An Everglow After Sunset

Chapter 6

I was done on airbrush painting 15 large and medium-sized vases at the back part of the pottery. I also arranged and readied the acrylic paint and resins for designing the vases and am now just anticipating for Alec to come and help me... but, the sun is already down and there's still no sign of her. I guess she won't come.

I sighed and stood up from the wooden chair I am in. Taco is leashed few meters away from me with his toys. The smell of the paint is kinda intoxicating and I don't wanna risk his health.

Muli kong ibinalik sa wooden box ang mga pintura at brush na inihanda ko kanina. I think she's still not ready to paint again. As I am putting the remaining materials in the box I felt my phone vibrated in my jean's pocket. It is my mamá on facetime.

"Good morning, mamá." I smiled at her. She gave me a faint smile and moved her hand to greet me back.

She then moved her lips. "How are you, mi hijo?"

I can feel the sadness in her eyes. Maybe, she misses me and my siblings. So, I showed her something that can make her feel better. I went inside the storage room, just beside the pottery, where my previous works were kept.

Her mood lit up just by seeing the varicolored and varisized vases. I saw her mouthed 'beautiful' and she started to tell stories from my childhood that I can barely remember. From our first painting that was merely my and my siblings' hand and footprints to what I do now. Though, I didn't get everything she said. She sometimes speaks English then, Spanish. From Spanish to Taglish then, Kapampangan.

I have a smile plastered on my face while looking at her, comically talking to me—or that's what others will think if they'll see her. She then chuckled when she realized that I can't understand everything she says.

She's on the portico of their resthouse in the Canary Islands sipping a tea from a golden cup. Maybe she is waiting for papá to join her for lunch. She told me a while ago that he's working on his office even though he's on leave. I told papá to set aside work when they're on leave but my mamá always scold me for that so I just let them be.

"When will you come home, mi hijo?"

"I don't know, mamá. I like it here. And I'm on leave, too."

"But, will you be okay without your aids?" Now, she looks concerned. I sighed again.

"I can lip-read, má."

"What if you're talking to a woman? She might get the wrong idea and think that you want to kiss her!" Her words dawned on me and remembered Alec. Is that what she thinks?

I, then remember what happened yesterday. She's a fast talker. I can't keep up with what she's saying and most of the time, she uses Filipino, reason why it's more difficult for me to understand her.

When I saw her inside the pottery with a broken vase and blood on her hand, I gave her an accusing look. But she was so stunned upon seeing me and I definitely read her lips say, "I think I'm in love." But when I made her repeat it, she pointed somewhere else and uttered different words. I tried to suppress a smile and I did! She said I'm gwapo but masungit and suplado. I know I'm gwapo but definitely not masungit nor suplado. I just don't want to embarrass myself. I might read their lips incorrectly, you know.

"Hi. I'm Alessandra. Just call me Alec... or babe. Anything that will keep you peacefully asleep at night." I didn't really get her name. So, I relied on 'Alec' more, than Alessandra or whatever her real name is. But I like her guts. Some women I know would definitely stop talking to me if I won't talk but she's persistent. And maybe, she can be my friend.

So, before she left I asked her if she can draw and paint. Good thing she can. We can be good friends. And she also likes Taco and my dog seems to like her, too. I also gave my name to her.

"Dymaun," I said.

"Ano? Diamond?"

I shrugged. "Sounds like that." Mamá once told me that she gave us that name because we are their treasures and she really loves diamonds—any kind of expensive stone, actually.

"Anong Diamond?" She curiously asked.

"That's my name. Dymaun."

She was so happy after hearing what I said. I never saw someone this grateful just by knowing my name. And then, I just found myself thinking about her happiness. I want to see her happy... Always.

"Mi hijo, your papá is here. Talk to him for a while, I'll just ready our lunch. And don't forget to take your vitamins. I heard from Ima that you are skipping meals. Don't you dare do it again, mi hijo." She forcefully said with her hands moving to gesture everything she says.

