Chapter 1

Joseph

Curiosity played a big part in my childhood. I was the kid who, as my friends were playing hop-skotch, was experimenting with the chemistry set that my father gave me, trying to conjure a potion that would turn my brother into a mouse.

I was the 15-year old girl who, as my classmates were going to the mall, was at the library reading about the mesozoic era.

I remember that I got asked out by some of my classmates back then, but I wasn’t really interested. That innate curiosity in children stuck with me as I grew up and soon, it consumed me, turning me into this person who wanted to know everything she could know. I didn’t have time for dates and trips to the mall. I considered it a waste of time, and instead, I studied and researched.

Most of the guys I turned down would merely shake their heads and move on to the next girl; few persisted. Those “few” gave up when their egos were appeased when they found out that it had absolutely nothing to do with them, I just wasn’t interested in boys and dating.

And so I reached the age of seventeen – it was then that I met Joseph.

I had just started college and was studying in University of the Philippines (Manila). It was a weekend and I was taking a break from studying all morning. I went to the village park and brought along with me a book (Where the Heart Is).

I sat down on the swing and its chains creaked as I gently pushed my feet against the grass, causing the swing to sway. It was the only sound that could be heard, aside from the sound I made from flipping the pages of the book. I was soon engrossed in the book, too engrossed to notice another sound: footsteps.

“Hello,” a warm voice said.

I looked up and saw a teenager who seemed to be only a couple of years older than me. He had black hair and brown eyes that were common in the Filipino race. He was also tall; 5’10” in my estimation.

I remember my response perfectly as if it were just yesterday.

I stared at him and he stared back.

The situation was so comical that I almost laughed, but I felt uncomfortable so I decided against it.

I broke off the eye contact and resumed reading. He sat down on the swing beside me and I ignored him.

The chains of the swing he was sitting on started to squeak, and I couldn’t help but see from the corner of my eye that he was moving.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

I looked up at him and glared. He grinned at me and introduced himself.

"I’m Joseph Santos. I’m a 3rd year college student of U.P. Diliman taking up PolSci,” he boasted, then grinned. He looked at me as if he was waiting for a reply, a praise or a compliment maybe.

I was not impressed. He seemed so smug with the fact that he was studying in UP.

Hah.

I know for a fact that the PolSci course in UP is not very challenging; it was not held with high regard. When he saw that I was still glaring at him, he frowned for a second, then smiled again.

“Ah, uppity, aren’t you?” he teased.

It was like that for the rest of the afternoon; he talked to me, not minding the fact that I was still reading. He talked about everything (I wasn’t really listening, but I wasn’t deaf either).

I finished the book and I stood up. He also stood up.

“I’ll walk you home,” he decided aloud.

I shook my head in response but he walked me home anyway. He continued the one-sided conversation and talked about his family. (I learned that they had 11 cats and 5 dogs.) All the while I stared ahead, silently asking myself what I should do, and how I should react to that situation which I found completely foreign and new.

When we reached home, he asked me out. He wanted to watch a movie with me next weekend. Normally, I would have said no. But I guess you could say his persistence won me over.

Our date (which was my first date ever) was successful; I was able to talk freely with him as he seemed to be genuinely interested in me.

We went on more dates after that. We went to basketball games, we watched movies, we went on study dates, and usually just talked.

But it wasn’t enough. I didn’t feel anything except friendship.

One night, we were watching a movie when his phone rang – loudly. I glared at him and said, “I told you to put your phone in silent mode.”

He smiled, as if that would make everything okay. That was his solution to everything, you see. He thought that whatever wrong he did he could make right with a smile. (Like the time he stepped on my foot and he just smiled at me; I retaliated by bonking him on the head with my thick JPrizal book.)

“I’ll just take the call,” he whispered. He stood up and walked towards the CR, stepping on a few toes in the process (we were seated in the middle of the row).

After a minute or so, he returned and bumped somebody’s head with his right elbow.

“Is your mom looking for you?” I asked and checked my watch. It was only 3:00 and he had told his mom that he would return by 2:30.

He blushed and I stared at him. He never blushes.

“Ah, yes.” He stuffed a handful of popcorn in his mouth and looked at the screen as if he was really watching.

After about five minutes his phone rang again and I, along with half a dozen people, looked at him in irritation. He smiled in apology. I gave him another of my infamous glares. He smiled (again) and stood up and went to the back of the moviehouse.

“Uh-oh, wrong timing,” I thought. I had to go to the bathroom. But I couldn’t just leave our stuff on top of the chairs.

“Um, excuse me,” I said to the guy seated to my left. “Would you please look after our stuff? I have to go to the ladies room.”

The guy smiled at me and nodded. I remember thinking, “oh great, another smiling idiot.” I was beginning to have this aversion to smiling people.

I stood up and walked to the CR. I saw Joseph talking on the cellphone, looking the other way. He didn’t notice me so I walked up to him, about to give him the shock of his life when I heard him say, “Honey, yeah, I’m sorry I forgot about our date. I really am…… No… Wait I’ll call you again… no I’m not out with a girl, I’m doing my mom’s grocery… no really…wait!”

He put the cellphone in his pocket and cursed. It was then that he saw me staring at him, my arms still in midair (I was going to jump at him and yell…)

“Your mom huh?” I said. I took two steps toward him, slapped his reddened face and walked away. Being a rational human, I decided to go watch the rest of the movie anyway. Why waste 60 bucks because of a jerk? I located my seat and sat down. I thanked the smiling guy.

“Where’s your boyfriend?” he asked conversationally.

“The king of jerks?” I replied sourly. Lightning flashed (from the movie screen) so I saw him grin.

“Left him,” I said.

He chuckled softly.

“So how come you’re still here and not bawling in the girls’ room or wherever it is you’re supposed to do?” he asked.

“I don’t really feel like crying. Besides, I paid 60 bucks for this movie,” I explained. “I am not wasting 60 bucks for an asshole.”

“You don’t feel like crying?” he asked incredulously.

“I don’t really feel that bad. I know I’m supposed to - girls usually do when they find out that their guy has been cheating them (or maybe he’s cheating on the girl with us), but I don’t feel bad at all. I only thought of him as a good friend anyway,” I answered.

“Very interesting,” he commented. He turned towards me and said, “I’m Angelu.”

“Angelu?”

“I’m gay,” he said, smiling.

Oh God. My bad luck with men is still holding, I thought.

“I’m Shali.”

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That was one good thing that I got from the Joseph-fiasco; I met Angelu (Angelo actually but he goes by the name angelu) and thus, I got myself a bestfriend.

He studies in De La Salle University Taft so we see each other regularly. We usually watch a movie every week and we talk about 2 hours on the phone everyday. He rents this apartment near La Salle so sometimes we hang out there (we usually just stuff our faces with junk food while watching TV.)

Basically, I got a life. J (but I still spent my free time in the library)

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--mskitsune--