Kim was just staring at the skate board…when she felt movement on the bed… Nathan was waking up……

“ouch…..hmmnn…. My head….”…. he tried to open his eyes…..pero the sun rays was too much too handle… he closed it again…… “can anyone please……turn off the light!!”….he moaned…

Kim stood up… “If I can do it…. I did it before it even rises in the morning… What‘s the sense of sun rising anyway….”….she pulled out his blanket…

Nathan open his eyes…..and trying to find where the voice is……. Nanlaki ang mata nito…”Ay… Blacklady!!”… he look at her very carefully….frowning… “Kimmy?… Kimmy?… OMG…what happen?”

“I DIED!”… she said…walking out the room…

“Hoy…and nega nito?… My head hurts so bad…”..he touch his head… “Kimmy?…why do I have a lump on my head? At bakit ang sakit ng katawan ko?…”… he touch his whole body…. Bigla itong nagpanik… “OMG… did someone…..”…. his eyes were big as the owl‘s…

Kim look back… “….someone what?”…

“Did someone…….. me?”….he asked…getting the blanket and trying to cover it to himself…

Kim stared at him…. She smiled… “Nope… nakipaghalikan lang!”…she said…

“Halikan?…..Sino… si Sam… si Papa P?… pwede na rin si Echo?”….sabi nito habang kinikilig pa…..

“None of the above!”…she said….turning her back again….

“KIM!! Don’t go… sino ang lucky guy!”… tanong nito habang bumababa ng kama… “ouch… grabe…bakit ang laki ng bukol ko sa ulo…. Ang my whole body is really aching!!”…

“Lucky guy?… naahh….it’s not human!!”….she said…walking down the stairs…

“NOT HUMAN?! KIMBERLY….don’t tell me it’s a rat…or a cockroach… Yak!!”…he said….

“Again… none of the above!!”…

“Not human….not rat….not cockroach…. Ano ba yan…sirit na ako?”…maarteng sabi nito …

She smiled… “It’s the toilet bowl…. Hindi mo nga tinigilan hangga’t di nauubos yung kinain mo kahapon…!”…

“EEWwww………. Eeeewwwwww…. Yak…” he said… trying to wipe his face….

“Anong eeewww?”…tanong ni Auntie Pokie…nakatungo ito sa may kusina kaya hindi pa nito nakikita si Kim….

“Mother…. Nakipaghalikan daw ako sa toilet bowl? Yak! Talaga!!”…he said….still trying to wipe his face… Kim stopped on the last step of the stair so Nathan pass on her and went to Auntie Pokie….

Nilingon ito ni Auntie Pokie…at nakitang pinupunasan nito ang mukha…

“Hoy baklita…. Kahit anong punas mo sa mukha mo… hindi na magbabago yan… mukha ka pa ring matrona!”…..hirit nito….

“Mother… atleast mukhang tao pa rin… eh yung isa diyan…. Ayun… parang kagagaling lang sa ilalim ng hukay!!”…. sabi nito sabay turo kay Kim…

Auntie Pokie look at Kim…. Nanlaki ang mata nito…but didn’t say a word… Kim saw her Aunt’s face shift from different emotions…..from being stunned……to questioning why….and to trying to understand her…. Ngumiti ito sa kanya…. No words needed from her…and she knows…that her Aunt understand…. She grab the brush next to the mirror….and hand it over to her Aunt… Without a word… her Aunt took it and guided her to the chair….

She closed her eyes… while her Aunt brushes her hair…. Tears starting to fell from her eyes…. Her Aunt hugged her from behind…… then she burst out crying…

“OMG….Kim…what’s wrong?”…tanong ni Nathan….

“Mukha ka daw kasing matrona!!”…sagot ni Auntie Pokie…

Nameywang si Nathan…. With pouted lips… “Atleast y pa rin!”….he look around…and he saw the gallon of Lambanog that was left from yesterday… “yan!! Yan!!”…turo nito sa mga gallon… “yan ang may sala…. Yan ang lason ng buhay…. Yan ang may kagagawan kung bakit ako nakipaghalikan sa toilet bowl…..yan…….”…hindi nito naituloy ang sasabihin ng biglang bumulaga sa pinto si Matt…..Nathan’s eyes widened.. “…..Omg… yan …yan…ang Papa ko!!”…tili nito….sabay turo kay Matt…

Matt look on his back…..”ano?? Sino??”….tanong nito…

“Ikaw daw ang papa niya!!”….sagot ni Mel na nasa likod lang pala nito…

“anong papa?”…tanong ni Matt…

“Papa ko…. Man of my dreams… ang magiging tatay ng mga anak ko…. Ang magiging lolo ng mga apo ko!!”….litanya ni Nathan….

Kim start laughing….despite the tears on her eyes….. She was thankful that she’s surrounded with God’s accidental creatures….

