My Sunflower World

Prologue

2005

“Maya, bilis!!! Dadaan na si Mr. Dreamboat! Halika na baka ma-miss mo.” Doris, Maya’s best friend said from the window of their apartment.

“Doris, ano ka ba, sabi ng hindi ako interesado diyan sa Mr. Dreamboat mo.” Maya protested as Doris dragged her to the window.

“I know, pero tingnan mo lang, please. Tell me if I’m wrong.” Doris insisted. “Ganitong oras iyan dumadaan for his class diyan sa College of Engineering.”

“Talagang hindi lang schedule ng daan ang alam mo, pati course ha! Doris, malapit ka nang maging stalker!” Maya teased.

Before Maya was finished with what she was about to say next,  a guy wearing black slacks and a white polo shirt was passing by, a backpack slung on his shoulder. He was tall, nicely built and is wearing glasses. When he was in front of their apartment, he unconsciously looked towards their window, and Maya gasped. Doris is right, he is one very handsome Filipino-Chinese guy!

“Friend, tama ako di ba? Super guwapo siya!” Doris said, sounding very giddy as if she had seen her favorite matinee idol in the flesh. “Saka paano ko namang hindi malalaman ang course, eh iyong uniform niya, uniform ng mga taga-College of Engineering.”

‘Well, yes, he is guwapo nga!” Maya reluctantly admitted. “So, pwede na ba akong bumalik sa pagsusulat? You know due na ang research paper natin sa Literature bukas.”

“Ha, bukas na ba iyon! Wala pa akong nasisimulan.” Doris exclaimed, panicking. “Naku, Maya, nanganganib pa naman ako diyan kay Prof. Ramirez.”

“Iyan kasi ang sinasabi ko, Doris Flores. Masyado kang naaaligaga diyan kay Mr. Dreamboat mo.” Maya lightly scolded her friend. “You can borrow my laptop pagkatapos ko so you can write yours. Ipinahiram mo kay Rachelle iyong sa iyo, di ba? Anyway, may pasok ako sa work mamayang gabi, so hindi ko naman iyan gagamitin. Absent iyong isang crew. Sayang din ang overtime pay!”

“Believe din naman talaga ako diyan sa sipag mo, Maya Dela Rosa! Hindi mo naman kailangang magtrabaho, di ba since pinapaaral ka ng Ate Cris mo.” Doris said.

“Yes, pero kawawa naman si Ate Cris sa abroad. Kayod siya ng kayod doon for me and my Nanay. Gusto ko rin naman siyang matulungan kahit pang-allowance ko lang. Kita mo naman lahat na sinagot niya, mula sa tuition ko, pang-share ko dito sa apartment at saka pati itong laptop. Tutal naman, maluwag pa ang schedule natin dahil freshman pa lang tayo.” Maya replied.

“Sabagay, may point ka naman diyan, Maya. Saka kayang-kaya mo naman talagang pagsabayin sa talino mong iyan! Hindi ko katulad na kailangan pang basahin ng ilang beses ang isang book bago ko maintindihan.” Doris said as she sat on her study table.

“Ikaw, talaga Doris! Tiyagaan lang naman talaga ang pag-aaral. O sige, aral ka na rin.” Maya said.

Maya and Doris were both taking up Bachelor of Arts Major in Journalism, in their first year in the university, with the intention of taking up Law after college. Doris, on the dictate of her lawyer-father, even if she is struggling with the demands of their current course. Maya, because it has been her dream to be a lawyer since she was a kid. The two of them both came from San Nicolas, Oriental Mindoro and were high school classmates.

Doris’s Dad got her the apartment and insisted that Maya shares it at a minimal rent. He said he was more after a flatmate for his daughter whom he can trusts. He even talked to her mother, to allow Maya to share the apartment with Doris. Teresita Dela Rosa agreed and offered to pay half of the rent. She told Maya she would feel better if she and Doris share the apartment as she worries, of her being on her own in Manila. Doris’ father prevailed on the rent arrangement though, insisting that it is also the least he could do for the family of his late friend, Arturo, whom he owed a lot.

Doris’ father told her and Maya that the best undergraduate course if they want to be good lawyers would have been Journalism as Law School requires a lot of writing too. Maya followed Doris’s father’s advice and Doris followed her best friend into the university of her choice. Doris is not really a mediocre student. It just that she lacks the drive, not really wanting to take up the course her father told her to take.

The two friends studied the whole afternoon and managed to finish the paper they needed to pass the following day. At around five o’clock in the afternoon, Maya left for her job at the fast food restaurant near the university.

When she arrived at the restaurant, there was quite a number of customers so she hurriedly changed into her uniform . When their manager saw her, she asked her to open another cash register to deal with the influx of customers.

“Good afternoon, Sir!” Maya greeted the first customer with a big smile. Then she stopped as there is something familiar about him. Oh my God, si Mr. Dreamboat pala ni Doris! In fairness, guwapong-guwapo talaga siya sa malapitan. “May I take your order, Sir?”

“I would like a cheese burger please, with large fries and large Coke.” The handsome Filipino-Chinese guy in front of Maya told her with a smile. Then she was surprised at his next words while she assembles his order. “Di ba sa Mirasol Street ka rin nakatira?”

“Ha? How did you know?” Maya asked. She does not recall them passing each other on the street.

“I saw you passed by our house several times!” The guy said. “I’m Richard Lim, by the way.” He introduced with a friendly smile. “Call me Ricky, please.”

“H-hi Ricky, I’m Maya, as you can see from my nameplate. Maya Dela Rosa.” Maya gave Richard a shy smile then gave him the tray containing his order. “Here’s your order.”

“Thanks a lot, Maya. Nice meeting you!” Richard said with a lopsided smile that made Maya’s young heart aflutter.

Maya smiled at Richard, gazed at his departing back, then shook herself out of her flight of fancy to attend to the next customer.

Note: Just something I managed to do several days ago while I was thinking of how I will move along Windblown and Unexpected Love. Updates on both, I’m working on already. I’m just puyat last night so I can’t think straight. Tulog muna ako ng maaga this evening.  Hopefully, tomorrow, I will have something for you guys! Have a nice weekend!  🙂