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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2uIlDBvSV
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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qbyRrZIt2
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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunb90WaTm3
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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUOgMzdh4E
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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkV33pFIIo
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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrHpHvbSK9
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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxgJesn2Vw
A sudden warmth on my left side snapped me back to reality. Was it Joe again?303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIM9W0uH4oH
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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGHNNRB3Cw
"Hey kuya," I greeted. "Tired of working already? You need a reliever?"303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcEIojup08
So there was a part of me that still refused to quit my dream.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5N6g7XwAH5
"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."303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCk76CN7lLZ
I nodded. "Nice."303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7N90DhEqNv
And in my head, I was wishing that happened to everyone.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0u4IE3W9W9
"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."303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvupKC7Dl7
Oh. Was I that obvious?303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZhtIhsjLT
"Really?" I asked.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdDjvPJVnf
"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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QenTvzhrj
"Can’t you be discreet about that, kuya?" I hissed while my cheeks grew warm. "It's embarrassing."303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58bgZJ3Efi
"Aha!” he exclaimed, clapping his fingers, “So that's why you’re blushing!"303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkTBA5QlOq
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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ821RBuNMJm
"No, I am not," I denied, but my treacherous lips could not stop themselves from smiling.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7ASTqokpH
"Your mouth is a walking contradiction, tol. You like the girl?"303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNViQ3UUNee
I quickly put my forefinger over my lips. "Ssshhh! Keep it down!"303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVg8oWkTOG7
"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?"303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfSWqwftSV
"Do you ever shut up?" I hissed again.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvNYP0tf3D
He threw his hands in the air, "Alright, alright, I'll stop."303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhyx5QDjTy
But he moved closer to my ear and whispered, "But you like her right? Admit it..."303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFM7edTamm
He gave me a pair of teasing eyes. This man would literally not stop at anything just to get the answer he wanted.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Q9UCChgFY
I sighed. "Alright, alright, I do. So?"303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rL0womiU6
"So? What are you sitting here for, man? Go ahead, get her!"303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStqKgwht4p
My brow arched. "That quick? I don't even know her name."303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AvcqtDUrK
"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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjUng7amyi
I pushed myself up and faced him.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTh4u82xbKb
"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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdxnbsOLmR
He cackled.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAtCiUYC3r
"You know you can always change out of that thing, right?" he said, smiling from ear to ear.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79xSzna5nv
To my surprise, he grabbed the shining pin from my hair, making me wince in pain. 303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RsGseU1BJ
"Go get her, man, or you'll regret it," he continued.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyeoIxl6zdc
My brows furrowed while I scratched the back of my neck.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XbO7nsTEf
"Really? You won't come and help me out?" I whined.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrKjKs5nP7
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?303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfDY2ZKrta
"Come on, Judy, man up!” said Lev, smirking. "We're watching you."303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS00G5AywGJ
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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gsguqCuPJ
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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzs6SjPu8JS
"Hi, ate, are you okay? What happened to you?" she asked, concern evident in her pretty face.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwsQorg875
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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72DNHpdTXt
"Those boys," I answered and pointed to my brothers who were talking on the other side. "They're picking on me."303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMxEbhWJyr
Then I remembered that strong hit at the back of my head.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwnKQLXbtX
"Ouch!" I cried, my hand rose to the part hit by the coconut shell. It was half-pretend. My head literally hurt. Damn Lev.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRjM5n2Yle
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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GKAw8DCX0
"What happened to you?" she asked.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZ7UVhAXta
"One of them hit me on the head. It really hurts..." my face contorted in pain.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Hv4M86QgY
The frown on her face reflected genuine concern. Seeing her like that filled my stomach with fluttering butterflies.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWu1QE1Q27u
"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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oqv7vMH9L
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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78FSnjiP8K
"Oh look," the girl said, "You're bleeding!"303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VMrUMH0Jn
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.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgovLuqGnx
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and used it to stop the bleeding on my head.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBV8OYdWNBC
When she finished attending to my wound, I turned to look at her and flashed a smile of gratitude.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyd3Unwysz
"Thank you so much..." I said as if waiting for her to give her name.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8qQkjKV71
She gave me a smile that said she knew exactly what I was thinking.303Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGt9DC7YD9z
"Ester."
