Maginoong Medyo Bastos

Chapter Nineteen

It took Jax a whole second to nod and smile back. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable," he replied.

Hindi alam ni Vannessa kung ano ang dapat na itugon sa sinabi ng binata kaya muli na lamang siyang ngumiti at bumitiw ng tingin. 

Her eyes landed on Bee who was sitting beside her and who was staring at her with immense curiosity in her eyes. "Hi, ate," nauna nitong pagbati habang nakangiti.

Muling nagtama ang mga mata nilang dalawa ni Jax. He smiled at her before motioning towards the kitchen, implementing that he was going to prepare for something. She nodded before looking back at the girl who was sitting beside her.

"Ilang taon ka na?"

"17."

Hindi niya alam pero nag-iwan iyon ng pait sa kanyang lalamunan nang kanyang marinig ang naging tugon ng dalaga.

She did not want to appear sad in front of her even when she felt sad, truly. Alam niyang ayaw rin ng dalagang kaawaan siya. And if Vannessa were in her situation, she would've felt the same. Acting like everything was normal would be the bare minimum that she could do as she knew that she already knew, and that she need not emphasize it further.

Bee was so young. Vannessa could still remember the things that she did when she was at her age. Even her sister, Venice, had slipped into her mind.

Alam niyang hindi madali ang sitwasyong kinahaharap ng pamilya ni Jax, lalong-lalo na si Bee. Bee was supposed to be having fun and enjoying her teenage years, but instead, she was there, the color from her eyes slowly wearing away, and Vannessa knew that she wasn't supposed to be that thin and that pale. 

Life was cruel that way.

Vannessa let out a smile. "I'm 24 at ako nga pala si Vannessa," sabi niya. "Ate Vannessa."

Tumango-tango ang dalaga at maya-maya lang ay sumilay sa mukha nito ang isang pilyang ngiti.

"Alam mo ba, Ate Van, crush ka ni kuya," bigla nitong sabi. Kaagad na natawa si Vannessa sa sinabi nito. Paniguradong narinig din iyon ni Jax na nasa kusina dahil may kalakasan ang pagkasasabi ni Bee. 

"That's unlikely," Vannessa replied, smiling and shaking her head.

"Sure 'yan. Ikaw 'yong babae sa photo album niya. Marami ka ngang pictures doon." Napakunot ang noo ni Vannessa nang marinig iyon. Hindi niya alam kung paniniwalaan ba niya ang sinasabi ng dalaga pero mukhang hindi naman ito ang tipong nagsisinungaling. "Hindi ba, kuya?" Nilingon nito si Jax na papalapit sa kanila at may dala-dalang tray ng mga pagkain. Hindi niya mapigilan ang mga matang mapatigil nang makitang may dala-dala itong ice cream.

"Ha? Anyare?" tanong nito na wari bang naguguluhan. Nagpalipat-lipat ang tingin ni Jax sa kanilang dalawa. Vannessa stared intently at him, also wanting to know whether what Bee said was true or not.

Nakita ni Vannessa ang malaking ngiti sa mukha ni Bee habang nakataas ang tingin nito sa kuya niyang naguguluhan. "Na may picture ka ni Ate Van doon sa photo album na nasa kwarto mo." 

Natawa si Jax na bahagyang ikinagulat ni Vannessa. "Oo," sagot ni Jax. Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Vannessa at magtatanong na sana kung bakit nang sinagot nito ang katanungan niya. "Pero don't take it badly. I was part of the photo journalism club way back in high school. Hindi mo siguro alam iyan kasi--" Ngumiti ito nang tipid tsaka nagkibit-balikat. "Tsaka hindi lang ikaw 'yong andoon. Activitiy kasi namin iyon. We would be assigned to take pictures in the campus sa club namin. I just so happened that I was able to keep them to preserve memories." 

"Sus, daming sinabi," panunukso ni Bee.

Kaagad na ibinaba ni Jax ang tray tsaka nilapitan ang kapatid niya para guluhin nang bahagya ang buhok nito. "We? Talaga ba?" tukso niya pabalik dito.