of Solidarity for the Palestinian People tribute, 1/3 HWS Philippines as an unapologetic leftist as my biggest “f*ck you, be radical and free” to the fandom. Also debuting a new hashtag I created for BIPOC Hetalia characters.

[ To elaborate where I stand. ]

[princedennis]

Sulyap ng kalikasan

Hanging sariwa, Halaman ay sumasayaw, Dagat ay tahimik.

reflection: This haiku paints a serene picture of nature's elements, reminding us of the peace found in its gentle rhythm.

[jopetkasi]

the dyowa is undergoing work-related problems, and although he won't go into the nitty gritty details, i know it's big and it's causing him sleepless nights.

the day i arrived from the shopping trip, I went to see him under the pretense that I wantred to eat out mabuti naman he was game and we had dinner.

now, he is someone who would never ask me for things. even with his parents, he would never solicit because all his life, he worked for the things he wanted.

"mahal naman dito" argues the guy.

"order anything. we have money"

"walang budget meal dito"

i called the attendant and ordered crispy pata, kare-kare, lumpiang sariwa and tinapa rice.

"hindi mahal dito, trust me" and even if it's expensive, I do not mind splurging on the people I love the most. because taking care of them is my skillset and my greatest joy.

so we had a quiet dinner despite the engulfing noise with the restaurant. there were two birthday celebrations, couples on post-valentine dates and me, catering to him.

after dinner, we went to our friend's coffee shop for drinks, a small business we always support. Settled for a night cap, Paeng made me a cocktail, an off the menu treat, while the dyowa had iced coffee.

Paeng and Tina are family to us. we our college friends, worked in the same company before, belonged to the same bike group and have been each other's support.

"kwento mo sa amin yung problem mo" asked Tina as we all sat to listen to what the dyowa has to say. and narrate he did and we listened without judging, not even an unsolicited advise was uttered except a few suggestions on how to go about this situation.

a little before midnight, feeling tired, we decided to go home.

"nandito lang kami ha, support mo kami" assures Paeng as we walked to our vehicles. the dyowa was happy because the morale boost that he was looking for in his blood family, he found in us, strangers he met that became his other family.

i tapped his window and when he lowered the pane, I reminded that we (him and I) are on this together. I caressed his cheeks and kissed him goodnight as we both parted ways, home.

[linkedin-offficial]

we've seen grown-up Bata and baby Bata, what would baby Ilaw look like?

thank you so much for the inquiry!!

i already drew what he would look like in this post and this post, but those are outdated because of his old design. so heres updated art for ya!

truly the avian equivalent of a dirty kid with leaves in their hair (its feathers instead of leaves)

[roselyn30]

Maldives, Malita Davao Occidental

Noong nagpunta ako sa Maldives sa Malita, Davao Occidental, isang tahimik na lugar na agad ko nang minahal. Ang puting buhangin at asul na dagat ay tumambad sa aking mga mata, at napaka-relaxing ng pakiramdam ko habang tinatanaw ang malinis na tubig. Ang lugar ay perpekto para sa mga gustong makalayo sa ingay ng siyudad at magpahinga sa tabi ng dagat. Habang naglalakad ako sa baybayin, nakita ko ang mga makukulay na isda at mga coral reef na talagang nakakabilib. Ang dagat dito ay puno ng buhay, kaya’t sinubukan ko ring mag-snorkeling at nag-enjoy ako sa ilalim ng tubig. Bukod sa tanawin, ang hangin ay malamig at sariwa, kaya’t bawat sandali ay puno ng kapayapaan. Ang mga cottages at kainan sa paligid ay nagbigay saya sa aking pagbisita. Magiliw ang mga tao at pakiramdam ko ay tila kabilang ako sa lugar na ito. Sa kabuuan, ang Maldives, Malita ay isang perpektong lugar para sa mga gustong magpahinga at makapag-reflect sa kalikasan, kasama ang mga mahal sa buhay.

