Nasisiraan na siguro ng bait si Winter pero hindi pa siya masyadong sure sa parte na ‘yan.

Tambak na kasi siya ng work load. Feeling niya kahit makatapos siya ng isang task, may isang daan pang naghihintay sa kanya. She has barely any time to catch her breath, at kahit lunch break pa nga, nagtatrabaho pa rin siya. Hanggang sa panaginip, work loads niya ang inaatupag niya. So, yes. Nasisiraan na siguro ng bait si Winter.

Pero siguro lang. May saving grace kasi siya – ang heaven-sent niyang girlfriend na si Karina.

Hindi mabilang ni Winter sa dalawa niyang kamay kung ilang beses na siyang natulungan ni Karina just by being with her. To be real honest, wala namang ginagawa si Karina that’s so special talaga. Just the bare minimum. She’s just there and Winter is crazily in love with her. So, every time Karina is openly showing her affection, giving acts of service, speaking words of affirmation, and clearing her schedule just to spend time with Winter, the younger girl feels like she is going to combust anytime because she can feel how much Karina loves her. And that happens all the time.

One more thing, gusto na rin niyang pakasalan si Karina. That she’s sure of.

No, not necessarily get married right away. Just ask for Karina’s hand in marriage. Hindi pa niya masyadong napag-iisipan kung paano niya gagawin. No concrete plans at all, but she’s bought the ring already. Maybe that’s a start, no?

Naisip pa lang ni Winter kung saan siya magpo-propose. Kung saan sila unang nagkita ni Karina – underneath moonbeam fireworks.

(Well, actually, una talaga silang nagkita at nagkakilala sa UST, during paskuhan a couple of years ago during their college days.)

Anyway, gusto ni Winter mag-propose sa ilalim na nagpuputukan na fireworks. Paborito kasi ni Karina ang mga fireworks show. Add to that, before the two even started dating, they always met during a fireworks show: Christmas festivities, New Year celebrations, and random fireworks displays.

Unang beses na nagkita si Winter at Karina ay noong Paskuhan noong college pa lang sila. Winter created her presence in Karina’s life clumsily and sloppily. And she means that literally.

Winter just lost her friends among the crowd and, while searching for them, nabunggo lang naman siya sa figure ni Karina. Needless to say that the iced tea Winter wanted so badly to quench her thirst with had stained itself on Karina’s white uniform. And even on the dark and poorly illuminated concert field, Winter could see the spatter very well. Nanlumo pa nga siya eh, dahil nakita niyang naka Arki uniform si Karina, and well, Winter always liked the College of Architecture uniforms.

Winter panicked nang magtama ang tingin nilang dalawa ni Karina after matapon ng drink niya. And if there’s anything anyone has to know about Winter during times that her brain short circuits is that she does stupid things. Very stupid things. Like pouring the remaining contents of her drink on her own dress. Something that evidently shocked Karina and made her audibly gasp because “What did you just do?”

“Binuhusan ko rin ‘yung damit ko ng iced tea,” sagot ni Winter, stating the obvious.

“Dahil nabuhusan mo ako?” Winter nods, her signature irresistible pout on full display. Kung nadala naman si Karina ng pagpapa-cute ni Winter she never found out, but if the jacket that Karina draped around Winter’s bare shoulders was any indication, then she might have been so.

“Ayan, para hindi na halata ‘yung stain sa dress mo.” Karina said when she sensed Winter’s curiosity.

Tinuro ni Winter and iced tea-stained blouse ni Karina, “Paano naman ‘yung sa’yo?”

Nagkibit-balikat lamang si Karina, then started to undo the buttons of her blouse. “Anong gingawa mo?” Tanong ni Winter, medyo kinabahan siya. Kasi naman Maghuhubad ba talaga ito si Ate sa gitna ng maraming tao?

Hindi siya pinansin ni Karina. Nang mahubad niya ang blouse niya, all she was left with was a white thin-strapped top. “Ayan, para hindi na halatang galing akong finals exam.”

Winter couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her. The next thing she knew, nakatingala na silang lahat, dahil nagsimula na ang pyromusical show.

“Merry Christmas,” Winter heard Karina mutter. She was sure it was for her dahil napansin niya na mas lumapit pa si Karina sa kanya, and as soon as she aware of their close proximity Winter could feel her skin akin to being lit up.

She turned to Karina, wanting to greet her as well. But what greeted Winter back struck her and would forever be imprinted in Winter’s brain for a long time – Karina glowing in pink, green, and purple hues of the fireworks illuminating the night sky.

“Merry Christmas din,” Winter said. The You look so beautiful clogged in .

The next time Karina and Winter saw each other again was the year after that.

In a city somewhere in Japan, when they went on their own solo trips for New Year. Para kay Winter, hindi lang naman ito regular na holiday lang. Birthday niya rin kasi. Apparently, same airbnb ang na-book nilang dalawa at nagkataon pa ngang magkatabi rin ang rooms nila. Of course, that makes their balconies adjacent to each other as well.

Winter recognized Karina as soon as the latter stepped foot outside her balcony just when the countdown started. Karina had to take a double look at Winter and the younger girl just greeted her, “long time no see.”

Karina smiled and nodded, “no iced tea to spill?”

“Fortunately so.”

