There was nothing I could do but to adhere to mama's unreasonable wishes, just to say that I have honored my father and mother, one of the things she and papa did not forget to remind us every day. The idea actually made me want to throw up. What am I, a drag queen? And would the god we were taught to worship want me to be the person mama was grooming me to become? Maybe she needed to review the Bible. Going against God’s handiwork will surely earn her negative points in heaven.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsAp8JJOsF
After checking on my sister-in-law, I joined the women in preparing food for my brothers, who were building Ben’s house. Mama was out because she had to go to school.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39ykdp91W5
There were still a few months to go before they complete the house. But my "delusion" of working with the "real" boys in the family must immediately come to an end. Mama made it clear that the next time she learned about me doing manly things, she would, you know, hit me with the infamous slipper.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnufervUSB
The women were already gathered in a makeshift hut to cook. At that time, some of Naya's relatives also joined in the making of that extensive project, most of them preparing food for the laborers.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Mrq8eDWwU
And there I saw a familiar face—the bridesmaid at the wedding Joe was telling me about. Her dark hair gathered in a pigtail, her face flashed the sweetest smile to every person she met, and her bright, smooth fingers worked masterfully on the leafy greens.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8shXfLiX0
My heart pounded wildly at the knowledge of her presence. Who would have thought I would see her at an event like this? Maybe mama's warnings were a blessing after all.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xUSLRUJ34
From time to time, my eyes would move toward the makeshift hut just to watch her, careful not to let mama's "eyes" see what I was doing. I wish this time the sun wouldn't set without me knowing her name, but timidity crept into my system faster than the speed of light, so I just gave in to the contentment of watching her from a distance.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6q7xw71s9O
A sudden warmth on my left side snapped me back to reality. Was it Joe again?307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrweJijoEhc
When I turned my head in that direction, it was not Joe who sat beside me but Ben, his crossed arms resting on his knees. He was looking at me with a knowing smile on his face.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45LYlQESu6
"Hey kuya," I greeted. "Tired of working already? You need a reliever?"307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1W0kyKlDLy
So there was a part of me that still refused to quit my dream.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoOxecu1qp
"Me, tired? Nah, I'm strong as a bull," he said, flexing his lean bicep. "I just had a water break, but I'll be back in a few minutes."307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6G0KMLC65G
I nodded. "Nice."307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mjjeSansq
And in my head, I was wishing that happened to everyone.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfX8SI8ybq
"What about you, Jude? Your eyes are beaming today. Saw a dude you like?" He joked, making me shoot him a wide-eyed glare. "Just kidding. You just look a bit different today, like your eyes are going somewhere."307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKPr6cVOWa
Oh. Was I that obvious?307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjFMqMw1yO
"Really?" I asked.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHgwziPqp8
"Yeah. You've been eyeing that girl from the first time she’s been here," his mouth pointed exactly to the girl I was looking at, and because I tensed at the truth of his words, one of my hands immediately covered his mouth.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrp7ae1G2Z
"Can’t you be discreet about that, kuya?" I hissed while my cheeks grew warm. "It's embarrassing."307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAIi0y5bB9
"Aha!” he exclaimed, clapping his fingers, “So that's why you’re blushing!"307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsQtAcppY2
I suddenly felt the need to get a mirror. Then I turned my head to see if mama's minions of 'marites' were lurking around. Good thing the area was clear.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpSJyxNc7Z
"No, I am not," I denied, but my treacherous lips could not stop themselves from smiling.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3W1Asnn3G
"Your mouth is a walking contradiction, tol. You like the girl?"307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLibjNnfjB
I quickly put my forefinger over my lips. "Ssshhh! Keep it down!"307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6kNVF3HMp
"She's pretty," he said casually. I wondered how his wife might react if she heard him compliment another woman like that. “But you seem to be prettier than her. People might mistake you as BFFs, you know?"307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUDk7ifGfV
"Do you ever shut up?" I hissed again.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEpUWoQxyj
He threw his hands in the air, "Alright, alright, I'll stop."307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93HSqjW2d3
But he moved closer to my ear and whispered, "But you like her right? Admit it..."307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxikfXx1K5
He gave me a pair of teasing eyes. This man would literally not stop at anything just to get the answer he wanted.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDWF6rB62E
