Grade Six

She's silently watching her classmates playing. She wanted to join but how she can do it when she can't even move without getting tired easily?

It is hard for her to make a move because of her weight.

And now she's sulking and instead of playing, she will just sit and eat her favorite food, ice cream.

Kapag talaga ako pumayat, maglalaro ako nang maglalaro

She's been saying this to herself for many years but nothing changed. She's still fat. Wala naman kaso iyon sa magulang niya pero sobrang big deal kasi nito sa ibang tao.

"Taba, hindi ka ba maglalaro?" One of her classmates asked her. Maybe her classmate didn't mean to insult her. It just that it is so natural for them to calls her taba. Hindi na rin siya nag-abalang itama.

Well, kids are mean in their own way.

"Hindi. Kumakain pa ako," she answered.

When the bell rings, her classmates start walking to get their bags and go home and Liya also. When she reached the guardhouse, her mother is not yet there.

"Nag-text sa 'kin ang Mama mo, Liya. Mahuhuli raw siya sandali sa pagsundo sa 'yo." The woman guard gives her a warm smile. She nods. "Okay po."

But after a minute of waiting, her tummy grumbles. Nagugutom na naman siya.

She tugs the hem of the lady guard shirt. "Nagugutom po ako."

"May pagkain ako dito." Agad siyang umiling. Nahihiya siya and she want something else.

"Bibili lang po ako sandali. Babalik din ako kaagad." Alanganin na tumingin sa kanya ang guard. "Sandali lang po talaga, promise." She raised her right hand as a sign of promise.

"Okay. Bilisan mo."

She directly went to where the siopao stall. Mas lalo siyang nagutom nang maamoy niya ito.

"Isa nga pong asado." She's enjoying the smell of the food while waiting and after a couple of seconds, the lady gave her siopao. Ito na mismo ang naglagay ng sauce kaya hindi na siya nahirapan.

"Ang sarap!" she exclaims. Ang init pa ng siopao kaya talagang masarap itong nguyain. Tamang-tama rin ito sa tiyan niya.

She almost finishes eating her siopao when the old lady calls her attention. "Nasaan ang bayad mo, ineng?"

"Oo nga pala. Hindi pa pala ako nagbabayad."

Dumukot siya sa bulsa niya, wala. Sa kabilang bulsa naman, wala pa rin.

Liya pouted. "Nakalimutan ko po 'yong pera ko sa bag ko. Kukuhain ko lang po sandali."

The old lady stepped aside, blocking her way. "Anong aalis? Tapos hindi ka na babalik? Alam ko na 'yang mga galawan na 'yan! Hindi mo ako maloloko! Nasaan ang pera mo?"

"Naiwan ko po talaga sa bag ko," she said, almost crying. "Babalik... naman po ako... kaagad."

"Hindi! Ilabas mo pera mo!" Umatras siya nang akmang lalapit ito sa kanya. She's now shaking. She's afraid. What if the old lady hurt her? Who will save her?
"Ale, ako na lang po ang magbabayad." Parehas silang lumingon sa nagsalita.

"Ito po." The boy gave the old lady one hundred pesos. "Keep the change po."

"Okay ka lang?" The little boy asks. She nods.

"Thank you."

The boy is taller than her and she knew that he is older than her. Maybe a year older. And he's familiar.

And when she saw his eyes, waves of memories start flashing in her mind.

It's him! The boy who saved me before!

Tinitigan niya ito nang mabuti, trying to remember his name.

Hindi ba siya nito natatandaan?

"You're welcome. But next time make sure you have money, alright?" She nods again, still trying to remember his name. "Alright. I'm gonna go. Bye."

Sandali. The word stuck in her mouth. Sayang.

Second Year High School

If there's was a lesson that she learned over the past years,

Life is a choice. This is the important lessoned she learned over the past. She needs to choose between fighting for herself or letting other people hurt her feelings.

Time passed and she's now losing her weight but she's still a crybaby. Iniiyakan ang maaaring iyakan.

Iiyakan ang kalampahan. Iiyakan ang katabaan. Iiyakan ang pagkain na hindi nagkasya sa kanya. Higit sa lahat, iiyakan ang kawalan ng kaibigan.

But crying because of the wound is an exception. May sugat na nga siya sa tuhod hindi pa niya maigalaw ang paa niya. May naipit na ugat dito. Paano siya uuwi nito?

She lost her balance when a lot of kids run and hit her. She love kids but they are really a handful. Hindi naman siya katulad ng mga ito dati.

After thirty minutes, she tried to stand up again but it just causes more pain on her feet.

What she will do now?

"Bakit naman kasi ako na lang palagi?!" she cried louder. Hah. No one will care if she cried louder.

"Miss, anong problema?" Then a man suddenly appears from nowhere. Tumingala siya upang makita ang mukha nito but the light from the sun is blocking her yes. Because the man is shining against the light of the sun. Para itong Prince sa isang story na nangniningning. "Need help?"

"A-ah... Hindi ko po maigalawa ang paa ko," she said, almost a whispered.

He tried to move her feet. "Ah. Masakit," daing niya.

"Sorry." Tumingin ito sa kanya na para bang naghahanap sa sagot sa tanong na hindi naman masabi. "Paano ka uuwi?"

She shrugs. Hindi niya rin alam.

"Saan ba bahay mo? Ihahatid kita."

"Ay! Huwag na po."

"I insist." He smiled. Then he stands up straight and gives her a better view of his face.

Magulo ang buhok nito at nagningning sa pawis. Makapal ang kilay at malamig ang kulang abong mga mga. He has a pointed nose and a heart shape lips that will resemblance a rose because of the color it. He also has fair skin.

He is also tall and lean. He's wearing a plain shirt and a short that usually used in a basketball game. Naka-nike na black shoe din ito. Over all, papasa itong Prince charming sa isang pelikula.

"Ang pogi."

And he's really familiar.

She shook her head, trying to erase her thoughts about the man in front of her. Nagkakasala ata siya. "Ganito na lang. Tulungan niyo na lang po ako makasakay. Kahit iyon na lang po."

The man blinks. "Are you sure?" She eagerly nods. "Okay. If that's what you want."

"Can I put my hand on your waist?" Nahihiyang tanong nito. "Para alalayan ka sana." Nakawak ito sa batok at nag-iwas ng tingin. Tumango naman siya bilang pagsang-ayon. The man carefully put his hands around her waist and help her stand. Agad niyang naamoy ang panlalaking pabango nito.

She tries to move her feet slowly until she can do it without causing too much pain.

In the back of her mind, she wanted to slow her move to have a little time with the man she's walking with.

Minsan lang siya humanga sa isang tao kaya itotodo niya na.

But not every wish will become true. Because after a minute of walking, nakarating sila sa sakayan niya.

"Thank you."

He smiled again. "Take care."

Then suddenly, memories flash in her mind. From the day that a group of kids bullied her and a kid saved her to the day when a kid paid her siopao.

That's him.

Louie.

Her Louie.

She smiled. She knows that they will meet again.

Saka naman siguro siya malalagot sa Mama niya kapag nalaman niyang may crush na siya.