Chapter 13 (2/2)
”To confuse yourself with the idea that you cannot be loved, or to be mistakenly loved by a person only by your looks”
”Of course, in some way, you could never remove from those who can see the importance of looks”
”I Boy, where the people call them 'ape look-alikes', yet are still happy in each other; and why are there many handsome and beautiful couples that still end in break up?”
”Hmmm…you have a point You know, you deserve your own television progra so smart and all”
”Your nose is growing And where will I feature, in the That's Entertainment that Bok-bok talks about? The one where he boasts about you looking like a celebrity from?”
”Me? That block head! Why is he revealing my secret? Who did he say I look—”
”Sorad de la Torre?”
”Jograd?!” Rogelio se in his fist that he picked up a while ago and was spinning around
”What was that?”
”Nothing Just stepped on a bottle”
'Did I say soht enters her head, ”Is Bok-bok playing with ain?”
”Nah Jograd de la Torre is a celebrity It's just that he's such a good looking guy, I don't look like hielio is focused on Tessa's reactions ”B-but…let's say that I do look celebrity-esque…is Captain Who truly a hero then?”
”There are requireain and holds the sill of the belfry, still like a child with unending laughter ”What time did Bok-bok say he'll arrive?”
”He didn't say anything He was able to salvage a good a Dino”
”This late?”
”Yup Sometimes, the people in the junk shop don't even sleep”
”Shame, he hasn't been here before either The wind is so lovely too”
”Yeah, the wind is the only thing I could afford to treat you to right now”
”And the moon”
”Haha And the stars?”
”And the stars”
”And a cloudless night?”
”And a cloudless night You're turning into a poet again Are you still writing poems?”
”Yes, but—”
”I know already, I won't press you I remember, you can only 'compose' when you're serious, and it's quiet, and you're alone, and all you say is co from your heart”
”But, for real, the elio stares at the sky et a better view”
”Have you ever thought of the possibility that you're not actually hu?”
”Yeah”
”Aren't you lonely knowing there isn't anyone like you?”
”There are a lot of people hereon the moon And you don't need a lot of people to make a world feel complete Sometimes, you only need to be with one person, and your world is complete forever”
”Ah, I like that! I like that!” Tessa bites her finger after slapping and holding Rogelio's arm
”Which one? Which one?”
”This Carole King song,” theto let hied towards love songs
”You were talking about that?!”
”Because what the woht before but he can't help but ask if he will still love her tomorrow”
”Isn't that song old? They were repeating that all night last prouys too They probably don't have a lot of vinyl records”
”You didn't dance?”
”You didn't come”
Tessa wasn't able to answer i before she was able to answer again ”I didn't have anything to wear”
”Of all the people to use that excuse, you?”
”I'm not particular with how people look, but what person wants to look pitiful on their proht?”
”And who said that that's possible for you?”
”My, next he'll say be saying that I' me out!”
Rogelio only ansith a shy laugh He sniffs a bit, before taking a deep breath to fill his lungs with fresh air He looks again at the busy people on the street; the beautiful lights strung on the posts are starting to be lit He nails his hts so that he won't be nervous in the conversation
”Rogelio, am I pretty?”
His confidence is now co He knows that if he answers yes that the girl will think of him as a shallow person
”No”
”I'm not pretty?”
”Yes! No, I mean—”
Tessa is a bit dis you how I look Close your eyes Rogelio, am I pretty?”
Rogelio closes his eyes and in hiswith the dropping te fear made the iet it all out ”Y-you're more than beautiful…more tha…more than the eye could see and the spirit could discern…s could paint…and words could sculpt… that can be coelio whispers the last of his answer, and looks at Tessa with his last sentence The girl did not reply But her ansas clear when he grabs Rogelio's hand to wrap it around her, while ehtly
”Kiss elio!”
”Yes, Tessa, I am a bloodthirsty bat!”
”Rogelio?!” A crisp question snaps him back to reality ”Why are you…a bat?”
The boy opens his eyes and looks around as if looking to bla?”
”I don't knoith you—bloodthirsty bat!”
Rogelio scratches his head Laughs Frustrated And he scratches his head onceto explain to Tessa the inexplicable fantasy
Under the bright circletrees, the two continued to feast in a joyous night of laughter and deep conversation The sky and stars bear witness As the Carole King record repeated throughout the night
Translation Notes:
1 – Novena’s are a Roman Catholic tradition (Philippines is a majority Roman Catholic nation) wherein you pray for nine consecutive days as a show of devotion (from Wikipedia)