🎻

Si Rhea, siya pa rin pala hanggang ngayon. Mukhang totoo nga ang kasabihan na first love never dies. At ito nga ang babae nakalambitin kay Francisco. I want to smile bitterly but i chose not to. I just close my eyes not to see anything.

"Dereck, continue playing." I said with silent authority.

I just hear him continue playing the piano while me and Olivia is following his rhythm. I open my eyes and look at the other side so I can't see anything. I will finish this music and leave this place immediately.

"What are you doing here, Rhea?"
"I love you."
I hear people gasp, I glance a little in their direction. And I seriously hear my heart snap at the single sight of it. Natawa ako sa naisip, you still didn't move on, Hannah. Gaya ng dati tanga ka pa rin dahil mahal mo pa rin yung taong nananakit sayo ng husto. Masokista yata talaga ako.

Tumingin ako sa kanan para di ko makita ang ginagawa nilang paghahalikan. My tears have flowing badly as it is. Bad as my heart still beats for him and only him. I think I can't recover anymore after this.

Huminto ang tugtog kinuwa ko muna ang aking panyo sa bulsa at nagpunas ng luha. Nakita ko kung paano ako tignan nina Dereck at Olivia. I just give them a smile, I don't want them to worry as I promise. I will finish this and leave.
We continue our second to the last song before I leave.

"I know you guys are shock, seeing them kissing. They just love each other, that's all."
"Don't you invent anything, Blake. I'm warning you."
"You guys kissed, anong gusto mo sabihin ko?"

Blake talk to Francisco without a microphone para hinde marinig ng mga guest. I just listen and not look at them.

"I didn't know my sweetheart is this sweet to me." Rhea said in the microphone. "I love him also and I guess I'm his first love." She giggles.
"Rhea. Stop talking." Francisco said coldly.
"My sweetheart is just shy..."

Tumahimik na ang paligid at narinig kong bumaba na sila sa stage.

"I apologize for that." Blake said, I also straightened my posture and look at the center again. "We will temporarily stop the music." We are sign to stop. "1 minute before he turns 30. Kindly countdown with us."

I hear the people countdown 60 down to 1. And they say Happy Birthday, it's loud. This is not even a Christmas or New Year.

"We have requested this last piece from our famous musicians at the side." Pointing us. "Hope you guys enjoy it."

The organizer sign us to play which we followed.

The piece which is closer to my heart. The piece I have give my heart and soul. And I'm playing it again, even though I promise not to play it anymore.

I look at the center I saw people dancing to our music. And I also saw a familiar figure dancing together. My first love is dancing with the girl she loves. What a sight to be seen...

I was playing the piece that I have put my effort back then just to practice. For him to see me playing this, kahit na namamanhid na ang daliri ko. It's fine as long as I hear him say na ' Ang galing mo, Hannah ' which I didn't heard at all. Tinugtog ko to as a farewell song and a confession for him.

I was bitter that I have to play this piece again habang nagsasayaw sila ng masaya. Habang nakikita ko silang sweet sa isa't isa, hinde ako bato para di makaramdam. My confession piece becomes nothing also. Katulad ko wala lang dumaan lang sa buhay niya. Napadiin ang hawak ko sa ulo ng aking Violin. I'm feeling weak... Just a little 2 minutes matatapos na din ang parusang ito. Only 1 minute, everything will ends. Huminto na na ang tugtog namin at napalitan ng speaker. Napayuko ako at napaiyak.

I'm fine, I'm really fine...

Umalis na ko sa stage at hinayaan tumulo ang luha ko. I can't recover anymore and this will be a permanent scar in my heart. I bump into someone and I look at that person.

Kuya...

Napayakap ako ng mahigpit dito at umiyak. Akala ko kaya ko ang sakit hinde pa rin pala. I break down at the stage. My brother comforts me while patting my back. He was reassuring me everything will be fine.

🎻

Pagkabalik namin ni kuya sa bahay nito, I prepared everything pati yung damit ni Olivia inayos ko na. Tinulungan ako ni kuya para dalhin palabas ang bag namin ni Olivia. Nakita ko din ang kotseng nakaparada sa labas. Kotse ni Dereck, kumaway ito.

"You will be alright again, you are strong." He hugs me again. "Take care of yourself." I nod.

Linagay na nito sa backseat ang mga gamit namin ni Olivia. Humalik ako sa pisngi ni kuya bago humarurot ang kotse ni Dereck.

"Hannah..." Tawag sa kin ni Olivia at ngumiti ako sa kanya.
"Why, my friend?"
"We will leave and everything will be fine." I nod.

Tinignan ko ang labas ng bintana at napangiti ng malungkot. Ang pagpunta ko pala dito ay maghahatid sa kin ng lungkot at hinde kasiyahan. Sana di na lang ako naghanap ng pogi.

