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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmL77Jgtpot
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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqx67ZMlipO
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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qqb8WjpJO
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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrRVg2bWYq
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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZWjMYobxS
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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcFN4TiSeq
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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rRCg3fOnu
A sudden warmth on my left side snapped me back to reality. Was it Joe again?379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQhtY4u813
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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVOxyiGuKe
"Hey kuya," I greeted. "Tired of working already? You need a reliever?"379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5WCCDX64u
So there was a part of me that still refused to quit my dream.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSE4p1eFfF
"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."379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNPHj5w4JU
I nodded. "Nice."379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICxENpajOz
And in my head, I was wishing that happened to everyone.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpQkOMwbKv
"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."379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQF19jm4jnA
Oh. Was I that obvious?379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tfW2I4PZm
"Really?" I asked.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoGLnEnjYl
"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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwUyYhUDuz
"Can’t you be discreet about that, kuya?" I hissed while my cheeks grew warm. "It's embarrassing."379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdQrEDbCVg
"Aha!” he exclaimed, clapping his fingers, “So that's why you’re blushing!"379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmMC9bFPsI
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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFPGIZVzMk
"No, I am not," I denied, but my treacherous lips could not stop themselves from smiling.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dpq1yuizm
"Your mouth is a walking contradiction, tol. You like the girl?"379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB58ltgkFhA
I quickly put my forefinger over my lips. "Ssshhh! Keep it down!"379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP44ablATMG
"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?"379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1ohIiMjBa
"Do you ever shut up?" I hissed again.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngXj9Lb6U1
He threw his hands in the air, "Alright, alright, I'll stop."379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJ39IRaJob
But he moved closer to my ear and whispered, "But you like her right? Admit it..."379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMo3RdS7Idt
He gave me a pair of teasing eyes. This man would literally not stop at anything just to get the answer he wanted.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsebfK1ZeFC
I sighed. "Alright, alright, I do. So?"379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7EX4PXdoZ
"So? What are you sitting here for, man? Go ahead, get her!"379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuu77jjuFSf
My brow arched. "That quick? I don't even know her name."379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAEb7tRnjP
"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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5bvfJiM6D
I pushed myself up and faced him.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoPrnaXKrm
"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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6jmqq0mZJ
He cackled.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprOfG90xug
"You know you can always change out of that thing, right?" he said, smiling from ear to ear.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIbqDaHXod
To my surprise, he grabbed the shining pin from my hair, making me wince in pain. 379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQ5diPVehD
"Go get her, man, or you'll regret it," he continued.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsBTvF5h3b
My brows furrowed while I scratched the back of my neck.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2bRi4tdNX
"Really? You won't come and help me out?" I whined.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYhLtLKRry
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?379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgkRWvmm0a
"Come on, Judy, man up!” said Lev, smirking. "We're watching you."379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3bkg4KbpK
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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eXYODd6BS
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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvH1PlBuqp
"Hi, ate, are you okay? What happened to you?" she asked, concern evident in her pretty face.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPZH7bOKm9
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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCasDxLvr18
"Those boys," I answered and pointed to my brothers who were talking on the other side. "They're picking on me."379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWShRha34b
Then I remembered that strong hit at the back of my head.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocHA9LNxQ9
"Ouch!" I cried, my hand rose to the part hit by the coconut shell. It was half-pretend. My head literally hurt. Damn Lev.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl976GV6uFO
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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EQN8GSj2m
"What happened to you?" she asked.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Pc5Awh6uY
"One of them hit me on the head. It really hurts..." my face contorted in pain.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZLuqVlxL0
The frown on her face reflected genuine concern. Seeing her like that filled my stomach with fluttering butterflies.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPvOypii8J
"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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4LxUz7d9X
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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQNSEaZdXe
"Oh look," the girl said, "You're bleeding!"379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWudDsUdMeE
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.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOcBzVJ7Ap
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and used it to stop the bleeding on my head.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaw9jbYfIz5
When she finished attending to my wound, I turned to look at her and flashed a smile of gratitude.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5yWprxvKR
"Thank you so much..." I said as if waiting for her to give her name.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDfbJcKkdd
She gave me a smile that said she knew exactly what I was thinking.379Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4UPnGxnlE
"Ester."
and then Add to home screen.