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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZbEfssXRm
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRML9QCRNl
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtTwFraHur
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNED7KdkNe
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpskSTkF92
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSSjk3RdhS
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZj3P55YJB
A sudden warmth on my left side snapped me back to reality. Was it Joe again?459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPM8JKMHtcQ
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGHaCUFzB6
"Hey kuya," I greeted. "Tired of working already? You need a reliever?"459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKrZScOIYu
So there was a part of me that still refused to quit my dream.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0hgVAtbqC
"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."459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlg5OzIaaYI
I nodded. "Nice."459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuX6sB0hw4M
And in my head, I was wishing that happened to everyone.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiBPTLEdeb
"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."459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAqaaguBaT
Oh. Was I that obvious?459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdtcfjFzCD
"Really?" I asked.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfbkxqZzv4
"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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KRT2GWHww
"Can’t you be discreet about that, kuya?" I hissed while my cheeks grew warm. "It's embarrassing."459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolaQzoSXv0
"Aha!” he exclaimed, clapping his fingers, “So that's why you’re blushing!"459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkoo1PJpQi
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDI6h4Lads
"No, I am not," I denied, but my treacherous lips could not stop themselves from smiling.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHE7yvLtybc
"Your mouth is a walking contradiction, tol. You like the girl?"459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAD7MGqxW9
I quickly put my forefinger over my lips. "Ssshhh! Keep it down!"459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhD0y33JcU
"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?"459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEUkRZ9iug
"Do you ever shut up?" I hissed again.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKt5xzHfxB
He threw his hands in the air, "Alright, alright, I'll stop."459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZFNqU8H9X
But he moved closer to my ear and whispered, "But you like her right? Admit it..."459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5VBR5EVbu
He gave me a pair of teasing eyes. This man would literally not stop at anything just to get the answer he wanted.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QwujEMDMx
I sighed. "Alright, alright, I do. So?"459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vHTdcxvQi
"So? What are you sitting here for, man? Go ahead, get her!"459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSC0FQjQzY
My brow arched. "That quick? I don't even know her name."459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FyQLBdfB7
"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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLNYs29uVg
I pushed myself up and faced him.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gyDgAzmp1
"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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPoL1tckskV
He cackled.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdcCgubcS2p
"You know you can always change out of that thing, right?" he said, smiling from ear to ear.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXqkdtIu27
To my surprise, he grabbed the shining pin from my hair, making me wince in pain. 459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpg0tl7Ns3b
"Go get her, man, or you'll regret it," he continued.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXiwUNIYJx
My brows furrowed while I scratched the back of my neck.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJynd5GuQd8
"Really? You won't come and help me out?" I whined.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjF6ZJ5H2s
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?459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOzUw2EuEm
"Come on, Judy, man up!” said Lev, smirking. "We're watching you."459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiQXkPcQgJ
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrgFM9yDyx
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZB9bsznHr
"Hi, ate, are you okay? What happened to you?" she asked, concern evident in her pretty face.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2ukARbL8V
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVUjwoNafQ
"Those boys," I answered and pointed to my brothers who were talking on the other side. "They're picking on me."459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGpDhS2YcR
Then I remembered that strong hit at the back of my head.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzi8VA2CaBZ
"Ouch!" I cried, my hand rose to the part hit by the coconut shell. It was half-pretend. My head literally hurt. Damn Lev.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhXgpZ6F44
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdU7rSKLlU
"What happened to you?" she asked.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbDSU906mdy
"One of them hit me on the head. It really hurts..." my face contorted in pain.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcufwRl3UjW
The frown on her face reflected genuine concern. Seeing her like that filled my stomach with fluttering butterflies.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RAKb5G5TY
"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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbe6ANwNUa
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4O1wxeNHJ
"Oh look," the girl said, "You're bleeding!"459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfODCpSfdcS
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.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1p0eQOBGN
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and used it to stop the bleeding on my head.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAvGqWruad
When she finished attending to my wound, I turned to look at her and flashed a smile of gratitude.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NyaPn9hjc
"Thank you so much..." I said as if waiting for her to give her name.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6JxJyaUSy
She gave me a smile that said she knew exactly what I was thinking.459Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBnZpflJnt
"Ester."
然後按「加至主畫面」