Filipina Sex Diary - April -

This is the messy, teleserye-level romance that only April can host—when the summer sun lowers inhibitions and the sea breeze smells like bad decisions. I told Jasmin, “Mahal mo ba siya?” She said, “Oo. Kaya nga ako nandito. Para lumaban.” (Yes. That’s why I’m here. To fight.)

I’ve been scribbling in this diary for three Aprils now, and one thing is certain: Walang permanenteng tag-araw, pero may permanenteng sakit ng ulo pagdating sa pag-ibig. (There’s no permanent summer, but there’s a permanent headache when it comes to love.) Filipina Sex Diary - April

He’ll leave. I’ll write a cryptic Facebook status with a Lana Del Rey lyric. By May, I’ll be eating mango float alone. But right now, in the sticky, sweaty, beautiful chaos of April—I’m still replying to his “Good morning, gorgeous” texts. Storyline #2: My Best Friend’s “Paano Kung Sila Na Talaga?” This is the messy, teleserye-level romance that only

Let me walk you through the three romantic storylines unfolding this April—mine, my best friend’s, and the one I’m watching from afar like a teleserye marathon. Para lumaban

And finally, the storyline no one talks about but everyone has: the silent, impossible crush.

Marco is everything April in Manila pretends to be: hot, confusing, and overstaying its welcome. He takes me to hole-in-the-wall ramen shops in Maginhawa, then to rooftop bars in BGC where the bill could feed a barangay. He calls me “Mahal” but only when he’s tipsy on Red Horse. He says he wants to “see where this goes,” but his flight back to California is May 12.

This April, the romance is in the details. He started saving the pink lighter for me because he knows I hate the green one. He lets Angela draw on the plastic bags, and last week she handed me one with a crayon heart and the words “Para kay Ate, crush ni Daddy.” (For Ate, Daddy’s crush.)