There was nothing I could do but to adhere to mama's unreasonable wishes, just to say that I have honored my father and mother, one of the things she and papa did not forget to remind us every day. The idea actually made me want to throw up. What am I, a drag queen? And would the god we were taught to worship want me to be the person mama was grooming me to become? Maybe she needed to review the Bible. Going against God’s handiwork will surely earn her negative points in heaven.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFTmZBHxOm
After checking on my sister-in-law, I joined the women in preparing food for my brothers, who were building Ben’s house. Mama was out because she had to go to school.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGUn7JPRuE
There were still a few months to go before they complete the house. But my "delusion" of working with the "real" boys in the family must immediately come to an end. Mama made it clear that the next time she learned about me doing manly things, she would, you know, hit me with the infamous slipper.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVlfjXhDZN
The women were already gathered in a makeshift hut to cook. At that time, some of Naya's relatives also joined in the making of that extensive project, most of them preparing food for the laborers.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQgMRtSW3T
And there I saw a familiar face—the bridesmaid at the wedding Joe was telling me about. Her dark hair gathered in a pigtail, her face flashed the sweetest smile to every person she met, and her bright, smooth fingers worked masterfully on the leafy greens.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaJmybZngY
My heart pounded wildly at the knowledge of her presence. Who would have thought I would see her at an event like this? Maybe mama's warnings were a blessing after all.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7f7Sy9XlO
From time to time, my eyes would move toward the makeshift hut just to watch her, careful not to let mama's "eyes" see what I was doing. I wish this time the sun wouldn't set without me knowing her name, but timidity crept into my system faster than the speed of light, so I just gave in to the contentment of watching her from a distance.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQMI8WE8ay
A sudden warmth on my left side snapped me back to reality. Was it Joe again?354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XIgN7DCGK
When I turned my head in that direction, it was not Joe who sat beside me but Ben, his crossed arms resting on his knees. He was looking at me with a knowing smile on his face.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimZo6CiZWD
"Hey kuya," I greeted. "Tired of working already? You need a reliever?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH08rKLLTWw
So there was a part of me that still refused to quit my dream.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbopfGTYpG
"Me, tired? Nah, I'm strong as a bull," he said, flexing his lean bicep. "I just had a water break, but I'll be back in a few minutes."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU795rB8kYW
I nodded. "Nice."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJuHcI9S2k
And in my head, I was wishing that happened to everyone.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxHLINg2IJ
"What about you, Jude? Your eyes are beaming today. Saw a dude you like?" He joked, making me shoot him a wide-eyed glare. "Just kidding. You just look a bit different today, like your eyes are going somewhere."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPK612jgtOG
Oh. Was I that obvious?354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUfj2a5Llj
"Really?" I asked.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSN7WPQAiCE
"Yeah. You've been eyeing that girl from the first time she’s been here," his mouth pointed exactly to the girl I was looking at, and because I tensed at the truth of his words, one of my hands immediately covered his mouth.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoH3O6M46E2
"Can’t you be discreet about that, kuya?" I hissed while my cheeks grew warm. "It's embarrassing."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7ABcnpZfo
"Aha!” he exclaimed, clapping his fingers, “So that's why you’re blushing!"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBt1vjOWdX
I suddenly felt the need to get a mirror. Then I turned my head to see if mama's minions of 'marites' were lurking around. Good thing the area was clear.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1nSYuP5nj
"No, I am not," I denied, but my treacherous lips could not stop themselves from smiling.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnMQBeAEmN
"Your mouth is a walking contradiction, tol. You like the girl?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSPL9MovG1
I quickly put my forefinger over my lips. "Ssshhh! Keep it down!"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnx0DYUoEij
"She's pretty," he said casually. I wondered how his wife might react if she heard him compliment another woman like that. “But you seem to be prettier than her. People might mistake you as BFFs, you know?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjH9K8ojFJF
"Do you ever shut up?" I hissed again.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBMJasnijF
He threw his hands in the air, "Alright, alright, I'll stop."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33ikPyFTGZ
But he moved closer to my ear and whispered, "But you like her right? Admit it..."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsjtjxM66g
He gave me a pair of teasing eyes. This man would literally not stop at anything just to get the answer he wanted.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD58CinndAH
