The night went well…. For Kim…it’s the greatest day in her life…. That night….she was the happiest girl in town…and it’s all because of Gerald… She never taught that this day will ever come when she was actually happy…. Where she can smile without pretending….

“Hindi na ako bababa…. Alis na ako…maaga pa tayo bukas… I’ll go there early tomorrow ok!”… Gerald said…while sitting in the car…

“Ok…Thanks for the wonderful night.”…she opened the door and was about to go down when Gerald pulled her….”Ano?”…

“Teka… may nakakalimutan ka?”….

“Ano?”….she asked…frowning…

“Yung goodbye kiss ko?”….pouting his lips…

“Anong kiss na naman…. Maga pa nga itong labi ko sa kahahalik mo…kiss ka na naman diyan!”….she said trying to go down in the car….

“Sige na …please!!”… he begged…

Kim grinned…. “kung di lang kita m……” …she stopped her sentence….

Gerald put on his Grinch smile….”Kung di lang ano??…. Sige ituloy mo!”…he said….

“Wala…. O ayan…Kiss na…”…she gave him a quick kiss on his lips…got off the car…. Running inside the house…

“Hey…madaya ka!! “..he said…scratching his head…. Start the car and took off…

Kim inside the house was still in the door reminiscing what happened earlier………. Wow…ganito pala ang feeling….. She smiled….

“Anak…nandyan ka na pala….”…LUmapit sa kanya si Auntie Pokie at inikutan siya na parang pulis…..”Kamusta ang bataan…. Wala ka bang hicky diyan….”….

“Auntie…”…iiling-iling si Kim…”intact pa po ang bataan…. At walang ebidensiya…maingat po si Gerald eh!!”….biro niya dito…

Nanlaki ang mata nito….”anong ebidensiya…. Hoy Kimberly…maghubad ka ngayon din…… tignan ko kung gaano kagaling magtago ng ebidensiya ang Geraldo na yan…. Teka….” tinitigan siya nito… “Baka ikaw ang naglagay ng ebidensiya kay Gerald ano??.. Anak…kailan ka pa naging bampira?”…..

“Auntie talaga…. “… ng may napansin siyang package sa lamesa… “Uyy.. Ano ito?”….

“Hindi ko alam…walang return address eh… pero para sayo yan anak”…

“hhmmnn..”… SIno kaya ang nagpadala sa kanya ng package….baka may surpresa pa sa kanya si Gerald…. Nagmadali siyang buksan ito…. Pero nawala ang ngiti niya ng Makita ang laman…….. Ilang taon niyang hinintay ito…. Nanginginig ang kamay habang binubuksan niya ang sulat….

“Anak,

Patawarin mo sana ako sa ginawa ko noon. Hindi ko sinasadyang maging duwag…at hindi kayang harapin ang sakit na nararamdaman ko. Kung bibigyan mo pa sana ako ng pagkakataon para magpaliwanag sa iyo, marami pa akong gustong sabihin bago pa ako mawala dito sa mundo. Kahit gusto kong umuwi diyan at harapin ka ay hindi ko na kaya. Mahina na ako. My liver is giving up because of too much alcohol. Your dad is dying because of me being a coward to face the pain. In this letter I’m giving you a ticket and a passport that I fixed here in US with my attorney. Please give me a chance to explain myself……and be your dad again…

Love,
Daddy “

Kim hugged the letter…….and cried… she was longing to hear those words again… “Daddy….”…she sobbed….

“Anak?”….Auntie Pokie hugged her…. Took the letter from her and read it…. “DIyos ko po!!”.. yun lang ang nasabi nito… She hugged Kim as tight as she can…. Kahit gusto niyang burahin ang sakit na nararamdaman nito…ay hindi niya kaya…. “Anak…nandito lang ako… di kita iiwan!!”….

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On the other side….. Gerald was opening the door in his house…. He was so happy….. Everything went well…except on the cemetery part…. But…everything went smooth… He couldn’t forget when Kim pulled him so he can kiss her…..he chuckled….

Pagpasok niya sa loob ng bahay ng magulat siya to see his mom sitting in the living room….

“Gerald is that you?”….she asked….and was stunned when she saw him…”Oh my Lord… what happened to you?”…. she grab her chest na parang magkakaheart attack…

Gerald forgot all about the emo look… He look at self in the mirror in the living room…..Kid actually did a good job fixing his look after what Matt did….but still… His mom are not used to these look… “M-mom! When did you arrive… bakit di ka man lang nagsabi?”…he tried to change the subject….

