That’s totally a lie. I’ve always got time for love.
“Bullshit,” Stephanie retorts. I raise a brow and lean in, lips twisting mischievously.
I hold my phone up, gracing my lock screen wallpaper. Or rather, the subjects of my wallpaper. The eight-member koreanboy group ATEEZ pops up, all clad in suits, appearing suave, handsome, and entirely out of my league.
“Who needs a boyfriend when I already have eight husbands?” I tease, nudging Stephanie with my shoulder and she groans, amused by my delusions.
Better to be delusional about love than face the reality that I’m far, far from it.
The sound of utensils clanging against glass summons our attention to the centre of the house. We make our way toward the kitchen counter, where Tita Lucillia stands, beaming.
“Maraming, maraming salamat sa lahat[6] for coming today to celebrate my birthday! The big four-five!” she cheers, shaking her hips as we all whoop for her.
“I hope you enjoyed all the food today, too!”
To that I whistle, and all my relatives laugh.
“But now, I want to direct all your attention to my darling little sister. Didn’t you have something you all wanted to tell us, Bea-Bea?”
All our eyes flicker toward Tita Bea, who stands idly beside Tita Lucillia. Jonathan, her boyfriend, has his arms around her shoulder. A silence falls over the room, waiting. She holds the room for a few beats, her gaze dancing around, raising the anticipation. It’s only when Lola Evangeline exclaims, “bilisan mo[7]!” that she slowly raises her left hand.
The light catches it first, before I do, casting a beam from her hand. My eyes adjust, before I realise what it is.
A large, silver ring.
“I’m engaged!”
Four
The house shakes fromthe roars of my family, as we all erupt like a crowd of concert goers. My Tita Bea is gettingmarried? An eternal union, a permanent fairytale?
I remember the first time Tita Bea told us about Jonathan. In fact, the first words out of her mouth were about how Jonathan was anarrogant asshole.
They first met four years ago, at the restaurant that Tita Bea manages. Jonathan had been attending a work dinner, and was displeased at the service. He boldly demanded to chat directly with the manager to complain, but the moment he laid eyes on my Tita Bea, all words seemed to be forgotten.
He was instantlysmitten.
Since then, Jonathan always held his work meetings at the restaurant, and tried to flirt relentlessly with Tita Bea.Shecomplained about his conceitedness, and how he and his workmates were always soloud.
The gleam in her eyes begged to differ whenever she mentioned Jonathan and his jet-black hair that was‘so black it’s like a black hole.’
One month later after they’re first encounter, they started dating.
Their story, their beginning, just added another meet-cute tale in the family. Another to fuel my yearning.
My eyes flutter around the room, at the awed expressions of my relatives’ faces.
Lola Evangeline is chatting animatedly with Jonathan and Tita Bea. Mum has gravitated toward Tita Lucillia, as they both squeal over their younger sister.
My older cousins - Kuya Peter and Kuya Joseph - mutter amongst themselves.
That’s when my gaze settles on Marlon. He’s standing at the dining table beside his Dad, conversing animatedly as he points toward Tita Bea. In an entirely coincidental moment, he turns his head to the side, and meets my stare. I turn away instantly.
I will never understand what my family sees in us. Other than the fact that our Mums grew up together, we don’t have anything in common.
Him and I…we’re like earth and air. Literallynothinghappens between them. Air breezes past earth without so much as a reaction, although sometimes the sight of him has me fuelling like fire. But still. We arenothing.
The type of romance I want, the magical, confession-in-the-rain type of love … Marlon is lightyears away from that. I could never fall in love with a boy who drew X’s across my Barbie dolls’ eyes, and I doubt he’d want to be with a girl who dismembered the arms and legs from his wrestling figurines as revenge.