I sighed. "Alright, alright, I do. So?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLSvgfhIZE
"So? What are you sitting here for, man? Go ahead, get her!"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwDTYI2W3X
My brow arched. "That quick? I don't even know her name."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb45oNMDJ3b
"That's why God gave us the gift of curiosity. Now go, talk to her!" He gave my back a gentle push, but I stumbled on the ground like a sack of potatoes.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdyHztYyHL
I pushed myself up and faced him.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTsNh57q1l
"Don't do this to me, man, I can't talk to her on my own. Not when I look like this," my fingers went from the butterfly clip above my ear down to the oversized tee and short shorts that I was wearing.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUQRcx0OYA
He cackled.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbq3QVB0Iv
"You know you can always change out of that thing, right?" he said, smiling from ear to ear.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfnZu794Yb
To my surprise, he grabbed the shining pin from my hair, making me wince in pain. 354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztsaahg31h
"Go get her, man, or you'll regret it," he continued.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuxktpd0XL
My brows furrowed while I scratched the back of my neck.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGTvyPK7L5
"Really? You won't come and help me out?" I whined.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxi5DLq9LU
Something hard hit my head so I cried aloud in pain. I looked down and saw a coconut shell cut in half. Then I turned my head in the direction where it came from and saw Lev, holding the other half while smirking at me. Beside him were the other brothers: Dan, Simon, and Asher. What in the world is this, Davao Death Squad?354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LS0V0aMs3
"Come on, Judy, man up!” said Lev, smirking. "We're watching you."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Kff0NhVQp
Even them?! Now things are getting more complicated. But the good thing about it was, I got the support of my brothers in this.
Thinking mama might get back from work and see me trying to court a girl, I pretended to half-run with my hands fluttering in the air and hips swaying toward the makeshift hut, pushing in the back of my mind how Lev and the gang would react upon seeing me.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMO0Bp5TOfX
I was panting heavily when I reached the hut. The young lady glanced at me curiously, and the sight of it added more strength to the pounding in my chest. She stopped paring the raw papayas.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9XWtWHaOj
"Hi, ate, are you okay? What happened to you?" she asked, concern evident in her pretty face.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AtNdLgN2W
Much as I wanted to be offended at the way she addressed me, her soft, sweet voice melted away all the irritations that threatened to bubble up inside.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2AHHXGNZ5
"Those boys," I answered and pointed to my brothers who were talking on the other side. "They're picking on me."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0E61TpO7Yh
Then I remembered that strong hit at the back of my head.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFdZmJu4S0
"Ouch!" I cried, my hand rose to the part hit by the coconut shell. It was half-pretend. My head literally hurt. Damn Lev.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5poZuA6Exe
The girl approached me and her soft hand landed on my shoulder. If I shuddered under her touch, it's good she never paid attention.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCyrAiRwtm
"What happened to you?" she asked.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIrJHUPOkG
"One of them hit me on the head. It really hurts..." my face contorted in pain.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhJcqZ43JB
The frown on her face reflected genuine concern. Seeing her like that filled my stomach with fluttering butterflies.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSrn98JRaO
"Come, sit down, I'll take care of it," she said and guided me on the wooden bench under the shade of the tree while her warm fingers tried to locate the painful part on my head.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCCRfocIQC
Taking advantage of the fact that the girl was not seeing my face, I looked at the spot where I left my brothers to see their reaction. True to their words, they really were watching, and they seemed to approve of it because I saw them cheering from where they were before going back to work.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqne7EWl3Ve
"Oh look," the girl said, "You're bleeding!"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQj7AFiffCu
Lev must have hit me so hard. But with the girl’s warm body close to mine, I could tell it was all worth it.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYX7fYqNYHD
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and used it to stop the bleeding on my head.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcETsqtcSN
When she finished attending to my wound, I turned to look at her and flashed a smile of gratitude.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoFYzWnbqx
"Thank you so much..." I said as if waiting for her to give her name.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGeIiGbO7s
She gave me a smile that said she knew exactly what I was thinking.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6JbuhkOoc
"Ester."