Papá and I talked for minutes about the business that I want to open and my plan for the mango farm and its neighboring lot.

"Won't you go home to replace your aids?" Like mamá, he is also gesturing his hands while talking. Though I can lip-read, they still use sign language to make me understand more.

"I'll just buy some in Manila or ask Fifth to ship some to me, papá."

My hearing aids always break because they fall out and I step on them or sometimes Taco chew them up.

I was born deaf. I can't hear anything. That's what came out after my newborn screening. And my mamá said that I stayed in the hospital a week more than I should because the doctors are running different tests to address my condition. And after months of tests, the doctors let me use hearing aids but I always cry when people are loud. So, she sometimes turns off my aids or puts them out.

I was two years old but my speech was still unclear. I can't pronounce words properly or I speak without any sound. I was at my grandparents' place at that time when Tio Miguel, papá's cousin and our family doctor, came to check on them. He saw me crawling out of the house so he carried me in and that's when he noticed that my hearing aids are off. Mamá said that she doesn't want me to cry so she sometimes turns them off. When my papá found out about it he was so furious but he managed to forgive my mamá.

Since then, papá always check on me and when I was four, though I can hear and speak properly, he enrolled me and Casi in a SpEd school during the summer. Mamá and Papá also join the class for me. He said it's for emergencies and other circumstances.

Mamá and Papá already hanged up the phone. It's 12 past seven in the evening and Alec didn't show up. She was so eager to paint the vases with me this morning or maybe I was the one who's eager to be with her.

All of a sudden, I felt lonely. I'm confused! Is it me or my carbon!? I don't have many friends here. Most of them are in Europe but I never felt this way before! I've been watching the farm for years and this is the first time that I felt this. It's like something's clogged in my arteries that my heart is having difficulty pumping blood throughout my body. I facepalmed without realizing it... And ouch, I hit my forehead, HARD. I should visit my cousins, one of these days.

I unleashed Taco and we turned off the lights in the pottery except for the post near the main door.

"Senyorito, maghahapunan na po kayo? Ihahanda ko na po ang pagkain niyo." Salubong sa akin ni Marya pagkapasok ko ng kusina mula sa backdoor ng mansion.

"No, Maria. May gagawin pa ako sa taas. Nasaan si Ima at ang mga bisita ni Kael?" Tanong ko ngunit ang tingin ay nasa aso. Taco's probably hungry.

"Nasa veranda po si Imang Nena at ang mga bisita. May naaksidente po ata sa mga babaeng bisita kanina sa lawa. Duguan nga po ang damit nung pinakamaganda sa kanila e." Nararamdaman ko ang malakas na kalabog ng dibdib ko. Ang kalungkutan ay napalitan ng pangamba at naestatwa na ako sa kinatatayuan ko.

"Sino, Marya!?" May diin kong tanong upang itago ang kaba sa aking dibdib. Gusto ko siyang puntahan ngunit pinipigilan ko ang sarili ko. Kaya ba hindi siya nakapunta kanina? Ahh! Hindi ako nagmumura but f*ck! I don't wanna see her in pain.

"Hindi po ako sigurado eh. Ayan na po pala si Imang Nena." Turo niya sa may pintuang nagkokonekta ng kusina at komedor ng mansion. Dumalo ako kay Ima at nagtatanong ang mga matang tumingin sa kaniya.

"What happened, Ima?" I asked.

"Wala lang iyon. Maayos naman si Deza..."

I know it sounds evil but I was relieved to hear that it wasn't Alec who's injured.

"...natapilok at nadulas daw siya kaya naitulak niya si Alec at ayun, nabagok ata ang ulo." Dugtong ni Ima sa sinasabi kanina.

I didn't move—I can't move rather. Is that a sudden karma of what I thought a few seconds ago?

"Ima! What happened, really!?" Napasabunot ako sa aking buhok. I couldn't speak now. I gestured my hands to ask her again and she just laughed at the situation.