“Hoy…baklang hibang!! Nakadrugs ka yata eh… .. Nakikita mo ito…”…turo nito kay Mel… “Siya ang woman of my dreams….siya ang magiging nanay ng mga anak ko…. Ang magiging lola ng mga apo ko….siya ang Mama ko!!”…kindat nito kay Mel…

Binatukan siya ni Mel….”Eh…ikaw yata ang naka drugs eh!!”….

“Aray!!”….Matt massage his head….

Nathan smile faded…. He pout his lips… “Mas maganda ako sa kanya!!”…he said…

Mel didn’t pay attention to him…. She look at Kim…. “Gusto mong magusap?”…

Matt look at Kim…”Oh….Abnormal ka na ulit?”….

Auntie Pokie still hugging Kim…. “Anak?…. “…
“Ok lang po ako Auntie… sasama po ako kina Mel…”…she said….

“Sama ako!!”…Nathan put his arms around Matts arms….

“Bitiwan mo ako….itatapon kita sa kalsada eh!!”…. palis ni Matt sa kamay ni Nathan…”Tssupi!!”…tobacco si Matt palabas ng pinto…. Hinabol siya ni Nathan….

Auntie Pokie…was laughing….”hoy Matt….. Wag mong masyadong papagurin si baklitang matrona!!”…she said….

Mel put her arms on Kim’s shoulder……and they walk out the house….

Nagpunta sila sa school campus where Kim used to go….. They hangout under a big tree…. Mel and Kim was sitting on the bench…. While Matt and Nathan were running around the place….

Nathan was trying to climb on Matt’s back….”sige na papa….carry me…..carry my love…!!”….

Matt running away… “Hoy baklang aswang….tigilan mo ako ha!! May pa carry-carry ka pang nalalaman diyan…. Ibabagsak kita sa lupa…. Layo!!”…

Kim tried to look around…….

“wala siya dito!!”…mel said…

Tinignan niya si Mel….. “Masama ba akong tao?”….she asked…

“Hindi….. Takot ka sa masamang tao na mananakit sa puso mo!”…mel smiled…

“Bakit kasi napakaduwag ko eh!!”…sisi niya sa sarili niya…

“Hindi mo kasalanan kung bakit hirap kang magtiwala.. You were hurt before….and now…you’re hurting again!!”…

“It’s my all my fault…. Kasalanan ko kung bakit bumalik ako sa pinagmulan ko… I didn‘t trust his love!”…she sobs…

“sshhhh… Alam mo… sa haba ng love story niyong dalawa… may natutunan ako!!”…

Kim look at mel…”Ano naman yon? Eh puro nga sakit sa dibdib ang lahat ng nangyayari sa akin!”…

“That love can change everything… Kim… you’ve change before….kasi you have loved…. And now…. You change back…kasi you’re still loving!”…

Kim frowned….”ano ibig mong sabihin?”…

“Na kahit ipilit mo sa sarili mong takot kang magmahal….. Hindi mo nare-realize na that’s what you’re craving for from the very start…. Hindi mo kailangang palitan ang pagkatao mo para lang itago ang sarili mo…. At matakot amining…. Kahit noon pa… naghahanap ka na ng totoong magmamahal sayo!!.. At ng dumating si Gerald sa buhay mo….. Natakot kang ipakita sa iba na hindi ka ganon katapang!! Natatakot kang masaktan….kasi ayaw mong Makita ka naming mahina….”.. Mel held her shoulder… “Kim…. Sana isipin mo… tao ka lang…… hindi ka bakal… Nung sabihin namin sayo ni Matt na maging matapang ka…at wag mong intindihin ang sasabihin ng iba….. Ang gusto lang namin ay matuto kang maging matapang para sa sarili mo… hindi namin sinabing ilayo mo ang sarili mo sa pagmamahal! “…

Kim tears fell… “Mel…. Hindi ko sinasadyang saktan siya… hindi ko gustong masaktan siya!!”….

“alam ko… Pero kung pababayaan mo siyang mawala ulit sa pangalawang pagkakataon…….ito…kasalanan mo na! Binigyan ka na ng pangalawang pagkakataon…. Sana matuto kang pahalagaan iyon…”

“but he hates me!”…….

Mel was about to say something…when….

“Kim…tutal ang tagal mong nawala…. Dare tayo!”…. singit ni Matt….habang pigil si Nathan sa dalawang kamay….

“Help…. Girlfriend….masakit na ang kamay ko…. Itong si papa ko…. masyadong sadista kung maglambing!!”…..

“Tara….dare tayo…. Kakain ng bayawak…. Ang hindi makagawa… manghahalik!!”…..

“ay…gusto ko yan…. “…ngisi ni Nathan…

“Ulol!! Ikaw babae ang hahalikan mo!!”…..tulak dito ni Matt..

Kim smiled…wiped her tears….she misses the dares….”Sige…game ako!!“

Mel look at Kim…..Kim smiled at Mel…”I’m okay!!”…she said… “I’ll be okay”..