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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzECdoqXsZ
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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuToZZ7O5v
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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfH1PlhXc3U
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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitOZqUtzAe
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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtFBEPF6gh
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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77mDXNXbqt
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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCMagaFUhs
A sudden warmth on my left side snapped me back to reality. Was it Joe again?242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrvtC85qLF
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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnXxVzK8ET
"Hey kuya," I greeted. "Tired of working already? You need a reliever?"242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1a2RWbESVi
So there was a part of me that still refused to quit my dream.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhMRXkvDV3
"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."242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglT7RG0WEX
I nodded. "Nice."242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHiZZML0aO
And in my head, I was wishing that happened to everyone.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFLCZ4i5JK
"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."242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKHoNaaDbJ
Oh. Was I that obvious?242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpi00ejzhY
"Really?" I asked.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbXGmjqoJR
"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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDviqGfoku
"Can’t you be discreet about that, kuya?" I hissed while my cheeks grew warm. "It's embarrassing."242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCeVukZHCS
"Aha!” he exclaimed, clapping his fingers, “So that's why you’re blushing!"242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWru0hIcQbw
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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdj8YW8IWal
"No, I am not," I denied, but my treacherous lips could not stop themselves from smiling.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrNgZ5tn7i
"Your mouth is a walking contradiction, tol. You like the girl?"242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchj1EUKxrX
I quickly put my forefinger over my lips. "Ssshhh! Keep it down!"242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNT2IBMFaq
"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?"242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33hxKEtVdx
"Do you ever shut up?" I hissed again.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47uhPZU36X
He threw his hands in the air, "Alright, alright, I'll stop."242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1fhMXl8te
But he moved closer to my ear and whispered, "But you like her right? Admit it..."242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzASbh5tXSO
He gave me a pair of teasing eyes. This man would literally not stop at anything just to get the answer he wanted.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunYulhRRyN
I sighed. "Alright, alright, I do. So?"242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgfHZWbENp
"So? What are you sitting here for, man? Go ahead, get her!"242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCzJaW98gI
My brow arched. "That quick? I don't even know her name."242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPrVavRaF2
"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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvXIozRDJr
I pushed myself up and faced him.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAozAaeZt60
"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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWZecqdyO6
He cackled.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirpxR1AGVT
"You know you can always change out of that thing, right?" he said, smiling from ear to ear.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2fvC1d2sN
To my surprise, he grabbed the shining pin from my hair, making me wince in pain. 242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXHKTU4JCJ
"Go get her, man, or you'll regret it," he continued.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZoCkaYjoPv
My brows furrowed while I scratched the back of my neck.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcD8ya2GSJ
"Really? You won't come and help me out?" I whined.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VbgpejZVY
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?242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfnMROpZYF
"Come on, Judy, man up!” said Lev, smirking. "We're watching you."242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSqEsfo7TU
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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHVzCBVy2b
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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTA9OQghWk
"Hi, ate, are you okay? What happened to you?" she asked, concern evident in her pretty face.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9K5MlT6dK
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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWZhEvji2A
"Those boys," I answered and pointed to my brothers who were talking on the other side. "They're picking on me."242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Swa959SNk
Then I remembered that strong hit at the back of my head.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoGCgPkwgtD
"Ouch!" I cried, my hand rose to the part hit by the coconut shell. It was half-pretend. My head literally hurt. Damn Lev.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbGxbpR77n
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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHHIbipML8
"What happened to you?" she asked.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhhwxGpz4W
"One of them hit me on the head. It really hurts..." my face contorted in pain.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLlBiLjAGK
The frown on her face reflected genuine concern. Seeing her like that filled my stomach with fluttering butterflies.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MIBB1xSGG
"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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9eRKyyUQE
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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNaLOcnEMh
"Oh look," the girl said, "You're bleeding!"242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdoKrQmgCR
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.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RktwtpDOv
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and used it to stop the bleeding on my head.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZl2e6d8O3
When she finished attending to my wound, I turned to look at her and flashed a smile of gratitude.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡod5IslQ3uv
"Thank you so much..." I said as if waiting for her to give her name.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8G1K4fgMCU
She gave me a smile that said she knew exactly what I was thinking.242Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqJuGzJp8j
"Ester."
