Chapter Three:Part Four

Aldo was having merienda with his friends at the same café that Leni went. In fact, they were seated three tables away from her. They came to help out with the preparations of their batch mate’s wedding. Louie, the clown of their barkada, and the alaskador is getting married.

“How are you?” One of his friends asked him.
“Ayos lang naman. I’m just taking some time off. Baka hindi muna ako magturo sa susunod na sem.”
“Wait, when are you planning to get married?”
“Matatagalan pa siguro.”
Then, he discussed the upcoming production that would be held on the upcoming fiesta.
“Nood kayo ha. By the way, Agatha’s cousin is here and she joined us.”
“Sino? Si Leni, yung maldita?”
“Yes. In fact, she’ll be staying for the whole summer.”
“I remembered when she poured coke inside my shoes. Naalala mo ba yun, Aldo?”
“Yeah, that was funny.” Mong added.
“Louie, do you remember what you did to her before that? You kept calling her names until she cried. Teka, ang tagal na nun ah.”
“I know. I won’t do that to her anymore, don’t worry. Hindi na tayo mga bata. By the way, what does she look like?”
“Dalaga na siya. But she never removed her glasses. In fairness,parang mahinhin na siya ngayon.”

Leni was reading a magazine when Adam called her.
“I really wanted to tell you something. Wag kang mabibigla ha.”
“Are you going to tell me that you’re gay?”
“No, I don’t think you’re going to believe me….Kami na ni Faith!”
“Yes! Finally, hindi ka bakla!”
Overwhelmed with the news, Leni screamed until she caught the attention of the other customers, including that of Aldo’s group.
A cranky old woman scolded her, “Ano ba yan?! Mahiya ka naman sa ibang tao!”

“Guys,that’s Leni” Aldo said,slyly pointing at her.
“Oo nga, mahinhin…” They replied sarcastically.

To her embarrassment, she left the place. Leni passed along their table and apologized with what she did earlier.

----

When she got back to her aunt’s house, her mom called and informed her that Red came to look for her. Then, she began to worry about what she did on their graduation. “Shucks, baka alam na niya yung ginawa ko dun sa pouch nung girl na lagi niyang kasama.” She told herself.
After helping her aunt wash the dishes, she went to the living room and browsed through the photo albums.
“Tita, is this Aldo?” She asked her aunt as she pointed Agatha’s prom picture
“Yes, it was taken during their prom night. Why?”
“Nothing. They looked like David and Goliath. Aldo was David, while Agatha was Goliath. Eto po, mas concrete, para po silang si Jules at Assunta. Eto pa Tita, his hairdo looks disgusting.Parang libro.”
Both of them laughed.
“Leni, pilya ka talaga. Magkasing-taas lang sila, mataas lang yung takong nung sapatos ni Agatha. At syempre, yun ang uso nung panahon na yun.” “I just can’t imagine why Ate Agatha fell in love with him.”
“What’s wrong with that, Aldo is a good person. Wala akong masasabi sa tao na yan kasi nakita ko kung paano niya alagaan si Agatha. Gwapo, din naman siya.Tipong artistahin.Hindi siya presko tulad ng iba diyan.May iba malaki ang ulo. Pero siya naman, simple lang.”
“I knew it, she doesn’t really go for the obvious. Before, I thought, she would go for tall guys.”
“Hija, Agatha is not like that. She wants someone who would really respect her. Probably, you thought that her life was perfect. It was not. In fact, most guys that courted her were after something. You know what I mean. Karamihan sa kanila hindi matino. ”
“I didn’t know that. That was probably the reason why she stayed with us, so that she would be safe… For years, I’ve been struggling to be like her I wanted to have everything that she has. But, it didn’t happen.”
“Leni, don’t be. Don’t you know that you have certain qualities that she doesn’t have.”
“Like what?”
“You’re independence. When she was your age, nahihirapan siya mag-commute. Kaya laging naka-taxi. Sa bagay, na-pamper ko kasi .Binigay ko lahat ng gusto niya. Di katulad mo, mas sanay sa kalye. Did you remember when her bag was stolen inside the bus? “
“Yes, Nanay told me about that. According to her, Ate Agatha was going to buy donuts when she entrusted her bag to the driver. When she got back from the seat, wala na daw po yung bag niya.” “Now,I hope, you’ll stop comparing yourself to her. Sometimes, I wish I raised my daughter the way your mom raised you. Leni, kaya kita pinapunta dito kasi gusto kong maranasan magkaroon ulit ng anak.Kahit alam ko na magkaiba kayo ni Agatha. ”
Her aunt paused as tears rolled down her face. At this moment, Leni comforted her.
“Tita, I know how much you missed her. And, I’m sure that she’s proud of you. Sa palagay ko po, hindi kayo nag-kulang sa kanya. Bilib nga po ako sa inyo kasi kayo lang po ang nagpa-laki sa kanya.”