"I am serious!" I gestured still with a concerned face.

And she was panting when she stopped laughing. She gestured back, "I'm just kidding."

I sighed. "Why did you do that, Ima? You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Tigilan mo ang kaka-ingles. Nasa Pinas ka at wala sa Amerika. Nga pala... Do you like Alec, Senyorito?" She teased. Ang sabi ay huwag mag-ingles. Napailing nalang ako.

"Hindi sa gusto ko siya na maging nobya, Ima..."

"Ano? Pero parang ganoon na nga? Hindi ako maniniwala kung sasabihin mong kaibigan lang. Ilang taon ka na nga ba ulit? At ang mga negosyo mo sa Espanya?"

"Ima, Bente-sais anyos pa lang po ako at wala po akong negosyo. Nag-iinvest lang po ako ng pera sa iba't-ibang mga kumpanya at bumibili ng mga stock. At huwag na po nating pag-usapan pa iyon, Ima. Ang tanong ko po ang sagutin mo, ano pong nangyari sa mga bisita ni Kael?" Mahabang litanya ko.

"Kailangan lang ipahinga iyon, Senyorito. Walang dapat ipag-alala."

"Hindi po ako nag-aalala."

"Hindi nga ba?"

Umiling na lamang ako at pumanhik na sa aking silid dala-dala ang isang kahon ng dog food, kasunod si Taco. Nilagyan ko ng pagkain ang kaniyang bowl na malapit sa aking lamesa at nagtungo na sa banyo upang makaligo at mapayapa ang aking isipan.

Dalawang araw na ang lumipas mula ng mangyari ang insidente sa may lawa at hindi na bumisita si Alec sa pottery. Ang akala ko ay umuwi na silang magkakagrupo ngunit ngayon ay kitang-kita ko siya mula sa bintana ng aking silid na naghahanda upang makatakbo.

Alasingko pa lang ng umaga pero mukhang iritado na siya. I think, she just muttered a cuss.

Inilapag ko sa aking bilugang lamesa ang tasa ng kapeng wala ng laman at itinulak ang kanang bahagi ng bookshelf, na sakop ang buong bahagi dingding, upang makapasok sa aking closet. Nagsuot lang ako ng isang puting sando at kinuha na si Taco at ang tasa. Nadatnan ko na naman si Imang Nena sa komedor at pinagtaasan ako ng kilay. Umiling ako rito.

Nakasunod lang ako kay Taco na malayang tumatalon-talon hanggang sa makarating na sa pottery. Pinagmamasdan ko ang mga bangang natapos ko ng pintahan kahapon. May walo panv natitira na purong puti pa. Sinadya kong hindi muna galawin ang mga ito, nagbabakasakaling pupunta siya. Ikatlong araw na. If she won't come today, I'll finish all the work tomorrow.

Naglinis muna ako sa paligid ng pottery at kita ko na ang ibang mga matatanda na nagwawalis din sa 'di kalayuan. Napansin ng mga ito ang tingin ko at itinaas nila ang mga walis habang kumakaway. I smiled and waved back.

Ilang saglit lang ay inihanda ko ng muli ang mga pintura at brush na gagamitin ko sa pagpipinta at napansing wala si Taco sa lugar na karaniwan niyang tinatambayan. Marahil ay naglibot ito sa farm.

Sinimulan ko ng gumuhit sa pinakamalaking vase na naroon gamit ang lapis nang marinig ang tahol ng aking aso. Nakahanda ang ngiti ko para dito ngunit napalitan ito ng malamig na titig nang makita kung sino ang kasunod nito.

With her sweat shorts and black racerback shirt, there stood Alec, her cheeks are red and she's a little sweaty. Pero, hindi siya nag-iisa. A group of men and women are behind her. The women are giggling while waving at me but I didn't return it. I just looked at Alec with a blank emotion and asked...

"What are you doing here?"

...

here's D's POV