The JC chronicles (PUBLISHED - PINK AND PURPLE)

3. Ang start ng one of these days

"Do you have any plans of ever getting married?"

Jacinto grinned when he heard his brother Aguinaldo asked him that question. Napailing na lang siya. Mula nang magsipag-asawa ang kanyang mga kapatid ay palagi na lang siyang kinukulit ng mga ito na mag-asawa na rin. The problem was, he doesn't have any plans of ever settling down – we'll wala pa sa ngayon. He wants to have a family – sure – that would be fun – pero sa ngayon, he was still enjoying his bachelor life – a life free of responsibility, a life full with different flavors.

"I have but not now..." He said. That afternoon, they both decided to shoot some hoops. Iyon kasi ang tinatawag nilang workout na magkapatid. He took a deep breath; nakailang set na rin sila at palaging talo ito sa kanya.

"Gago, baka mamaya makabuntis ka bigla." Natatawang sabi nito sa kanya.

"Maingat ako noh!" He said, which was true, he never had unprotected sex with anyone at all kung gagawin man niya iyon, sa magiging asawa niya lang para magkaanak agad sila pero sa mga nagiging babae niya, he always wear condoms. Mahirap na.

"Saka isa pa," Dagdag pa niya. "I haven't met my match yet." Unlike other men, naniniwala siya sa tinatawag na true love. He knew that kind of love exists, nakita niya iyon sa mga magulang niya at ngayon ay nakikita niya sa mga kapatid niya. Trey – his brother – met his first love when he was very young, but then, she died – a terrible moment for his brother's life but after almost three years, dumating na rin ang talaga match ni Trey, si Jenny na sister-in-law na niya ngayon. In Agui's case, he has Bling and they're very happy. Masaya siya para sa mga kapatid niya, and he knew that one day, makikita niya rin ang nakita ng mga ito, pero habang wala pa iyon, mag-e-enjoy muna siya sa buhay binata niya.

"Si Lexy." Napatitig siya kay Aguinaldo nang bigla nitong banggitin ang pangalan ng pinakamatalik niyang kaibigan.

"What about Lexy?" He asked.

"She can be your match." Ngumisi ang kapatid niya. He made a face. He would never think about Lexy that way.

"Dude, Lexy is like my little sister! Incest iyon!"

"Tanga, malay mo. I mean, clearly, she's in love with you." Walang kaabog-abog na wika ni Agui sa kanya. Lalo siyang napamulagat. Si Lexy? In love sa kanya. He stared at his brother looking for some hint that he was only kidding pero seryoso talag ang mukha nito.

"Lexy is NOT in love with me." Mahinahong sabi niya. He tried to laugh pero na-bother talaga siya sa sinabi ni Agui sa kanya.

"Ang manhid mo." Sabi nito sa kanya. "Kung ako nga na hindi nakakasama ni Lexy alam ko, ikaw pa na nakakatabi niya sa pagtulog?"

"Are you trying to mess with my relationship with her? I mean... Hell! She's not in love with me!" He said again.

Lexy is not in with him. Sigurado siya doon. Sa tagal ba naman ng pinagsamahan nila, alam niyang hindi mahuhulog sa kanya ang kaibigan niya. They had been friends for almost twenty years, kung in love si Lexy sa kanya, sana noon pa man ay nalaman na niya. Mararamdaman niya iyon, of course!

"You must be out of your mind." Sabi niya kay Agui. Tumayo siya at saka kinuha ang bola. Suddenly he remembered what happened at the taxi the other night nang makipag-away siya at pinuntahan siya nito. He kissed her and she was pretty dumb founded after that kiss. Wala lang naman sa kanya iyon, but it seems like dinibdib ni Lexy iyon, then the things that he felt while they were lying side by side together, alam niyang dahil lang sa alak na nainom niya iyon.

"I don't know," Agui said. "I was just basing this doon sa mga nakikita ko sa inyong dalawa. The way she looks at you..." He grinned. Pinasa niya sa kapatid niya ang bola. Agui dribbled it.