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.221Please respect copyright.PENANA1uyqD9YKnr
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.221Please respect copyright.PENANAGhgABAi1HW
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.221Please respect copyright.PENANAWJiG5Nh90n
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.221Please respect copyright.PENANA7XQ4IzZdaF
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.221Please respect copyright.PENANAqMchgvIBTx
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.221Please respect copyright.PENANAOQnoEXvBB3
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.221Please respect copyright.PENANAHCkLHQDXmH
A sudden warmth on my left side snapped me back to reality. Was it Joe again?221Please respect copyright.PENANAXUNY3jCaV0
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.221Please respect copyright.PENANA2CiGe6Ql0M
"Hey kuya," I greeted. "Tired of working already? You need a reliever?"221Please respect copyright.PENANAgq32M4CmRc
So there was a part of me that still refused to quit my dream.221Please respect copyright.PENANA8OzwnyfHel
"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."221Please respect copyright.PENANAbvt2LS84WE
I nodded. "Nice."221Please respect copyright.PENANAFnKAdTMIoc
And in my head, I was wishing that happened to everyone.221Please respect copyright.PENANAR6lP25elcm
"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."221Please respect copyright.PENANALK3NjK9U1X
Oh. Was I that obvious?221Please respect copyright.PENANAQFDPTKdSgX
"Really?" I asked.221Please respect copyright.PENANAX7vhfpztwk
"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.221Please respect copyright.PENANANvU7208eSK
"Can’t you be discreet about that, kuya?" I hissed while my cheeks grew warm. "It's embarrassing."221Please respect copyright.PENANAw660NbfflQ
"Aha!” he exclaimed, clapping his fingers, “So that's why you’re blushing!"221Please respect copyright.PENANAey2Zf4V9e3
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.221Please respect copyright.PENANAlHIJz6AvdG
"No, I am not," I denied, but my treacherous lips could not stop themselves from smiling.221Please respect copyright.PENANAXJdqJwboG4
"Your mouth is a walking contradiction, tol. You like the girl?"221Please respect copyright.PENANACdeKKHFVLa
I quickly put my forefinger over my lips. "Ssshhh! Keep it down!"221Please respect copyright.PENANAkUefel4w2N
"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?"221Please respect copyright.PENANA2n0vsepcmu
"Do you ever shut up?" I hissed again.221Please respect copyright.PENANA6WAXgDc4Mz
He threw his hands in the air, "Alright, alright, I'll stop."221Please respect copyright.PENANAWZYXKqX4vn
But he moved closer to my ear and whispered, "But you like her right? Admit it..."221Please respect copyright.PENANAHUDQZJsbns
He gave me a pair of teasing eyes. This man would literally not stop at anything just to get the answer he wanted.221Please respect copyright.PENANAc7Cke1C2d9
I sighed. "Alright, alright, I do. So?"221Please respect copyright.PENANAovFWubUusw
"So? What are you sitting here for, man? Go ahead, get her!"221Please respect copyright.PENANAmBPQAB69ag
My brow arched. "That quick? I don't even know her name."221Please respect copyright.PENANAECXmvZ768l
"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.221Please respect copyright.PENANAbPl8djtCAi
I pushed myself up and faced him.221Please respect copyright.PENANAhFDrkwqZUR
"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.221Please respect copyright.PENANAFQp7DT6F5s
He cackled.221Please respect copyright.PENANAKUmiSBomV1
"You know you can always change out of that thing, right?" he said, smiling from ear to ear.221Please respect copyright.PENANAiy2lbscOwC
To my surprise, he grabbed the shining pin from my hair, making me wince in pain. 221Please respect copyright.PENANA502G0Z2Apk
"Go get her, man, or you'll regret it," he continued.221Please respect copyright.PENANAylr3B8rLv1
My brows furrowed while I scratched the back of my neck.221Please respect copyright.PENANAwNnnGsHjKy
"Really? You won't come and help me out?" I whined.221Please respect copyright.PENANAeBoGyCOqZv
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?221Please respect copyright.PENANA9aMusLFx3h
"Come on, Judy, man up!” said Lev, smirking. "We're watching you."221Please respect copyright.PENANA0nb1Ls4zeM
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.221Please respect copyright.PENANAl39qNBpMJL
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.221Please respect copyright.PENANARugU8ygNWs
"Hi, ate, are you okay? What happened to you?" she asked, concern evident in her pretty face.221Please respect copyright.PENANAdebSrdIxL3
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.221Please respect copyright.PENANAl85MtzfmNP
"Those boys," I answered and pointed to my brothers who were talking on the other side. "They're picking on me."221Please respect copyright.PENANAuuu0pu2wXc
Then I remembered that strong hit at the back of my head.221Please respect copyright.PENANAMfWOYpgt0R
"Ouch!" I cried, my hand rose to the part hit by the coconut shell. It was half-pretend. My head literally hurt. Damn Lev.221Please respect copyright.PENANA6neVOvI3J6
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.221Please respect copyright.PENANAy6RWbdcPdT
"What happened to you?" she asked.221Please respect copyright.PENANA1cgJ2vrQ7H
"One of them hit me on the head. It really hurts..." my face contorted in pain.221Please respect copyright.PENANA6vFzL1MuAp
The frown on her face reflected genuine concern. Seeing her like that filled my stomach with fluttering butterflies.221Please respect copyright.PENANAOxCy1dMHsK
"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.221Please respect copyright.PENANApr9DEVHMgF
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.221Please respect copyright.PENANApWRjqkhA9n
"Oh look," the girl said, "You're bleeding!"221Please respect copyright.PENANAscp1Du0O8b
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.221Please respect copyright.PENANARdEDvLs73b
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and used it to stop the bleeding on my head.221Please respect copyright.PENANA4nPMDoNrrJ
When she finished attending to my wound, I turned to look at her and flashed a smile of gratitude.221Please respect copyright.PENANAayM3WWn4OO
"Thank you so much..." I said as if waiting for her to give her name.221Please respect copyright.PENANA8Ft5nEInhB
She gave me a smile that said she knew exactly what I was thinking.221Please respect copyright.PENANAl8AGgaYiDc
"Ester."