"Ang galing mo talaga sumayaw, Cristine," sabi ni Jhon, nakatitig habang pinapanood si Cristine sa practice nila para sa school dance competition. She moved with a grace he'd never seen in anyone else. Bawat galaw, parang naglalakbay sa hangin. Noon pa man,Jr high school pa lang kami, napapahanga na ako kay Cristine. It was more than just admiration; it was something that made my heart skip a beat.
Si Cristine, napapangiti lang siya sa mga papuri ko. She knew that i was always watching, and she secretly enjoyed it. We were friends, at least that's how we started. Pero habang tumatagal, hindi na lang siya basta kaibigan sa akin. I started noticing the small details - the way she tucked her hair behind her ear, the way her eyes crinkled when she laughed, pati na rin 'yong pagiging competitive niya pagdating sa pagsayaw.
Unti-unti, naging mas madalas ang pag-uusap namin, ang pag-tawanan sa room, at ang pag-practice nang sabay. We were inseparable. One rainy afternoon, after practice, I finally confessed my feelings. "Cristine, gusto kita. Higit pa sa kaibigan."
Cristine was quiet for a moment, her usually bright eyes turning a little serious. "Jhon... she started, then a small smile bloomed on her face. "Gusto rin kita."
We were together for the remaining months of our Jr year. It was like a dream. Every day felt like a scene from a cheesy rom-com. They'd share their food together,laugh, and spend hours talking about anything and everything. I felt like I finally found my person, my dream girl.
Pero parang hindi lahat ng panaginip, tumatagal.
One day, Cristine called me, (her voice trembling.) "Jhon, lilipat na kami sa Pampanga dahil hindi ako makakapag aral dito kaya dun na ako at kailangan ko yun.
Dahil kung hindi ako pupunta dun hindi ako makakapag tapos ng pag aaral."
(My world seemed to stop.)"P-Pampanga? I stammered, the words catching in his throat. Pero...paano tayo?"
"Hindi pa pwede, Jhon. Masyado pa tayong bata," Cristine said, (her voice cracking.) "Pero...hindi kita makakalimutan."
The next few weeks were a blur. He saw her less often, each goodbye feeling like a punch to the gut. The day she left, I stood by the curb, while looking at her from afar a knot forming in my chest . Everything felt empty, the school halls, the practice room, even his own thoughts.
Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. I tried to focus on school, but my mind would always drift back to Cristine. I'd always look at the pictures of us, remembering the sound of her laugh, the way she'd look at me during our dance performances. I started to feel a little bitter, a little lost.
i knew that our relationship was barely a few months old, pero it was the first time I felt the true happiness and true loved. I also knew that maybe Cristine was right, we were too young. We need to grow separately. Pero ang sakit pa rin.
One night, as i stared at the ceiling, the thought came to me, clear as day: "Meeting you was a dream, and now, I need to wake up." It wasn't a sad realization, not entirely. It was also a moment of acceptance. Our time together, as short as it was, was special. It was a beautiful dream. But I couldn't stay asleep forever. I need to move on and face the reality, and find my own path.
I deleted our pictures together from my phone, kept the letters we exchanged in a box, and decided to focus on my future. I would remember Cristine, the girl who danced like an angel and made my heart skip a beat. But I also knew na hindi siya pwedeng manatili sa panaginip, may sarili siyang buhay na aabutin.
And with that, I slowly began to open his eyes, ready for the new day, ready to wake up.