"Hold on tight, we will go faster ngayong magbabayad na din ako sa pagpapatakbo ko ng mabilis kanina. Lubusin ko na. " He smirks at napatawa ako ng mahina.
"Bahala ka na." Napailing siya.
"Good, someone is following us. I want to see if his horse can fight my wonderful sports car."

Nababaliw na nga talaga ito, nagsalpak na lang siya ng earphone at linakasan ito. Napatingin ako sa dalawa sa harapan ko and Olivia looks frustrated.

Never mind.

Huminto ang kotse ni Dereck at sumaludo ito sa guard bago tinaas ang harang. Pinatakbo ulit ni Dereck ng normal ang sasakyan and he looks satisfied with a smug face.

🎻

Nakatulog ako sa biyahe kasi sobrang haba din kasi. I will be fine now wala na ako sa lugar na yun. Napatingin ako sa lugar namin. This place looks familiar. Yes, our hometown. Huminto ang kotse sa harap ng bahay namin. At nakita ko si mama na lumabas.

Lumabas ako ng kotse at kinuwa ang mga gamit ko.

"Hannah!" Yumakap ako dito, I miss this place.

Lumingon muna ako kina Dereck para magpaalam at humarurot na ito pagkatapos. Bahala na silang mag-date dyan, ako magpapahinga na.

Pumasok na kami ni mama sa loob at umupo kami sa bagong sofa na nasa bahay.

"Musta ang bakasyon, napabilis yata anak."
"Ma totoo nga ang sabi niyo, ang daming pogi dun." Tumawa si mama.
"Sabi ko sayo eh, may nakilala ka bang pogi?"
"Yun na nga ma. Wala hinaharangan ni kuya ang kagandahan ko yan tuloy wala akong nakilala."

Natawa si mama at sabi niya ayos lang daw yun. Pumunta sa kusina si mama para ipagluto daw ako ng paborito ko, di daw kasi nito nagawa iyon nung nasa Las Pinas. Habang nakahiga ako sa sofa naramdaman ko ang tawag ng antok sa akin. Kaya nakatulog ako ng mahimbing.

🎻

Naalimpungatan ako ng may humahaplos ng mukha ko, dahilan para mapamulat ako ng wala sa oras. Sa sobrang gulat ko naumpog ako sa sofa.

"Are you alright?" May pagaalala nitong sabi.

What is this guy doing here? Di ba kasama nito ang gf niya sa party nung madaling araw? Masaya pa nga silang dalawang nagsasayaw. At bakit ngayon nandito ito? Wala naman si kuya dito.
Naupo siya ng maayos at hinaplos haplos ang ulong natamaan.

"Wala dito si kuya."

Napakunot ang noo nito, his signature look na hinde pa rin nagbabago hanggang ngayon.

"Ba't ako pupunta dito para sa kuya mo?" He said sartistically. "I came here for you."

For me? At bakit naman?

"Kanina ka pa pinagmamasdan niyan ni Francis habang natutulog ka dyan."

Singit ni mama at mukhang kilig na kilig ito. Gusto ko sabihin kay mama na wag na niyang ituloy ang pagfafangirl niya sa amin ni Francisco. Dahil walang pag-asa sa min dalawa.

"Tita hinde naman po sa ganun..."
"Sus kayo talaga. Francis dito ka na rin kumain."

At bakit kailangan pa siyang dito kumain? At bakit sinundan ako dito nito? It's better kung hinde muna ako kumain, nakakawalang gana lang kasi.

"Ma, di na muna ako kakain. Tutulog na lang muna ako."

Kahit gusto kong kumain kasabay si mama, hinde ko maatim na makasama ang lalaking ito. I was treated as a trash awhile ago. And I will never forget that humiliation. Bukod sa puso kong pilit na nagcocollapse tuwing maaalala ko yung eksena nilang dalawa na tila akala mo nasa palabas.

Tumayo na ko at naglakad papunta sa kwarto ko. Naririnig kong sumusunod ito sa kin, pati paakyat.

Huminto ako sa paglalakad. "What are you really doing?" Lingon ko dito at tumingin ako ng masama.

Why is he even following me? Wala rin naman siyang mapapala sa pagpunta dito. And it's impossible na sinundan niya ang isang katulad kong nothing sa buhay niya. That will be totally absurd.

Lumapit ito palapit sa kin at napataas ang kilay ko.

"Seriously, anong ginagawa mo?"

Naglakad ako pabaliktad and he still follows. He is looking at me in my eyes, a deep emotion I can't pinpoint. I want to grimace sa iniisip ko, am I really serious na may nararamdaman sa akin ito. He just said na he didn't treat me as sister. Ano pa bang explanation ang kailangan para pumasok sa kokote ko na I was nothing.

