Eventually (Completed)

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

At first, it's like he can't believe what he is seeing. Pero matapos ang ilang segundong pabalik-balik niya na tingin sa akin at kay Kuya Ethan, he grinned. And there was playfulness in his eyes.

Bago pa siya makapag-isip ng kung ano, inunahan ko na siya. "We were just hanging out... as friends," sabi ko. Gusto kong bawiin 'yong sinabi ko because when I repeated it in my head, nagmukha akong defensive.

"Okay," Kuya Rap replied laughingly. Tumingin naman siya kay Kuya Ethan ngayon. "Tuloy tayo sa birthday ko ha. Next week pa 'yon pero i-book ko na araw mo." He then looked at me. "Punta ka rin, Dane. Invited din sina Melody at Fiona."

I just nodded while trying to look away. Hindi na kasi mawala iyong panunukso sa mukha ni Kuya Rap. Para bang sinasabi niyang may alam siya na hindi alam ng iba. Kinakabahan tuloy ako. Baka ipagkalat niyang nakita niya kaming magkasama tapos malaman din nina Melody at Fiona. Baka isipin 'non naglilihim ako sa kanila. Which  is, okay, true. Pero kasi ayaw ko lang talaga mabahiran ng kung ano iyong pagkakaibigan namin ni Kuya Ethan. He's been so nice to me and I don't want us to feel awkward around each other again.

Isa pa, I feel like Kuya Ethan's just trying to be an 'older brother' to me. So dapat wala talagang malisya.

Kuya Rap suddenly laughed kaya pareho kaming napatingin sa kanya. "Kayo naman, hindi ko naman ipagkakalat na magkasama kayo," he said with a smile. "Na-istorbo ko tuloy kayo. Sige, alis na ako. Punta kayo sa birthday ko ha? Tayo-tayo lang 'don. Enjoy kayo sa date niyo." He looked teasingly at us before he walked away.

Pareho kaming hindi agad makaimik ni Kuya Ethan while looking at Kuya Rap's retreating back. Sa isip ko, nakakailang mura na ako. Kasi nakakahiya! Not because I was with Kuya Ethan, but because we were caught and now Kuya Rap will keep thinking na we're on a date when we're really not.

"Don't mind him," I heard Kuya Ethan said. "Maloko lang talaga 'yon," he added.

Tumango na lang ako saka sinimulang kainin iyong ice cream kong natutunaw na ngayon. Si Kuya Rap kasi eh! Bigla-bigla ba namang nag-appear out of nowhere.

"Are you going to his birthday?"

"Siguro," I just answered.

"Punta ka," he urged. "It's going to be fun if you're there.... with Fiona and Mel," he murmured.

"Try ko. Baka last gala na rin bago magsimula ulit ang sem," I said.

"Great."

Matapos naming kumain ng ice cream ay saglit lang kaming naglakad-lakad bago umuwi. Hinatid niya ako sa boarding house. I insisted on just riding a taxi pero ayaw niyang pumayag. Mas makakampante daw siya kapag siya mismo naghatid sa akin pauwi.

"Salamat po," I said when he stopped just outside our boarding house. Mabilis kong tinanggal ang seat belt at tumingin sa kanya. "Una na ako."

"Okay," he said. Mabilis akong nag-iwas ng tingin saka mabilis na lumabas ng sasakyan.

"Ingat ka pauwi," I said before I closed the door.

I went straight to the gate and closed it hurriedly once I was inside. Narinig kong umalis iyong sasakyan niya habang papasok ako ng bahay. I stayed there until his car was gone. Nakasandal ako sa pinto, thoughts flowing on my head.

We're just friends. He's just being nice, I kept repeating in my head. 

•●•

Matapos iyong lakad namin sa Steaming Beans, hindi na iyon nasundan. Naging busy na rin kasi siya sa trabaho.

"Baka maraming bisita ah," Fiona said. Andito silang dalawa sa boarding house ko. Dito na daw sila mag-aayos para sabay na kaming pumunta kina Kuya Rap.