(ps: the title’s just gonna mess up your mind)
Tuliro pa rin ako nung makauwi ako. Naguguluhan kasi talaga ako sa mga nangyayari, pero di ko naman akalain na mas gugulo pa lalo yung utak ko nung umuwi ako.
“What’s happening here?” lahat sila nakabihis na para bang may party na pupuntahan
“It’s Kevin’s birthday today, kuya, how could you even forget about it?”
“yeah, Carla, ako ba yung patay na patay dun sa tao?” umakyat na ako ng room ko.
“Cedie, hijo, magbihis ka na. Late na tayo”
“dad, I won’t go. I’m not in the mood” yeah. Lately palagi nalang akong wala sa mood.
“of course, you will! 10 minutes!”
“dad? Mom? I don’t—“
“Hijo, go up and change. Follow your dad. Sige na, minsanan nalang tayong makumpleto”
“whatever, mom”
***
Hindi kalayuan yung bahay ng mga Villamayor sa amin kaya naman nakarating din kami agad. First time ko lang nga ito kasi kadalasan may event sa school o kaya naman may excuse ako para hindi sumama, too bad lang at halos kasisimula palang ng taon kaya wala pang gaanong gawain.
“kumpadre!” bati naman ni daddy kay Mr. Villamayor.
“oh! You’re finally here!” nagbeso beso naman sila and all those whatever forms of conformity
“so where’s Kevin?”
“he’s inside with some friends, come?” napansin ko naman na naunang maglakad si Carla, hinila ko nga. Bata-bata pa sya na ang naghahabol?
“kuya?! What’s wrong with you?”
“with me? nothing. With you, there’s something!”
“whatever” tapos naglakad nanaman sya papasok. Pinigilan ko naman sya ulit.
“if he wanted to see you, he’ll find you. If you really want to know if that guy’s interested on you, you’ll listen to me”
“ano nanaman yun, kuya? I thought you’re against us?”
“I’m not supporting you by telling you this. It’s more of telling you that he doesn’t like you. “
“ako ba talaga at si Kevin yung issue, o ikaw at yung nililigawan mo?”
“basta, you’ll stay here.”
Alam kong napipikon na yan pero totoo naman yung sinasabi ko. If a guy likes someone, he’ll want to be with her on his birthday no matter what.
Dahil nga ayokong paalisin si Carla, ako na rin yung kumuha ng food para sa kanya, kaso lang kapag minamalas ka nga naman, makakasalubong mo pa yung taong ayaw mong makita.
“Kuya Cedie!” how dare him to call me kuya?
“sup, Kevin”
“I’ve been looking for Carla kasi, kanina pa, have you seen her?”
“nope” woops. My mouth lied!
“I really want to be with her so bad” kita mo naman na disappointed sya nung tumalikod. Pasalamat ka birthday mo!
“I saw her, sa may lanai banda, she haven’t eaten yet. Better bring her something to eat as well” ngumiti naman sakin si Kevin. Yayakap sana kaso lang pinakitaan ko ng fist ko. Tinap ko lang yung likod nya sabay “have fun”
Of course I am still not agree with whatever is going on between them, but at least, I want my sis to be happy even just for a while, deserve nya… nila.
Ako na siguro yung pinaka KJ na tao sa buong mundo, but I really don’t care, napagbigyan ko na rin naman sina daddy na sumama, I think I could ditch now.
When I was on the way to the gate, I passed by the lanai. Nakita ko yung kapatid ko pati yung Kevin na yun, nagkukwentuhan lang naman. But I never saw my sister that happy before. Saktan nya lang talaga yung kapatid ko, lagot sya sakin!
“How is she?”
“I don’t know” muntikan na akong makita nina daddy at Mr. Villamayor buti nalang nakapagtago agad ako. Ano namang ginagawa nila at nag-uusap sila malapit sa guard house? Anak ng itim na tupa naman o! (maiba lang)
“She’s still the same since what happened?” ano kayang pinag-uusapan nila
“yes”
“I’m really sorry about that, kumpadre” tapos tinap naman ni Daddy yung balikat ni Mr. Villamayor, he seemed very sad.
Nag-away kaya sila ng asawa nya? Don’t tell me nambabae si Mr. Villamayor? Naks naman ang utak ni Cedie, masyadong chismoso!
I just really have to get out of here.
“PSST KUYA!”
“WHAT THE HELL CARLA!?!” tapos nagsign naman ako na wag maingay sabay tinuro ko si Daddy.
