...I tilted my head asking her to come over.
"Let's go little sister?..."
---
Dani immediately approached me. Kahit pa nakita ko na napayuko siya ay nahihiyang lumapit sa akin, she still proceeded walking towards me.
Ang basa ko, she was relieved na finally ay makakalayo na siya kay Alyssa.
This may not be my home but I know I'm already a part of this family, whether they like it or not kaya binigyan ko si Alyssa ng isang huling tingin bago ako nagsalita.
"I believe you can still join us. I will speak in Kiefer's behalf that you are still welcome sa Sunday barbeque nila."
Nagpalipat lipat ang tingin ni Ms Valdez sa akin at kay Dani. Dani was still bowing down. Not daring to look at her "friend".
Tumalikod na ako at akmang maglalakad. Tinapik ko lang si Dani sa balikat as if to tell her that everything is okay.
Nagulat ako when she reached for my shoulder, at umabrisiyete sa kin.
Slowly, nag angat siya ng mukha at tumingin sa akin. Mata sa mata.
"I'm sorry Mika. I shouldn't have done the things that I did."
"I know Dani. You're still young. Huwag mo na lang problemahin ang mga hindi naman talaga problema. Okay?"
She smiled and then asked "Can I call you ate?"
"You can call me whatever you like. Just not whore anymore okay?" and gave her a chuckle.
Dahil sa pagkahiya, niyakap na lang niya ako.
---
" Tita, Tito, Kief, una na pala ako. Nagpatawag po ng meeting kasi yung team. May kailangan po yatang pagusapan." Aly said nang sumunod siya sa amin ni Dani sa patio.
"E Sunday ngayon hija ah. Hindi ba dapat free day niyo?" Tita Mozzy
"Hindi ko din po alam bakit biglaang nagpa tawag ng meeting e. I guess it's urgent. Next time na lang po ako mag lunch over. Thanks po for the invite."
"No worries anak. Sige sa susunod make sure makakapag lagi ka ha."
"Opo tita, sige po I'll go ahead. Enjoy your barbeque po."
"Hatid na kita sa labas Aly." Si Kiefer na kanina pa nakikinig lang ang biglang nagsalita.
"No need Kief. Kaya ko naman. Enjoy kayo."
So she left and even Dani was silent. Hindi na din niya pinigilan si Alyssa.
---
All of us enjoyed the barbeque. Kahit hindi pa kami ganoon ka close ni Dani, atleast nabawasan na ng tensyon kapag magkasama kasi sa iisang space.
Hindi na din siya nagpaparinig at nagpapahaging sa akin.
After namin kumain, Dani requested na manood daw ng movie sa viewing room nila. Naririnig ko siyang naglalambing kay Thirdy pero hindi ko naman alam kung ano ang gusto niyang panoorin when Thirdy shouted.
"Manong, have you downloaded yung nirerequest ni Dani na movie?"
"Which one?" he asked
"Yung kay Padilla!"
With this, napasigaw ako.
"You love DJP?!"
"Patay!" sigaw ni Kiefer
"What's not to love?" I shouted back.
Dani came running towards me and hugged me immediately.
"You are a life saver ate! Now I have someone to watch his movies with! Halika na!"
She grabbed me by the wrist and started pulling me when her brother had someting to say.
"This is what I have been dreading to happen."
I arched my brow asking him to clarify what he just said.
"Ang magkausap kayo tungkol diyan kay Padilla! Pwede ba huwag na lang kayo magusap ulit?"
Dani and I both started to laugh at the same time.
Tumalikod na kami parehas at nagsimulang umakyat ng hagdan papunta sa movie room nila. Dani still hodling my hand and tugging me to come with her.
"But you're not gonna have time for me babe!"
"You can watch with us, you like?" I shouted back.
I saw him running towards me. Sinabihan niya si Dani na mauna na daw at kunin ang laptop niya para maikabit sa projector. Dani obliged without a whim.
He then hugged me and whispered.
"I love that you are now getting along really well babe, pero paano naman ang oras natin?"
