Lahat ng Kabanata ng Atamirano Series #1: Hidden Heiress In Mistaken Goodbye: Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

The studio was surrounded with one production van, and three crew vans. There will be three models to take their photoshoot today, so it is normal to bring multiple crew vans. It was around one o'clock in the afternoon when we arrived at the studio. Sumalubong kaagad sa'kin si Wendy nang makita ako. Sinimulan akong ayusan ng hair and make-up team para sa unang photoshoot ko. I am wearing a light blue zipper tight and slim fit long sleeved sportswear paired with a black waist leggings. I was just staring at myself when they finished doing my look. This is not my forte in concepts, but I'm hoping to pull off this photoshoot since it's a big project. Ayaw kong sayangin ito. "Zeidan, iiwanan ba natin ang kotse dito?" I asked when I found him outside the studio. Kakatapos niya lang makipagusap. "Kilala mo si Ate Xyline?" Dumaan ang pagtataka ko nang mapagtantong iyon ang kausap niya kanina bago pa 'man ako makalapit sa puwesto niya. I watched Ate Xyline's footsteps as she walked away f

He did not lie. Pagkarating namin sa condominium ko ay sineryoso niya ang mga sinabi niya kanina no'ng nasa sasakyan pa lang kami. I am sitting on the couch, while he's in front of me. Para kaming nasa meeting, tila mayroong mahalagang diskusyon na magaganap. "Isla," He uttered. Mas lalo akong nag-iwas ng tingin sakaniya. "Tanungin mo na ako. Anong mga nasa isip mo? 'Wag mong itago sa'kin. Makikinig ako, ibibigay ko sa'yo lahat ng kasagutan sa mga bumabagabag sa'yo." Tila bula na naglaho ang lakas ng loob na mayroon ako kanina lang sa sasakyan niya. I couldn't look at him. Pakiramdam ko ay sasabog ang dibdib ko ano 'mang oras. "Isla, ayaw mo bang makipag-usap?" Pagtatanong niya sa halos nagmamakaawang tinig. "Baby, please..." Napalingon ako sakaniya. I could feel that he's too eager to fix things with me. I regret bursting out and throwing a fit. Nangangapa din siya kagaya ko. Parehas lang kaming natatakot na magkamali. "Zeidan, sino si Ate Xyline?" I asked. It's the first time I

Catching enough air to fill my almost empty lungs, I took a deep breath. It has been two hours since the time Zeidan left me in my condo unit alone. Pagkatapos niyang umalis ay naglinis ako nang buong unit. It has been months since the last time I did a general cleaning. Nilinisan ko na lang ang buong paligid ko dahil gusto ko rin namang makapaglibang. I once read from a social media post that people often tend to clean their place when they want to re-organize their minds. Hindi ako naniniwala dati do'n. Ngunit sa mga oras na 'to ay napagtanto kong normal nga iyon. I was cleaning my unit whenever it's getting dusty for me, but this time, I'm doing it to ease my boredom and forget the thoughts that are bothering me. Biglang naging maaliwalas ang pakiramdam ko katulad ng unit. Suddenly, the unit was filled with a lighter vibe than before. Nasa kalagitnaan ako nang pagtingin sa mga kagamitang inayos at nilinis ko nang tumunong ang cellphone ko. I took it and answered the call when I s

The fireworks in different colors exploded, forming a starry night. The night sky has become more alive and richer in color than in mornings. Romance sparked in the road filled with red roses and candles, reminding me of the love that was long kept in silence.Kasabay nang pagkislap ng mga liwanag sa kalangitan ay ang pagtugtog ni Ismael sa gitara at ang pagsisimula ni Zeidan sa kanta."This is a song called Rest Assured by Jeff Bermat." Panimula ni Zeidan habang nakatitig sa'kin. I saw him sending a signal to my friends. Nilapitan ako ng mga babae, habang si Ismael naman ay nagsisimula nang kumulbit sa gitara. "Kinikilig ako," Sambit ni Hailey, bahagyang sinisiko si Naiah. She handed me a bouquet of flowers. "Napaka-high school love coded naman nito." "Teenagers ba kayo?" Tumatawang bulong ni Naiah sa'kin. Katulad ni Hailey, nag-abot din siya sa'kin ng bulaklak. "But I'm so happy for you, Celeste. You deserve this." Inalalayan nila ako hanggang sa makarating kami sa harapan nila

Small steps in the right direction equates to taking big steps. Entering college brought confusions and doubts to me, making it difficult for me to choose the path to take. Dream against practicality. Practicality makes life better in the financial aspect, but nothing beats life where dreams are achieved. I survived college. The four years of survival chapters finally came to an end. I am grateful for where I am, and I'm excited for where I'm going even when the path is still uncertain. The graduation anthem echoed in each corner of the room. Gumala ang mga mata ko sa buong paligid. Our batch will graduate, at last. Nangingibabaw ang kasiyahan sa mga mata nila at sa ngiting nakapaskil sa mga labi nila. I'm happy to graduate, but there's still a missing piece within me. Lahat sila ay mayroong mga kasama. Someone to walk them to the stage. Hindi ko sigurado kung darating pa rin ngayon ang taong nangako na sasama sa'kin sa araw na 'to. We lost touch since the day of the photoshoot in