Thaliah

"It's fine, as long as you're not hurt."

"I don't feel annoyed, that's how you express yourself so I'm  fine with it."

I bit my lips remembering his words yesterday. He acts stoic but he's really kind.

"I'll make you shut up then."

Well except that part. I just hawak to my labi and I couldn't take my emotions right now!

"Want me to shut you up again Magdalene?"

I gaya his words with a forced buong voice then tried to stop myself squealing.

"You're beautiful in any angle, don't worry."

I again remembered, I ended up rolling around the room.

"Why the heck do I keep thinking about it!"

I frowned tgen make malakas na tili while rolling ng gulong gulong around, I ended up going untog but I keep rolling around.

"What happened?!"

It's Azarel who just got inside, I bit lips then smiled awkwardly.

"Can't you see? I am going linis this kwarto using my damit as mop. It's my new hobby."

I said then smiled, Azarel just stared at me blankly.

"Really?"

He asked, I looked away.

"Yes!"

I pouted, Azarel just sighed.

"Okay if you say so."

He said then looked away, I saw his lips formed a smile. My eyes got so laki whenI saw that then tayo and hawak his face..

"What?"

He asked confused while I'm squishing his face, forming it into a smile.

"You should smile often."

I giggled

"You're so handsome! like gwapong gwapo!"

I said, I saw him trying to stop himself from smiling, but I continued teasing him, squishing his face. I almost got dulas tuloy, good thing Azarel managed to catch my waist and pulled me closer.

My heart again started racing as our eyes met each other.

"S-sorry, am I acting like a child? Is it nakakairita ba?"

I asked while meeting his gaze. I'm so nakakahiya! I'm already 27 but I act like I'm 17, I hate how I express myself sometimes.

But that doesn't measure how mature and immature I am. Age doesn't really measure someone's maturity, no matter how mature you think you are, there will be times when you just find yourself acting irrational.

"That means you're comfortable around me, you're happy and that's how you express it. I like it that way, you can always stay who you are around me."

He stated, I slowly nodded my head on him then hiwalay na myself to his grip.

"T-Thank you."

I smiled.

When I was in highschool and College my classmates often call me childish and immature cause when I'm happy I act in a hyper manner, they thought I am acting like a child.

They find it weird and immature, even though I personally think that doesn't mean how I act when I'm happy is really the measurement of one's maturity.

I think it does when you're angry.

Before I am often scared to express myself too much, cause people around me would always judge me.

They were all basag trip ha!

I managed to find true friends who accepts me and I think I am very lucky to have them.

I realized I don't have to be so down on how people see me. As long as I am not doing anything bad, that I don't stomp on someone then it's fine being myself.

It took me time to build self love and more confidence, so I'm glad to hear those words from him.

But for some reason, I am kinda concern how Azarel thinks of me.

"You're still busy from renovations?"

I asked, he nodded his head.

"Yes, I was about to go."

He said, I smiled at him brightly, he's natigilan pa doon, making me giggle.

"You're gandang ganda nanaman to me noh?"

I smirked, he remained titig to me.

"Yes."

He didn't even deny! I don't know how to sagot tuloy.

"I know."

I pouted.

"I'll go now, if you're going to leave the house call me, I'll come with you. If you need something, call me too or let the helpers assist you. The renovations will be on the fish farm, it's not that far from here."

He explained, I tango tango to that.

"Got it."

I sabi to him.

He left na me in this house, I want to go with him but I don't want to be a hindrance to them. Plus I have designs to draw, seeing the surroundings inspires me to draw.

"Are you cooking na po?"

I asked ate Gwen, she smiled.

"Opo Señorita, para po sainyo saka kila Señorito ho kasama ng mga trabahador."

She sagot to me.

"Gwen, ang sabi ay asikasuhin mo iyang niluluto, hindi ang sumisip nanaman sa mga amo nati---"

It's the medyo looking matandang masungit na they tawag na ate Rosing.

"No, it's okay I'm just asking lang naman so it's my fault for being istorbo."

I smiled.

"Ay hindi ho kayo Istorbo Señorita talaga ito pong si gwen---"

I again didn't let her finish and look at Gwen's direction.

"Can I help? I want to visit my---husband din kasi and just eat my lunch in there with mga tao."

I asked, umiling naman to me si Ate Gwen. 

"Nako, kami na ho rito Señorita."

I iling iling again to her.

"I insist, plus I want to learn to cook some dish din while I am nandito. Can you teach me ate Gwen? Ate Rosing?"

