Hindi ko alam kung bakit mas naging magaan na ang loob ko n'ung nakilala ko ang Daddy ko. Ayoko rin namang magpakilala but it warmed my heart to realize that he's obviously happy therefore his relationship with his family must be well. At least man lang isa sa mga magulang ko ay masaya. I didn't dare tell Ingrid about it but I felt a little guilty seeing how messed-up my mother's family had become.
My mother's children started attending St. Bernadette more than two weeks ago at ilang araw pa lang silang pumapasok ay tatlo kaagad sa kanila ang naipatawag sa opisina ni Principal Delgado.
"My God, si Lemuel lang talaga ang hindi pa na-Principal's office. Kaunti na lang ay maloloka na ako," Ingrid told me as we were eating our lunch inside our favorite shed. "Isipin mo 'yun Kuya Ludwig was caught smoking inside the library? How stupid is he? Talagang nanigarilyo s'ya sa loob ng library? The smoke detectors went off and he was caught. Gagawa na nga lang ng kalokohan, hindi pa ginamit ang utak."
Or maybe he wants to get caught...I thought to myself.
"Besides he's already nineteen pero fourth year high school pa rin s'ya. Muntik na nga raw s'yang hindi tanggapin dito sa St. Bernadette pero nakiusap daw si Tita Mattie. Ito namang sina Lance at Lester, they were caught trying to set the Physics Lab on fire."
"O, kalma lang..." I lightly said. "Ayokong ma-stress ang girlfriend ko."
Alam ko naman kung bakit apektado si Ingrid. Alam kasi ng mga estudyante at faculty ng St. Bernadette na pinsan n'ya ang magkakapatid kaya naman kahit ayaw n'yang malaman ay nakakarating sa kanya ang mga kalokohan ng mga 'to.
"'Tapos itong si Lemuel naman, he's seven but he can't read yet. He's seven, Aleph, anong meron?"
"Gusto mo ba s'yang i-tutor?" I asked my girlfriend who instantly frowned.
"Mukha bang mahaba ang pasensya ko?" may halong pagtataray na tanong n'ya. "'Tapos ako pa talaga ang mag-tu-tutor, eh, ako nga itong ti-no-tutor mo."
"Kasi kawawa naman 'yung bata kung seven years old na ay hindi pa rin marunong magbasa. Ibig sabihin lang ay walang nagtuturo, 'di ba?"
"Or pwede ring tinuturuan s'ya pero medyo mahina lang talaga ang pick-up n'ya."
"Hindi ako naniniwala na may batang bobo."
"Hello, 22/100 here."
"Hindi ka bobo, tamad ka lang."
"Aray naman..."
I chuckled.
"Ang sakit mo namang magsalita..." She scooted away from me.
"Kisses naman, nagtatampo kaagad. Noon 'yun, but look at you now, number 2 sa buong juniors. Kung bobo ka, eh, ano na ang tawag doon sa rank 3 pababa?"
"May point ka, but, honestly, I don't really see myself as someone whose intelligence is extraordinary. Average lang ako at kaya lang ako nag-number 2 ay dahil hinawaan mo ako ng kasipagan sa pag-aaral. Isipin mo 'yun everyday akong nag-aaral? I mean, what is going on?"
I laughed softly.
"Naaawa ka sa kanila, ano?" Ingrid asked.
I looked inquiringly at her. "Kanino?"
"Sa mga anak ni Tita Mattie..."
Tama s'ya, naaawa ako sa kanila. Ako hindi man lumaki na kasama ang mga magulang ko pero lumaki ako sa isang masayang bahay. I didn't want to find excuses for my half-brothers' actions but I couldn't imagine what home life for them was like if they turned out the way they did.
"Aleph, don't you dare think that it is your fault again dahil ipinanganak ka sa mundong ito kaya lumaking may saltik 'yung mga anak ng Mommy mo. They are my cousins but I am seriously pissed kung gaano kawalang-modo ang mga batang 'yun."
