Two Suns

Sunny VS Sunny

Hello, Vallesians. I’m not sure if the admin will find this story interesting enough to post this on the page. But here is my confession.

“Let’s give a round of applause to Sunny Madrigal for winning the inter-school debate competition,” Mrs. Buenaventura said.

Sunny was standing to her right. Our classmates were applauding for her. I saw Benny clapping. I poked him and when he turned around, I raised one of my eyebrows. He gave me a sheepish smile, faced front, and didn’t continue clapping.

With a smile, Sunny expressed her gratitude to the class. “Thank you very much for your support. I couldn’t have done it without your encouragement.”

They clapped louder. I couldn’t help my eyes from rolling when I heard others talking about how humble she was. They didn’t know Sunny at all.

“Thank you, Ms. Madrigal.”

Sunny took her seat which was to my left and the discussion started.

I didn’t know I was a good multi-tasker until that day. I could listen to the lecture and be irritated by my seatmate at the same time.

“Congratulations, Sunny,” she whispered.

“Are you provoking me?” I asked.

Sunny shook her head and said, “I was just congratulating you. You placed second in-“

“Just say what you really mean,” I interrupted. “You took the first place in the inter-school debate competition while I just took the second place in the essay writing contest. You’re much better than me. That’s what you want to say, right?”

“No, no, no. I was just really congratulating you.”

“Well, I don’t need your congratulations.”

And she made that face again. It was that face that made her look like the victim and I the bad guy.

“You just need tears and your victim performance will be complete,” I whispered.

She stopped talking to me. I could finally focus on the lecture. When class finished, two pages of my notebook was filled with notes. I was about to go out when Mrs. Buenaventura called me. It was only the two of us in the classroom.

“Mr. Figueras, it’s almost intrams week. I’m thinking of sending you as the CTE representative for Mr. High Valley.”

“Ma’am, I’m wearing a dress. My makeup is very heavy. Then Mr. High Valley? Isn’t it obvious that I’m for Ms. High Valley?”

Mrs. Buenaventura laughed and said, “Ms. Madrigal is your partner. This is her first time joining a pageant. Help her out, okay?”

It seemed that Mrs. Buenaventura didn’t care about my answer. She was orienting me already. I decided to be firmer with my refusal. But then she said that this would give me additional points in her class so I accepted it. I didn’t know how becoming Mr. High Valley was related to her course but I didn’t care. We were talking about grades already.

I bid farewell to Mrs. Buenaventura and headed to the canteen. I saw Benny and Drea sitting in the corner.

“What took you so long, sis?” Drea asked.

I sat across them and replied, “Mrs. Buenaventura just said something about the upcoming intramurals.”

“What did she say?” Benny asked.

“I’ll be representing the CTE Department for Mr. High Valley. Sunny is my partner.”

The two laughed. They were so loud that people started looking at us.

“You? Mr. High Valley?” Drea said while laughing. “Mrs. Buenaventura is really old now. She can’t see that you’re for Ms. High Valley.”

“What’s even funnier is that Sunny is his partner,” Benny added. “Sunny and Sunny.” He laughed again.

“Speaking of Sunny, don’t think I forgot you clapped for her,” I told Benny.

Benny stopped laughing and said, “Please forgive me, siz. To show you that I’m really regretting what I did, I’ll buy you two books later.”

“I can’t go with you this afternoon,” I said. “My mother told me to go home early.”

“You can still go home early. We don’t have classes this afternoon. Let’s spend just about an hour,” Benny suggested.

“She said to go home right after class.”

“Why don’t you buy for me then, Benny?” Drea said. “I’ll be very happy with just one box of Alberto’s pizza.”

“Didn’t you say you’re on a diet?” Benny asked.

“I’ll start tomorrow.”

“You should put a date. You’ve been saying tomorrow for a year already.”

When I went home, I thought I would just be told to work harder on my academics. I didn’t expect another aspect of my life would be written by my mother again.

I knocked on my mother’s door and said, “Mom, it’s me.”

She opened door and beckoned me in. I sat beside her.

“Sunny, what I am going to tell you is very important. Please listen carefully.”

I nodded.

“Figueras House has always been a reputable publishing company. But on its 11th year, it faced a slump and your late grandfather almost filed for bankruptcy. Thanks to one man, the company thrived. Your grandfather wanted to thank that man by granting him his wish – anything that is within his grasp. The man said he wanted our families to be one.”

“I don’t like where this is going,” I said.

“Sunny,” she looked at me straight in the eye, “You are going to marry the youngest lady in their family.”

I laughed at the absurdity of it all.

“Mom, your child is a man. Your child is looking for a man. And you’re going to marry him off to a woman?”

My mother’s voice started becoming stern as she said, “Sunny, try to be understanding. This is your grandfather’s wish.”

“Mom, are you going to ruin your son’s life just to fulfill the wish of a dead person?”

It didn’t take long before her right hand slapped my cheek. “Before you are Sunny, you are Sandro Figueras. You are still Sandro Figueras until now. Remember that.”

“That’s the identity you gave me but it’s not me,” I said. “Mom, I’m bleeding for a dream that isn’t mine. Please let me choose myself this time.”

But my cries fell on deaf ears. She told me to go to my room. When I got inside, I headed to my desk. I sat, put my bag down, and took out my copy.

“I’m sorry. I can’t fight for you again,” I said to myself.

I went to page 4. I was reading about deconstruction but my mind was somewhere else. I remembered my 17th birthday. My mother said she prepared a gift for me. I was so excited about it. I thought of art materials, books, and shoes. But it wasn’t any of them. She enrolled me to High Valley University.

“But mom, that university doesn’t offer Fine Arts.”

“That does not matter. You are going to take up education,” she said.

I didn’t say anything. Why did I have to bother? No matter how loud my voice was, it would never be heard by ears that pretended to be deaf.

I heard a knock on my door.

“Sunny, we’ll be having dinner with them. They will be here by 6. Your outfit has already been prepared. Just ask nanay Minda for it,” my mother said through the door.

I lost my dream. And I was losing myself at that moment. But I couldn’t do anything.