He Was My Cousin

Chapter 12

Sorry sa late update. Sobrang dami lang kailangang gawin the past weeks :(( I started with Ch13 already and I'll try to update soooonest. Belated Happy Birthday, Pao! (Feb 21) ♡

Chapter 12
Miss

"You've been really quiet since we left, Ate," puna sa akin ni Yesha no'ng nasa kalagitnaan kami ng byahe pabalik ng Maynila. Medyo traffic dahil siguro Sunday ngayon, nagsisi-uwian ang nga tao."Is it because you'll miss Kuya Morgan?" she asked.

Napangiwi ako sa sinabi niya. "Why would I miss that guy?" I asked increduously. Pero naisip ko, siguro nga mami-miss ko rin ang isang iyon. He's fun to be with. May pagkaloko-loko nga lang. We didn't get each other's number but we added each other on Facebook.

Ngumisi lang si Yesha bilang tugon sa akin. I knew what was that for. Bago kasi kami umalis sa Vente Riales ay niyakap ako ni Morgan. It wasn't supposed to be special or whatnot, niyakap niya naman kaming lahat. It was just I held him longer.

"Bangag ka 'no?" I remember Morgan saying while my face was still buried on his chest, not letting him go.

I shook my head, but we remained in that position.

"Did something happen?" he asked again, but this time, it was a whisper. I shook my head again.

"Something happened then," sabi niya. Humiwalay na ako. Ramdam ko ang init sa pisngi ko. It's so embarassing! I've only known Morgan for three days and I've never clung on somone I've just known for three days like that. I must have looked very needy at that moment.

But I couldn't stop myself. Noong puntong iyon ay kailangan ko lang ng makakapitan. Sobrang bigat sa dibdib. That feeling, that empty yet heavy feeling. 'Yung gusto mo na lang iiyak lahat para maalis ito kaso kahit anong gawin mo ay walang luhang tumutulo? Then heaviness in your chest seems to just build up, you thought it would burst. That was how I felt, and I'm nothing but apologetic to Morgan because of what I did.

Mabilis kong tinapunan ng tingin ang dalawang magkayakap sa tabi ni Yesha, parehas natutulog. I bit my lip and looked at the mirror on my side. Niyakap ko ang sarili ko at ipinikit ko ang mata ko at natulog na lang.

Few blocks before Tito Jay's house, I woke up. It turned out ako na lang pala ang tulog. Of course, napuyat ako! All for nonsense.

"How was the trip?" sabi ni Tito Jay nang makarating kami sa bahay nila. Kaming lahat ay nagtipon sa may living room ng kanilang bahay. "Hindi naman ba nag-away ang bagong kasal?"

"No, Pa. They're all over each other during those three days," sagot ni Paolo. Hindi na namin kasama sina Kuya Arthon at Ate Shine dahil dumiretso na sila sa honeymoon nila sa ibang bansa.

"That's great," sabi ni Tito. Napabaling siya sa direksyon ko. He smiled. "Aya, kumusta? Did you enjoy the trip?"

Bigla akong napa-ayos ng upo. "Ah... Yes, Tito. It was nice." Why were they giving me attention? I didn't want it. Patching things up right now like nothing ever happened was useless. They could pretend all their lives that the past didn't happen, but hell, they knew otherwise.

"I'm glad," Tito Jay smiled. Namalagi ang mata ko sa direksyon niya kahit sina Ayesha na ang kinakausap niya nang dahil sa ngiting iyon. His smile seems so genuine, so true. That hit me straight in the gut.

Am I the only one caught up with the past? Ako na lang ba? When they look at me, does the memories of the past flash right in front of them? Kasi ako, 'pag titignan ko si Tito Jay, ang naalala ko ay ang pagsuntok niya kay Paolo noong gabing iyon; 'pag tinitignan ko si Tita Carissa ay naalala ko ang mga salitang namutawi sa bibig niya. Didn't they have the same thoughts?