Love For Sale Book 1 (Self-published)

CH 30: Grenade Jumper

How did you know my brother?" I asked and Barry instantly frowned.

"What made you think that I know your brother?" he asked back.

"Kilala mo ba ang kapatid ko o hindi? Oo o hindi lang ang isasagot mo. I am not going to ask for any explanation from you. I just want you to answer me truthfully. At h'wag na h'wag kang magsisinungaling sa akin, I am not forgiving."

I saw the hesitation in Barry's eyes before he nodded. "Kilala ko ang Kuya mo..."

"How?"

"What do you mean how?"

"Paano mo s'ya nakilala? Saan mo s'ya nakilala. And why are you even having second thoughts about telling me that you knew my brother? Why did you both pretend that you didn't know each other?"

Barry sighed before he spoke. "Mas makabubuti siguro kung s'ya na lang ang tanungin mo..."

I hated how my heart instantly drummed anxiously inside my chest.

Kuya, ano na naman bang ginawa mo? Ano na naman bang kalokohan ang kinasangkutan mo that also involved Barry? Ano na naman ba?

"How did you...anyway, never mind..." Barry trailed off but I knew what he was going to ask.

"Kilala ko ang kapatid ko, Barry. I know him like I know the back of my hand. At seloso 'yun pagdating sa mga lalaking lalapit-lapit sa akin. Overprotective to a fault. Pero, nakapagtataka that instead na magalit s'ya sa'yo at gisahin ka n'ya for standing too close to me ay parang s'ya pa ang takot. Na para bang may atraso s'ya sa'yo."

"I met Bobby years ago..."

"How? Why?"

"Nakilala ko s'ya sa isa sa mga drag races na sinalihan ko. He was one of the racers..."

"Does he owe you money?" I asked, my mind calculating how much I have in the bank versus how much my brother could have possibly borrowed from Barry.

"He owes me..." Barry said.

"Magkano?"

"Why don't you just ask him?"

"Eh, wala nga s'ya. Ikaw ang nandito malamang ikaw ang tatanungin ko. Besides, what's with all the mysterious answers? It's either may utang s'ya sa'yo o wala. Kasi kung oo, ako na ang magbabayad—"

"Bakit ba parati mong sinasalo 'yang kapatid mo?" Barry asked. "Hindi ba n'ya kaya ang sarili n'ya at kailangan mo s'yang saluhin?''

I was surprised at the anger that I detected in his voice.

"Galit ka ba?"

"Gusto kong malaman kung bakit ikaw 'yung bunso pero ikaw ang sumasalo sa Kuya mo."

"Kasi kapatid ko," I retorted. "Natural hindi ko pababayaan."

"Paano ka?"

"Anong paano ako?"

"Hanggang kailan mo s'ya sasaluhin? Hanggang uugod-ugod ka na? Hanggang naibigay mo na lahat para sa pamilya mo? Hanggang wala nang natira para sa'yo?"

I blinked in confusion at Barry. "Nasa posisyon ka talaga sa tingin mo para pagsalitaan ako nang gan'yan? Sino ang nagbigay sa'yo ng karapatan?"

He looked taken aback. "Sorry..."

"Now, tell me, magkano ang utang ng Kuya ko sa'yo? At h'wag kang mag-alala na baka magulat ako sa halagang babanggitin mo, alam ko ang mga kalokohan ng kapatid ko. Alam ko na marami s'yang mga utang. Alam ko rin na sinusubukan n'yang bumangon ngayon kaya wala kang karapatang husgahan s'ya."