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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSS7Zz8gPR
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweXX0MMdWv
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagON0bziML
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQJuoXA1EQ
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyAPtHCC3S
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBFgca4OHH
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjWyFhnnfE
A sudden warmth on my left side snapped me back to reality. Was it Joe again?376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPyJO9jDy7
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmEqjwey4L
"Hey kuya," I greeted. "Tired of working already? You need a reliever?"376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlzaMKMU0Q
So there was a part of me that still refused to quit my dream.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRu3hMVf17
"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."376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZShyBttka
I nodded. "Nice."376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SsQTRBVoe
And in my head, I was wishing that happened to everyone.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsPNXURKT0
"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."376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXwQriwdon
Oh. Was I that obvious?376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKsYawfCgB
"Really?" I asked.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChhUaEjTM7
"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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1WOpS1cfe
"Can’t you be discreet about that, kuya?" I hissed while my cheeks grew warm. "It's embarrassing."376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNc4hQWSd2
"Aha!” he exclaimed, clapping his fingers, “So that's why you’re blushing!"376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTkwVouACf
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhpsgpt7EK
"No, I am not," I denied, but my treacherous lips could not stop themselves from smiling.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7Co6xb0kP
"Your mouth is a walking contradiction, tol. You like the girl?"376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYXz3W3iab
I quickly put my forefinger over my lips. "Ssshhh! Keep it down!"376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LxRPAgXfP
"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?"376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GuoSdTL1C
"Do you ever shut up?" I hissed again.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfefSbgK4C
He threw his hands in the air, "Alright, alright, I'll stop."376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGldMs4Jp7
But he moved closer to my ear and whispered, "But you like her right? Admit it..."376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTUNa8TJLX
He gave me a pair of teasing eyes. This man would literally not stop at anything just to get the answer he wanted.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLudlsulg2
I sighed. "Alright, alright, I do. So?"376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAIsR3TO5e
"So? What are you sitting here for, man? Go ahead, get her!"376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkNEa6YzDL
My brow arched. "That quick? I don't even know her name."376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouX95znFm1
"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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvFg9sOxAh
I pushed myself up and faced him.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RvV85hGYB
"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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwwsHuRpNS
He cackled.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxmOzJjynJ
"You know you can always change out of that thing, right?" he said, smiling from ear to ear.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMROvsCHzR
To my surprise, he grabbed the shining pin from my hair, making me wince in pain. 376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKfZ6HuLP5
"Go get her, man, or you'll regret it," he continued.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXOU9I2dyu
My brows furrowed while I scratched the back of my neck.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQynak22RCB
"Really? You won't come and help me out?" I whined.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMlzaMadvS
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?376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZXk0LRUJ3
"Come on, Judy, man up!” said Lev, smirking. "We're watching you."376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcECquX38LG
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbJNPjKoRI
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdqGIobmQP
"Hi, ate, are you okay? What happened to you?" she asked, concern evident in her pretty face.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1AGX98pku
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOn0r81cquV
"Those boys," I answered and pointed to my brothers who were talking on the other side. "They're picking on me."376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7i38chHXF
Then I remembered that strong hit at the back of my head.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxVW3sqhht
"Ouch!" I cried, my hand rose to the part hit by the coconut shell. It was half-pretend. My head literally hurt. Damn Lev.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZfvuFYRuu
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyt2BCU6Y7v
"What happened to you?" she asked.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplIHx9DXad
"One of them hit me on the head. It really hurts..." my face contorted in pain.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbejnn6LqM
The frown on her face reflected genuine concern. Seeing her like that filled my stomach with fluttering butterflies.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqtnamxVUM
"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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdK2Ncc2ixB
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxqrVKCwZk
"Oh look," the girl said, "You're bleeding!"376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBB5AvZPms
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljkV5ObK3o
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and used it to stop the bleeding on my head.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpTd42Q43q
When she finished attending to my wound, I turned to look at her and flashed a smile of gratitude.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUDmVM7Fzg
"Thank you so much..." I said as if waiting for her to give her name.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXN9CN1mEj
She gave me a smile that said she knew exactly what I was thinking.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcCcbNSbaj
"Ester."
