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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuA5RJbrbS
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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGzXt9csZt
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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGnH6agslB
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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHhq5djJB1
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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7bNPoEu6r3
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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyL8Fiqt0O
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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9x2WaoFKlV
A sudden warmth on my left side snapped me back to reality. Was it Joe again?411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQwBJunLIl
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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0erRKfSzP
"Hey kuya," I greeted. "Tired of working already? You need a reliever?"411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAR4P7602jN
So there was a part of me that still refused to quit my dream.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfeUfXsXj9
"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."411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhGhnmqlWN
I nodded. "Nice."411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMloLVZTHr
And in my head, I was wishing that happened to everyone.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQxBcsBTfu
"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."411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq32Y25wOsJ
Oh. Was I that obvious?411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjx2zpy7C0
"Really?" I asked.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3juxsJQ2dM
"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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAx3RhQr8R
"Can’t you be discreet about that, kuya?" I hissed while my cheeks grew warm. "It's embarrassing."411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPo1WRSVH86
"Aha!” he exclaimed, clapping his fingers, “So that's why you’re blushing!"411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LDoxgiwwg
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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOeV6XBwqY
"No, I am not," I denied, but my treacherous lips could not stop themselves from smiling.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5BBtgauH6
"Your mouth is a walking contradiction, tol. You like the girl?"411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjguf3jGfry
I quickly put my forefinger over my lips. "Ssshhh! Keep it down!"411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPwThX2IDT
"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?"411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTq7Vkb6pIZ
"Do you ever shut up?" I hissed again.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8goj1VgXfi
He threw his hands in the air, "Alright, alright, I'll stop."411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SHd7TAC0O
But he moved closer to my ear and whispered, "But you like her right? Admit it..."411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvsyYMXvq0
He gave me a pair of teasing eyes. This man would literally not stop at anything just to get the answer he wanted.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREow9Dmceo
I sighed. "Alright, alright, I do. So?"411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQ4bpLZZ5N
"So? What are you sitting here for, man? Go ahead, get her!"411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbPFAlJAdm
My brow arched. "That quick? I don't even know her name."411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUeeOdW04J
"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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CBX25AfvR
I pushed myself up and faced him.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61ejnUwQ1f
"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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTP2QYHlSX
He cackled.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1Vk5oobtc
"You know you can always change out of that thing, right?" he said, smiling from ear to ear.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fHgO7sZsf
To my surprise, he grabbed the shining pin from my hair, making me wince in pain. 411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZ2lTQWTZA
"Go get her, man, or you'll regret it," he continued.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sEIuGWxUc
My brows furrowed while I scratched the back of my neck.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkclO2p1NIK
"Really? You won't come and help me out?" I whined.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREnLbqeasz
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?411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGSE7Vm4eV
"Come on, Judy, man up!” said Lev, smirking. "We're watching you."411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtJmJTrtBc
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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsKgXRwgui
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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yMJvADHyx
"Hi, ate, are you okay? What happened to you?" she asked, concern evident in her pretty face.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkkcsAQsb9
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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVGPloLSGU
"Those boys," I answered and pointed to my brothers who were talking on the other side. "They're picking on me."411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMbzwZzBCe
Then I remembered that strong hit at the back of my head.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5Sei3JQ4H
"Ouch!" I cried, my hand rose to the part hit by the coconut shell. It was half-pretend. My head literally hurt. Damn Lev.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaIZS73zo7
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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNvpdkoVXO
"What happened to you?" she asked.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAnp4SVVeu
"One of them hit me on the head. It really hurts..." my face contorted in pain.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscOJ86tdhO
The frown on her face reflected genuine concern. Seeing her like that filled my stomach with fluttering butterflies.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ12blZbMCm
"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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2eV8FDuq9
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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQcbMYgjQL
"Oh look," the girl said, "You're bleeding!"411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSoPkVqEkJq
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.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLepeyENte
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and used it to stop the bleeding on my head.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydBs5W60CJ
When she finished attending to my wound, I turned to look at her and flashed a smile of gratitude.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAoDuYAiCS
"Thank you so much..." I said as if waiting for her to give her name.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFy65qATnG
She gave me a smile that said she knew exactly what I was thinking.411Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4aSgsj036z
"Ester."
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