I whispered back "Don't you have forever to be with me?"
I kissed his cheek at patakbo na din akong umakyat papunta sa movie room nila.
Kiefer's reaction? I didn't have time to see.
~KIEFER
Halos isa't kalahating oras nang nasa movie room si Dani at Mika.
Nang nagpaalam sila sa amin na manonood ng pelikula ni Daniel Padilla, nagdecide kami nila Thirdy at Pauly na maglaro na lang muna ng NBA sa kwarto.
Tinulungan lang namin sandali si manang Mavic na magligpit ng pinag ihawan ni papa at umakyat na din kaming tatlo sa kwarto ng sabay sabay.
Nagkakainitan na din sila Thirdy at Pauly maglaro, may kasama pang kantyawan.
Nakikitawa naman ako sa kanila pero wala pa din ang atensyon ko sa nilalaro nila.
I decided na bisitahin si Mika at Dani sa viewing room.
They were so into the movie kaya hindi nila napansin ang pagbukas ko ng pintuan.
Nakakatawa ang eksena. They were hugging each other while crying.
May tissue box in between them nakapatong sa yellow fleece blanket ng kapatid kong babae.
Nakalapit na ako sa kanilang dalawa pero hindi pa din nila nararamdaman.
I went in front of them and tugged the blanket.
Nakapatong ang binti ni Dani kay Mika.
"When did you become this close?" I asked them.
"She loves DJP manong, so I love her, and besieds, she's my ate kaya."
"Babe, huwag ka na humarang diyan please. Upo ka nalang and watch with us."
I sighed in frustration and sat beside Mika.
Tinabig ko ang binti ni Dani na nakadantay sa kanya at ibinaling siya sa akin.
"Babe, gusto mo talaga yan si Padilla?!" I asked her.
She nodded, still looking at the screen, not facing me.
Since she is not interested in me at the moment, naisip ko na maglambing.
I encircled both my arms from her side and rested my head in her right shoulder.
Both Dani and her are still focused on the movie. Ang tagal namang matapos nitong pelikula na 'to, I said to myself.
She raised her right hand and held my right cheek, nanonood pa din siya ng pelikula.
Reflex
I planted a kiss on her right temple. She looked at me.
Now I got her attention!
Nginitian niya lang ako, hinimas ang kaliwang pisngi ko at patuloy na nanood ng palabas.
I cursed in between my teeth "What the fcuk is with this Padilla guy?!"
---
So my sister and my girlfriend proceeded to watching another Padilla movie without me knowing dahil nakatulog ako sa tabi ni Mika.
Tinapik na lang niya ako sa balikat na tapos na daw silang manood.
I looked at my watch only to find out na mag aalas siyete na ng gabi.
Mom and dad insisted for her to have dinner with us.
She accepted but said she won't be able to stay longer after the dinner. Wala daw kasing kasama ang mama niya.
Halfway into dinner, her phone rang.
She excused herself and took the call in the receiving room.
Minutes later, my phone rang as well at inexcuse ko din ang sarili ko.
Halos sabay kaming bumalik sa dining table.
"Hija, is it urgent? Kailangan mo na bang umuwi?" my dad asked her.
"Ay no po. It's not my mom po. Jollibee po yung tumawag."
I smiled.
Thirdy, my smart-ass brother asked her. "Nagpadeliver ka Miks? Huwag na. Busog pa kami."
Everybody laughed. Nakitawa naman si Mika
"No. haha May feeding program daw. They asked for my schedule para daw maayos nila."
"That's good to hear anak. E ikaw Kiefer, sino ang tumawag sa iyo?" Mom asked me.
"Jollibee din po ma." and I smiled my sweetest smile and faced my girl.
---
Jollibee was good in making sure na okay sa schedule ng student athletes na nageendorse sa kanila ang feeding program.
One college player had to beg off, but almost all were able to come.
Jaja was the only one who was not able to join kaya kasama din namin ang kaibigan kong si Mike from another school pati si Aly at ang iba pang endorsers of Jollibee.