----

Before she went to sleep, Leni called Faith.
“Sorry, I wasn’t able to return your call. My aunt and I had a ‘heart to heart’ talk. We both missed Ate Agatha ”
“That’s okay, I just called because I wanted to ask your help on what I’m going to wear on my first date with Adam. But, I found one already.”
“That’s good. By the way, my mom told me that Red came to our house. I’m just worried, baka kasi nalaman na niya na ako yung naglagay ng coke dun sa bag.”
“Baka nga. If that was the reason, I guess, you should talk to him. Hindi kasi kayo nag-hiwalay ng maayos, marami kang hindi nasabi sa kanya. Red should know how you really feel so that you won’t repress your emotions. I’m sure, siya rin.”
“But, I’m not ready to face him. I’m trying to sort things out. Baka lang maging komplikado pag nag-usap kami. Mas lalong masaktan lang ako. Siguro, pagbalik ko na lang diyan, tsaka ko aayusin.” “Leni, I understand. But, you can’t hide all the time. You must learn to deal with it. Don’t worry; we’re here to back you up.”

---

Before she go to sleep, Leni realized that she has to let go of her insecurity towards her cousin and to forgive herself at the same time.

Chapter Three:Part Three

Dana and the rest of the writers for the play stayed in the living room while Leni prepared some snacks. The other three browsed the photo albums while Dana opened Leni’s scrapbook.

When Leni went back with sandwiches and drinks, Dana asked her, “Bakit ang porma mo sa mga pictures?”

“Ano ba’to, usisera.Kainis, feeling close.” She muttered.

Despite her annoyance, she still answered the question. “Eh kasi, noon kami pa. Ngayon, wala na kami kaya wala na akong dahilan para magpa-ganda…O dali, mag-umpisa na tayo.”

To get some inspiration, the group watched some DVDs that Leni brought from Manila. Afterwards, they gathered their ideas and made a draft on the plot.

Dana being the most assertive in the group began the discussion.

“I’m thinking of an adaptation of a Disney movie, like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty.”

“That’s good Dana, but I suggest that we should select something that inspires the children to hope and dream for their future.”

“Why don’t we select a story from the Bible like the story of Joseph the dreamer or Moses?”

“Or, we could make an adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar together with the outrageous outfits of the casts.” Leni added with a laugh.

“Are you kidding? Holy week is over and I don’t think that the children would appreciate it.”

“How about Prince of Egypt? Then, we could get some children at the orphanage to perform with us, so they could also have participation.”

All of them finally agreed to make an adaptation of the said film. That night, Leni downloaded the script on the internet.

---

Leni went to look for the antique shop that Adam recommended. The moment they reached the place, Leni stared at the turoquoise ring that was displayed at the counter. The storekeeper removed the ring and asked Leni if she wanted to try it. She replied, “Ay, salamat po, gusto ko lang po tigan. Maganda kasi.”

The next day, she went back to the café. She kept thinking about that ring that she saw because her mom used to own a similar one. It was originally owned by Leni’s grandmother, and passed to her mom later on.

Leni wanted to have the ring but that wasn’t given to her. She could vividly recall what happened when she was ten.”

“Mom, can I have that?”

