While she’s feeding Gerald a soup….

“Pasyal tayo bukas?!”… yaya nito…

“Pasyal ka dyan… ni hindi ka pa nga magaling!”…. sagot ni Kim…

“I’m better….I’m not sick anymore!”…he said…

“NOt sick….not sick ka dyan…. Tignan mo nga at numumutla ka pa?!.. saka……….”…kim stopped her sentence…..

“saka ano?”… he asked wanting Kim to continue her words…….

“Ano…eh!….”… she hesitated….

“Ano nga?”….

“Saan ba tayo pupunta kung sakali?”…..she asked…

“Sa mall…..sa movie house….. Kahit saan…basta pasyal tayo!” …he answered….

“Kasi…….. “….she grinned… “Baka pagtinginan lang tayo ng mga tao…. Tignan mo nga ang ……magkaiba tayo ng itsura….”…she explained…

“So what…. Who cares what other people said!!”….

“Ayoko lang na mapagtawanan ka nila!”….she said….looking down…

Gerald lift her chin up…. He scanned her face….”Hindi ka naman mukhang clown… hindi ka rin mukhang commedian….. So nasan ang nakakatawa?”…he smiled….

Hinampas niya ito sa braso….”Hindi ka naman nagseseryoso eh….. Basta…….. Wag na lang!! Dito na lang tayo!!”…

Gerald put on the grinch smile….”you know… I like the Idea of staying here with you…. Specially in your bedroom….cozy!!”….

“Cozy…cozy!! Anong Cozy ang naririnig ko diyan….. Baka gusto mo sa kwarto kita magpacozy..”…sabat ni Auntie Pokie….habang naghuhugas ito ng plato….

Kakamot-kamot ng ulo si Gerald….”Biro lang po Auntie…”… binalingan ulit si Kim…”Sige na please…”…

Kim grinned… “Bahala na!! basta ubusin mo muna itong pagkain mo…ng makainom ka na ng gamot….at makapagpahinga ka na!”…she said…

“Magpapasundo lang ako kay Fred..”…he said trying to get the phone on his pocket….”Ang hirap naman kunin ng phone ko… psssssstt… Kim…. Pakikuha naman!!!”…. He said…pointing on his pocket…… giving Kim a naughty smile….

Kim blushed….”Alam mo Ikaw…….”

“Ako na lang!!”….Auntie Pokie jumped on Kims’ back and was going to put her hands on Geralds’ pocket….

Biglang tayo ni Gerald…..”Okay na po….nakuha ko na po!!”…he said…

“Tignan mo itong batang ito…… tumutulong na nga ang tao…ayaw pa!! Baka di mo alam…maraming nagpapangarap na ilagay ko ang mga precious kong kamay sa bulsa nila!!”…Hirit ni Auntie Pokie…

“Sino po…yung magtataho.. Diyan sa kanto?”….hirit ni Kim…

“Hindi….yung magbabalot!!”…sagot ni Auntie Pokie….

Nagtawanan ang magtiyahin…. Gerald love the sight…. He was loving every minute…every second he’s spending time with Kim and Auntie Pokie…… He can’t imagine his life without them… Lahat ng problema…nakakalimutan niya…dahil sa kanila!.. He smiled…. He thinks that waiting for the right time is better for him and Kim….mas maganda ang relasyon nilang dalawa ngayon… Kim doesn’t look like she’s running away again… I just needed to wait for the right time…….

He called Fred to pick him up….when he saw Matt coming…….something came up on his mind….

“Hey Matt…..”…

“Oi…parekoy!! Ano problema?”….

“Can you go with me….I really need your help!”… he said…

Matt look at him…”Si Kim ano….. Ewan ko ba sayo… sa dinamidami ng babae….yun pang amazona na yon ang type mo!! Alam mo bang nangangagat yon!!”…he said scratching his back of the head….

“Wala eh…tinamaan talaga…. Pero yap…. She’s part of the problem… kaya nga I need your help!”… he said….

“Hmmnn…. And lagay ba eh…ganon na lang yon?”…Matt said…

“Siyempre hindi….dahil pag napapayag natin si Kim na sumama…. Ako sagot sa first date nyo ni Mel!”… he said…

Matt face lightened….”ok!! Ok!! Game!!”….

“Good..”… Gerald smiled…

Fred arrive…. Hindi maipinta ang mukha ni Matt….

