Chapter 17 | Wish

I walked out.

Pumunta ako sa aking kwarto at na-upo sa gilid ng kama. My mind was full of different thoughts, hindi matukoy kung anong unang iisipin.

Lierre thought that I was using her to gain fame or attention. Their fraternity was controlled by her uncle. May isa pang gang ang school at tila pa mas matatag iyon.

Looking back from today, I couldn't remember why I volunteered myself into this trouble. Himala nga't hindi pa ako nahuhuli o nahahalata sa eskwelahan. Maybe, I pretended well or sadyang bobo lang silang pumansin sa kapaligiran.

Hindi nakatulong ang ere sa kwarto kaya't napagdesisyunan ko, matapos ang ilang minuto, tumayo at lumipat ng pwesto.

I opened the terrace. Sinandal ko ang magkabilang siko ngunit ang tingin ay na sa kalangitan.

Tahimik ang gabing may halong lamig mula sa kanluran. Hanggang ngayon, hindi ko pa rin mawari kung bakit may iilang komportable sa dilim, na kung bakit ang iba'y pinipili ang sulok upang mag-isip.

The stars owned the night sky. I defined stars as a fraud—they deceive our eyes na kunwari ay malapit lang sila at madaling abutin... yet in other scenarios, stars could be hope—shining brightly in the dark, parang ito lang ang tumatayong pag-asa at karamay ng mga taong na sa dilim.

Lierre came across my mind as I scanned the glittered sky.

🎀

Nakatingala siya't manghang-mangha. She wasn't smiling yet she was genuinely happy while watching the shower. She wore the necklace I gave her. Matagal nang na sa akin ang necklace na iyon. Wala akong mapagbigyan kaya pinagpasyahang itago na lamang.

Every night, nagr-reflect sa necklace ang kalangitan. Tuwing malapit ka sa shooting stars, na-a-adapt ng necklace na iyon ang nangyayari.

It was awesome, actually. I didn't regret giving it to Lierre. I gave it to her because I felt she needed it dahil tulad ng aking pananaw, stars could also be a sign of hope.

I silently looked at her kahit wala namang ginagawa. I took that time to think deeply of her. Mahirap basahin ang takbo ng kanyang isip ngunit lagi kong pinipilit na umintindi. I knew she would test my patience kaya hindi dapat ako magpatalo.

I saw her cousins and all of them had that familiar aura and feeling. Normal lang sa kanilang maging maganda yet to Lierre's case was kind of different.

In the age of fourteen, hindi maitatangging mas nakatataas siya sa ibang mga ka-edad. The way she dressed and carry herself was on the another level. She had a lot of boys yet ang sabi-sabi, puro lamang iyon kalandian.

Noong una at hindi ko pa siya gaanong naka-uusap, hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit gusto nila si Lierre. Was it because she's rich? Maganda? I thought of her as a brainless and immature teenage girl. Naka-iirita at nakasisira ng araw ang makakita ng batang babaeng sobrang landi. I knew it's part of growing up pero she exceeded too much.

Yet as the saying goes, not all first impressions are true.

Slowly, Lierre proved things to me na nagpatunay na mali ang aking inisip sa kanya. She had this intelligence that was advance and I couldn't believe I wanted to know more of her.

Ngayon, nandito siya sa aking gilid at nanonood. Ngayong masaya siya't seryoso, may napatunayan na naman siyang muli.

Hindi siya nagtitiwala, hindi siya mabait—ngunit ang mga ito ay maaaring bunga ng kanyang nakaraan. I had no idea of her past but whatever happened affected her mental and emotional health too much.

I felt sorry because I judged early. Hindi naman porke't na sa isang tao na ang halos lahat, ibig-sabihin ay masaya na siya sa buhay.

Gano'n naman.

She had a lot of potential at ako mismo ay nasasayangan kung hindi matutuwid ang kanyang piniling daan. She didn't deserve that bullshit fraternity.

No one exerted much effort to understand her kaya siya mismo ay naguguluhan. No one taught her dahil akala nila'y kaya na ni Lierre ang lahat. Nakalimutan nilang bata rin siya at kailangan ng gabay mula sa iba. Her pride was beyond tall kaya hindi na sumusubok ang iba na kausapin siya. She had trust issues, I could feel it, kaya siguro mas gusto niyang manatili sa dilim.

I unconsciously got the ribbon clip from my pocket. I bought this for her yet hindi niya tinanggap. I didn't know her reason but she didn't like it kaya hindi ko na pinilit.

I slowly clipped some of her soft silky hair. I waited for her bad reaction yet nothing happened. I successfully did it.

The ribbon clip fitted her. Simple yet very pleasing to look at. She looked younger and happier.

I sighed and turned my eyes at the sky. The stars were still falling.

I focused on one and wished that Lierre to find her way through.

I wished Lierre to live at peace after the whole issue.

I wished Lierre to take time slowly and appreciate every color of the youth—hindi lang ang itim na nakikita sa dilim.