“Gerald Randolph Anderson…..what is going on? Why do you look like ….that? Saang Kulto ka nagsasasali?… Anak….Oh my God…. I’ve read this before…. Your not suicidal right?….or are you?”…. her mom kept on and on…..

“Mom…relax… I’m not suicidal… and pretty sure… I’m not gonna kill myself…ngayon pa na I’m happy!”…

“Happy? Well… you don’t look like your happy to me… Look at yourself… para kang bum… My God Gerald… Fred told me na you’re dating this girl… Ganyan ba ang itsura ng dinedate mo ngayon?”… nanlalaking mata na tanong nito….

“Well….yes…. But……she’s not what you think she is?”….he said defending Kim…

“She’s not what I think she is?… eh look at you…. Ano sa tingin mo ang iisipin ko… right now…she’s in my hate list for making you look like a bum!! Hindi kita pinalaking ganyan… “….

“Mom….it’s okay… magbibihis na ako…okay… so relax….and then I’ll fix you dinner!”…he said kissing his mom on the cheeks….

His mom was left in the living room still frustrated of how her son turn out too… siguro nga…it’s her fault of leaving too much…. She called Fred…”Frederiko… yes…it’s tita…. I just want to know kung saan nakatira itong new girl ni Gerald… yes… I want to meet her…. Thanks iho!”…. she got her purse and left……

Gerald went down on his casual clothes….and was wondering where his mom left…. Iiling-iling na bumalik siya sa kwarto…..Siguro may tumawag na amiga niya….Oh well… kung hindi siguro naging maganda ang date nila ni Kim….he would have felt bad… but since it’s nice to reminisce what happened earlier…. Magse-senti na lang siya sa kwarto niya…….

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Kim was just wiping her tears….medyo kumalma na siya …. Now…she’s stuck of the feeling of wanting to go….and not… kapag umalis ako… pano si Auntie Pokie… pano si Mel and Matt…. Pano si Gerald?…

When she heard a knock on the door… She opened the door…

“Ano po iyon?”…she asked…. The lady in front of her was really pretty…. Halatang galing sa mayamang pamilya….

“Atleast you know how to be nice……”…she said… looking at Kim from head to toe…”So…ikaw pala ang bagong kinahuhumalingan ng anak ko…”…umangat ang kilay nito…

“K-kayo po ang mommy ni G-Gerald?”…she asked….

“Ako nga…..”….

“Tuloy po kayo….” she said…

“hindi na……hindi rin ako magtatagal… Gusto ko lang Makita sa dalawang mata ko kung bakit nahumaling sayo ang anak ko….”…. iiling-iling ito… “SIguro nga I was gone for a long time…kaya hindi ko naalagaan ang anak ko…. I still don’t see why he wants to spend time with a girl like you…. “…she said….

Kims’ face turned red….

“YEs… you are pretty….but still… I think you’re a bad influence to my son… My son never dress like that before….and he will never do it again….kaya I’m warning you… since you were playing a big part of influencing him to look like a bum…. You need to stop it now…. I’m here to protect my son…. And I will protect him from you… I don’t think you’re the right girl for her….”.. she took out some money on her purse… “Here…. To settled this!”….

Kims’ eyes were moist….but she tried to hold it… she will not cry… lalo na sa mga taong umaalipusta sa kanya…….. She look at the money in front of her…..

“Hindi po ako mukhang pera…. Kung gusto niyong layuan ko si Gerald… noon ko pa po ginagawa yon… Yung anak niyo ang makulit… Hindi ko po ipinipilit ang sarili ko sa anak niyo….. AT hindi rin po ako bastos na tao… pero kung patuloy niyo po akong iinsultuhin….makakaalis na po kayo…”…she said still trying not to cry….

“Very well…”… She hide the money back to her purse… “Sana nagkakaintindihan tayo!”… and walked away….

Kim closed the door… tears fell on her cheeks…….. Ito ang kapalit ng pagiging Masaya…. I knew it…. Masasaktan lang ako……. Masasaktan lang ako…….. kasalanan mo ito Kim…

“anak…sino yung kausap mo?”…tanong ni Auntie Pokie…habang lumalabas sa banyo….

Kim wiped her tears….”Wala po!”… and run to her room….. And cried…. That night a decision was made…. She’s running away …again…….