“Hoy!! Mukha mo…sabi ko naman sayo….hindi mo kakayanin yang Bakulaw na yan….baka ilampaso ka lang sa sahig… tignan mo nga oh….dibdib pa lang….baka makalas ang buto mo!!”…kalabit sa kanya ni Kim….

“Aba….kahit buto-buto to… “…tapik ni Matt sa dibdib niya!! “Hindi ko siya uurungan… tutusukin ko siya ng buto ko!! Tignan ko lang kung makapalag yang Bakulaw na yan!! Magkamatayan na…hinding hindi niya maaagaw si Mel!”….

Kim smiled… “Mahal mo talaga si Mel ano?”….

Inakbayan siya ni Matt…. “Mahal na mahal!! Sabi nga sa ingles… I’ll die for her!”….

Kim giggled… “Ang baduy mo pala kapag inlove!!”…

“Parehas lang tayo!”….ginulo nito ang buhok ni Kim!!…

Lumapit si Gerald kay Kim….

“alis na kami….balik ako bukas!!”…he smiled….and kiss her in the forehead….”Please…dream of me!”…. binalingan si Matt… “Parekoy….ready ka na?”…

“Ready na!!”….he waved goodbye to Kim…

“Hoy!! Bakit kasama ka?”…. tanong ni kim…

Pero nakaalis na ang tatlo…. Naiwang nagtataka si Kim….

Papanhik ng kwarto si Kim……

“Anak!!….. Dalaga na ang anak ko!!”…Auntie Pokie said…

“Auntie …. Thank you po sa lahat ng payo..!!”…she smiled…

“Basta anak… ang bataan….. Ingatan!!”…

“Ang Auntie talaga….wala ng inisip kundi ang bataan!”…iiling iling si Kim….. “Auntie……..”…tawag niya dito….

“Oh…bakit?”…..tanong nito..

Bumaba siya sa hagdan.. “Pasuklay?”… lambing niya dito…

Auntie Pokie frowned…. “Bakit….may problema ka na naman?”…

“Wala po… nami-miss ko na yun eh!!”…she said…fixing herself in the chair……

Auntie Pokie got the brush… “Asus….. Ang anak ko talaga!!”.. ..

Kim’s eyes were closed while listening to Auntie Pokies humming…. She smiled… sana ganito lagi ang feeling… yung walang masakit… puro Masaya…. For the first time after a very long time Kim…prayed… “God…. Ibigay nyo na siya sa akin….. Yun lang ang hihilingin ko ulit sayo… Kasi dati…di mo ako pinakinggan….nung pinakiusap ko si Dad sayo…. Please… let Gerald stay!”….

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Kinabukasan….. Kim woke up early… excited siyang Makita si Gerald… There’s no school…because of some staff meeting…kaya they have the whole day together to spend with……. But to her dismay…wala ang cook sa breakfast niya… Nasan na ba yung lalaking yon…. Atat-na-atat pa mandin siyang bumaba para makita lang yun…. Pero ni anino wala………. Hala Kim!! Baka…ito na ang start ng panlalamig niya sayo!!

Kim look at herself in the mirror…. Black shirt…with black cargo pants with chain on the side….converse shoes….she left her hair down…the last time na she fix her hair… hindi naman napansin ni Gerald….so she just left it down…. Same old Kim… if he ask her to change for him….gagawin niya kaya?….

She heard a knock….. Her face lightened…baka siya na yun!! But it’s not him….si Matt ang dumating….

“pasok!! May pakatok-katok ka pa!!”… she said…pouting…

“Teka…may gift ako sayo!!”….Hirit ni Matt…

“Anong gift?”… nagtatakang tanong niya…..

“Heto oh!!”… may hinatak ito sa gilid nito…

Her eyes widened….jaw dropped…. “Diyos Ko Po!”….yun lang ang nasabi niya……..

Eh sino ba ang hindi magugulat…. In front of her….is Gerald on emo style….pero…the different is…..nagmukha itong drug addict na emo……. His hair is on spunk style…. Good thing he didn’t shave the hair on the side of his head….but the middle were all sticking up… black shirt….black skinny jeans…..Infairness…nice !!…. Black converse…. To worsen it… he was wearing a black eye liner on his eyebrows and under his eyes..…and black lipstick…. His fingernails are colored with black nail polished……she also noticed that one of his ear is red…and had a skull earings….wala namang butas ng tenga ito kahapon…..

