Of Lilies Time and Remorse

Chapter 4

I prevented myself rom laughing. His reaction was just priceless. Dapat siguro matagal ko na itong ginawa. Suits him right for all the mischief he have caused me before.

“Ano ba naman 'to! This is so unfair. Nagbayad ako! Ibigay mo sa akin ang subsidy! Napaka disappointing.” naiiling na sabi niya as he folded the paper carefully and put it in his pocket.

“ 'To naman parang hindi alam ang joke. Wait ka lang sir ha?” he seems really dissatisfied with the poem I gave him so I made another poem.

Nang matapos,  I signed it with my name and the date.

I handed it to him. He took a quick glance of the paper as he folded it again and put it inside his pocket.

Looking contented,  he smiled at me, gave me a salute,  before storming out of the booth. I rolled my eyes. That guy.

One word to describe my day?  Tiring.

Nakakapagod 'yung pag -upo buong araw, writing poems na hindi naman kagandahan, and so on.

That was from 8:00 am to 4:00pm. Right after my duty, I went home. Hindi na ako nakipag hang out sa mga friends ko. I felt really exhausted talaga.

Nasa kusina ako at hinihintay maluto ang cup noodles when I saw Sixto enter the house.

“Anong kakainin mo?”  I raised the cup noodles as an answer. He stared at me. I rolled my eyes.

“ Umalis sila mama at mamayang gabi pa sila dadating. Tinatamad rin akong magluto.” I explained.

Teka why am I explaining myself to this guy anyway?  Okay,  he asked and I felt obliged to give him an explanation, I guess.

Nagulat na lang ako when he got the frying pan. Before I knew it, he's already preparing the ingredients for the dish his cooking.

Kinuha niya rin ang sobrang kanin sa rice cooker na kaninang lunch time pa siguro. I hope. Ayaw ko namang kumain ng spoiled rice noh.

It wouldn't take a genius to guess what he's trying to cook. Nakakahiya naman kung wala akong gagawin kaya I decided to set the table for two.

It would be rude kung ako lang ang kakain. My parents texted me they'll be home late. Siguro naman ay busog na silang uuwi dito.

Sixto then served the food he cooked. “Behold fried rice ala Sixto” he looked so proud which made me giggle.

“ Fried rice for dinner?” I raised my brow at him.

“So?  at least it's edible enough to eat ” he said as he put some on my bowl.

“Nakakain ang noodles noh!”

I raised my voice in annoyance. Ano ngayon kung noodles ang kakainin?  I'm not maarte naman.

He leaned on the table and stared at me with his annoying smirk.

“Talaga?with cold water?”

Napakurap ako. I held the noodle's cup and noticed that it wasn't hot.

Tinignan ko ang loob, only to find out that the noodles were not cooked. Napasapo ako sa noo ko.

I turned to our water dispenser. Napansin ko na hindi man lang naka on ang red light.

“Brown out senorita” Sixto said still with that playful smirk plastered on his face.

Tumayo ako at sinubukang i-on ang switch. I sighed. Hindi ko man lang napansin kanina pag -uwi na walang kuryente.

“Baka naman gusto mong maghanap tayo ng kandila para magbigay ng liwanag sa atin. Dumidilim na ang kalangitan señorita.” 

“Kung hindi mo mararapatin, maari mo ba akong tulungan ginoo? ” sabay bigay sa kaniya ng pilit na ngiti.

Napatawa naman siya. “ Galing nating mag -tagalog ah?”

“Oo naman. Haven't heard of the saying ' Ang hindi marunong mag mahal ng sariling language ay higit pa sa isang stinking fish?'”

“Joke ba 'yon?”

I glared at him. He laughed as he helped me look for a candle.

Almost six na at madilim na talaga ang paligid. Nagmadali kami sa pag set ng table.

Sixto sliced the mangoes he found, at naglagay naman ako sa pitchel ng tubig. Nilagay ko sa tasa ang kandila bago inilagay sa gitna ng table.

