All or nothing

Chapter Eight

Birthday

Saina's

"SO, he kissed you."

Avery is so cheeky that Sunday morning at church. I was a bit surprised when she sat beside me. Hindi ko alam na magsisimba rin sila sa oras na ito. We all go to the same church but sometimes I don't see them, ang alam ko kasi hapon sila nagsisimbang pamilya. I saw Uriel carrying Elle in his arms, kasabay niyang pumasok ang Mama niya – si Auntie Mara and Adriel whom Auntie Mara was clinging to. Bigla akong napalunok. Hindi ko pa kayang kaharapin si Adriel. Wala akong ideya kung alam niya na ba na tatay ko ang may kinalaman kung bakit siya napalayo sa pamilya niya. I don't know if they told him already or if they have any plans of tellinf him, basta hindi ako palagay.

"Where's Ernie?" I asked Avery instead of giving a comment on what she had just said. Kung ako nga hindi ko iniisip ang pangyayaring iyon, kinalimutan ko na nga ang bagay na iyon, tapos si Avery, ilalapag bigla, kung minsan iniisip ko kung paano ba kami naging maging magkaibigan. I should've stayed piss at her, siguro kung hanggang ngayon, inis ako sa kanya, hindi niya ako ganito pakikitunguhan.

"Kasama ni Papa Gab. Hoy, ano so after he kissed you, nag-date na kayo? Coffee date, ganoon?"

"Avery..." I turned to her calmly. "I think that it was just a spur of the moment kiss. He didn't mean it, that means that it doesn't mean anything, and we shouldn't be making a big deal out of it."

"Hmp, ganoon ba iyon? Pero natulala kayo sa isa't isa."

"Maybe because we were both startled." I concluded. Sira ulo rin kasi itong si Birada, pinag-isip ako nang isang buong gabi. Kinaisip – isip ko kung bakit niya ako hinalikan, it wasn't even a passionate kiss and yet he managed to give me a fucking sleepless night. Iyong kiss niya, parang kiss ni Haniel sa lips ko kapag naglalambing ako sa anak ko, nilapat lang iyong labi tapos tapos na, but still! Naisip ko nga kung ganoon na baa ko ka-horny. Yes, it's been a really long time for me. The last was the one night stand I had in Madrid with an AFAM – kung tawagin ni Avery. Ni hindi ko na nga matandaan iyong AFAM na iyon, basta alam ko lang malaki ang titi niya and that I had a good time, such a good time that I had a hard time walking the next day – that was almost ten months ago.

My god. Nasa simbahan nga pala ako, kung ano – anong iniisip ko.

"She shouldn't be here." Naistorbo ang pag-uusap namin ni Avery nang biglang magsalita si Uriel. He sat beside his wife, napapagitnaan namin ngayon ito. He was still holding Elle, Haniel and Ernie were sitting beside each other, my son was playing with his brother's hand. They were giggling too. Hindi pa naman nagsisimula ang mass kaya hinayaan ko muna si Haniel, isa pa, hindi naman sila nakakaabala sa iba. I smiled upon seeing Haniel kiss Ernie's hand.

"They're so cute." I mumbled.

"Who?" Avery looked at his husband.

"Saina. I mean, isn't this weird? Tapos kayong dalawa pa ang magkatabi. Tapos kung nakakamatay ang masamang titig, kanina pa nakabulagta si Saina, Mariah keeps on looking at her that way. Nakakakaba, diba?" Sukat na naman hinampas ni Avery ang hit ani Uriel.

"You shouldn't be here!" Kitang – kita ko ang panlalaki ng mga mata ni Uriel habang nakatingin siya sa asawa niya. I, on the other hand find this as an opportunity to make him angry. I wrapped my arm around Avery's waist and pulled her closer. I looked at Uriel while holding Avery that way.

"Thanks, babe." I even winked at Avery. Avery giggled and held my hand. Inis na inis naman si Uriel.

Saina - 2. Uriel – 0

xxxx

AFTER the mass, niyaya naman ako ng buong pamilya nilang sumama sa lunch nila, but at that moment, I needed to decline. Doon na kasi papasok talaga na sobrang awkward na sitwasyon. Okay kami ni Avery, friends kami, pero hindi kami okay ng asawa ni Miguel. Selosa yata talaga si Mariah Consunji. She keeps looking at me with that ridiculous expression in her face. Tinitingnan niya ako mula ulo hanggang paa tapos sasabayan niya ng pagkapit sa braso ni Miguel, gusto ko sanang sabihin kay Mariah na sa tatlong taong engaged kami ng asawa niya, kahit kailan walang nangyari sa amin ni Miguel.