chapter 26
FIREWORKS!
Someone tap on my shoulder…
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEANNE..."
Have you seen my Childhood?
I'm searching for the world that I come from
'Cause I've been looking around
In the lost and found of my heart...
No one understands me
They view it as such strange eccentricities...
'Cause I keep kidding around
Like a child, but pardon me...
People say I'm not okay
'Cause I love such elementary things...
It's been my fate to compensate,
for the Childhood
I've never known...
Have you seen my Childhood?
I'm searching for that wonder in my youth
Like pirates in adventurous dreams,
Of conquest and kings on the throne...
Before you judge me, try hard to love me,
Look within your heart then ask,
Have you seen my Childhood?
-Michael Jackson
"How did you know it?" I asked Thiam as soon as the fireworks were done. It's already 12 in the morning and that means my birthday is already done.
She smiled at me. "Secret..." I stared at her and then she went near to me and pouts her lips.
"Sige na nga… Kanina nung nasa palengke ko I heard to woman talking. When they said your name I became curious."
"So you are eavesdropping then?" Sumimangot si Thiam at nagsalubong ng bahagya ang kilay niya... Bakit tama naman yung sinabi ko ha? What's wrong with that? I'm just being honest!
"Grabe ka naman... Hindi ah! May magagawa ba ako kung narinig ko yun at na-curious ako? Eh di sana kung hindi ko sila sinundan eh di hindi ko nalaman na birthday mo pala." So that settles. So it's not what you are thinking awhile ago Keanne? Thiam just have the biggest participation in your birthday. Yeah.
"Okay so you heard that it is my birthday, how about the fireworks? How did you know that?"
"To tell you frankly Keanne, I also heard that."
So I thought she knew it all along. This time I'm wrong…
"Matanong ko nga Keanne, totoo ba yung narinig ko na mahilig sa fireworks? At paglaging birthday mo ay fireworks display?"
This time I couldn't look at her eyes. Should I tell her? Should I tell who Keanne is back then? Why should I? You told her you trust her and that is true yes but…
I gazed at the sky and to my surprise I saw the answer immediately as it disappeared.
END OF KEANNE'S POV
Tinitigan ko si Keanne, gwapo pala talaga siya lalo na kung napakalayo ng tingin niya. Ano kaya iniisip niya? Mahirap bang sagutin yung tinanong ko?
"Do you really want to know the answer Thiam?" I nodded. Siyempre naman excited akong malaman yun para naman malaman ko na talaga kong totoo ba yung iba ko pang narinig. I don't want to be judgmental dahil hindi naman talaga ako ganun. As a psychologist, I am open to any possible explanations.
"There was this child." Isinara niya yung mata niya at pagkatapos ay tumingin siya sa akin. "He was left by his mother when he is four year old to one of the trusted person his mom knew. He didn't know where his mother will go; he only knew that she have to leave the country in order to make his life better."
Tahimik pa rin ako sa tabi niya at ayokong sumingit siya dahil hindi makakabuti yun. "The person his mother entrusted is indeed a very loving human-being. She never treated him as nobody. The boy at first he was hesitant of her intention but the day passed, he became close to her and in fact she and her husband became his parents." Sina Mang Karyo at Aling Susan ang mga taong nag-alaga kay Keanne pag-alis ni Mrs. Lacey. Kaya naman palang hindi nakapagtataka na mas ginagalang at sinusunod ni Keanne si Aling Susan.
"When that boy who is unaware of the life outside the four corner of the house reaches his fifth birthday, his YAYA asked him what he wanted to wish for his birthday. The boy who is surprised to the question just stares to his Yaya and asked himself, what wish? For his entire life he never had a birthday. He never had a celebration." Napahawak ako sa bibig ko. Kawawang Keanne…
"He answered his Yaya, "I never had a celebration on my birthday and I never experience to wish for my own.". The Yaya who was surprised just smile at him and told him softly, "Well this is your lucky day; I will make your wish come try so just tell it to me."
Ngumiti si Keanne, yung ngiting abot sa tenga. "The boy who for the first time overwhelmed to what he heard, utter the thing that came to his mind… "Can you give me fire crackers?" As he expected, his Yaya was surprised. "Why fire crackers?" The boy smiled at looked at the window where several boys like his age are playing 'watusi'. "I just want to experience what they are doing and I just want to see those beautiful things sparkling in the sky every New Year." To that boy's young heart who never experienced happy childhood and warmth and loving care of his real mother wished only for a small piece of fire cracker. Just a piece to make him happy just for his birthday…"
Nagulat ako sa mga bagong rebelasyon na nalaman ko tungkol sa kanya. Hindi ko aakalain na si Keanne yung batang yun… Yung batang ang naging kasiyahan lang ay ang magagandang kulay ng fireworks…
Bumalik na kami sa loob ng bungalow at parehas kaming tahimik. Papasok na sana ako sa kwarto ko parang makapagpahinga na ng tinawag niya yung pangalan ko.
"Thiam…"
Tumingin ako sa kanya. "I just want to say thank you…" Sasagot na sana ako ng you're welcome kaso nagsalita siya at sinabi ang hindi ko inaakala.
"I wouldn't forget my 26th birthday because that was my happiest birthday. Thank you for being a big part of it."
Ngumiti siya sa akin at pumasok na sa kwarto niya. Ako naman napatunganga sa narinig ko.
Hindi ba ako nanaginip nun? Ngumiti ako at sa unang pagkakataon tumibok ng mabilis ang puso ko at naramdaman kong namula ng bahagya ang pisngi ko.
Sa tingin ko this will be the beginning…
We were strangers starting out on a journey
Never dreaming what we'd have to go through
Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you
No one told me I was going to find you
Unexpected, what you did to my heart
When I lost hope, you were there to remind me
This is the start
And life is a road and I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey
I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end, I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you
-Richard Marx and Donna Lewis
"Parang ang saya nyong dalawa ngayon..." Nilagyan ni Aling Susan yung plato ko ng kare kare at nagkatinginan kami bigla ni Keanne.
"Parehas lang siguro kami ni Thiam na nakatulog ng maayos." This time napatingin ako kay Keanne… Anong pinagsasabi nitong nakatulog ng maayos eh halos two am na nga ako nakatulog! Hindi ko nga alam kung bakit pero natatandaan ko ang sabi ni Pola. Pag-inlove ka talaga hindi ka makakatulong sa kakaisip sa kanya. Sandali... sino bang inlove? Imposible naman ako yun… Pwede ba kay Keanne? Pero kasasabi mo lang kaninang umaga na… Oo alam ko sinabi ko new beginning…