A Piece of my Summer

Chapter One

APRIL 1ST OF 2017

It's about lunchtime, and I'm heading home in direct sunlight. Bitbit ko ang graduation picture na kinuha ko mula sa school. In comparison to my junior high school graduation photo, it's a decent one.

I like how light my makeup was on this one, and my hair was down. Last time, they insisted on bunning my hair, which made my face look chubby, and my makeup was terrible. I looked like a clown. I shuddered at the thought of how bad I looked in that picture.

But having this graduation picture also means I'll be starting college soon. It's not the notion of it that scares me; it's the prospect of taking the course my Dad wants me to take. I've heard enough from college students how hard everything is, and I wonder how harder it might be to study something you have no interest with.

I sighed out of frustration. I wish I knew what I wanted to study or what course I wanted to take. Everyone in my class appears to be looking forward to taking the course they want. Ako na lang ang napag-iiwanan.

My phone rang so I had to stop walking to answer it.

"Klara, pabalik ka na?" Tanong ni Andrew mula sa kabilang linya.

"Oo, bakit?"

"Sige, dalian mo. May favor sana ako."

Ayoko nang marinig kung anong klaseng favor na naman ang kailangan nitong si Andrew. Pero bago ko pa siya mababaan ay siya na mismo ang nagbaba ng linya. Napabuntong hininga nalang ako dahil wala naman akong takas dito. Panigurado inaabangan na ko no'n sa pintuan ko.

Dinalian ko na ang paglalakad dahil nakakaramdam na rin ako ng hapdi sa balat dahil sa init ng araw. Wala man lang hangin na umiihip na mas nagpapapalala pa rito.

Summer is, without a doubt, just around the corner.

Pagdating ko sa ikalawang palapag ng apartment na tinitir'han ko ay nakita ko agad si Andrew na naghihinntay sa pinto ko. Just like what I predicted.

As I approached him, his face lit up.

"Bakit? Ano 'yon?" Bati ko sa kaniya.

Kita naman sa mukha niya na hindi niya alam ano ang unang sasabihin. "Klara, nag lunch ka na? Halika libre na kita-"

"Ano na naman bang kapalit ng suhol na 'to?" Pagputol ko sa sinasabi niya dahil alam ko naman na ang motibo niya.

At times like this, I wonder how I've managed to stay friends with Andrew for so long.

"Ganito kasi, kailangan ko ng tulong mo."

"Anong tulong?" I asked frowning at him.

"Lilian is currently in the Philippines. She wanted me to go in Manila and stay with her for the meantime."

Napakurap ako dahil hindi ko naiintindihan kung anong kinalaman ko sa lovelife niya. Hindi ako sumagot at hinayaan lang siyang magsalita.

"Ito na nga, may napangakuan akong kaibigan ko na sasamahan ko siya rito sa Portville. He's here for the first time, so he's unfamiliar with the surroundings. Kailangan niya nang may kasama habang naglilibot siya."

Mukhang alam ko na kung saan 'to pupunta.

"Madali lang 'yan, Andrew. It's either you cancel your friend or your girlfriend. Kaya mo na 'yan."

Papasok na sana ako sa loob ng apartment ko pero hinarangan niya ako.

"Hindi pwede! Naka-oo na ako kay Lilian. And that friend I'm talking about, he really has no idea of this place. Please, Klara! Kabisado mo naman pasikot-sikot dito eh."

Kulang nalang ata matanggal ang braso ko kakahila niya. He's always like this when he wants something from me.

"Ayoko. Ako pa ipapasama mo ro'n, eh 'di ko nga 'yon kilala."

"Mabait 'yon, Klara. Promise! Sige na, ha? I heard this is all for his project. Sige ka, kapag 'yon bumagsak kasalanan mo pa."

Napabuntong hininga nalang ako. And that's when he knows he won.

"Yes! Salamat, Klara! You're the best! I'll just send you the details of where you'll meet him and your destinations. Thank you!"

Kulang nalang ang mga kalapati kakapalakpak niya.

"Teka, ano? Mamaya na agad?!" Sigaw ko nang marealize ang sinabi niya.

Pero kumaripas nang pababa si Andrew at hindi ko na siya nahabol.

4 pm sa bus station. Send ko na rin number niya para matawagan mo siya kapag nando'n ka na. Salamat, Klara! The best ka talaga!

