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It was the last week of November. The town of San Diego was already filled with Christmas decorations even houses were decorated with garlands and paper lanterns. The spirit of Christmas was alive there.
Don Santiago de los Santos has held up another extravaganza, for his comrades and business partners. His good friend, Don Rafael Ibarra, helped him with the preparations, besides they are good friends. A probable reason why both their children are close as a twin strawberry.
The living room was filled with laughter and clinking of glasses. But one adolescent just observed the gentlemen and ladies enjoying each other's presence. His body leaned on the wall while both his arms are crossed on his chest. His jet black hair seemed both messy and neat in a good way. He refused to interact with someone even with those of his age. He tactically exited the living room and someone caught his eye.
A lad, estimated on the age of 13, was standing on a chair, putting up a weird bundle of leaves to the door frame. He didn't interrupt the young lad's business but then the latter probably noticed his presence.
"You might be curious of what I am doing," the lad started the conversation and smiled with delight at the adolescent. He went down the chair, dusted of his hand and offered it to the former.
"Crisostomo Ibarra," he said and plastered a smile that looked good with his face. The adolescent just stared at the hand and looked boredly at Crisostomo Ibarra, who didn't seem to notice his displease on the events unfolding.
The lad carried on stating facts of what he was doing. He had placed a mistletoe, even said the different Latin terms and history of it in some foreign lands.
Ang dami namang alam nito.
But who could blame Ibarra if he loved this things, it was one of his delights. His friend even finds it weird or monotonous since it wasn't everyone's interest.
Anyways, the friend we were just talking about suddenly barged into the room.
"Is that the traditional mistletoe you always tell me to put up in our casa when Christmas comes, Crisostomo?" the beautiful lass asked. To the adolescent's knowledge, he knew that this is Don Santiago's only daughter. She was fair, beautiful amongst almost everyone. She looked as if the Virgin Mary when she was on her youth, she's Maria Clara. Everyone does know her name.
"It's not yet Christmas," the adolescent suddenly muttered which shocked Crisostomo a bit. He thought he would never speak a word.
"But Christmas is fast approaching."
"It still doesn't change the fact that it is not yet Christmas."
"Oh, really?" Crisostomo asked sarcastically and inched closer to the adolescent and the latter didn't even flinch. He raised his brow at the fuming Crisostomo. The adolescent's twin sister, Elisha, entered the scene and just stared at the two lads arguing with each other. Both the lasses had a smirk plastered on their lips. Maria Clara leaned near Elisha's ear.
"Let's push them together, shall we? You push your brother and I'll push Crisostomo." Elisha nodded her head. They silently went to their places and pushed the two lads. Their lips may or may have not touched, who ever knows? But both of them suddenly bulge their eyes after realizing what had happened, plus the fact that the distance of their faces which were only inches- or centimeters apart. Both their faces felt hot and when they have concluded their culprits, they exclaimed.
"Maria Clara!"
"Elisha?"
The two lads almost cracked their necks at the sight of the mischievous Maria Clara and Elisha.
"Crisostomo would most probably cry when you call him a bakla," Maria Clara then whispered which made Elisha chuckle.
"What are you laughing at, dearest Elisha? Do you actually think this is funny?" the adolescent asked firmly. Elisha arched her brow.
"Why, yes dearest brother," she replied with pouted lips. Her brother rolled his eyes and moved away from Crisostomo Ibarra. The latter just scoffed and was calmed by the warm smile of Maria Clara.
Oh the little things that this lass could do. But if there's one thing that Maria Clara did notice was Crisostomo's flushed face but she had decided to shrug it off.
Elisha, on the other scene repeatedly hit her brother, who had a smirk of who knows if it was victory or what so not, on the shoulder.
"Brother! That was one of the sons of Mama's friends, and they told us to have a bond with them!"
"Do you actually think that I didn't have the tiniest bond with that of Crisostomo Ibarra? Of course, I had, dearest sister. You'll see that we'll meet in the future soon and it will be him that will need my help." Elisha scoffed and rolled her eyes. Her brother just wrapped his arms around Elisha and they went back to the living room.
"I fancy him," Elisha suddenly blurted out that made her twin brother widened his eyes in surprise.
"Well, I respect his relationship with that of Maria Clara though, but if given the chance. I'll lock him into my arms," she whispered. Her brother knotted his forehead at to what his sister had said.
"Do you fancy him?"
"No. No, I don't," he stated and placed a hand in his pocket. "He looks too gentle, too smart, too talkative and too romantic. Those aren't my norms." Elisha just shrugged her shoulders. For what she knows, her brother has this defense mechanism of denying things whenever he was caught off guard most especially with something he really likes.
"I know you, Elias. I ask you again, do you fancy him?" Elias placed both his hands inside his pocket and shrugged his shoulders. Which made his twin sister, Elisha, chuckle.
"I guess I do, Elisha."