They didn’t force a conversation anymore after that. Pero sumabay sila sa malakasang countdown na nagaganap sa kalsada sa ibaba nila.

5

4

3

2

1

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The crowd screamed below them and the sky burst into gleeful colors. Winter turned to Karina to greet her, pero mukhang siya ang unang nabati.

What met Winter was the same visual she imprinted on her brain since last year. An image she learned to memorize so well, safely tucked in a special compartment in her brain which she could easily access anytime she wanted; an image that took her breath once again.

The fireworks gleamed on Karina’s skin, colors shifting from pink to green to blue and purple and many more; it reflected on her eyes as if it was Karina’s visualization that created the beams. You look so beautiful formed in Winter’s throat, fortunately, just before she could croak out the words Karina already turned to her to greet Winter the sweetest “Happy new year” she ever heard.

“Happy New Year din sa’yo,” Winter managed to say successfully. The newly formed thought–You are so beautiful–left unsaid. Happy birthday talaga Winter!


 

The third meeting felt exactly like the first meeting—Winter bumping onto Karina. Pero that time, wala siyang dalang baso ng iced tea. Hindi rin siya nawawala from her friends at hindi rin niya hinahanap ang mga kaibigan niya.

Nagmamadali lang si Winter at sobrang malas niya dahil sinarado ang usual street na dinadaan niya para sa isang fireworks show. Gusto naman ni Winter ang mga fireworks show lalo na kapag New Year at kapag Christmas festivities. That time lang siya nainis kasi late na siya sa family dinner na nasa sa kabilang kanto na restaurant lang, pero mukhang puno ng mga tao ang kahabaan ng kalye. Umiral na naman ang hatred niya for BGC sa kanyang love-hate relationship spectrum.

Sa sobrang pagmamadali niya sa paglakad, hindi na napansin ni Winter ang stand still ng mga tao dahil nagsimula na rin ang fireworks show. Kaya nabangga lang naman niya si Ate.

Magsusungit pa sana si Winter kahit alam niyang siya ang may kasalanan pero mukhang nailunok niya agad ito dahil sa pagharap ng Ate, feeling ni Winter nabuhusan siya ng pagkalamig-lamig na tubig.

Or iced tea.

It’s her.

“I’m so sorry…Wait, I know you…” Sambit ng Ate. Oo, kilala rin kita. Gusto sana sabihin ni Winter. Pero parang nawalan siya ng abilidad makapagsalita. Except, iba ata ang dating ng katahimikan ni Winter kay Ate. “Unless…I’m sorry I think I took you for someone else.”

“Hindi!” Nagulat si Winter sa pagtaas niya ng kanyang boses, kahit din si Ate nabigla. Parang galit lang eh. “I mean, oo, kilala rin kita.”

Napangiti si Karina. Mukhang nag-register sa kanya ang sinabi ni Winter. Buti na lang parehas lang sila ng tinutukoy. “Fireworks ulit oh.” Turo ni Karina sa kalangitan, as if hindi obvious kay Winter na may nagaganap na display.

In the spur of the moment, nawala sa isip ni Winter ang family dinner na hinahabol niya, ang dami ng tao sa paligid, kahit na ang fireworks sa itaas niya. Dahil sa sandaling iyon, hindi maalis ang tingin niya kay Karina.

Ganon pa rin. Just like the first time. Just like the second. Still the same beauty.

Ang pinagkaiba lang ng sandali na iyon sa nagdaang pagkikita nila ay ang ordinaryong araw. Hindi Pasko, hindi Bagong Taon na birthday din niya. Regular na Miyerkules lamang.

Sa hiyawan ng mga tao nabalik sa kasalukuyan si Winter. Tapos na ang fireworks show. Nakatingin na ulit sa kanya si Karina.

Nag-iba bigla ang pakiramdam ni Winter. Para siyang nalulula.

“Will you go out with me?” biglaang sambit ni Winter. Nakita niya ang gulat sa mukha ni Karina dahil sa pagtaas nito ng kilay. Pati rin naman si Winter mismo nagulat. Believe it or not, sinasabunutan na niya sarili niya mentally.

Surprisingly, Karina wasn’t put off by the sudden burst of confession. In fact, she taunted it even more, challenged it. “But I don’t even know who you are.”

“I’m Winter. Ayan kilala mo na ako.” Hindi alam ni Winter kung saan galing itong rupture of confidence niya. Usually, she would cringe at this kind of action. But there was something about seeing Karina that night; something about the very first night, and then the second. Siguro baliw na siya. “Now, will you go out with me?”

If it was any possible, mas lumawak ang ngiti ni Karina.

Okay, baliw na talaga si Winter.

Nag-consult na si Winter sa mga kaibigan nilang si Ningning at Giselle, ang small circle of friends nilang dalawa ni Karina. Approved na rin ng family ni Karina ang proposal ni Winter. The only thing to do now is to actually propose.

Easy lang ‘yan sa’yo WInter. Nothing to be worried about.

Pag reassure sa kanya ni Ning. Naniwala naman si Winter, she’s going to need all the encouragements she can get.

It turns out, it’s not easy. Winter should have known not to believe her friend. After all, Ning hasn’t proposed to anyone yet. She hasn’t even been proposed to as well. Most importantly, she’s not even dating anyone! (Darating din siya, Ning! Tiwala lang!)

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