I groaned and sat my phone on the table. I'm not sure how Andrew managed to persuade me. This is not the time to think about anything other than college.

Ang bigat-bigat ng katawan ko. Wala akong ganang maging tour guide. I glanced at the clock and it's almost quarter to 4 pm. Kahit mag-asikaso ako ngayon hindi na ako makakarating sa tamang oras.

I lay my head down the desk and closed my eyes. Hindi nalang ako pupunta. Bahala na si Andrew.

'He's here for the first time, so he's unfamiliar with the surroundings.'

'And that friend I'm talking about, he really has no idea of this place.'

'I heard this is all for his project. Sige ka, kapag 'yon bumagsak kasalanan mo pa."'

"Aish!" Napatayo ako mula sa pagkakayuko sa desk at dumiretso sa banyo upang maghilamos.

This is irritating. He knows exactly my weakness and he's hitting me right on the spot.

Hindi na ako naligo at wala na rin akong panahon para do'n. Sapat na 'yong paghihilamos at saglit na pagsisipilyo at binuksan ko na ang closet ko upang mamimili ng damit.

Pero pagbukas ko nito ay sandali akong napatunganga dahil hindi ko alam kung anong susuotin ko. Casual lang ba? Pants? Dress? Pwede bang mag shorts?

Napasigaw ako sa frustration nang makitang 3:40 na. Hinding hindi ka na talaga makakaulit sa akin, Andrew.

Unang nadampot ng kamay ko ang mint green wrapped dress kaya hindi na ako namili at iyon na ang sinuot ko.

This dress would look good with a doll shoes. Sunod kong binuksan ang closet kong puno ng mga sapatos pero halos mangiyak-ngiyak ako dahil hindi sila nakaayos.

Bakit ba napakaburara mo sa sapatos, Klara?

Hinalukay ko ito at kinailangan ko pang abutin sa pinakataas ang doll shoes. Nasobrahan ata ang pagkapit ko sa closet dahil muntikan na itong matumba at nalaglag sa akin lahat ng sapatos na nasa taas.

Kumalma ka, Klara. Wala na tayong panahon para mag tantrums.

Sinuot ko ang sapatos at agad humarap sa salamin para mag-ayos sandali. Pero kahit ang makeup kit ko ay gulo-gulo kaya hinalukay ko para makita ang foundation.

"Nand'yan ka lang pala," ngiti kong saad at dinampot ito, but then it slipped from my grasp and landed on the ground.

No. No. No. No.

Bakit ka naman nahulog?

Lumuhod ako upang kunin ang foundation na ngayo'y durog-durog na.

There's no time to grieve for this. Tumayo ako muli at hinanap ang lipstick pero kahit 'yon ay wala akong makita.

The girl in the mirror looks like she's about to explode. Para natigilan ako nang makitang sampung minuto nalang bago mag-alas kwatro. Tanging hawi nalang ng buhok ang ayos na nagawa ko at kinuha na ang sling bag upang isuot. Lumabas na ako ng apartment at dali-daling bumaba ng hagdan.

Nasa unahan pa ang bus station. Hindi naman gano'n kalayo pero sa oras na mayroon ako ay alanganin na. At sa ilang segundo kong nakatayo rito ay wala akong masakyan kahit isa.

My wristwatch tells me I still have seven minutes before 4 pm. Kung tatakbo ako ay aabot ako sa eksaktong oras. Sandali akong napahinto dahil ang ideya ng pagtakbo sa gan'tong suot at gan'tong kainitan ay hindi napakagandang idea.

Pero ano pa bang choice ko? I

started running under the heat of the sun. May mga taong tumitingin na para bang illegal tumakbo ang isang babaeng naka dress. Pilit kong hinihigpitan ang paa ko sa sapatos at baka matanggal. The last thing I want to do right now is embarrass myself even more.

When I arrived at the bus station, I took my time to catch my breath. I haven't run that much in a long time. Pakiramdam ko ay nag-marathon ako sa sobrang hingal at pawis.

Nang tumingin akong muli sa relo ko ay 3:59 na. Nakahinga ako nang maluwag dahil akala ko kalahating oras akong tumakbo.

I waited for five minutes pero lahat ng tao na humihinto dito ay sumasakay sa bus. Ang sabi ni Andrew ay magkikita muna kami ng kaibigan niya sa bus station. Pero wala pa siya.