Jeffrex Gamban

@refinaej03

[sessayyys-corner]

SINIGANG NA HIPON VALUES

Sinigang na hipon has always been my go-to comfort food.

Out of all the Filipino dishes there are in the world, it has been my ultimate favorite, especially if my grandfather is the one cooking it.

Wowo, as I always endearingly called him since childhood, would cook it for me when I would request it, or to reward me for doing well in my academics, or simply because he just feels like it. I love sinigang na hipon terribly to the point where I’ve already grown accustomed to its sight, aroma, and taste. Yet, despite my usual consumption of it, I still feel so much excitement and anticipation as if it was my first time to eat it all over again.

I would light up when I open our green gate for my grandfather and get to see his two hands holding bags filled with a bunch of green kangkong leaves, fat okras, and a plethora of river shrimps, all fresh from the neighborhood market, or sariwa, as we often described them.

I would light up, too, when I get to hear the simmering of boiling water and see the thin waves of vapor that come with it, along with the kangkong leaves and okra turning into a more vibrant green hue, and the shrimps into a vibrant orange.

That’s how you know it’s fresh. That’s how you know it’s gonna be good.

As I would finally get called for lunch or dinner, I would happily go down the stairs, my slippers stepping noisily out of excitement, later accompanied with eyes twinkling and mouth watering at the sight of the newly cooked sinigang na hipon and its aroma brought about by its hot, tamarind soup broth.

And everytime I would take a good slurp of the soup or a bite of the orange shrimps and green vegetables, it feels as though I was either rewarded for my hard work, or I could breathe, I could relax, or I could escape from reality for a while.

Of course, it gets better whenever I have something to share at the dining table.

Although it mostly isn’t food of some sort, but rather some stories and updates about my life and shenanigans in university.

To be completely honest, my stories can be outright random, and either be completely boring or interesting to my mom and grandfather.

Nevertheless, there’s always a bowl of sinigang na hipon to complement, or even compensate, for my constant yapping.

I could say I have been through a lot, and it wasn’t just my family who were witnesses to it. Every bowl of sinigang na hipon became witness to my own life journey. It’s as if those black eyes of the shrimps have seen everything I did, and the numerous veins of the kangkong leaves felt all the raw emotions I would either be showing or hiding, or even the asim-kilig taste of the whole dish mirroring the sour moments of my own life.

Sinigang na hipon is and has always been my holy grail of every sort.

It appeases and calms me in times of distress and illness.

It makes me feel like I have won the lottery or obtained a gold medal at the Olympics.

It brings me and my family closer together.

It is the reason why going home becomes so exciting and, most of the time, my favorite part of every week.

[upismediacenter]

LITERARY: Rosie

Trigger Warning! 

(Sensitibo at naglalaman ng karahasan)

Nanginginig ako sa takot. Nakatakip ang kamay sa aking mukha habang nakaupo sa sahig ng aking banyo.

Mayroon akong matalik na kaibigan na nagngangalang Rosie. Siya ay maganda, mabait, at palakaibigang tao. Maraming nagkakagusto sa kanya at sikat siya sa aming paaralan kaya ay hindi ko lubos akalaing mapapansin at kakaibiganin niya ang isang taong iniiwasan ng iba na kagaya ko. Kay tamis ng kanyang ngiti na tila ba kapag ngumiti siya sa iyo, parang nawawala ang mga suliranin mo sa mundo. Siya lang ang tanging nakakaintindi sa akin at hindi ko na kailangan ng iba pang kaibigan. Mawala na ang lahat sa akin wag lang siya. Kaya hindi ko talaga tanggap ang nangyari!

Sariwa pa sa utak ko ang nangyari na tila ba kahapon lang ito. Biyernes nang hapon nang dumiretso ako galing sa eskwela papunta sa bahay ni Rosie. Bibisitahin ko sana siya dahil sinabi niya sa chat na nilalagnat siya kaya hindi siya makakapasok. Parehong OFW ang kanyang magulang at ang kuya niya naman ay kinabukasan pa raw uuwi galing sa trabaho kung kaya’t mag-isa lang siya noon sa kanilang bahay. Lubos akong nag-aalala dahil walang mag-aalaga sa kaniya.