“I’ll give this to you when you grow up. Hindi pa kasi kasya sa’yo eh.”

A few days later, Leni was surprised that her cousin was wore the ring.

“Leni, look I borrowed this from Tita Emma. Bagay ba?”

“You always get what you want. Mang-aagaw! Remove that ring, if you don’t, I’ll throw all your stuff.”

Her mom and her grandmother went inside the room when she heard Leni yelling at Agatha.

“What’s going on?”

“Why don’t you ask Ate Agatha?!”

“Tita, I just told showed her the ring then she yelled at me.”

“Anak, I lent it to her because she’s going to attend a party.”

“Basta! I don’t want her to wear that. That’s mine!”

“Don’t worry Leni, I’m going to return it.”

“Fine” Leni said as she rolled her eyes to her.

Leni didn’t say a word. She gave her cousin a stern look, then left the room. Because of her repressed emotions, she would often do certain things at the back of the person. When Agatha came back, she was surprised to see her pillow and blanket on the floor with a note that said.
‘Feel free to sleep in the living room.’ The day after that, she packed her things but Leni’s mom insisted that she should not leave.

“Agatha, pag-pasensyahan mo na si Leni, nagse-selos kasi siya sa’yo”

“Ganon po ba? Is there something I could do?”

“Try to spend time with her. I’m sure that the two of you would get along well. Actually, her attitude changed when my husband left us. I hope you’ll understand.”

“I do, I know what it feels like growing up without a father. I never had the chance to know him but I never resented that. I understand why mom left him. She knows that it would not be healthy for me to grow up with an abusive father.”

Hard as it may seem, Agatha persistently tried to win her cousin. Whenever she offered to help Leni with her assignment, she (Leni) would always decline.

There were times that Leni wanted to approach her cousin, but her pride impedes her from doing so. Instead, she would ask help from her cousin’s boyfriend.

Chapter Three:Part Two

Leni spent the following days conceptualizing the story. She would often tour around the town for inspiration. One afternoon, she stopped at a café and antique shop where most of the tourists hang out. She sat on a corner beside the window and ordered iced tea; she opened her bag and grabbed her scrapbook. Leni leafed through the pages and stopped until she saw the pictures from the productions they had in college. Now, she knew that she needs to get started.

----

“Tita, can I invite Dana and some of my groupmates tomorrow?” Leni asked her aunt, and she agreed. Then, she went back to her room and opened the drawer. There were photo albums and some of Agatha’s stuff. She browsed through the pictures of her cousin’s eighteenth birthday. Then, memories flashed back when she was still alive.

Agatha stayed with Leni’s family during college. She seldom spent time with her cousins because she’s been juggling her modeling gigs and academics. But, whenever she stays at home, Agatha bonded with her cousins. She would bake cupcakes, watch tv with them, and helped them with their homework. This is the reason why Leni’s insecurity grew towards her. Leni felt that someone took her place. Her mom and brother, and some of their neighbors would often compare her to Agatha. They would often say, “Dapat mag-aral kang mabuti. Parang yung pinsan mo, maganda na, matalino pa.” Because of these words, Leni strived to become a second-rate version of someone else just to please the people around her.

Then, she closed the photo album and went down for dinner.

-----

After eating her breakfast, Leni went straight to the church. She was surprised with what she saw - a group of people praying and singing praises to God. This was quite unusual for her because the theater guild that she joined in college never prayed before a meeting or a rehearsal. In fact, she never prayed for years. Because of her past experiences, Leni thought that God is also distant like the people that left her. At this point, Leni wasn’t really sure if she would approach them or not. Before she made her move, she called Adam first.

“It seems that I am in the wrong place.”

“Why did you say that?”

“The group that I joined was praying .Here they are, singing praises to God. We don’t do that in ‘Teatro’ remember?”

“You’re not in ‘Teatro’ anymore.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Leni, what I’m trying to say is that you should expect that they’re different. Besides, you’re in a youth ministry.”

“Should I stay or should I go? Because, I can feel that I would get burned alive. Ang sama kong nilalang.”