I sighed. "Alright, alright, I do. So?"307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2vaSRPdtf
"So? What are you sitting here for, man? Go ahead, get her!"307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsSL5Rq3JW
My brow arched. "That quick? I don't even know her name."307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuX5tucnu0
"That's why God gave us the gift of curiosity. Now go, talk to her!" He gave my back a gentle push, but I stumbled on the ground like a sack of potatoes.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xZzmIgyYj
I pushed myself up and faced him.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbbgiIUaVC
"Don't do this to me, man, I can't talk to her on my own. Not when I look like this," my fingers went from the butterfly clip above my ear down to the oversized tee and short shorts that I was wearing.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPlMCpaQcX
He cackled.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4kylUaG21
"You know you can always change out of that thing, right?" he said, smiling from ear to ear.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLh6ErCT2re
To my surprise, he grabbed the shining pin from my hair, making me wince in pain. 307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyRRjrBQOoJ
"Go get her, man, or you'll regret it," he continued.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHBJqoAj4J
My brows furrowed while I scratched the back of my neck.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BWCrVTgAN
"Really? You won't come and help me out?" I whined.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9EILcW3ar
Something hard hit my head so I cried aloud in pain. I looked down and saw a coconut shell cut in half. Then I turned my head in the direction where it came from and saw Lev, holding the other half while smirking at me. Beside him were the other brothers: Dan, Simon, and Asher. What in the world is this, Davao Death Squad?307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgyheLRANG
"Come on, Judy, man up!” said Lev, smirking. "We're watching you."307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9mwApkQPl
Even them?! Now things are getting more complicated. But the good thing about it was, I got the support of my brothers in this.
Thinking mama might get back from work and see me trying to court a girl, I pretended to half-run with my hands fluttering in the air and hips swaying toward the makeshift hut, pushing in the back of my mind how Lev and the gang would react upon seeing me.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9pDOsgO3f
I was panting heavily when I reached the hut. The young lady glanced at me curiously, and the sight of it added more strength to the pounding in my chest. She stopped paring the raw papayas.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfbdtkW8cy
"Hi, ate, are you okay? What happened to you?" she asked, concern evident in her pretty face.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DIXqc0q53
Much as I wanted to be offended at the way she addressed me, her soft, sweet voice melted away all the irritations that threatened to bubble up inside.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1Q9L5pRjQ
"Those boys," I answered and pointed to my brothers who were talking on the other side. "They're picking on me."307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZD9PWyaJ9c
Then I remembered that strong hit at the back of my head.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5hp3Xch9f
"Ouch!" I cried, my hand rose to the part hit by the coconut shell. It was half-pretend. My head literally hurt. Damn Lev.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkmrRcaZFm
The girl approached me and her soft hand landed on my shoulder. If I shuddered under her touch, it's good she never paid attention.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpfzmQXkmL
"What happened to you?" she asked.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mfpXkbJSN
"One of them hit me on the head. It really hurts..." my face contorted in pain.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHVLjTMjr1
The frown on her face reflected genuine concern. Seeing her like that filled my stomach with fluttering butterflies.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHouMWOyDH
"Come, sit down, I'll take care of it," she said and guided me on the wooden bench under the shade of the tree while her warm fingers tried to locate the painful part on my head.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozaMhaZVUV
Taking advantage of the fact that the girl was not seeing my face, I looked at the spot where I left my brothers to see their reaction. True to their words, they really were watching, and they seemed to approve of it because I saw them cheering from where they were before going back to work.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xG0pIPNC8
"Oh look," the girl said, "You're bleeding!"307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39kaTfeL0A
Lev must have hit me so hard. But with the girl’s warm body close to mine, I could tell it was all worth it.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58sJNWPhSN
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and used it to stop the bleeding on my head.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jZlNemZoo
When she finished attending to my wound, I turned to look at her and flashed a smile of gratitude.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGBJBsQBmQ
"Thank you so much..." I said as if waiting for her to give her name.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ780lJKdLK0
She gave me a smile that said she knew exactly what I was thinking.307Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvGVKTqLmp
"Ester."