I asked, they have no choice naman but pumayag to turo me. I had fun cooking with them, they adobo the pato then ginitaan also the adobong duck. And it is so sarap! I'm so glad that I learned how to cook it.

I kinda miss my mom tuloy.

"Are we going to take these ulam to them na? I will sama with you ha? I want to see how they are all doing if it's okay."

I asked, I sama na to them, they advised me to just ride the car but I want to try riding the kuliglig so I insisted.

It's so fun chatting with the people on our way to the fish farm. I told them to stop calling me señorita and just call me Thaliah. 

The hacienda is indeed beautiful and huge. They are so masayahin to, everyone is bati us and I keep kaway kaway to the people we nadadaanan.

"Napakabait niyo po talaga Señorita Thaliah, kaya ho siguro ay inlab na inlab sainyo si Señorito! Yur so nakakatuwa din po!"

Ate Nita said making me chuckle.

"You're so kind to me din po kasi! and I am really masaya while being with all of you po!"

I giggled.

"Oh mang rogelio? bat ang tahimik niyo ata ngayon?"

Ate Gwen ask the matandang guy with us.

"Ay hindi ko kasi maintindihan iyang pinagsasabi ng asawa ni Señorito. Tatahimik nalang ako at baka dumugo ilong ko sa pakikipag usap diyan kay Señorita."

He explained, the man beside Him named Apolinario were so tawang tawa.

"Ah ehh Señorita, him sabi---ahh he said no understanding ovation, no speaker, no problemandation. If you talking talking to the him, his noseau will will will---water falls then be hospitalityzation entern blading will earth quick and the volcanoes around the word dictionary will eruptionizing because because he can't understanding to the left and right back and prant what you talking talking abouticism, do you understanding?"

Apolinario explained, I just kamot my ulo then nodded my head even though I myself couldn't understand that much.

"Uhh you can talk in tagalog naman, I can understand, I just can't speak tagalog that much."

I said while smiling.

"Ah ehh sabi niya tay wag ka nalang daw magsalita ng ingles at ibabato daw niya yung speaker sa ilalim sayo tay."

Apolinario again translates it to Mang Rogelio. Mang Rogelio Gasped.

"Aba ay ang sama naman pala---"

Gwen just batok Apolinario tuloy.

"Walang hiya ka Apolinario! Ayusin mo."

Gwen said while her hand were on her bewang.

"Insan naman mauubusan ako ng ingles dyan kay Señorita ehh."

He uttered, Gwen just buntong hininga.

"Mang Rogelio, ang sabi ho ni Señorita ay nakakaintindi naman daw siya ng tagalog. Nahihirapan lamang daw sya magsalita."

Gwen finally translated, We just tawa nalang tuloy.

We continued chatting untill we reached the fish farm. Everything is so malawak and refreshing.

"Azarel!"

I called his name when I kita him as I excitedly went down the Kuliglig, Mang Rogelio andApolinario alalay pa me to baba.

"I'm gonna have my lunch here! it's so saya riding the kuliglig! I had fun!"

I said the moment I came into his direction, I saw him bit his lips while looking at me.

"Hmm.."

He hummed he seemed surprise, I smiled brightly at him.

"I also helped in cooking that ulam!"

I said, his eyes were nanlaki as he immidoately get a plate abd kutsara and singit to the line.

"I should be the first one tasting it."

He hissed, Ate Dindy just natawa and gave Azarel a plenty of it.

"Asus! si Señorito talaga oh! nalaman lang na si Señorita ang tumulong magluto!"

Apolinario shouted, after that mga tao were making kantyaw na tuloy. I feel like my face were mainit, then smiled as I met gaze.

"Si Señorita ho talaga nagluto niyan Señorito napapaturo lang at nagpapaassist kapag kailangan."

Gwen said while looking at us on a teasing manner.

"Ako ang unang titikim sa luto ng asawa ko."

He said stubbornly then looked at my direction. I feel like I'm so pula na tuloy lalo. The people got louder and we got a lot of.

"ayeeeeiiiii"

I feel so kilig tuloy!

"Let's sit in there."

He said then held my hand after I got my food as we sat on a long chair and put our food on the table. The people are also just near us and I am really happy eating with everyone like this.

"Nako napaka sweet naman ng mga ito! Sana ho ay biyayaan na kayo agad ng anak, para naman ay may kalaro na si Señorito Caleb tuwing bibisita sila rito nila Ser Wade at Ma'am Lilia."

