"Click!"

the flash from Gelai Quinto's camera flooded the dim underground parking lot of her Makati office. She ducked at the nearest pillar, heart-pounding and sweat beads invaded her forehead.

You stupid Gelai! FYI! Flash is invented and it can catch anyone's attention!

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

She cursed herself. She exasperatedly lied her back at the pillar then hugged herself feeling her body becoming smaller and smaller as if escaping the possibility of getting caught. She was startled when she heard the sound of an engine. Staring blankly at the empty parking lot, she waited for the car to move out of the building. After a while, the screeching sound of wheels echoed at the dim place and then silence made Gelai feel secure.

Now what? Idiot?!

A fierce voice enveloped her thoughts. She stood, almost stumbling and ran to her car parked nearby.

For two years... for two years... for two years...

She whispered as she open her red car's door. Her beautiful photos were scattered at the driver's seat. Gelai shoved them out and sat. The next thing she knew, she is leaving the Makati office premises. The blurs of the Makati towers were as if digging her worst memories down under. Those memories haunt her. Now, she is a prisoner of a man that never notice she does exist. So she is stalking this model she met at a photo shoot in Subic. For two years that is...

Suddenly...

You are ugly! No one will love you!

Shut up Mom!

She barked.

How dare you answer back?! You are nothing but a disgrace to our family!

Die mom! I'm a beautiful and a successful Photographer! Models are dying to have me to take a shot to their anorexic figures! I'm working with beautiful people!

Huh? Are you kidding me? Do you want me to believe you? I just can't understand why you have to hang out with people that are so gifted? You will just embarrass yourself!

Take this!

She snatched one of her pictures and waved it in the air.

Cameras do lie now my dearest daughter!

A wicked laughter came next. Gelai did not realized that her make-up smudged due to her tears. Her tears left her hurtful eyes as she drive away from the bright Makati Skyline.

Kumare: Mare! Congratulations! Helena won the beauty title at the fiesta...

Mom: Well we are all beautiful in our family, as you see, my youngest sister joined the Bb. Pilipinas 1971 and was one of top ten... my Ate Conching was offered to star in a movie produced by the defunct Sampaguita Pictures... My cousins starred in a shampoo commercial... then came my four lovely daughters... Helena, Enrica, uhm... Angela and Verna.

Kumare: Oh Verna was a favorite at their Ms. United Nations last year. Enrica passed her VTR for a commercial and now your Helena is the newest title holder! (They laughed)

After the awkward moment...

Kumare: And Angela?

Mom: Excuse me! I have to prepare the dessert! (She left her kumare waiting for her reply.)

Dear Gelai,

This may sound cheesy... but this letter is for you. I love you because you are the most beautiful lass in the whole universe! Your black hair is like the shadow of a goddess... your eyes are the windows to heaven.. your lips are red like cherries at the top of ice creams... your skin, soft and smooth... how can I forget your smile? Your darn smile that every man and man-at-heart wants to see at the bloom of the morning sun. I love you so much Gelai... Be mine, please?

Love,
Joe aka Joana...

Yes. So much for being beautiful Gelai. Well guys courted you when you were in High School. So why not put them in numbers? Six hot varisty players, three lesbians(one of them is Joe), four nerds, two student council presidents, one Filipino teacher and two wannabes not to mention the dozen guys of the all boys school near your campus. Gays do admire you and everyone can't simply resist to stare at you! Well somehow, you finally believed that you are beautiful.

"Mom! I will be working at the hottest fashion mag in the Philippines!" You can spell happiness at Gelai's eyes.

"As a model?" Her mom forced a smile while washing the dishes after their dinner.

"No, I will be a--"

"I don't want to hear about it! Good luck then!" Her mother kept on washing the dishes, waiting for the bubbles to perform a miracle.

Angela: Hi! I'm Angela, you can call me Gelai! Nice working with you! Take my number please...

Model: Nice meeting you! I'm Mhark... Uhmm I guess the hot sun, sand and tan is calling me! Gotta hit the beach! See you around!

See you around?! Is that all? Would you mine get my number? Sigh... I can still paint your smile... can you spell mine? L-O-V-E...

As Mhark stirred to hit the blue sea, Gelai went straight to the Hotel Comfort Room with her camera. She frantically took her pictures, posing wildly as she click the Camera. She was almost blinded by the flash but she doesn't care as long as the camera catch her features... Mhark will get her number after he see her pictures...

But he did not saw her pictures and he never get her number.

As Gelai's mother turned over the curve, a truck with a drunk driver swerve and a deafening crash awaken the sleeping street. Lights from nearby houses were switched on and people swarmed at the bloody accident. After 30 minutes, police and ambulance siren sang in sing song and the street went crazy. Gelai and her sisters were sleeping and dreaming that their mother went to a beautiful place with blooming flowers of every kind. But as their mother approach the beautiful blooms, they wither and die...

