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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqt6OLOV9XP
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9B3SdJeXc
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOxg86lazx
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAZNXUmt1B
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3NxpJe9cQ
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xhBeTawb1
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauSMqp2eOl
A sudden warmth on my left side snapped me back to reality. Was it Joe again?326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZX4T0pTLH7
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7xNQPw7sp
"Hey kuya," I greeted. "Tired of working already? You need a reliever?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMNg1uL5BD
So there was a part of me that still refused to quit my dream.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBbKSKOhmd
"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."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkynaKcKATE
I nodded. "Nice."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBd8f1qhcoV
And in my head, I was wishing that happened to everyone.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtv37JsErV
"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."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjodKOxBOdZ
Oh. Was I that obvious?326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDYrrzmhgl
"Really?" I asked.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HNvzboFuU
"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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9t7z9fX0L6
"Can’t you be discreet about that, kuya?" I hissed while my cheeks grew warm. "It's embarrassing."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yq5YFHy8O
"Aha!” he exclaimed, clapping his fingers, “So that's why you’re blushing!"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1UTSdNgXU
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQdKGcKfDm
"No, I am not," I denied, but my treacherous lips could not stop themselves from smiling.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv39UBHPfqP
"Your mouth is a walking contradiction, tol. You like the girl?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DZThPJMts
I quickly put my forefinger over my lips. "Ssshhh! Keep it down!"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQckDjyZALN
"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?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Jl7SzM8Jr
"Do you ever shut up?" I hissed again.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrIdyHcJzN
He threw his hands in the air, "Alright, alright, I'll stop."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYl6laMi3dn
But he moved closer to my ear and whispered, "But you like her right? Admit it..."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwRd5kUG6v
He gave me a pair of teasing eyes. This man would literally not stop at anything just to get the answer he wanted.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2UFUpDYQz
I sighed. "Alright, alright, I do. So?"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfir2ZL8CQr
"So? What are you sitting here for, man? Go ahead, get her!"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0kzMPF0Mq
My brow arched. "That quick? I don't even know her name."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYZKZSFtcb
"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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8qEep5rTk
I pushed myself up and faced him.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1xBagAKjJ
"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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPYOmEt1eg
He cackled.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmBk0mmPE5
"You know you can always change out of that thing, right?" he said, smiling from ear to ear.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWlsChdl2P
To my surprise, he grabbed the shining pin from my hair, making me wince in pain. 326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0O2SAKfzFW
"Go get her, man, or you'll regret it," he continued.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYKODeI7k4
My brows furrowed while I scratched the back of my neck.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TVFf8l7iE
"Really? You won't come and help me out?" I whined.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbvZmTXKuj
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?326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrfuX4ZAqV
"Come on, Judy, man up!” said Lev, smirking. "We're watching you."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RLVMqzlr1
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSS3QJwRUi
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKKhl7e6Ar
"Hi, ate, are you okay? What happened to you?" she asked, concern evident in her pretty face.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWPp0MSVOj
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ht02YMa68
"Those boys," I answered and pointed to my brothers who were talking on the other side. "They're picking on me."326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ra9LpalfY
Then I remembered that strong hit at the back of my head.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEmbxghxR7
"Ouch!" I cried, my hand rose to the part hit by the coconut shell. It was half-pretend. My head literally hurt. Damn Lev.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0NFBY5bN5
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgwqjU6g8l
"What happened to you?" she asked.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEh3sOccow
"One of them hit me on the head. It really hurts..." my face contorted in pain.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUiHIJG3uf
The frown on her face reflected genuine concern. Seeing her like that filled my stomach with fluttering butterflies.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaa9ON2HsS
"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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCeLb1ilQ9
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePfFYYbWY1
"Oh look," the girl said, "You're bleeding!"326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ95ZV94cYa
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.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15WxY59bMf
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and used it to stop the bleeding on my head.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjajmeowb2X
When she finished attending to my wound, I turned to look at her and flashed a smile of gratitude.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVPfr0O3YP
"Thank you so much..." I said as if waiting for her to give her name.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTv3W8PWOZq
She gave me a smile that said she knew exactly what I was thinking.326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCj6jqkjyX2
"Ester."
