Only If I Were Twenty

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ain't Ready

Nag-aantay ako ngayon sa kuwarto ni Kuya Nicolas habang siya ay nasa ibaba pa at inaasikaso ang kaniyang ibang bisita. We are done eating a while ago and he said to me that I should wait here inside his room dahil ihahatid niya raw ako mamaya pauwi.

Sitting on his bed, I stood up to roam and look around in his room. Hindi naman kalakihan ang kuwarto ni Kuya. Talagang sakto lang ito para sa isang tao. The walls are painted with white, on the other side of the corner of his room, there's a medium sized study table with a small lampshade at may mga iilang librong nakapatong doon.

As I look around, I realized that his room isn't the same anymore. Maraming nawalang abubot and from what I can recall, he has a CD collection of movies. I wonder where are those now?

Natigil lang ako nang bigla kong narinig ang pagbukas ng pinto. I looked at the door and saw Kuya Nicolas.

"Kuya..." tawag ko sa kaniya.

"Are you bored? I'm sorry. Nagkayayaan pa kasi ng inom sa baba. They didn't want me to leave. Ihahatid na kita habang hindi pa ako nakakainom. You wanna go home?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Can I drink, too?" walang pagdadalawang-isip na tanong ko.

Dinig ko ang pagsinghap niya at kitang-kita ang agarang pagtaas ng kaliwang kilay niya. Agad ko namang pinigil ang pagngiti ko.

"You're only seventeen, Secvania," he said as if he's already saying no.

"So... that's a no?" tanong ko sa kaniya.

Nope. I don't really want to drink. I just want to tease him to see his reaction and I succeed because I just got the reaction that I wanted.

"Definitely a no, Secret."

Tumango na lang ako at kinuha ang regalo ko sa kaniya na nakalagay sa bandang paanan ng kaniyang kama.

"Kuya, look!" I showed him the paper bag where the scrapbook I made was inside.

Kumunot ang noo niya simbolo ng kuryosidad. Lumapit siya sa akin at akmang kukunin ang bag pero agad ko itong iniwas. He frowned and pouted that's why I ended up giving it to him.

"Ano ito?" tanong niya.

"Buksan mo para malaman mo," sagot ko sa kaniya.

Well, actually, what's inside isn't just the scrapbook. A while ago while waiting for him, ibinili ko rin siya ng relo. It just a silver watch for men. Wala lang. Just in case he won't like the scrapbook that I made, atleast I got a backup gift.

"Scrapbook?" he asked, looking at the scrapbook.

"Obviously, Kuya..."

He turned it to the first page. Ngunit hindi pa man siya nagbabasa, gusto ko nang kunin iyon mula sa kaniya. Shame is eating me. I want to leave...

"Dear Dodong, alam mo ba na ang cute cute ko?" huminto siya sa pagbabasa at masamang tumingin sa akin nang nakasimangot. "Anong klaseng birthday letters ito, Nene? Puro naman ito papuri sa sarili mo!"

Humalakhak ako at pabirong himampas ang braso niya. "Totoo naman ang lahat ng iyan, eh!"

Napailing siya at umirap na siyang mas lalo kong ikinatawa. I know he's annoyed and that's what's funny here. The way his eyebrows get close together while he's reading my letters.

"Sa iyo na iyan! Hindi ko na kukunin iyan!" sabi niya at padabog na inilagay ang scrapbook sa kama.

Sumimangot ako at ngumuso. "Nasa pangalawang letter ka pa lang naman! Huwag ka ngang overacting!"