Gerald smiled…. “H-hi!”…ilang na sabi nito……

“Oh ano Kim….magaling ba akong magmake over…..”… proud na tanong ni Matt…..

Lumapit siya kay Matt….”Ikaw pal ang may sala!!”…she said….still looking at Gerald from head to toe…

“OO naman!!”…Matt still smiling….

“Alam mo…”…she paused and hit Matt on the forehead!! Pero kay Gerald nakatingin….

“aray!!”,….Matt massaging his forehead…

“Hindi ko alam kung ano ang nasa kukote mo!!” …she hit Matt on his chest….still talking to Gerald..

“Aray !!”…. Matt massaging his chest….

“Sa dinami-dami ng tao sa mundo….bakit dito nakikihalubilo!!”….she hit Matt on his stomach… but still talking to Gerald…

“Aray naman!! Siya kausap mo….bakit ako ang binubugbog mo!!”…Matt complain…massaging his stomach…

Kim ignored Matt….still talking to Gerald…. “Ano bang pakana ito…bakit ka nagpamakeover…. Tignan mo nga…namamaga pa ang tenga mo!!”….. sa inis….she hit Matt on his head….

“Aray!! Ano ba! Bakit hindi siya ang batukan mo!!!”….Matt complained…

Kim pointed her fingers to Matt…”HOy!! Tumahimik ka…. At talagang hindi lang yan aabutin mo!!”…. and she hit him in the arms…

“Sabi ko nga….tumahimik!! Amazonang ito!!”…Matt said…moving away to Kim….

“Eh kasi…you don’t want to go out with me…kasi you said…we look different…. So I changed my looks….para di ka na mailang!!”…Gerald explained…

Kim’s heart melted…. Tignan mo na… para sayo naman pala eh!! Bawasan mo na ang usok diyan sa ilong mo… !!….

Kim took a deep breath… “Halika nga… “…she touched his ears…

“Aray!!”…he flinched…

“Ayan kasi eh… bakit ba kailangan mo pang gawin ito!! Hindi ko naman hinihiling ito… “…she said…removing his earring…

Gerald kept on flinching… “You know…I’ll do everything for you!!”…he said…

Kim took out the earring….look at Gerald… She can still saw the pain on his face…. But the mere fact that he did all of this so she wouldn’t feel any different from him…makes her heart melt… she grab his face….and gave him a kiss on the forehead….

“Wag mo nang gagawin ito sa sarili mo….. “…she said… erasing his black lipstick and the black eye liner…

Gerald held her hand….”Kim… if this is the only way na mapapayag kitang lumabas with me…. I’ll do the same over and over again!!… So ano… labas na tayo!!”….he said…

“OO nga Kim…. Hirap din ng trabaho ko ha!! Pumayag ka na….please!!! “….Matt begged her…he’s sitting on the dining table….

Kim look at Gerald…She stood up…”OO na sige na! Babasain ko lang itong bimpo…. Hirap tanggalin ng makeup mo….”….

“Yes!! Mel ….her I come!!”….Matt clapped his hands….

Kim pushes Matt off the dining Table and hit him in the head….

Matt fell off on his …”Aray!! “…. he crawled down…papuntang pintuan… “Aalis na ako…kasi baka sa ospital ang uwi ko nito…hindi pa matuloy ang date namin ni Mel!! Sige parekoy!! Enjoy!!”…he said…

Pero bago siya makaalis….Auntie Pokie arrive….”Oh Matt…anong ginagawa mo diyan sa sahig….”…

“Si Kim po kasi…binubugbog ako!!”….he said…

“Eh bakit…………… Diyos ko po!!”…nakita nito si Gerald…. Nagpalipat-lipat ng tingin si Auntie Pokie sa tatlo….nag matanto nito ang nangyayari…. Bigla nitong binatukan si Matt….

“Aray!! Auntie naman eh!!”….Matt stood up…. “AAlis na talaga ako…..di pa nga ako nakakaranas makipagdate……..mukhang sa sementeryo na ang tuloy ko nito…”…he run out…

Kim clean Gerald face….. Nilinis din niya yung tenga ni Gerald na bagong butas… She also fixed his hair…. .. “ayan….gwapong emo ka na!!”….she said…looking at him!!

Gerald look at himself in the mirror…. Hindi niya alam na kaya niyang gawin ito sa sarili niya… gone is the boy next door look…..and he’s welcoming the new emo Gerald….

Not bad….emo Gerald…with emo Kim…. Love the tandem….