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                                H E A V E N

"Heaven Callista Andrano! Please naman, huwag mo ko guluhin!"

Tumawa lang ako nang marinig ko ang buong pangalan ko na tinawag ni kuya. Kanina ko pa sya ginugulo dahil wala ako magawa at hindi ako mapakali.

"Kuya naman, samahan mo na kasi ako! Bibili lang ako ng book sa national bookstore, promise uuwi din tayo agad!" Pangungumbinsi ko sa kanya, may bagong labas na libro ngayon si Alex Michaelides!! Pag ako naubusan talaga!

"Heaven naman, halos wala ka nang space sa kwarto mo, dadagdagan mo nanaman? Ano may sakit ka ba? Hoarding?" Masungit na sagot nya habang nakatutok pa rin sa laptop nya, gumagawa kasi sya ng mga paper works nya for next week.

"Kuya naman, binabasa ko yon, hindi ko lang basta kinokolekta, sige na, dali na. Spare couple of hours with your sister naman, miss na kita."

Bahagya akong natawa nang makita ko na huminto sya sa pag ta-type sa laptop nya. Got you!

"Okay." I heard him sighed, inayos nya ang mga gamit nya at tumayo. "Fix yourself. Don't tell me, pupunta tayo ng mall na ganyan ang suot mo?"

Kunot noo ko tinignan ang damit ko. Sando and short, I was about to get up pero mas gusto ko talaga asarin kuya ko. Hehe "What's wrong with my clothes? Okay naman ah?"

I saw how pissed he is, he pinched his nose for a moment, probably to suppress his annoyance.

"Heaven, hindi ka aalis ng ganyan, isusumbong kita kay Mommy, bilisan mo! Magpalit ka." Halos pasigaw na sya, at tinuro ang pinto para lumabas ako.

Tumawa lang ako at tumakbo papasok ng kwarto ko. Gusto ko talaga pag naaasar sya, minsan lang kasi sya nasa bahay, He's a law student, already on his third year na kasi, medyo stress na yata sya.

Mom and Dad usually home for weekends, simula nang mag highschool ako tsaka sila nag expand ng business sa Pilipinas, pero uuwi pa rin sila ng friday night, no matter where they are. We have a rule: Weekend is a family day, at tsaka hindi naman sobrang dami ng business namin, enough for us to at least have a meal everyday and be able to attend private school.

Kuya and I, we're very close. Mag kasama kami lumaki, at nag explore kami ng mga bagay bagay na magkasama. He would also help me with my studies, aaminin ko na mas matalino talaga sya compare to me, but neh, no hard feelings 

"Heaven! Let's go! Baka maubusan ka ng libro na gusto mo!" Rinig ko na sigaw ni kuya, mukhang nasa sala na sya, at nag hihintay.

"Okay!" Sigaw ko pabalik at kinuha ang sling bag ko bago lumabas.

I have to get that book, habang semestral break namin, four days na lang at may pasok na kami at ganap na akong College girl, may senior high pa kasi kaya hindi agad kami nakapag College, sure ako magiging busy na ko non, and reading will not be an option for leasure time, sad yes.

Mabilis lang ang naging byahe namin, buti na lang at hindi masyadong traffic, dumiretso agad kami sa bookstore.

"I'll just get a binder and pen, meet me at the counter, okay?" Matinding bilin nya sakin. Tumawa lang ako at tumango. I usually sneak out pag nasa mall kami, gusto ko lang naman mag libot, pumasok na ko sa shelf section na gusto ko para mag tingin.

There this one na magkasama kami ni kuya sa SM san lazaro, he was buying stuffs then I sneaked out! I lost in time, halos seven o'clock na ko nakauwi sa bahay, nasa labas pa lang ako naririnig ko na iyak ni Mommy, I was confused why, tapos may mg police mobile pa sa tapat ng bahay namin, did something happend? That's the lurking question in my mind that time, yun pala nirereport missing na ko, and Mommy was crying assuming that I was kidnapped or what.

That night was epic, although I recieved a two hour scolding from Mommy and Kuya, while Daddy was there, laughing his ass out.

My family is crazy, seriously.

I halt when I saw an interesting book.

The one that got away. written by Unknown

There's no author, is that even possible? Why would someone published a book without Author? Ayaw ba nila sumikat dahil sa mga writings nila?

"That book was said to be cursed."

Halos mabitawan ko ang libro na hawak ko nang may biglang magsalita sa gilid ko, then I saw a tall man beside me, he was also looking to the book.

"Why?" I was curious, bakit naman cursed book to?

"Hindi daw magkakatuluyan ang mga tao na nakakakuha nyan."

I almost hit him, hindi halata sa itsura nya na hopeless romantic sya, at naniniwala sa mga ganyang bagay.

"Then why would they sell it? Bakit hindi na lang nila sunugin?" Pag ride ko sa joke ni kuya.

He might be older than me? Two to three years? Para kasi syang naligaw na tambay. He was wearing a black hoodie, black short and white shirt underneath, pero para syang nag eendorse sa suot nya, bagay sa kanya ang military cut, but his eyes were very showy, napaka daming emosyon na dumadaan don, he has a perfect lips and a perfect jaw line. Well.

"I don't know." He said, still looking at the book. I opened it since wala naman sealed, nag iisa sya sa bookshelf na to na para bang naligaw sya, at isiniksik lang talaga.

Summer after high school, when we first met

We make-out in your Mustang to Radiohead

And on my eighteenth birthday, we got matching tattoos

Wait, is this a song The one that got away by Katy Perry? What the hell? Song book pala to? Akala ko book? Papel lang sya na may lyrics sa gitna, and that's it. Mukhang scrap book.

"Bibilin mo ba yan?" Tanong ulit ng katabi ko, kunot noo no syang tinigan at umiling, inabot ko sa kanya yon at tumalikod para maghanap ng libro na gusto ko. "Then thank you, hope you'll find Alex Michaelides book, but its on the third shelf on the right, not here."

Teka, paano nya nalaman kung ano hinahanap ko? Hindi ko na lang sya pinansin at sinunod ang sinabi nya. Halos tumalon ako ng may makita na nag iisang kopya sa gilid. Kinuha ko agad yon at niyakap.

"Finally." I wispered. Lulukso lukso akong bumalik sa counter, nandon na si kuya at nakapila. Makikita mo sya agad dahil sa tangkad nya at pagiging intimidating ng itsura nya, well hindi uubra sakin.

Napansin nya siguro na may lumapit sa kanya kaya nilagay nya sa bulsa ang phone nya at tumingin sakin, pati sa libro na hawak ko. "Okay na? Nakahanap ka pa?" Sunod sunod na tango ang sagot ko. "Okay let's go, I have to finish my paper." Sabi nya kaya sumunod na ako.

Nag drive thru kami bago dumiretso pauwi, hindi ko na sya ginulo nang makauwi kami. Naligo muna ko bago tuluyang humiga sa kama.

Tinanggal ko ang cover ng book bago buksan. I love this kind of genre, hindi ko alam kung bakit, I was really fascinated reading and knowing stories about this.

Napahinto ako sandali nang maalala ko yung lalaki kanina, ang weird ng sinabi nya. Libro, may curse? Is he expecting me to believe that?

Weird guy.