Sa Likod ng Webcam

Ni: Katrine Cates Villanueva


Takatak-tak-tak! Click! Tak! Tak!

Roon sa kaniyang silid - kamang gulo-gulo pa, mga damit na nakakalat sa sahig, kurtinang hinaharangan ang bintana, at silaw mula sa kompyuter na nagsisilbing tanging liwanag - tunog ng keyboard niya ang umaalingawngaw. Pupungas-pungas pa man at muta sa mata'y hindi pa napupunasan, kanya agad na hinarap ang pausbong na laban na nagsisilbing kabuhayan. Kanyang nilingon ang mesa sa gilid at kinuha ang pabango at ilan pang mga gamit. Sa harap ng webcam, kolorete'y kanyang ipinahid sa mukha at pabango'y winisik-wisik pa na wari nya'y maaamoy pa siya sa kabilang linya.

Sa suot niyang tube at micro-mini skirt, ganda't kaseksihan niya'y umaapaw. Aba't flawless at mestiza nga naman siya, ano pa bang hahanapin ng mga kustomer niya? Sa isip-isip pa niya, bonus ang natural na lambot ng kanyang katawan kaya nama'y swabeng-swabe ang kanyang paggiling at pagkembot. May idadahilan pa ba sila para tanggihan ang beauty na haharap at pagsisilbihan sila? Maya-maya pa'y isang kaway ang natanggap niya - mula ito sa isang lalaking kalbo, maputla at may manyakis na tawa. Pangisi-ngisi naman siyang bumati sa mamang hindi kakilala sabay kagat ng labi habang pakurap-kurap siya.

Matapos ang ilang paggiling-giling, pang-aakit at pagsunod ng rekwes ng mamang kalbo, kanyang palabas ay nagsimula na. Gaano pa man kahiya-hiya ang kanyang ginagawa para sa iba, dignidad niya'y isinalalay kapalit ng perang ibinabayad nila. Tanggap na lamang siya ng tanggap, sunod na lamang siya ng sunod. Alindog at panandaliang ligaya na dulot niya para sa lalaking nasa harap ng kamera'y habambuhay na bangungot ang katumbas para sa kanya. Gayunpaman, maskarang nakangiti ay patuloy na isinusuot niya. Kapit sa patalim, ayon pa sa iba. Ano pa nga ba't matapos mag-enjoy nang husto ang mamang kalbo, ay nag-offline rin ito matapos siyang sabihan ng ilang mura at pagsisiguradong ipapadala nito ang bayad sa bank account niya.

Roon sa kanyang silid - kung saan silaw ng kompyuter ang nagsisilbing tanging liwanag - muling naghari ang katahimikan, na tanging kaibigan niya. Bagamat saplot sa kanyang katawan ay nakalihis na, dahan-dahan niyang tinungo ang kubeta para maghilamos ng mukha. Sa harap ng salamin, lipstick niya'y medyo pumusyaw na, buhok niya'y gulo-gulo na at ang ngiting kanyang suot kanina ay nawawala. Sa paglagaslas ng tubig noong buksan niya ang gripo, luha niya'y kasabay na tumulo; at ang laman nitong sakit, poot at hiya sa sarili ay kanyang hinugasan at binalewala. Isang ngiti na mapait na lamang ang kanyang naiharap sa salamin sabay sabi sa sarili ng, "Gaga. At least may pang-tuition ka na."

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Behind the Closet

By: Katrine Cates Villanueva

He opened the door as he heard successive knocks on the door. It was Travis.

"You're just about in time." He grinned.

Travis then took a step and walked inside Justine's room to see the food all placed in the center table - the pizza box was opened and is missing a slice, canned beers were all cold and sweating and chips were all transferred in a transparent bowl. He noticed his pile of men's magazine beneath the table all stacked up in a neat tower on the right side, and porno DVDs on the left. He switched his eyes on his bed where his navy blue backpack was carefully placed on the left bottom corner. His room might just be the neatest room a guy could possibly have. He even has flowers on his bedside table which according to him, adds a unique sense in his manly aura.

"So.. Shall we start?" Travis broke the ice.

