Reading is an adventure. It allows readers to travel back in time and to enjoy in a roller-coaster ride. Some authors know the tricks to charm us with their stories that we let us ride on the vehicle of their thoughts down to our memory lanes. It gives a sense of adventure to know more about people and their characters as the story unfolds.
However, we only read some stories that deal with relationships between men and women. We did not have stories that explore LGBTQ narratives because others did not want to read them.
This time, LGBTQ stories emerge. We humbly offer stories from the different writers who sent their stories to us. We proudly give you the preview of these stories and get some access to the different narratives from the creative minds of the writers. The writers of the story make use of English, Filipino, and the combination of these two languages.
Please subscribe. Get some access to the upcoming LGBTQ short stories. Or order your book now for only $ 2 (2 stories in 1 book). Please drop me a message at <marlonpagon@gmail.com>.
Silip
By Cecilia U. Moonblood
“Hello, Ben.” Wika ni Tito Greg. Hindi ko makakalimutan ang boses na iyon. It seemed that Uncle Greg’s voice had already imprinted on my memory disc, which would be hard to forget. Ika nga nila, mahirap alisin o kalimutan ang mga bagay kapag ito ay matagal ng nakalibing or nakabaon sa ating malalim na kamalayan. It is hard to forget and ignore them from our memory banks dahil ang mga bagay na iyon totally drill down from the depths of our subconscious minds. Though this saying sounds redundant, such recollection lies deep within our unconscious state, at marahil ito ay bahagi na lamang ng ating buhay or ng isa sa ating kakaibang karanasan. Sabi nga nila na, we have to keep our dark secrets in our minds dahil bahagi na ito sa ating nakalipas. Sabi nga sa Ingles, it would be easy to leave those matters alone in the dark and to learn to move forward. Kung darating sa buhay ang lahat ng emotional and physical pressures, sabi pa nga nila, we could tell ourselves to let the time foresee what might happen kasi natatakot tayong banggitin ang mga nakatagong sekreto natin. We even kept them in our hidden minds, or we sometimes buried them in oblivion to forget. Kahit anong gagagwin natin to escape from such reality or no matter how hard we try to ignore those dark mysteries in our lives, kusang bumabalik ang mga sekretong ito like flashes of memories ng hindi natin namamalayan. Kusa rin itong darating sa ating ulirat na para bang pinaglalaruan lang tayo ng ating mga tadhana. Marahil ang mga ito ay isang tadhana dahil hindi natin kayang takasan. Ang mga sekretong ito ay nagpapatunay na tayo ay may pagkakamali, dahil minsan, tayo may marupok. We barely did not have any idea where to go and find some places safe and comforting para mawaglit lang natin kahit minsan ang mga bagay na hindi sana natin ginawa. Pero kahit ano pa man, darating tayo sa punto na sasabihin natin na “tama na” o “I give up” dahil hindi na natin ito kayang kalimutan, baliwalain, o takasan. Ito ay dahil tao tayo!
Tumango na lamang ako when Uncle Greg called my name. Hindi ko alam kung bakit kinausap niya ako dahil ilang taon na rin niya akong hindi kinausap. He knew that I did something wrong to him, and he did not even talk to me ever since. I could not believe why he spoke to me for the first time after the incident. At first, I thought he forgot everything many years ago, but I would be certain that he did not. May kaunting inis ang kanyang mga tingin. As I looked into his eyes, I could understand how he felt. Those brown and charismatic eyes relayed a message to shut me off forever. He did not want to talk to me ever. Perhaps, he is now forced to communicate with me pretending that nothing happened seven years ago. Nagawa ko ang isang bagay na para sa iba at sa karamihan ay isang taboo and immoral. Technically, I raped my uncle. Conversely, it would be ridiculous to imagine how a young boy sexually and orally raped his uncle. But I did. There would be no police officers who would take that as real. I was just thirteen, and hindi ko alam ang mga pinagagawa ko. Sa isip ko ngayon, I am twenty-one now, na ang mga bagay na iyon ay parang isang na lamang guni-guni. Pero bakit ba hindi ako makalimot. Friends from school told me to let go and move on, nevertheless, I could not move a muscle to ignore these episodes in life. I could not think of any way to escape this past kahit na sinubukan ko. I was still haunted by his presence. Now that he came back, I would see him in my house again, hindi ko alam ang pwedeng mangyayari – mag-imikan ba kami o hindi. Things may happen na para bang it exists the way it was. Sa isip ko, baka nakakalimutan na ng Tito. O hindi naman kaya ay iisipin na lamang niya na ang bagay na iyon as isang bangongot sa kanyang nakaraan. No one can tell. He may have reasons to tell or keep it as a secret. Pero nagawa niyang ilibing ang nakaraang iyon for eight years… To be continued.
