Stolen

Chapter 23: Hunt You & Cut You

Chapter 23: Hunt You & Cut You

~Derek~

“Oo si Grace!” Tito Jose said with a smile on his face. Clearly, it was a smile that he’s still in love with her. “First year college siya nun tapos ako, third year.”

“Talaga po?” I said, “Pano niyo po siya niligawan?”

“Pano ko siya niligawan?” He began, “Nako, hindi ko basta bastang niligawan yung si Grace! Unang una, siya yung tipong babae laging nasa library tuwing break, tahimik, mahiyain pero nako, sobrang ganda!”

“Sobrang ganda?” I said.

“Sobrang ganda tol!” Then he fishes out something from his pocket and brought out his wallet, showing me a graduation picture of Alli’s mom.

“Diba?”

“Opo.” I agreed, this is how Alli exactly looked like at prom, now I know where she got her good looks from.

“Halos lahat gusto siyang maging girlfriend.” He said. “Buong campus nagkakandarapa sakanya without her even trying to get noticed. Siya yung tipong pwedeng pwede ipakilala sa mga magulang at sabihin, girflfriend ko po. Kaso tol, wala pa daw siyang boyfriend since birth! Dahil siyempre bawal pa at strict yung parents niya.”

“Tol, hindi lang yun!” One of Tito Jose’s friends interrupted, “Hindi talaga kayo bagay ni Grace nun!”

“Ay oo!” Tito laughed, “Grabe, kung ano-ano pa ang mga sinabi ng mga kaibigan niya sakin.”

“Pare naman kasi,” Tito’s friend chuckled, “Ikaw yung nakamotor with black leather jacket, laging nasa counselor, binabayaran ang prof para makapasa, cutting classes—“

“Oo na brad, gets ko na!” Tito said.

“Uhm, bad boy po?” I asked.

“Bad boy but good with the ladies, my friend.” Tito said with a devious smile on his face. “Pero nagbago din yun lahat kay Grace. Naiinis ako sakanya dahil hindi ko siya mapa-oo sa akin. Alam mo yun? Sa lahat na naging syota ko, siya lang yung…challenging!”

“Then?” I said, “What did you do?”

“I told to myself that I need to be different.” Tito began, as he poured his drink on a glass. “I need to do something that I have never done to any girl out there. Like I said, hindi basta basta ang pangliligaw ko dun. You know what I did? Niligawan ko muna yung parents niya.”

Then I heard Angelo choked on his drink, “Niligawan mo si Mamita? That’s sick!”

“Hindi no!” Tito protested, “Every Saturday morning, pumupunta ako sa bahay nila Alli para magbenta ng bototay at tocino kaynila Mamita at Tito Pete.”

“Bototay? Uhm, okay?” I said, trying to hold my laugh by sipping another drink from my beer.

“I know what you’re thinking, parang tanga lang. Pero tol, pag nainlove ka kasi, kahit mag mukha kang tanga gagawin mo parin eh.” He said.

I wish he knew that I know what he’s exactly saying.

“Kaya ayun nga,” He continued, “Nagbebenta ako ng bototay at tocino kaynila Mamita non dahil malayo sakanila ang palengke namin dati. At oo, may ari kami ng palengke dun sa Tianggean Ng Bayan nung araw. Tapos ayun, gamit ang motor ko nagdedeliver ako ng kung ano ano sakanila. Habbang binebentahan ko sila, ayun kinakamusta ko sila, nakikipagkwentuhan at minsan bibigyan ko pa ng discount. And it wasn’t easy, since Mamita is…you know, maldita, mayabang, akala mo kung sino magsalita—“