1 Chapter 1

"Elys, anak? Di pa ba kayo tapos diyan? Bilisan niyo at baka maubos na ng dad mo 'yong meryendang prinepare ko para sa inyo," sigaw ni Mom mula sa ibaba. "Roland, sabi mo tikim lang?! Para 'yan sa mga bata," dinig ko pang galit na sabi ni Mom.

Napaailing-iling na lang ako habang pinapanood ang best friend kong si Elys na halungkatin ang closet ko. Nakaupo lang ako sa gilid ng kama kasabay ng pag-kawag ko sa aking paa. Kung kalkalin at hawiin niya ang mga damit kala mo siya ang may-ari.

"What about this?" Cristel showed me an accordion skirt lower that is two-inches lower than knee. Saka niya ipinatong dito ang isang naka-hanger pang boat-neck blouse. Ilang ulit ko itong tiningnan ng pataas pababa saka siya nginusuan. She's smiling at me wide-ear while her full eyebrows are almost on the middle of her forehead.

"Well, ayos naman siya," panimula ko. "Kaso ganiyan naman lagi kong sinusuot diba?"

Napaawang ang kaniyang bibig sa sinabi ko at nagsimulang maglakad papunta sa akin habang padabog ang paa. "Ano ngayon? This is cute?"

Mabilis akong tumango at saglit na sumulyap sa bintana. "Yeah, it's cute. That's why when you arranged me on a blind date with a co-geek in the mall, he ran away after seeing me wear that. Tama. Cute nga," sarkastiko kong sabi.

"Hindi ko na maalala 'yan at talaga bang sumipot pa siya. Kung ako rin naman talaga hindi na ako pupunta kapag nalaman kong the Elys Castro ang makaka-date ko." Agad ko siyang binato ng unan dahil sa sinabi niya. "What!?!"

"What do you mean in 'the Elys Castro'? Ha?" Pinaningkitan ko siya ng mata habang hinihintay ang kaniyang sagot. "It's a compliment! You are something. Probably one of the cutest, prettiest or hottest dork in the school. Siguro alam niya 'yan kaya hindi niya kinaya ang alindog mo at ang makasama ka nang matagal dahil baka himatayin siya kaya siya umalis." Tiningnan ko siya ng diretso sa mata na sa wakas ay tinugon niya naman. "Stop that, staring queen, and just continue packing. Hindi pa ako tapos sa pag-iimpake ng mga damit ko tapos, heto ako tinutulungan ang isang tatamad-tamad kong kaibigan."

"Ang sama mo sa'kin."

"Just telling the truth."

"Oh, what do I do without you?" I asked sighingly.

Tumigil siya saglt sa paglalagay ng mga pambahay ko. Tapos na rin naman sa isang maleta ang mga uniform ko sa bagong school ko. She sat beside me in the bed and looked at me with a thin smile. I noticed how the golden outilne in the circle installing-like icon in her head—Happeter—decreases. "You'd cry as I would." She's about to cy. She's about to cry. And no, she didn't. "Don't expect me to cry." But her happiness meter decreased. "Urgh. Sorry. Hindi ako makakasunod sa'yo."

I muttered, "It's okay."

"No. We can't survived a day without each other, can we?" I shook my head no. We can't.

"I understand. Unexpected events happened, there's nothing we can do." I forced a smile.

"Mahirap lang para sa akin na hindi kita kasama. I know you can manage yourself out there on that big city, in that big school. While me, I don't even see myself alone in that college." She said depressingly while continuing to pack my clothes until she's done. "Wag kang mag-alala sesend-an pa rin naman kita ng pictures ko. Para hindi mo 'ko ma-miss." That made me snicker. "Ako dapat nagsasabi niyan. Ako'ng aalis."

"`Wag mo'kong ipagpapalit ah?" Nakanguso niyang sabi. "No can do." I tried to give her a hug but she stopped me. "Okay." She zipped my luggage bag then walked out the room leaving me there laughily nodding alone to freely indulge myself in my room for the last minute.

It was a small but comfy room. My sister and I used to share this room just a year ago before that thing happened. I stood up and walked towards her section in the room. It was filled with anything blue. I let my fingers run through the only allowed photo of me and her. It was when we're on our way home that we decided to stop by the street-vendor alley in our town plaza. I put it back to where it was and squeezed the large Stitch stuffed toy in her blue bed. Before any more sentiments come, I caught my reflection in our full-body size mirror. As always, my eyes climbed up to the top of my reflection. I can see no happiness meter. Sinubukan ko tumingala pero wala talaga akong makita. I sighed trying to remember what I secretly added in my transferring college plan that Cristel and my parents draw. Ignore happiness meters. They can't help you with your assignments or can make your life any happier. Just that person.

I walked out the room when I heard another call of Mom from downstairs. "Nandiyan na."

The drive takes four hours from our home and to the big city where my school is. On our way, I just slept until Mom and Dad woke me up saying we're having a thirty minute stop-over to have some snacks. We continued our drive while Mom and Dad are talking about Dad's work in our provincial hospital while I put my eyes stuck out the window listening to the song of Hale in my iPods.

Siyempre hindi mawawala ang mga Happeter sa tuktok ng ulo ng mga taong nadadaanan namin. May mga bata na punong-puno ang happiness meter, meron namang lalaking naka-corporate suit ang nasa 25% lang kahit pa mukhang mayaman ito at meron din namang street sweeper ang nasa 89% kahit pa pagod na pagod na ito. Aside from telling me how happy people around me are, Happeter tells me a good lesson about not looking on the facade of someone to determine his/her happiness. Also, what makes you happy doesn't mean it can make happy others. Halimbawa, hindi porke't masaya ka sa maraming pera masaya na rin ang ibang tao kapag binigyan ng marami ding pera.

"Elys, 'nak?" Nawala ang atensyon ko sa labas ng bintana at napatingin kay Dad. "Po?"

"Nandito na tayo El," nakangiting sabi ni Mom saka kami sabay-sabay na napatingin sa malaking arko ng school na papasukan ko. White Spring University. A prestigious boarding school where my Mom and Dad used to study too. Based on their stories, they had fun in that school while still being good academically-inclined students. Library, classroom, home. That was their life back then. 'Yan din naman ang nasa isip ko at 'yan din ang nasa blueprint ng magiging buhay ko sa last year ko sa college lalo na at wala si Cristel.

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