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.182Please respect copyright.PENANAOaaWzp5ewJ
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.182Please respect copyright.PENANA22a72fIVHJ
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.182Please respect copyright.PENANA8BycS2j81D
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.182Please respect copyright.PENANAW3M04rOehw
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.182Please respect copyright.PENANAoECUzcoqBI
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.182Please respect copyright.PENANA9ffAzJrvOS
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.182Please respect copyright.PENANANDGaaVwRBU
A sudden warmth on my left side snapped me back to reality. Was it Joe again?182Please respect copyright.PENANACDtobgGSSG
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.182Please respect copyright.PENANA7lSIafbDrx
"Hey kuya," I greeted. "Tired of working already? You need a reliever?"182Please respect copyright.PENANAVr7Peq3F7I
So there was a part of me that still refused to quit my dream.182Please respect copyright.PENANAOHJszRaz2v
"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."182Please respect copyright.PENANA0htoQBN1xA
I nodded. "Nice."182Please respect copyright.PENANAEGrri3thFN
And in my head, I was wishing that happened to everyone.182Please respect copyright.PENANATfYBbgTfSj
"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."182Please respect copyright.PENANAaGvVP3m9MA
Oh. Was I that obvious?182Please respect copyright.PENANAyqVIiCbtil
"Really?" I asked.182Please respect copyright.PENANAhIn1raVF3U
"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.182Please respect copyright.PENANA2GVT8eYn1Z
"Can’t you be discreet about that, kuya?" I hissed while my cheeks grew warm. "It's embarrassing."182Please respect copyright.PENANAB4SGOxU9f7
"Aha!” he exclaimed, clapping his fingers, “So that's why you’re blushing!"182Please respect copyright.PENANAPIV89ogDMs
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.182Please respect copyright.PENANAD1yCtkZsDe
"No, I am not," I denied, but my treacherous lips could not stop themselves from smiling.182Please respect copyright.PENANA5dz9daockH
"Your mouth is a walking contradiction, tol. You like the girl?"182Please respect copyright.PENANAsoC8OXpSI2
I quickly put my forefinger over my lips. "Ssshhh! Keep it down!"182Please respect copyright.PENANAplwUgRShid
"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?"182Please respect copyright.PENANAsOZ2XWPeyU
"Do you ever shut up?" I hissed again.182Please respect copyright.PENANA5IrWtnf9C2
He threw his hands in the air, "Alright, alright, I'll stop."182Please respect copyright.PENANAaaQH8y9buk
But he moved closer to my ear and whispered, "But you like her right? Admit it..."182Please respect copyright.PENANAJtHZzPz5d2
He gave me a pair of teasing eyes. This man would literally not stop at anything just to get the answer he wanted.182Please respect copyright.PENANAZTiu3QocUl
I sighed. "Alright, alright, I do. So?"182Please respect copyright.PENANAouoUkKlHfJ
"So? What are you sitting here for, man? Go ahead, get her!"182Please respect copyright.PENANA68FnLwBbT8
My brow arched. "That quick? I don't even know her name."182Please respect copyright.PENANAWzj4tvrb2R
"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.182Please respect copyright.PENANAhKBgbyMXHF
I pushed myself up and faced him.182Please respect copyright.PENANAS6Sp34QhAw
"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.182Please respect copyright.PENANAT4cF9eNfWL
He cackled.182Please respect copyright.PENANAg9UBIlsM37
"You know you can always change out of that thing, right?" he said, smiling from ear to ear.182Please respect copyright.PENANApi9H9cVixv
To my surprise, he grabbed the shining pin from my hair, making me wince in pain. 182Please respect copyright.PENANAkWXKjkzdkT
"Go get her, man, or you'll regret it," he continued.182Please respect copyright.PENANAh3AzHyb0Vd
My brows furrowed while I scratched the back of my neck.182Please respect copyright.PENANAdd13VQHTqd
"Really? You won't come and help me out?" I whined.182Please respect copyright.PENANA5hg6l0E2OJ
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?182Please respect copyright.PENANATaazkAmGvO
"Come on, Judy, man up!” said Lev, smirking. "We're watching you."182Please respect copyright.PENANA5sw2ffK5Gd
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.182Please respect copyright.PENANAhVDjfL1XUi
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.182Please respect copyright.PENANAb51dzUHdhj
"Hi, ate, are you okay? What happened to you?" she asked, concern evident in her pretty face.182Please respect copyright.PENANAvp3K5bygvb
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.182Please respect copyright.PENANAEAuxbtkzXE
"Those boys," I answered and pointed to my brothers who were talking on the other side. "They're picking on me."182Please respect copyright.PENANAMUqilg6Y1D
Then I remembered that strong hit at the back of my head.182Please respect copyright.PENANAMDoQGRW8WO
"Ouch!" I cried, my hand rose to the part hit by the coconut shell. It was half-pretend. My head literally hurt. Damn Lev.182Please respect copyright.PENANARckvcRbYWy
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.182Please respect copyright.PENANAm4PNJ8KDp4
"What happened to you?" she asked.182Please respect copyright.PENANARKN6ReqIBf
"One of them hit me on the head. It really hurts..." my face contorted in pain.182Please respect copyright.PENANAjSVAzyv1io
The frown on her face reflected genuine concern. Seeing her like that filled my stomach with fluttering butterflies.182Please respect copyright.PENANAFFYflHiYZt
"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.182Please respect copyright.PENANAJsYx1vLHRw
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.182Please respect copyright.PENANAlafgNezIT9
"Oh look," the girl said, "You're bleeding!"182Please respect copyright.PENANAW24rlIyMaQ
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.182Please respect copyright.PENANAh6rlq1QHaL
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and used it to stop the bleeding on my head.182Please respect copyright.PENANAxEGfeoECgP
When she finished attending to my wound, I turned to look at her and flashed a smile of gratitude.182Please respect copyright.PENANAfbOg7DRRw4
"Thank you so much..." I said as if waiting for her to give her name.182Please respect copyright.PENANAd7WJMJiRNy
She gave me a smile that said she knew exactly what I was thinking.182Please respect copyright.PENANAkqNNFDrVFi
"Ester."