A Piece of my Summer

ter

1ST O

bit ko ang graduation picture na kinuha ko mula sa school. In compa

sted on bunning my hair, which made my face look chubby, and my makeup was terrible. I

cares me; it's the prospect of taking the course my Dad wants me to take. I've heard enough from college stud

at course I wanted to take. Everyone in my class appears to be looking

I had to stop wal

?" Tanong ni Andrew mu

, ba

n mo. May fav

bago ko pa siya mababaan ay siya na mismo ang nagbaba ng linya. Napabuntong hininga nala

in ako ng hapdi sa balat dahil sa init ng araw. Wala m

t a doubt, just a

tinitir'han ko ay nakita ko agad si Andrew na nag

ched him, hi

'yon?" Bati k

alam ano ang unang sasabihin. "Klara,

a 'to?" Pagputol ko sa sinasabi niya d

how I've managed to stay fri

kailangan ko n

?" I asked fr

nes. She wanted me to go in Manila a

ng anong kinalaman ko sa lovelife niya. Hindi

o sa Portville. He's here for the first time, so he's unfamiliar with t

ko na kung saa

ither you cancel your friend or y

loob ng apartment ko p

I'm talking about, he really has no idea of this place.

ko kakahila niya. He's always like t

sama mo ro'n, eh 'di

? I heard this is all for his project. Sig

alang ako. And that's

l just send you the details of where you'll

g mga kalapati k

gad?!" Sigaw ko nang mar

ababa si Andrew at hin

niya para matawagan mo siya kapag nando'n

re how Andrew managed to persuade me. This is not t

de. I glanced at the clock and it's almost quarter to 4 pm. Kahit

closed my eyes. Hindi nalang ak

time, so he's unfamiliar

king about, he really has

project. Sige ka, kapag 'yon

pagkakayuko sa desk at dumire

exactly my weakness and he's

'n. Sapat na 'yong paghihilamos at saglit na pagsisipilyo

ga dahil hindi ko alam kung anong susuotin ko. Cas

akitang 3:40 na. Hinding hindi ka na

green wrapped dress kaya hindi na a

kong binuksan ang closet kong puno ng mga sapatos per

aburara mo sa s

ll shoes. Nasobrahan ata ang pagkapit ko sa closet dahil muntikan n

ala na tayong panaho

a mag-ayos sandali. Pero kahit ang makeup kit ko ay g

d at dinampot ito, but then it slipped

No. N

naman n

in ang foundation na n

umayo ako muli at hinanap ang lipstick

ung minuto nalang bago mag-alas kwatro. Tanging hawi nalang ng buhok ang ayos na nagawa ko at ki

pero sa oras na mayroon ako ay alanganin na. At sa ilang se

ako ay aabot ako sa eksaktong oras. Sandali akong napahinto dahil ang ideya n

pa bang ch

al tumakbo ang isang babaeng naka dress. Pilit kong hinihigpitan ang paa ko sa sapatos

ch my breath. I haven't run that much in a long time. Pak

:59 na. Nakahinga ako nang maluwag dahil

ito ay sumasakay sa bus. Ang sabi ni Andrew ay magkikita mu

ere on time pero siya ay late pa. I waited for another 20 minutes

rang just as I began to walk. My screen was filled with an unreg

a. "Hello? This is Klara's phone number

e supposed to meet at exactly 4 pm s

g kaibigan

r and read the phone number Andrew

Muli niy

mo muna ako ahead of time to inform me you can't c

indi pala siya makakap

r the inconvenience. But, i

a moment, but I can tell

s, I think I'

elieve he is relieved that he was a

ost? Bata ba siya? Nalayo ko ang phone sa mukh

ka-best na paraan upang maitago

know?" He

i ba, Klara? Alangan, hindi

mo, what d

It's look like I'm ab

ille pa siya? Baka naman ibang siyud

ng to some by-passers?"

on sense to ask people when

o people

ko. Where on

bang bumalik sa

ore lost because I can't r

eve he got lost. This is st

aling? Like before you g

lis? Hindi rin pamilyar sa akin

ko galing." This is West Portville. Maliit lang ang North a

familiar. Nakakabalik na

t of there on his own if he

ere you are. Just k

baba ang tawag dahil baka kung saan na naman siya mapunta. Pagbaba ko a

ent dito. For the case of East, this is the only apartment here kaya sigurado ako na di

t pilit akong tumatanaw sa loob. Like that guy said, the entire place is like an entrance to a fores

ed. I stared on the phone for a while dahil nabablang

ell

sa akin dahilan up

guard is chasing us. This i

front of me. I can clearly see his eyes through his g

ds. He waved it and my phone numb

l, I met this man and we

*