Laking gulat ko nang pagkapasok ko ay tumambad sa akin ang nagkalat na gamit sa paligid. Patay ang lahat ng ilaw maliban sa banyo. Buti na lang at may kaunti pang liwanag na galing sa labas dahil sa sinag ng papalubog na araw. Sa mesa ay may nakita akong dalawang plato na may tira-tirang tsokolateng keyk. Katabi nito ang isang pitsel ng juice na kalahati na lang ang laman. Mayroon ding dalawang basong naiwang may kaunting laman: ang isa ay nasa mesa at ang isa ay basag sa sahig. Nagkalat sa lapag ang bubog ng nabasag na baso, kasama ng naghahalong kahel na likido ng orange juice at pulang likido na parang… dugo!

“Rosie! Rosie! Nasan ka?” sigaw ko puno ng pag-aalala.  Agad ko siyang hinanap hanggang  tumambad sa akin ang kanyang duguang katawan sa sofa. Umaagos ang dugo sa sugat sa kanyang tiyan na galing sa saksak. Umiiyak akong nilapitan at niyakap siya; nabahiran ng dugo ang suot kong itim na t-shirt.

Tinatakpan ng mamasa-masa kong kamay ang kanyang sugat sa pag-asang titigil ang pagdurugo at maisasalba ko pa ang kanyang buhay, ngunit wala itong naitulong at patuloy pa rin ang pag-agos ng dugo. Tuloy-tuloy na umagos ang aking luha at nalasahan ko na ito sa aking bunganga. Pinunasan ko ang aking bibig gamit ang aking kamay, pero sa halip na alat ng luha, tamis ang nalalasahan ko. Tamis na may kahalong asim gaya ng orange juice at tamis na nag-uumapaw sa lasa ng chocolate cake. 

.

Orange juice at chocolate cake? Bakit bigla ko itong nalalasahan?

Sa halip na sagot, isang matinding sakit ng ulo ang itinugon ng utak ko sa mga tanong.

Sinusubukan kong alalahanin ang nangyari bago ang aksidente ngunit wala akong maalala maliban sa mga nangyari noong araw na iyon. 

Kahit anong umpog at pukpok ko sa ulo ko, hindi nagbubukas ang pinto ng mga alaala. Walang lumalabas na mga sagot. maliban sa mga nangyari noong araw na iyon. “WALA KANG KWENTA, WALA KANG KWENTA!” galit na saway ko sa sarili. Gustong-gusto kong makatulong sa imbestigasyon ng mga pulis pero wala akong magawa. Wala akong silbi. Wala man lang akong magawa para sa bestfriend ko. Sabi nila baka raw dahil sobrang traumatic ng nangyari kaya nabablangko ang isip ko. Hindi ko matanggap. Kailangan kong tulungan mabigyan ng katarungan ang bestfriend ko.

Kapag dumadami na ang tanong ko, hudyat na naman ng matinding kirot. Maliban sa pisikal na sakit na nararamdaman ko sa aking ulo dahil sa kakapukpok ko, maya-maya ay nakaramdam ako ng kirot at sakit na tila ba binibiyak ang ulo ko sa loob. Napasigaw ako sa sakit at binaon ang ulo ko sa kama at tinakpan ng unan upang mawala ito. Pagkatapos ng ilang sandali ay nawala rin ito at kinuha ko sa side table ang aking gamot at ininom ito kasama ang tubig.

Nagpasya ako na pumunta muna sa banyo upang maghilamos ng mukha. Paika-ika akong nagtungo doon dahil sa sugat sa paa ko. Pagkatapos maghilamos ay napatingin ako sa basurahan at nagtaka sa aking nakita. Pinulot ko ang aking unipormeng puno ng dugo at nahulog mula doon ang isang kutsilyo. Pinulot ko ang kutsilyo at napagtanto na kutsilyo ito mula sa bahay nina Rosie.