“ditching huh?”
“oh please, be my sister just for today.”
“fine” tapos niroll nya naman yung mata nya, ” I’ll distract them, you go”
“thanks, sis”
“no kuya, thank you” tapos tumuloy na sya. In no time, I’m on my way home!
When your eyes are wide open, you get to see a lot of things. This is not an idiomatic expression, I am talking about it, literally!!
Sobrang traffic nung pauwi palang ako kaya yung madaliang byahe sana eh napatagal pa! at kung minamalas ka nga naman, makikita mo pa yung dalawang taong ayaw na ayaw mong makita sa gabing ito…
I saw Angel and Adrian coming out from a restaurant. Want to know the exact scene? Wala namang dapat bigyang malisya talaga, they were just staring at each other while laughing and Angel’s hand is on Adrian’s arms.. nothing big! Sus!
“manong? Pwede pong pakibilisan nyo yung pagpapatakbo?”
“heavy traffic nga e, paano tayo aandar?” oh shoot!
OK FINE! It’s killing me! sa lahat ba naman ng lugar, bakit kung saan pa saktong natraffic yung taxi na sinasakyan ko?
***
“Reminder, This coming Saturday, we will be having a PTA meeting regarding your graduation so I badly need perfect parent attendance, is it clear?”
“YES!” next year pa ang graduation pero as early as this Saturday eh papagplanuhan na pala, excited masyado?
“kindly write on this yellow pad the name of your parent attending the meeting so that I can make some gate pass for them”
Nagsimula naman nang ipaikot yung paper, pero habang hindi pa dumarating samin, ayun, boring…
“bakit ngayon na agad? Para namang hindi natin sasabihin sa parents natin diba?” woops. Di ako ang kausap ni Adrian kundi si Li.
“hmmm” sabi sa inyo eh, maganang kausap talaga yan!
“hindi ko man lang alam kung sinong papapuntahin ko” pareho tayo ng dilemma, Adrian.
“isulat mo pareho yung pangalan nila, para kahit na sinong pumunta, ok lang” ngumiti naman si Adrian at ginulo yung buhok ni Li, ayun, nakakuha tuloy sya ng malupit na batok!
“seriously? Ang sakit ha!”
“ang gulo mo” sabi naman ni Li habang nagbabasa lang dun.
“cedie! Sinong aattend sayo?” lumapit naman sakin si Angel hawak yung yellow pad
“I think si mommy nalang, palaging busy kasi si daddy”
“oh, so si mommy nalang din pala papupuntahin ko”
“sure”
“kasi naisip ko lang, mas magkakaintindihan ang babae sa babae at lalaki sa lalaki, so just making sure na makapag-uusap yung parents natin”
“ohh that’s nice!” what.is.she.trying.to.say?
“yeah, I also want to see your sister, sasama ba sya?”
“ah, yung kapatid ko? Hindi ata? But I’ll tell her you want to see her, she’ll be glad”
“okay!” tapos umalis na si Angel with matching smile pa. haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay :”>
Tignan nyo? She wants to meet my family! She wants to see my sis and she wants our parents to get well with each other, isn’t this a sign? Kinikilig ako! Well, in a manly way.
Para ata akong timang na nakangiti lang dun kaya nung humarap naman ako kay Li nagulat nalang ako na nakakunot yung noo nya sakin na para bang problemado nanaman sya dahil sakin.
“what now?”
“what was just that?”
“alin?”
“oh my goodneth!” parang kinikilig pang lumapit sa amin si Geni “Angel thaid that the’th going to meet Thedie’th family on thaturday!” what? Ang bilis naman kumalat ng balita? “that’th jutht tho thweet of you, Thedie! You’re doing great!”
Tapos turn naman nyang tumingin kay Li, na as usual eh nakasimangot pa rin at ngayon ay umiiling-iling
“ano?” halatang kahit si Geni eh hindi rin sya naiintindihan.. or so I thought kasi bigla nalang nanlaki yung mata ni Geni tapos “WALEEEEEY!” habang nakatingin sakin
“di ko kayo magets? Ang gulo nyo!”
“tanga ka lang ba talaga o manhid or both?” sabi naman sakin ni Li ng diretsahan. Sakit nga eh!
“both?” singit naman ni Geni
“hindi mo pa ba nakuha na gusto nyang ipakilala mo sya sa pamilya mo?”
