Athaliah's Redemption (Ortega Series 1)

Kabanata 3

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III - Jedan

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I want to get out of this place. It is so embarrassing!

Hindi mapigilang tumawa ang dalawang Ahira nang ikinukwento ang mga nasabi ko sa kanila kanina. Hihinto sila ilang saglit pero tatawa ulit sila kapag naaalala ang nangyari.

Hindi naman nakisali sa tawanan ang kapatid pala ni Jesseca na si Jeroboam. But he is smiling like this situation is something amusing.

What the hell?! I was thinking about him being a possible cousin of the Ortega siblings but I didn't know he is really their brother! Hindi naman kasi sila magkamukha!

I thought of Jonathan Ortega, Ahira's twin. Nakakasalubong ko siya sa hallway at sa cafeteria minsan. Inisip ko nang husto kung may pagkakahawig sila ni Jeroboam. Maybe the hair only and not really the face. But I'm not that assured because I don't look at Jonathan's face whenever I see him.

Ugh! I hate myself for not paying attention to my surroundings! I'm observant but only to particular people that have really caught my attention. Ngayon lang talaga ako nagka-interes at sa mga Ortega pa.

"It's not funny!" singhal ko nang hindi na nakatiis.

My hands were in a tight fist already. Kanina pa kasi sila. Nakakainis na.

Tumikhim si Jesseca habang nagpipigil naman ng tawa si Ahira.

"Sorry na," natatawa pa ring sabi ni Jesseca habang inaayos niya ang box na inilapag kanina ni Jeroboam sa harap ko nang matapos niyang sabihin ang kanyang buong pangalan.

"O ayan. Peace offering nalang namin, hindi na birthday gift."

Nalolokong ngumiti si Jesseca nang buksan niya ang box.

Tiningnan ko ang nasa loob. It's a cake. A blueberry cheesecake.

Bigla akong natakam.

But no! Naningkit ang mga mata kong tumingin kay Jesseca. "You won't buy me with this," sabi ko.

"Tikman mo nalang, arte pa eh," sambit ng kapatid ko.

Kinuha ko ang isang hindi pa nagagamit na kutsilyo para i-slice ang cake sa walong parte. Dahan-dahan kong inilagay sa isang malinis na plato ang isa. Kumuha na rin ako ng tinidor para gamitin sa pagkain. Kumuha rin sina Ahira at Jesseca ng kanila. She offered her brother a slice but Jeroboam declined with his hand.

Bago ko tikman ay tiningnan ko muna sila isa-isa. Bumubungingis pa rin iyong dalawa habang pinapanood naman kami ni Jeroboam.

Tumingin ako kay Jesseca. "If you must know, I did think of him as a relative of yours first."

Ahira rolled her eyes. "That does not change the fact that you concluded wrong though."

Tumawa ulit silang dalawa ni Jesseca. Pero nagawa ni Jesseca na sabihan akong kumain nalang. The two are already eating their slices of the cake.

A pair of eyes is watching me closely. I know that because I can see him through my peripheral vision. Napatingin ako sa kanya at tinaasan siya ng kilay. He just stared at me with a suppressed smile.

Marahil ay tawang-tawa rin siya sa mga nasabi ko. He's only hiding it within. Hmp!

My eyes glimmered when I finally took an ample amount of the cake into my mouth. I tried to suppress my love for it only to fail, though not quite miserably.

I had small intakes of it as if wanting to treasure the indulgence I feel.

"Masarap ba?" si Jesseca.