Justine and Travis were best buds. They were total opposites - from the arrangement of their rooms, to the kind of clothes they wear, and even to their school records in the guidance office. Justine has been always the good guy between the two. He's always proper, wear stylish and manly clothes, been on the top of the class and was never sent to detention. While Travis, is all the other way round - a school varsity who goofs all the time, never cared about grades, brought his own chair on the guidance office and sometimes don't change his underwear. But it didn't matter. One day they just clashed and then the next day they were inseperable. Two same charges repel, while opposite charges attract. Maybe that was the reason they were in their current place, or maybe not. At school, they were both popular, the kind of guys who would bring girls to flirt around them 24/7 without feeling tired. They got good looks, after all. At lunch breaks, they eat together and can easily cut off the line to the counter - all because of girls who think they're bosses or just so they could impress them. They walk together while going home, Justine in his apartment and Travis on his house not so far from Justine's. They were best buds like that. Despite of the attention they receive at school, they never had girlfriends. They were never ready to commit with girls who know nothing but to whine and ask for favors - they believed girls are just pain in the ass. Nah. Maybe it's better to say, they were never interested. They were men of few words, men who grew popular at school, not plainly because of good looks, their talents, but mostly because of mystery, and curiosity lingering in the minds of fan girls. They kept almost everything a secret, no one knew about their personal lives.

Travis and Justine sat on the couch and made themselves comfy as they wait for the movie to start after Justine had pushed the play button and placed the remote control on the table. Travis grabbed the can of beer and gulped its content. Justine lifted both his feet atop the table carefully not to push the box of pizza and placed his hands overhead. Two bestfriends watching an x-rated movie on a friday night. Everything seemed right. Travis smirked with the sight of the protagonist slowly drowning into lust while Justine watched with those eyes reflecting fire burning with desire. Moans and heavy breaths was all they could hear, seeming to tickle them from within. Justin then placed his left hand in Travis' thighs as he looked intently in his eyes. Travis placed his right hand on top of Justine's and whispered those three words that seemed to made both of their stomachs a flip-flop.

And then.. Both of them was lost.

"Where did you slept last night, young man?!" Travis' mother greeted as he walked in their house.

"None of your business."

He tried to answer as calmly as he could. He went to his room as fast as he can and immediately locked the door. He could still hear his mother's nagging but he tried to ignore. He smiled, touched his lips as he headed for his bed and recalled all the memories they had spent last night.

Some memories, you keep for yourself.

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Sa Pagsapit ng Dilim

By: Katrine Cates Villanueva

Higit pa sa mga librong kanyang nababasa, higit pa sa ginagawang paglalarawan ng kanyang kuya tungkol sa magagarang struktura sa Maynila. Doon, kung saan kanyang mga pangarap tila kaydaling abutin, kung saan kanyang paboritong mga kendi ay parating mabibili. Walang limitasyon, walang sino man ang hadlang.. Doon, kung kailan ang mga bituin sa kalangitan ay isa-isang sumisilip, na para bagang nginingitian pa siya.

Marahil, ang paglubog ng araw ang pinakahihintay niyang oras sa magdamag, hindi gaya ng iba kung saan ang pag-asang dala ng pagsikat ng araw ang syang namumukod-tangi para sa kanila. Hindi nga ba't liwanag ang nagbibigay-buhay at paalala para kumilos at magpatuloy ka? Ngunit para sa isang munting bata, kabaligtaran ang mithi, ang depinisyon nitong ipinararating. Ang munting liwanag na dala ng buwan at ang pagningning ng mga bituin sa kalangitan ang syang nagbibigay-lakas at pag-asa sa bata. Matataas na bundok kanyang naaakyat, mataas na paglipad na higit pa sa mga makina roon sa ere, at samu't-saring pagkain at laruan na hindi kailan niya natikman o nakamtan - sapagkat sa pagsapit ng dilim, sa pagsilip ng mga bituin, iyon lahat ay kanyang napapasapalad.

Oo, bata lamang siya. May gatas pa sa labi kung ituring ng iba; ngunit yaong kainosentehan na taglay niya ay nagsisilbing liso ng pag-asa na bumabalot at patuloy na nagbubunga sa kanya. Oo, bata lamang siya. Ano nga ba ang maaaring maidulot ng isang batang hindi pa tinutubuan ng puwang? Oo, walang silbi para sa iba. Oo, umaasa pa lamang siya sa nakatatanda. Ngunit sa pagsapit ng dilim, kung saan bituin ay kanyang sinisilip.. naroon ang pag-asang hinahawakan niya sa pagkamit ng mga pangarap. Hadlangan man ng iba o sa patuloy na pag-edad niya, sa pagsapit ng dilim at pagsilip ng mga bituin - patuloy niya itong aabutin sa kanyang pagpikit, kahit pa sa panaginip.

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