“Wow. A candlelit dinner. ”

I can see Sixto's smiling face very well. I snorted. Yeah kulang na lang at maglagay ng bulaklak at violinist para sa isang romantic dinner.

“Well,  instead of steak we have fried rice. ” sabi ko sabay subo ng fried rice niya.

“Luh. Did you know that Chinese food goes well while traveling?” napataas ang kilay ko.

“Oh?  Nasa kusina lang tayo six o'clock. Baka naman may masamang spirit na diyan at sinasapian ka.”

Tumawa siya. “Kailangan talaga oras ng birth ko? ”

“Oo. Needed.” napatawa na rin ako.

Kung hindi pa obvious, pinanganak si Sixto noong June 6, at exactly six o'clock.

“Anyways Luciandy, we can pretend. Pretend like we're eating in a high end restaurant in France. ” he said with an overly enthusiastic voice.

“And pretend like we can clearly see the Eiffel Tower because we're in the top floor.” pagsasakay ko sa trip niya.

“Let's pretend habang inuubos natin ang steak okay?”  I laughed at the idea.

Patapos na ako sa mangga ko when Sixto started doing some shadow tricks.

I had fun watching and I pretended like I was really amazed. Parang tanga lang kasi.

We were both laughing hard when he tried doing the shadow trick for an elephant.

Hindi naman siya marunong, so he got up and got my mom's elephant figurine. Gago.

“Kita mo 'to? Pang PGT nato 'tol”

“Ay,  talaga?  Kung ako si FMG, I should've pressed my buzzer already.”

“Wow. Golden buzzer agad? I'm honored.”

“No. 'Yung red buzzer, tangi.”

He pouted and as if he had some amazing idea,  he got up and got my mother's plastic cups.

“Hoy, papagalitan ka ni mama. Anong gagawin mo diyan?”

“ Mag co-concert lang 'tol”

He started doing some tapping rhythm. Wala naman sa tono.

“Ano intro lang? ”

“Hintay ka lang señorita. Gusto mo yata talaga ng romantic dinner eh. Hayaan mo iha-hire ko sila Hyacinth.”

Oh. That Hyacinth girl. I snorted.

“Bakit siya? ”

“Huh? Maganda boses nila DL.”

“Ah. K. "

I laughed when he sang Adam Sandler's Forgetful Lucy. He was out of tune!

  Wala rin sa tempo ang cups. I bit my lip from cringing at the same time to prevent myself from smiling.

Seeing him singing in front of me, like he was some kind of celebrity, made me forget about stifling my smile.

He stopped doing the cup thing and just sang instead. I found myself singing,or laughing with him.

Hindi na yata ito considered dahil tumatawa lang talaga kami hanggang sa matapos namin ang kanta.

I don't think I'd be that forgetful Lucy tho. I know I'll never forget this night, the fried rice, the shadow tricks, and the pretentious game.

I know I'll never forget the person who made my six o'clock remarkable.

I'm up to my neck. Sobrang dami ng kailangan naming tapusin. Right after the foundation week, ay sobrang loaded na talaga.

We need to catch up sa mga lessons.

Busy din naman ang mga classmates ko dahil obviously hindi lang naman ako ang nag participate sa Foundation week. Busy, pero naka-on ang speaker.

' Took a morning ride to the place where you and I were supposed to meet

The city yawns, they echo on

My thoughts are spinning on and on my head, it seems

They lead me back to you

I keep coming back to you

Honestly,  I love this song. Every time this song plays, it makes me think of home.

Obviously the song was about home. Well, not literally. Anything or anyone who reminds you of home. Or you consider as your home.

Sana all.

Kahit naman hindi kami close sa bahay ng mga magulang ko, we still have that invisible bond.

We weren't the showy kind of family but we catch up naman.

We may not talk about something personal, kasi nahihiya naman ako mag-open up, I know we care and understand each other.

More like we have high respect for each other's personal space.

My bed,  my books,  the neighborhood,  it's just the perfect home for me.