Kuya Kevin, Ate Gwen's husband said, Nasamid tuloy me, Azarel gave me water agad.

"Wala pa ho sa plano."

Azarel answered smoothly.

"Nako okay lang iyan at nabigla rin kami sa kasal ninyo. Sangayon ay sulitin niyo muna ang isa't isa, pero huwag naman sana masyadong matagal dahil maganda rin ang may bata sa bahay.:

Ate Nina said, I just pouted. If they only knew that all of these were just temporary and we'd eventually separate.

Right, I'm just doing this for the sake of my dad.

"You're done for today?"

I asked Azarel, after lunch, I decided to just stay in here and draw.

"Yes, want to go home now?"

He tanong to me, I iling lang my head while stretching my arms.

"Nah, Can you take me somewhere? but if you're tired, I can just roam around. I want to feel refreshed after hours of drawing."

I smiled, Azarel silently nodded.

"I'll go with you, I'm not that tired yet."

He said then held my hands, I just kagat my lips while I titig on our intertwined hands.

It's 4 pm when we reached a hill, and I was so Amazed how clean and beautiful this place is. You can even see some part of hacienda from here and the mountains on a long distance.

On top of it, there is a tree and a cross below it. There is Kubo also beside the tree.

"Wow, this place is awesome."

I said as I closed my eyes and felt the breeze.

"It's beautiful."

I giggled while looking at the surroundings then looked at Azarel's direction. He just came out of the Kubo, and is now hawak hawak a kumot and guitar.

"Ilalatag ko lang ito para makaupo ka."

He said while he is latag the kumot on the grass.

"Weird, why there is no tao here if this place is so beautiful?"

I asked, he just frowned.

"Back in highschool, my childhood friends---"

"Eseyng and that Wade?"

I asked cutting his sentence, he tango his head to me.

"They did some prank and spreaded some rumors around. Considering La Muerte's history in war which is why this town is named La Muerte, nagawa nilang paniwalain ang lahat na maraming nagkalat na multo rito."

He hissed.

"That's not very nice."

I commented, Azarel shrugged.

"After that, this place had become our so called hide out."

He explained, I just pouted as I stare at the place. It's really refreshing in here, I love it.

"You know how to play guitar?"

I asked, he tango his head making me smile.

"We have a band before."

Azarel uttered making my lips form an 'o'

"Really? You're the guitarist?"

I asked again.

"Sometimes, most of the time, I am the Lead singer."

He explained while strumming the guitar.

"Wow, what was your bands name?"

I giggled, Azarel just frowned.

'I don't want to hear that shitty name again."

He hissed, I just pouted.

"Okay, can you sing for me then? please?"

I pleaded, he just nodded his head making my smile grew wider.

"Through my mind, down to my soul you touch my lips
You're the one that I can't wait to see
With you here by my side I'm in ecstasy

I am all alone without you
My days are dark without the glimpse of you
But now that you came into my life
I feel complete
The flowers bloom, my morning shines
And I can see"

He started singing while staring straight in my eyes. As if it is talking to my heart and sould directly.

Your love is like the sun
That lights up my whole world
I feel the warmth inside
Your love is like the river
That flows down through my veins
I feel the chill inside

His voice were cold yet expressive, it's making my heart race as I look at him. His voice is really great, I'm feeling goosebumps.

Every time I hear our music play
Reminds me of the things that we've been through
In my mind I can't believe it's true
But in my heart the reality is you

I am all alone without you
My days are dark without the glimpse of you
But now that you came into my life
I feel complete
The flowers bloom, my morning shines
And I can see

Your love is like the sun
That lights up my whole world
I feel the warmth inside
Your love is like the river
That flows down through my veins
I feel the chill inside

Your love is like the sun
That lights up my whole world
I feel the warmth inside
Your love is like the river
That flows down through my veins
I feel the chill inside

Your love is like the sun
That lights up my whole world
I feel the warmth inside
Your love is like the river
That flows down through my veins
I feel the chill inside

Your love, your love, won't you give me, your love

He is staring at me the whole time, it felt like he is talking to me through the song. Slowly tears from my eyes started falling as I look at him.

"W-Why?"

He asked while looking at me as he wiped my tears.

"I-I-I don't know."

I smiled.

"It just felt familiar."

I said, he stopped for a moment as he met my gaze and leaned closer to kiss me.

I kissed him back.