"Click!"

The funeral was a simple one. Her sisters are mourning beside the coffin. She took their picture and she thought, as if I'm taking the picture of a royal family or a showbiz family.. they seem perfect without me... As she click a voice suddenly sprang from within.

Yes. We are almost perfect. Without you, we will be the model family... beautiful among them all...

The voice of her mother is alive. It's just her body who succumbed to death. It's just her body who left them. She is still alive watching over them, watching her...

Gelai is headed somewhere that she not even know where. She just drive at the City's dirty streets. Watching late night people walking at the sidewalk, balut vendors screaming and even prostitutes waiting for their next customer. She just taught of taking their shots. A shot of life in this sinful City. So? Her mother will just laugh at her. Taking silly pictures of ugly people and for sure her mother will scream at her that the picture is her reflection. Ugly. Dirty. Gelai's thoughts brought her when she found out why her mother treats her that way...

Helena: So...

Angela: I love to stay.

Enrica: Good for you, it's your choice anyway. You have to find yourself here Gelai...

Verna: Oh ate Ge, I will miss you! (She hugged the puzzled Gelai)

Angela: I don't understand guys...

Helena: Someday you will find out.

They cried and bid each other farewell.

Gelai took their pictures. The smile behind her sisters were hurting. They will leave her alone. Well it's her choice to stay. As she hear the click of the camera, she'll know that after these she will be all alone at their house. But then, a sense of freedom made her beam and feel excited to get back home.

One fateful day as she stayed up at their attic, an old photograph caught her attention. She saw her young father but it is not her mother who he is smiling with... After that day, she found herself and know why her mother is so mean to her. She looks like the girl in the picture.

That is why I'm so ugly at her eyes...

Memories just rushed through as if a current from a stream. A car in front her stopped her from weaving her thoughts. Her eyes grew and she managed to smile. It's Mhark's car! This is it! This is the time for her to be happy!

I doubt it my lovely daughter! She will just smirk at your looks! Why don't you get other men with wives just what your mom did?!

Fuck you mom!

Disgraceful! I bet you learnt that from your real mom?

No! I learnt it from you! Thank you for your hatred.

She just followed the car. Gelai is thinking what she'll do first, overtake? Mhark stopped in a gasoline station. Gelai grabbed her camera at once and took her own pictures. She stared at her pictures at the car floor. She picked them up and hurriedly arranged them. I love you Mhark.. Make me happy please... you are the only one that I have... When she looked up, Mhark is leaving the station. She followed quickly.

Mom watch me get this guy! Watch how beautiful I'am!

You are so desperate?! Well look at your sisters... they are all successful in the States with their handsome husbands, how about you?

I'll be fine! Thank you for your concern! Mhark will be your son-in-law! Your favorite son-in-law!

She is catching up with him. She can see Mhark's head driving. She tried to overtake. Well vehicles from the other side are coming, so she have to wait. She gathered her pictures. The bundle of pictures she took for two years of stalking Mhark and being narcissistic about her self. The time has come to get what she really wants.. The coast is clear!

Overtake!

The two cars levelled. Gelai's window is open, she saw Mhark wearing a weird expression. Then suddenly a good-looking man rose from Mhark's crotch. Gelai's world fell apart! Her mother's cruel laugh invaded her thoughts! No! Her mind was blurred now! She swerved and hit Mhark's car at the side. His car swerved as he gave Gelai a surprised look. She kept on crashing her car to his car. Mhark tried to speed out but Gelai followed her. The guy beside Mhark was too shocked to react. An action-packed car chase happened at the streets of Quezon City. The long historic EDSA became a race track! Gelai made a hard swerve, Mhark's car bumped and a coming bus made a blood-churning finale... Gelai feeling triumphant, did not noticed that a van is heading towards her. It was too late when she turned. She saw a blinding light. She thought of a camera flash. Someone is taking her pictures. Someone is taking her... the sound was a hair-raiser.

Pictures were scattered at EDSA, the moon witnessed the tragic accident and the bloody murder. The wind took the pictures away while the bystanders admire the pretty face at the photos. They thought that the whole scene is a movie shooting. Waiting for the new actress they want to meet. Waiting to get their autograph and give her a cheer. Waiting for the girl that never felt the beauty of life and love.

"Click"

Photojournalists swarm at the accident. Flashes of cameras were nonstop. Policemen and media arrived getting frenzy over the event. At least Gelai and Mhark have a picture of them together.

Too bad they did not strike a good pose nor a smile.