“Sobra ka naman. Just because you seldom go to church, doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person. Why don’t you try something different, like praying? That was probably the reason that you’re there.”

“Father Adam ,is that you?”

“Sorry, I was getting preachy.”

“No, that’s okay. I should probably join them now, they’re done praying.”

“By the way, don’t forget to visit the antique shop that I mentioned before. I’ve read from a magazine that you could find chic vintage accessories there at a reasonable price. Basta, pasalubong namin ha?”

“Adam, kakarating ko lang, masyado kang excited.”

Aldo briefed them on the timetable that they would be working on.

“Leni, how’s the story, may naisip ka na ba?” He asked.

Leni lied to him. “I’m already working on it. It’s almost done.”

She said as she raised her thumb and winked.

On that day, Mong and Aldo conducted ice breakers and acting exercises. Each one was required to act out a certain scenario given by the facilitator. This time, Mong handled the activity. It was Leni’s turn and she was asked to act out being dumped by a guy. She pulled the guy beside her, and asked him to pretend as her ex. This was easy for her. Leni internalized by recalling the moment that Red broke up with her. She repeated everything that she said that night and broke into tears afterwards. They clapped their hands and were convinced that it was scripted.

“Leni, parang totoo.” One of them commented.

---

While on their way Aunt Juana’s house, Leni told Dana about the pressure that she felt when asked about the story. “You don’t have to worry about it. Mabait naman ang pinsan ko.” Dana said as they walked together. While having a conversation about the play, Dana can’t help but notice the charm bracelet that Leni was wearing.

“I like your bracelet, where did you get it?”

“My ex gave it to me.”

“Bakit hindi mo pa tinatanggal?”

Leni just smiled and didn’t answer the question and began to talk about something else.

Chapter Three: Part One

Leni ate her breakfast and rushed to the parish after. She entered the roamed around the church until she saw a group of people gathered at the back. But she was shy to approach them because she didn’t saw a familiar face. Then, she sat on one of the benches under the tree and read a novel. A moment later, Aldo and Mong saw her and asked:

“Kanina ka pa ba?”
“Hindi naman.”
“Sandali, ipapakilala ka namin sa kanila.
“Leni, do you still remember me?” Mong asked.
“Oo naman, ikaw yung magaling mag-drawing.”

Leni smiled after she was introduced to them. They were currently having a meeting on the timetable that they would be working on. Lunchtime came and she realized that she wasn’t able to bring her own baon. Luckily, she was able to bring three packs of crackers and a bottle of water. She slyly grabbed one pack and ate a few pieces.

“Yan lang ba ang kakainin mo?” The girl beside her asked.
“Oo, Nakalimutan ko kasi magdala eh.” Leni said.

Afterwards, the girl gave Leni a portion of her packed lunch and lent her the fork.

“By the way, I’m Dana, Kuya Aldo’s cousin. What’s your name?”
“I’m Leni, Ate Agatha’s cousin. She was your cousin’s girlfriend, when she was still alive. Do you know her?”
“Yes. In fact, I’ve heard a lot of things about your cousin. She died on a car crash, right?”

Leni nodded, then she recalled the accident five years ago.

-----

Agatha partied all night that she almost forgot that she has to be early for the photo shoot the next day.
When she looked at her watch it was already one and she only have four hours to make it.

She hailed a taxi and stepped inside it.

“Manong, yung pinakamabilis na po ha.” Agatha said anxiously to the driver. The cab reached its maximum speed until it bumped to a fourteen-wheeler truck in front, leaving the two of them dead.
When Leni heard the news from her mom, she went inside her room and cried.
“Ate, paano ba yan, wala ka nang roommate.” Her brother Gino said.
Days before the funeral, she gathered all her cousin’s stuffs: clothes, shoes, make-up, portfolio, and other things that she used for a photo shoot. As she piled each one inside the box, a medium sized envelope fell from dress’ pocket. She opened it and was surprised to see the handmade card that she gave her on her eighteenth birthday. Leni never thought that her cousin would keep it because they clash most of the time. Despite of the harsh treatment that Leni gave her, Agatha never resented that.