Nanlaki ang mata ko sa napagtanto. Muling sumakit ang ulo ko. “AAAARRGHH!”, napahiyaw na ako sa tindi ng kirot. Napasandal ako sa dingding at dumulas pababa hanggang sa napaupo na ako. 

Unti-unti, napalitan ng hikbi ang sigaw. At ang hikbi ay naging halakhak. Di ko na mapigil ang malakas na pagtawa. Tumutulo ang aking luha habang patuloy sa mayabang na pagtawa ang aking sarili.

"Alam mo ba kung ano talaga ang nangyari?" Hindi ko tiyak kung ako ba ang nagtatanong o tinatanong ng kaharap ko sa malaking salamin ng banyo.

Biyernes nang hapon nang dumiretso ka galing sa eskwela sa bahay ning matalik mong kaibigan na si Rosie upang bisitahin siya dahil sinabi niya sa chat na hindi siya makakapasok sa paaralan dahil siya ay nilalagnat. Ngunit laking gulat mo na lang nang makita kong parang maayos naman ang kaniyang kalagayan at masaya lang siyang kumakain ng keyk at umiinom ng juice na pangiti-ngiti na tila ba kinikilig.

“Rosie, okay ka na ba? Dapat hindi ka muna kumain ng matamis. Puro asukal yan at hindi makakatulong sa kalagayan mo lalo na’t may sakit ka. Gusto mo bilhan muna kita ng soup diyan sa may kanto?”

“Uy kahit wag na.”  tugon niya at ngumiti nang nakakabighani. “Halika muna rito, tara kain muna tayo”,  pag-anyaya niya sa’yo. “Nga pala, alam mo ba, sinagot ko na yung manliligaw kong si Berto”. Kinikilig na sabi niya. “Sa katunayan, siya nga ang may dala nito ng pagbisita niya kahapon. Selebrasyon ng aming pagiging ganap na magkasintahan.”

Nang banggitin niya iyon, biglang nawala ang ngiti sa ’yong mukha. Unti-unti, hindi mo namalayang nandilim na ang paningin mo. Hindi mo alam kung ano ang sumapi sa isipan mo at biglang hawak mo na lang ang kutsilyo. Bahagyang natatawa pa si Rosie sa kakaibang hitsura mo sa pagkatayo niya hawak ang baso ng juice. Hanggang sa hindi mo na napigilan ang iyong kamay, dire-diretso hanggang bumaon sa tiyan niya. Nabitawan niya ang hawak na baso at agad tumakbo ngunit hindi na niya kinaya at napaupo na lamang siya sa sofa.

Hinugot mo ang kutsilyo mula sa kanyang tiyan. 

“Bakit?” tanong niya habang lumuluha. 

“Akin ka lang Rosie. Hindi ko kayang mawala ka,” sambit mo habang namumula ang mata. 

“Hindi ko kayang mawala ka, Rosie! Hindi ko mapapatawad ang gumawa sa ‘yo nito.”

Nakatitig pa rin ako sa harap ng salamin. Nanlilisik sa galit sa nakikita kong repleksyon. Patuloy akong umiiyak habang patuloy rin siya sa pagtawa sa akin. 

[melovesanneeeee]

Naniniwala ako na kapag nawala ako, mayro’n mang umiyak, ‘yon ay dahil lang sa pagiging sariwa ng pangyayari. Siguro may iiyak pero sa pagkatataon lang siguro na iyon, doon lang sila manghihinayang at magdadalamhati. Siguro ilang araw lang ang bibilangin, balik na ulit sa normal ang lahat. Kalaunan, madali na nila akong makakalimutan. Ganoon naman talaga e, sa una ka lang panghihinayangan. Sa una ka lang iiyakan. Tapos kapag nakausad na sila, hindi ka na parte ng bago nilang kabanata. Maiiwan ka na lang sa nakaraan. Isa ka na lamang alaala, o ang mas masaklap, buradong alaala.