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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmskt1QR3P
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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfmzizoqu0
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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIWu2VosNF
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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqVVcsyjmX
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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzY0LGx70QO
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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSpG2CijQ7
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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhY9GbizKCO
A sudden warmth on my left side snapped me back to reality. Was it Joe again?419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIrRvHTUxA
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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoRBmS3vvj
"Hey kuya," I greeted. "Tired of working already? You need a reliever?"419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6lavaXuZI
So there was a part of me that still refused to quit my dream.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNekrEsuvf
"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."419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzKkaA2cY8
I nodded. "Nice."419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtC7C8G5JqQ
And in my head, I was wishing that happened to everyone.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrjnFPnEvu
"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."419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94EdiFUUpp
Oh. Was I that obvious?419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1hAtH17qz
"Really?" I asked.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchGeGpbcze
"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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHHSkJOxap
"Can’t you be discreet about that, kuya?" I hissed while my cheeks grew warm. "It's embarrassing."419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIcKtG4uKp
"Aha!” he exclaimed, clapping his fingers, “So that's why you’re blushing!"419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhYe1feqiD
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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYeNmBHERq4
"No, I am not," I denied, but my treacherous lips could not stop themselves from smiling.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJ6muHGkvK
"Your mouth is a walking contradiction, tol. You like the girl?"419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANXWsseYfF
I quickly put my forefinger over my lips. "Ssshhh! Keep it down!"419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR85S0yk72K
"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?"419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZhgtaIZo0
"Do you ever shut up?" I hissed again.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGBVJP4ezo
He threw his hands in the air, "Alright, alright, I'll stop."419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQOyjlQINr
But he moved closer to my ear and whispered, "But you like her right? Admit it..."419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4u3zqCNbxf
He gave me a pair of teasing eyes. This man would literally not stop at anything just to get the answer he wanted.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLObKSMIgpM
I sighed. "Alright, alright, I do. So?"419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Km5yE7ROj
"So? What are you sitting here for, man? Go ahead, get her!"419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0H1vc8An9
My brow arched. "That quick? I don't even know her name."419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcRabX2JMv
"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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjDNX0tzNH
I pushed myself up and faced him.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaV4vgcgcj
"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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQBgZcjWwb
He cackled.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0q8GyMVsFo
"You know you can always change out of that thing, right?" he said, smiling from ear to ear.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEnIDSLJ7h
To my surprise, he grabbed the shining pin from my hair, making me wince in pain. 419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFDlKUDevY
"Go get her, man, or you'll regret it," he continued.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKcPYlfMCW
My brows furrowed while I scratched the back of my neck.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2IfS5Kq1s
"Really? You won't come and help me out?" I whined.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNU79kFVGuj
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?419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHPkSLWTfy
"Come on, Judy, man up!” said Lev, smirking. "We're watching you."419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1S1v2j3wU
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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphCFeAocaY
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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MnyIITN9s
"Hi, ate, are you okay? What happened to you?" she asked, concern evident in her pretty face.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUy2F5p0Pi
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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimJ095GIZl
"Those boys," I answered and pointed to my brothers who were talking on the other side. "They're picking on me."419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRedOICscT9
Then I remembered that strong hit at the back of my head.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHnUlxcAae
"Ouch!" I cried, my hand rose to the part hit by the coconut shell. It was half-pretend. My head literally hurt. Damn Lev.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2THVKzsfbU
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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3tBomXSRt
"What happened to you?" she asked.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaedbPM01Fp
"One of them hit me on the head. It really hurts..." my face contorted in pain.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHjTXX21bd
The frown on her face reflected genuine concern. Seeing her like that filled my stomach with fluttering butterflies.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBVrjXCQLk
"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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgtwWiHzLr
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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XfhAsMnsd
"Oh look," the girl said, "You're bleeding!"419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgtDwLLOCD
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.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNo63WA9LUh
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and used it to stop the bleeding on my head.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VJzs4rKYx
When she finished attending to my wound, I turned to look at her and flashed a smile of gratitude.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0anxrQfeZo
"Thank you so much..." I said as if waiting for her to give her name.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfZ72ed5CI
She gave me a smile that said she knew exactly what I was thinking.419Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xNMPlmx56
"Ester."