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Tikim
By Poseidon A. Wintergarden
“Nakakaasar na talaga!”
That is what I thought about Rob. Sino ba ang magkakagusto sa mga ginagawa niya. He just barged in and struck a conversation with the group. Ewan ko, basta naasar lang talaga ako.
Para siyang preskong-presko na lagi nalang nagpapa-twitams. Ang ibig sabihin ng nagpapa-twitams ay nagpapa-cute. Pero teka lang. Totoo nga naman talaga na cute itong Rob. Hindi mo pwedeng ipagwalang-tabi na lang. Eh kaso, ako lang talaga siguro ang may ayaw sa kanya. Kasi naman, lahat ng tao sa grupo ay hangang-hanga sa kanya.
“Nice to meet you all,” bati niya sabay smile. Ako naman, nakatingin lang sa kabilang direksyon dahil ayaw ko siyang tingnan. Sometimes, I pretended to be someone else na parang hindi siya kilala. That was my defense mechanism para ayaw masaktan. At saka, hindi naman ako nanakit ng tao. However, it was difficult. It was hard not to talk to him because he spent effort and time getting my attention. He always made some moves for people to talk to him.
“Hi. Ang tahimik mo naman.” Ang sabi niya. Nakabaling na ang tingin ko sa kanya.
“Yes, Rob! Ano ang ipaglilingkod ko sa iyo.” Iyon ang sakartiko kong sagot. Kahit papano, nakuha ko pa rin siyang kausapin. Kung sa bagay, wala naman talagang ginawa niya para magalit ako.
“Ang sungit mo naman. Nangungumusta lang.” Wika niya. Tinapik niya ang shoulder ko as a sign na aalis siya. Pagkatapos, pumunta na siya sa kasamahan namin para makipag-kwentuhan. Kwentuhang lalaki at tropa lang. Kung tutuusin, mabait na man talaga siya. Meron lang kasi akong insecurities sa buhay at sa mababang self-esteem ko. Takot kasi akong ma-reject sa friendship kasi talagang ayaw ng iba sa akin. Ewan ko nga ba kung bakit picky ako….
To be continued.
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Jack on the Rocks and Armand de Brignac Champagne
By Andrew L. Mountainhigh
I hated him.
Hindi ko maikubli ang inis at galit sa kanya.
He just left and shut himself up for years. He said he would come back after his work in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. However, he did not say goodbye to me. He did not have a chance to talk to me or vice versa.
For me, he could be the nicest person I had ever met. He was charming. His smile has always been magnetic. My friends and I would laugh and smile at him every time he made jokes. Months after, he suddenly disappeared in silence. He just vanished when I started to like him…
To be continued.
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Barkley, the Dog
By Achilles N. Dawsonsummer
Hindi ko alam kung bakit nagtitilihan ang mga kababaihan sa daan malapit sa bahay ni Donya Cecilia. Kahit mga dalagita ay nagkandarapa din ng pagsulyapsulyap doon sa isang bahay. Lalo na iyong mga single mothers at ang mga malalanding matatanda din.
Para kasing may artista na dumating galing Maynila. Pero parang kakaiba. Sabi kasi sa mga nakasalubong ko, may bagong dating daw sa paupahang bahay ni Donya Cecilia. Nahihiya man akong lumapit, pero gusto ko na ring makibalita. Nagmamasid lang ako at nakikikuha ng balita.
Mula sa veranda doon sa isang rental apartment ni Donya Cecilia, nakaupo ang isang lalaki. Nakatingin siya mga tao na dumadaan doon. Hawak-hawak niya ang kanyang alagang aso. Minsan may nakapagsabi na nakatingin lang siya minsan sa kawalan. O kaya naman ay kumaway lang siya para ipakita ang pagtugon na nakita niya ang taong kumaway sa kanya as a sign of respect…
To be continued.
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