Sa kakalakad ko patalikod tumama ako sa haligi ng bahay namin. I was trapped and he also stops walking and stand in front of me. He is wearing a normal pants and a t-shirt to match his white rubbershoes. And why am I explaining that also. This is too much frustrating. I didn't realize that I sighed big time in real.

"Wala ka ng pupuntahan, Hannah. So stop walking away already."
"I'm not even walking away, I plan to rest dahil mahaba ang byinahe ko." It's a half lie and truth.

Totoong pagod na ko sa mga nangyayari sa buhay ko. I just want to relax which hinde nangyari.

"Really? After the party, umalis ka kaagad. Sabi ko sayo mag-uusap tayo pagkatapos na pagkatapos ng birthday ko." Ngumiti ito ng mapait. "Pero I have to chased that car habang nakasakay ako sa kabayo. Tinatawag kita but you didn't even glance. Napakagandang regalo naman nun..."

Ano? Hinahabol niya ang kotse? And then I realize that smug face of Dereck. I think I know why, that guy loves to get revenge.

"You leave me again at my exact birthday. Masaya ba?"
"Why are you asking me?" Nagdilim ang anyo nito sa sinabi ko. "I was a stranger so you don't even need my opinion or my presence on your birthday."

Di naman niya kailangan mag-react ng ganito. He looks totally mad and just controlling it. Hinde ko naman alam kung bakit. I didn't say anything wrong, lahat naman yun totoo. Bakit naman niya gugustuhin na nandoon ako. Eh, wala nga lang ako di ba?

May kinuwa ito sa bulsa nito. Yung relong nasa kamay nito, ako ang bumili noon para sa kanya, nabuksan na pala niya. He took my hand at linagay nito sa palad ko ang relo.

"Isuot mo sa kin yan." I look at him weirdly. Why do I have to do that? "You gave it to me as a gift and I accept your apology for leaving me there."

Hold on, just wait. Anong ibig sabihin niya na he accepted my apology? I didn't even do anything bad to him. I didn't even said sorry para mapatawad niya ako.

I exaggeratedly hold both my hands and raise it in the air.

"Teka lang ha! This gift." I raise the watch. "Is not an apology for leaving. Because from the start I already plan to leave that place." I look at him. "And why do you have to forgive me, may ginawa ba akong masama sayo? Oh, please I don't want to crash your very high ego. Pero you don't have to forgive me dahil wala akong ginawa sayo."

I look at his wrist and he looks like wearing a million dollar watch compare to this. Why do I even think to buy him a gift. He was a freaking multi-billionaire. This thing in my hand is a dump compare to that diamond watch he is wearing. I put down my hand and clench my hands.

"I think you don't need this thing." I smiled bitterly. "This doesn't look expensive at all." Linagay ko na ito sa bulsa ko. "I will take this at pwede ka ng makaalis."

Balak kong umalis na nung hinarangan niya ulit ako ng galit na galit. Tiningan ko lang siya ng wala sa kawalan. I'm just too tired with everything, kung pwede lang umalis na siya at ng makapagpahinga na ako.

"Do you have anything to say?"

Tinanggal nito ang mamahalin nitong relo at tinago sa bulsa. And he shows my wrist to me.

"Sinabi mo sa kin na that is your gift to me. Isuot mo sa kin and I will wear it."
I laugh sadly. "Why will you wear some cheap things like the gift I gave you? Kung ikukumpara sa relo sa bulsa mo. Mali pala..." Pagtatama ko sa sarili ko. "There is nothing to compare dahil that watch in your pocket is too much expensive."
"Wala akong pakialam kung mahal o hinde yang regalo mo. It's your gift and I will accept it wholeheartedly." He shakes his wrist in front of me. "I'm waiting."

I sighed and took the watch on my pocket. Sinuot ko ito sa kamay nito and the watch looks perfect on him. When I saw that limited edition watch binili ko kaagad ito kahit gaano kamahal. I was testing myself while buying it, kung naka-recover na ba ko. But it didn't I still imagine him and how this watch will look great on him. I'm really a hard case now.

Tinignan ko siya pagkatapos ko ilagay ang relo sa kanya. And my heart beats unintentionally on the sight of him. He was smiling through the ear and looking at the watch I have given preciously. Lumingon ako sa kabilang direction para umayos itong maling pagtibok ng puso ko.

"It's good on me, right?" I just nod without looking at him. "I forgot to do this to you ng nasa ranch pa tayo." He gently touch my face with his finger and move it para makita ako nito. "Look at me." I look at him.

Why is he looking at me this gently. He was never this gentle to me even back then. I think he was gentle once or twice but I forgot.

"I want to do this to you." Anong gusto niyang gawin sa kin?

Hinawakan nito ang mukha ko ng parehong kamay at masuyong hinalikan sa labi. W-what he just kissed me?

He seriously kissed me!