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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcYYCDodTU
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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCR5vMqz7Ja
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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1s3AEoNfI
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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdu9FKyS7W
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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlRiupEHg1
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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwB9Gi3ysT
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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNy4egdFeU3
A sudden warmth on my left side snapped me back to reality. Was it Joe again?361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdBoSssEmO
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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwqfaJyVWW
"Hey kuya," I greeted. "Tired of working already? You need a reliever?"361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOdKGH2BcP
So there was a part of me that still refused to quit my dream.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjJx1Z3orq
"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."361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiqdrY7gpF
I nodded. "Nice."361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWohWWI7TC1
And in my head, I was wishing that happened to everyone.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGgsm6ZunO
"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."361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBSJlM95gT
Oh. Was I that obvious?361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanoI3sBALb
"Really?" I asked.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uSLYMDKas
"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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfcWJ0Yd67
"Can’t you be discreet about that, kuya?" I hissed while my cheeks grew warm. "It's embarrassing."361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe73HgDUbn3
"Aha!” he exclaimed, clapping his fingers, “So that's why you’re blushing!"361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24NI5qHOKc
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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskkizLdBvh
"No, I am not," I denied, but my treacherous lips could not stop themselves from smiling.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sIGElxoPU
"Your mouth is a walking contradiction, tol. You like the girl?"361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfrQ3hQ6Qo
I quickly put my forefinger over my lips. "Ssshhh! Keep it down!"361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5iKt4ORpo
"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?"361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6NhnsgeSP
"Do you ever shut up?" I hissed again.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDj3MxBU8G
He threw his hands in the air, "Alright, alright, I'll stop."361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAeiD4JK1q
But he moved closer to my ear and whispered, "But you like her right? Admit it..."361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymL5lhbH27
He gave me a pair of teasing eyes. This man would literally not stop at anything just to get the answer he wanted.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkUID7qoyX
I sighed. "Alright, alright, I do. So?"361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXejQ74mxM
"So? What are you sitting here for, man? Go ahead, get her!"361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0ltXsUbl7
My brow arched. "That quick? I don't even know her name."361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NK7Kihfvg
"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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVU0qihMw9K
I pushed myself up and faced him.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBv6X7EBMcW
"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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVfvKf5rE9
He cackled.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2iPrs8kiA
"You know you can always change out of that thing, right?" he said, smiling from ear to ear.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBeZ7cEqnDP
To my surprise, he grabbed the shining pin from my hair, making me wince in pain. 361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWY81VYLqTr
"Go get her, man, or you'll regret it," he continued.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSCJX6B68z
My brows furrowed while I scratched the back of my neck.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmFfdP0XUx
"Really? You won't come and help me out?" I whined.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa0tsh5eKTo
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?361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekiXMFoJgV
"Come on, Judy, man up!” said Lev, smirking. "We're watching you."361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuG83abr3XS
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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGUckTSpUZ
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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxe2ALq72sB
"Hi, ate, are you okay? What happened to you?" she asked, concern evident in her pretty face.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqb3saVBow
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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSPtXso1lc
"Those boys," I answered and pointed to my brothers who were talking on the other side. "They're picking on me."361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DlE4sdJDt
Then I remembered that strong hit at the back of my head.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbUNCjpvJm
"Ouch!" I cried, my hand rose to the part hit by the coconut shell. It was half-pretend. My head literally hurt. Damn Lev.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9VmnYJ4uG
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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgUqe1uRWw
"What happened to you?" she asked.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKz2p7Kslb
"One of them hit me on the head. It really hurts..." my face contorted in pain.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88Mfg1GPAF
The frown on her face reflected genuine concern. Seeing her like that filled my stomach with fluttering butterflies.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kQKFDvcAW
"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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK920mJo7cc
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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPuLtye1rp
"Oh look," the girl said, "You're bleeding!"361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyICuYkVBV
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.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzfYJ8FNvr
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket and used it to stop the bleeding on my head.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgS4KTlRElW
When she finished attending to my wound, I turned to look at her and flashed a smile of gratitude.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4STz233UGB
"Thank you so much..." I said as if waiting for her to give her name.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWoFPNdSnY
She gave me a smile that said she knew exactly what I was thinking.361Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQXsDYfv6r
"Ester."