We thought na pupunta kami sa depressed area for the feeding program but we were delighted nang malaman namin na sa isang park ito gaganapin dahil may naka prepare daw na games for the kids.
They prepared a sack relay at magkakapares ang mga student athletes from the same school.
Since Jaja was not with us, Gelo opted to sit this game out.
Each pair has a child on the other end of the track, kailangan namin silang buhatin at isama sa loob ng sako pabalik sa starting line.
I swear I was gritting my teeth dahil kasama ni Mika sa loob ng sako si AVO, but what can I do? Si Aly naman kasama ko din sa loob ng sako but Mika seems to take this positively.
Handa na kaming lahat at sinabihan kami ni Martin na paunahan makabalik kasama ang batang bubuhatin namin kapag nalaglag na ang flag na hawak hawak niya.
Athleticism, we all have kaya paunahan kaming lahat tumalon talon para makuha ang bata na nasa kabilang dulo at makabalik agad ng finish line.
I swear Mika and AVO were having a hard time, maybe because both of them are tall. Habang ako naman at si Aly ay mabilis na nakausad. We reached the other end first at agad namin naipasok sa loob ng sako ang batang aming kasama.
Pabalik na kami at nakasalubong naming silang lahat since we were already running to reach the finish nang napatingin ako kay Mika at sa kapares niya.
AVO was holding on to her waist.
Mukhang binubuhat niya na halos and girlfriend ko para mapabilis ang pagkuha nila sa batang kasama nila.
This fuelled me para tapusin na agad ang laro. Baka kapag naka abot na kami sa finish line e tumigil na silang lahat sa pag talon.
But I was wrong.
They all continued with the race. Sila Mika ang pinaka kulelat.
Kulelat but I can sense that my girlfriend's partner was enjoying himself.
Nang malapit na sila sa finish line, lumabas ako ng sako at pumunta sa pwesto nila.
"Where are you going Kief?" Aly asked me.
"I'm gonna help my girl get out of that damn sack!" I told her
---
After ng sack race, tug of war naman daw ang kasunod na laro. being the possessive guy that I am, I suggested na iba iba naman ang magkakakampi.
Sinabe ko na dapat pagsama samahin ang players from different schools para magkaroon naman ng camaraderie.
Dahil kaibigan kong matalik si Gelo at Mike, alam kong kuha na nila ang ibig kong sabihin.
They both gave me high fives.
Since Gelo sat this one out kanina, Martin, asked kung sino daw ang gusto munang ipahinga ang larong ito.
No way am I gonna raise my hand.
Since Mike is the laziest of the bunch, siya na lang daw ang hindi sasali at mag cheecheer na lang para sa aming lahat.
We were grouped into two. Magka grupo kami ni Mika at this time, magkagrupo naman si AVO at Aly.
I asked Mika to position herself in front of me. I told her to make sure na mahigpit ang hawak niya sa lubid.
Ipinulupot naman ni AVO ang lubid sa kamay niya.
Good luck with that champ!
Kahit mas mahahaba ang mga galamay nila sa amin, we didn't want to give them an easy fight. Gelo kept on shouting "Hila! Hila! Hila!" to which we would tug on the rope.
I kept on telling Mika "Don't let go babe! Don't let go of the rope!"
She was laughing while doing so.
Seeing her laugh, I swear, I could die this instant.
Mika lauging is a sight to behold.
How can angels come down from heaven? More so, be my girl.
I was tugging the rope real hard, deep in watching my girl in amazement when the other group let go of it.
My group all came tumbling down.
Mika, fell on me. Her back facing me.
Everybody was laughing. Mika was laughing with them.
She rolled over and faced me.
Her laughter, a sweet sound to my ears.
Eyes closed, smile on her face on top of me, I stole a smack on her lips.
Everyone hooted.
Mika, slapped my arm.
"I can get used to this babe. I wanna see you this happy everyday. I'll do everything to make you this happy."
Mika planted her right hand in the grass. Left palm on my chest. She leaned and whispered.
"Don't worry babe, you have forever to do just that..."