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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZ4JCpK2Fx
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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TIarKcE8D
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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnYcKMPyCNF
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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjf0V3uHPM
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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfV0usf7rkM
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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1viysbJLL
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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28G3WwBFgY
A sudden warmth on my left side snapped me back to reality. Was it Joe again?402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTLPMbdlTS
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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelvAKJhIRX
"Hey kuya," I greeted. "Tired of working already? You need a reliever?"402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrJ3NJ93VC
So there was a part of me that still refused to quit my dream.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhxfoSTB4N
"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."402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQi3SK0MoI
I nodded. "Nice."402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGihdD9iTQ0
And in my head, I was wishing that happened to everyone.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6MEHRgpg4
"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."402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9o4PFXFbX
Oh. Was I that obvious?402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTAxQowXWK
"Really?" I asked.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmShy3Pgzj
"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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrpVaBiroE
"Can’t you be discreet about that, kuya?" I hissed while my cheeks grew warm. "It's embarrassing."402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzkiRx3201
"Aha!” he exclaimed, clapping his fingers, “So that's why you’re blushing!"402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wdelL29u1
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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjhNKJWZWa
"No, I am not," I denied, but my treacherous lips could not stop themselves from smiling.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mGm6bsra5
"Your mouth is a walking contradiction, tol. You like the girl?"402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3e5qQXwtP
I quickly put my forefinger over my lips. "Ssshhh! Keep it down!"402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOv7i4ps8mL
"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?"402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNHAEab8Vv
"Do you ever shut up?" I hissed again.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWda2ngG0g
He threw his hands in the air, "Alright, alright, I'll stop."402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQdMuyyYCG
But he moved closer to my ear and whispered, "But you like her right? Admit it..."402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡab2FXMxi8I
He gave me a pair of teasing eyes. This man would literally not stop at anything just to get the answer he wanted.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofgZNuFcuq
I sighed. "Alright, alright, I do. So?"402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UUdJY19pn
"So? What are you sitting here for, man? Go ahead, get her!"402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMcrpkj1c0T
My brow arched. "That quick? I don't even know her name."402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNywsb3We30
"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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9o7WxSiNTF
I pushed myself up and faced him.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyNTWi7G1J
"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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgk3FhAFhH
He cackled.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVg6i7HI5fB
"You know you can always change out of that thing, right?" he said, smiling from ear to ear.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAyIjYyrOm
To my surprise, he grabbed the shining pin from my hair, making me wince in pain. 402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiDtsOC5Yr
"Go get her, man, or you'll regret it," he continued.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYbpz6YikJ
My brows furrowed while I scratched the back of my neck.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqnHc4PShR
"Really? You won't come and help me out?" I whined.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDb4s9Eh9hL
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?402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBPgPAJWvT
"Come on, Judy, man up!” said Lev, smirking. "We're watching you."402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0cfrOZSxo
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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefqR8uwvPu
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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpxeMvora1
"Hi, ate, are you okay? What happened to you?" she asked, concern evident in her pretty face.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqQsPUy6fs
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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSseN0PN7V
"Those boys," I answered and pointed to my brothers who were talking on the other side. "They're picking on me."402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1NVShci0M
Then I remembered that strong hit at the back of my head.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmLIUEeDk0
"Ouch!" I cried, my hand rose to the part hit by the coconut shell. It was half-pretend. My head literally hurt. Damn Lev.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAcEqfy5SB
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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdWxGsnau1
"What happened to you?" she asked.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LEwD3SVAz
"One of them hit me on the head. It really hurts..." my face contorted in pain.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9XyGsLq5Z
The frown on her face reflected genuine concern. Seeing her like that filled my stomach with fluttering butterflies.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡej5Lu16aLx
"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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwJiHGiK2r
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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBos9f5LP4b
"Oh look," the girl said, "You're bleeding!"402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC867mMuO9R
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.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7xDF4czdv
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and used it to stop the bleeding on my head.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFBsDqAoeg
When she finished attending to my wound, I turned to look at her and flashed a smile of gratitude.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAB3SDJ2Lyj
"Thank you so much..." I said as if waiting for her to give her name.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUC4G52TRU
She gave me a smile that said she knew exactly what I was thinking.402Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4I5cz4DAHI
"Ester."
