First of summer

REX has just finished his junior studies at Regional Science High School in Gusa and is now back home enjoying his vacation at Sta. Ana, Tagoloan.

            This summer of 2015, he is looking forward dipping at Sta. Ana river. As he slowly inches towards the middle, he can visibly feel the heat of the summer simmering. The sun is rising to its zenith, dazzling and white like a mirror. And like a mirror breaking, its pieces fall shining and brilliant on the river.

           As Rex is wading the river, he spots someone who is gaily enjoying bathing. That someone looks back and Rex sees a familiar face – Sheila Mae. Fifteen-year-old Sheila Mae is the only child of one of the remaining aristocratic families in Sta. Ana. Their house is the biggest in the village, enclosed with a wall topped with sharp glass shards. Sheila Mae and Rex used to be playmates but they haven’t seen each other after sixth grade when Sheila Mae transferred at an all-girls school in Cebu.

            “Is that you, Rex?”

            “Yeah, it’s me.”

            “Is it very deep there?”

            “Not really,” Rex says, getting up from his kneeling position.

            Seeing that the water barely reaches up to his chest, she continues moving towards him.

       “My, how you’ve grown,” Sheila Mae awkwardly says and for the first time, Rex sees that Sheila Mae’s body is blossoming.

            “Can you teach me how to swim?” Sheila Mae asks Rex.

“Funny that I’ve been here in Sta. Ana all my life and I never know how to swim,” she adds, giggling, her body slightly buoyed up by the current.

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you how.”

But before he can go further, someone is shouting. It is Doña Celing, Sheila Mae’s mom. Doña Celing is cold and distant, very much unlike her daughter. “Psst….ali na diri, uli nata!”

 “Uhmm…I have to go now,” Sheila Mae says.

“Ok, see you later.”

“I’d rather like it to be sooner,” Sheila Mae smiles and holds Rex’s hand. Rex hasn’t expected this, feeling the petal softness of her fingers.

Later that afternoon, Rex is leisurely humming with his guitar at the front porch of their house.

Then he sees someone coming. It is Doña Celing. For the moment, Rex is ashamed…ashamed of their old house of nipa walls and bamboo flooring.

“You must not see my daughter again,” she suddenly blurts out.

Stunned, Rex answers back, “But what have I done wrong, ma’am?”

“Because you are playing with my daughter. For that, I have decided to cut short Sheila Mae’s vacation here and let her spend the rest of the summer back in Cebu,” Doña Celing points out.

Feeling betrayed, Rex searches for some sympathy on Doña Celing’s face but he sees only anger. He dizzyingly runs back to the house and into his room, locking the door. For he can slowly feel a hard lump choking his throat.

It is getting dusk and Rex opens the window in his room and stares straight towards his rich neighbor across the street and sees the lights in Sheila Mae’s room as Urbandub's iconic song is played. 

Parked car

This night sky

Makes city lights shine like diamonds

Our song plays on the radio

Whoa, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh

For a brief moment, Rex smiles. Then the lights start to blur as the tears, stinging, finally come.