It just hits differently. It's just the way how I wanted it. Simple and peaceful.  I hummed the second verse.

' Took a morning ride, found a place up in my mind,  no one else can see

Maybe it's fate that we lose control

In circles around, we go

We become who we ought to know

We just gotta let it go

We just gotta let it go

At heto na,  sabay-sabay na lahat. Who could resist the jam diba?

'So I'm coming home to you, ooh

You,  ooh

You're all I need the very air I breathe

You are home,  home

I actually wrinkled my nose. They sang it so loud.

Akala mo nasa concert. They were hyped kahit pa may ginagawa. But everyone's enjoying. Nakikitawa na lang din ako't nakikanta.

We all got silent when a teacher went inside. Cris immediately turned the speaker off.

The adviser from the other section wants to talk to our president. Good luck Diane. I'll pray for you.

Everyone went silent for a while. After a  few minutes,  pumasok si Diane. My classmates asked what happened.

She just rolled her eyes and went to the speaker. Akala namin kukunin niya ang speaker. I could see Cris heaving a deep breath. Natatakot siguro. Kaniya kasi 'yon.

But we were surprised when she turned it on and increased the volume. Ooh,  rebel.

“I've increased the volume. No need for you to shout. Just listen or sing along but not too loud. Minimize your voices kung ayaw niyong ma guidance.”

Or not.

Inulit na naman nila ang kanta. Hindi naman kasi natapos kanina. “ Ano ba 'yan paulit-ulit” pagrereklamo ni Mae sa tabi ko.

I squinted my eyes at her. “ Talaga? Favorite mo naman 'yan diba? ”

“Anong favorite? Nakakasar ang paulit -ulit noh”

I arched my brow. “ Weh? Trying to move on ka lang sa may favorite ng kanta eh” she rolled her eyes at me.

“ Phil! Nakakumay na daw yung kanta sabi ni Mae.” kinurot ako ni Mae sa gilid.

“ Aray ha”  I glared at her. Napatingin na naman si Phil sa amin.

“Bakit?  Gusto niyo marikit? ” We gave him a blank look. He laughed as he turned his back. I saw Mae blushed.

“Wow. Happiness. ”

Hindi natupad ang gustong mangyari ni Diane. Sobrang ingay na naman ng mga classmates ko.

Hinayaan niya na lang. Nakiki-sabay rin naman siya sa ingay. She can deal with the teacher later.

She knows how to twist the story. Something she's good at. She can make it turn to her favor.

Lunch time na, at schedule naming tatlo. We met at the gate. 

“Tara na” pang-aaya ni J2.

“Teka lang” pagpipigil ko. They raise their brows at me.

“Wala pa si Sixto. Sasama siya ngayon” they both gave me an annoying look.

I just shrugged. After a few minutes,  dumating na din si Sixto.

“Sorry PPG. Late nag dismiss eh.”

He then turned to me and wriggled his brow. I rolled my eyes in response. 

We were crossing the street ng may tumawag kay Sixto.

He ordered us to keep walking, at  ng nasa kabilang side na kami, saka namin tiningnan kung sino 'yon.

“Sixto lunch tayo ” it was Hyacinth. Kasama naman niya ang iba pa nilang friends.

I saw DL smiled and waved at me. I smiled and waved back. Siya naman talaga ang closest or best friend ni Sixto ever since.

“Sabay ako sa PPG ngayon Cinth! Kayo na lang. Una na kami”

Sixto then draped his arm on my shoulder. I saw how Hyacinth's smile fade. I even saw her roll her eyes. Tinawanan lang siya nila.

The other girl smiled and winked at me. The guys gave me a thumbs up.

I frowned.

What was that? Nauna sa paglalakad sila J2. Sixth glanced at me and noticed my frown.

Huminto siya kaya huminto rin ako. I looked at him quite puzzled.  He fixed my eyebrow into a straight line.

“Don't frown to much. Baka maaga kang magka wrinkles.” He smiled at me,  so I smiled back.