Agad kumunot ang mukha ko sa inis. It was a struggle just to be here on time pero siya ay late pa. I waited for another 20 minutes at nang wala pang dumadating ay nagsimula na akong maglakad pauwi.

This is a huge letdown. I'm not here to stand around. My phone rang just as I began to walk. My screen was filled with an unregistered number and I was unsure whether to respond for a moment.

Sinagot ko ito pero hindi ako nagsalita. "Hello? This is Klara's phone number right?" An unfamiliar voice greeted me.

"Ako 'yong kaibigan ni Andrew. We're supposed to meet at exactly 4 pm sa bus station but something came up."

Siya 'yong kaibigan ni Andrew?

I put the phone call on loudspeaker and read the phone number Andrew had given me. It's the same number.

"Hello?" Muli niyang saad.

"Yes, this is Klara. I'm sorry pero sana tinawagan mo muna ako ahead of time to inform me you can't come." Hindi ko na matago sa boses ko ang pagka-inis.

Tama naman eh. Kung hindi pala siya makakapunta sana nagsabi siya.

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. But, it's not that I can't come."

His line went silent for a moment, but I can tell he has something to say.

"The thing is, I think I'm a bit lost."

His voice sounded embarrassed. I believe he is relieved that he was able to say this only over the phone.

Napapikit ako sa sinabi niya. How can he be lost? Bata ba siya? Nalayo ko ang phone sa mukha ko to let myself release some stressful sigh.

"Nasaan ka?" Tanong ko sa pinaka-best na paraan upang maitago ang namumuo kong pagka-irita.

"I don't know?" He answered.

Great. Nawawala nga siya 'di ba, Klara? Alangan, hindi niya alam kung nasaan siya.

"Sa paligid mo, what do you see?"

"Uhm, trees. Grasses. It's look like I'm about to enter a forest."

What? Sigurado ba siyang nasa Portville pa siya? Baka naman ibang siyudad na ang napuntahan ng lalaking 'to.

"Why don't you try asking to some by-passers?" I ask as nicely as I can.

I think it's already a common sense to ask people when you think you're quite lost.

"I see no people here."

Natigilan ako. Where on earth is he?

"Sinubukan mo na bang bumalik sa nilakaran mo?"

"Yes, but I think I got more lost because I can't remember the turns I took."

Prank ba 'to? I can't believe he got lost. This is stressing the crap out of me.

"Okay, saan ka ba nanggaling? Like before you got lost, where were you?"

Dapat na ba akong tumawag ng pulis? Hindi rin pamilyar sa akin ang dini-describe niyang lugar.

"I got a room from an apartment at North Portville. Doon ako galing." This is West Portville. Maliit lang ang North at hindi siya basta-basta mawawala ro'n. Maliban nalang kung-

"Wait, the road is getting familiar. Nakakabalik na ata ako sa nalakaran ko."

I don't trust him to get out of there on his own if he got lost in the first place.

"I think I know where you are. Just keep walking back."

Bumalik ako sa bus station at sumakay papuntang East. Hindi ko na pinababa ang tawag dahil baka kung saan na naman siya mapunta. Pagbaba ko ay pinuntahan ko ang apartment na hindi rin nalalayo mula sa binabaan ko.

The whole city of Portville is not huge at all at bilang lang sa daliri ang mga apartment dito. For the case of East, this is the only apartment here kaya sigurado ako na dito siya nanggaling. Kung nasa lugar siya na naiisip ko, mukhang magkakaproblema pa kami.

Lakad takbo lakad takbo ang ginagawa ko. I arrived at the gate of Villa's property. Nakabukas ito at pilit akong tumatanaw sa loob. Like that guy said, the entire place is like an entrance to a forest. Nawala lang sa isip ko ang lugar na 'to dahil hindi ko naman inaakala na makakarating siya rito.

I was about to ask where he is but then the call ended. I stared on the phone for a while dahil nabablangko na ko. I called him back and he immediately answer.

"Hello-"

May biglang humila sa akin dahilan upang mapatakbo ako.

"Hoy! Bumalik kayo rito!" A guard is chasing us. This is the trouble I had in mind.

When I looked up, a man I had just seen appeared in front of me. I can clearly see his eyes through his glasses. As we ran, one of his hands gripped my hand.

A cellphone is in one of his hands. He waved it and my phone number is currently in a call with him.

On the first day of April, I met this man and we ran under the summer sun.

***