“at hinayaaan mo pa na sya ang gumawa ng moves?” singit naman ni Adrian pagkabalik nya sa upuan nya “I was here, I just got to go answer the phone”
“wait. Isn’t it too soon na ipakilala ko sya sa family ko? 1 week ko palang syang nililigawan, and I’m not so sure yet”
“then you shouldn’t have courted her in the first place” yun lang yung sinabi ni Li tapos nakipag usap na sya kina Geni at Adrian, but not, sina Adrian pala ang nakipag-usap sa kanya, hindi naman nya alam ang meaning ng salitang ‘react’ at ‘reply’
After a while, nakapagsulat na rin ako sa yellow pad pero nung ipinasa ko yung paper kay Li, kinuha naman yung ni Geni
“ako muna!” nagtaka pa ako nun pero binalewala ko nalang, weird talaga itong tatlong ito forever.
“Li!” tapos kinuha naman ni Li yung papel at pinasa kay Adrian.
“hey! Kate?” hindi lang sya inimik ni Li, tuloy lang sya sa pagbabasa ng kung anuman dun
After na makumpleto yung listahan, sa wakas eh pwede na kaming magsnacks!
“OOPS! Too fast, students! It’s only 34, and you are 35, one didn’t write the name of his or her parent, now who is it?” pero walang nagsasalita.
“walang magsasalita? Ok. Wala ring snacks” dun naman na nagsimulang magreklamo yung mga kaklase ko, including me kasi gutom na talaga ako at mahaba ang pila sa cafeteria.
“FINE! ME!” nagulat naman lahat pati ako. Si Li?
“Kaitlin? Ok write” pero umiling lang si Li at hindi man lang tumayo ng upuan nya
“what? Hindi mo isusulat? Ok, until you write your parent’s name here, you’re not having a recess”
Saka naman nagalit yung buong klase sa kanya, as in galit na galit talaga, lahat na ata ng mga masasakit na salita nasabi na nila tungkol sa kanya. Pero dahil si Li sya, she didn’t mind. And so hindi talaga kami magkakaroon ng recess nyan!
“kate?”
“hmm?”
“just do it”
“no” oh men! Ano bang problema nitong babaeng to?!?
Nung nainis na talaga lahat sa kanya, tumayo naman na si Angel nun, and believe it or not, from her chair, she said these to Li
“you’re so full of yourself, Li! Kahit minsan, wala ka namang pakialam sa mga tao eh, now, you’re making our lives even more miserable! What’s wrong with you?!?” nakigatong naman yung iba. Well, Angel has a point. She’s acting selfish way too over.
Pero how funny it is na wala syang pakialam talaga! I saw Adrian once tried to stand up and yell at everyone pero hindi nya tinuloy, si Geni naman nakatingin lang kay Li. These two understand her, BUT NOT ME!
I was so pissed off kaya hindi ko nalang namalayan yung sunod na ginawa ko.
I pulled her out of the room.
Ok. I can explain why I did that. First, they’re saying things and reacting too much, masyadong masasakit na yung mga pinagsasabi nila, second… what’s my second reason?
“OKAY FINE, YOU WON! YOU SUCCEEDED PISSING EVERYONE OFF, YOU’RE AWESOME, NOW CAN YOU JUST WRITE YOUR PARENT’S NAME ON THAT DAMN YELLOW PAPER AND LET US HAVE OUR SNACKS EVEN IF YOU DON’T WANT TO?!?” yeah, I really said that while holding her shoulders and shaking her.
Dahan dahan nya lang na tinanggal yung kamay ko sa balikat nya habang nakayuko sya. Next thing I know, I regretted what I did.
“if being able to piss everyone off that way would bring my mother back, I could say I won! But it didn’t and it never will. Maybe I was being too selfish back there, but it’s not being selfish trying to tell yourself it’s gonna be okay even if it will never be! That I can tell you that, and it won’t change anything!” that was the moment when she raised her head and looked me in the eye. She’s crying
“yeah. What the hell? When your mother’s dead and you’re left all alone?!”
“I’m sorry”
“see? In an instant naawa ka agad sakin? Now tell me, paano ko sasabihin sa lahat yang bagay na yan nang hindi nyo ako kakaawaan? Cause I already gave to much of that to myself and I don’t need some more” tapos nakita ko nalang na lumabas sina Adrian at Geni. Gulat na gulat pa sila nung nakita si Li na umiiyak ng todo sa harapan ko. They grab her at they went somewhere and never came back that day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I found this chapter kinda heavy. I hope everyone got my point for this chapter! Kudos!