If I'm Not In Love

6

"The best ka talaga Tito Great!" I exclaimed happily.

They laughed at my outburst but I didn't saw it as offending. This family is my third family. My Mom's the original then, Auntie Mari, Uncle Felix and Kuya Raven's the second fam. See? I'm well-loved kaya hindi ko na kailangan ng maraming kaibigan. They are enough.

"This isn't healthy Dad, please stop making it. I'll get fat and I don't like the idea!" reklamo ni Tai.

I saw Tan shook his head at ngumiti siya nang lumingon siya sakin. "Ate, do you mind getting fat?" he asked me out of the blue.

I abruptly shook my head. "I'd actually be the happiest person if I gained weight," I chuckled.

He grinned then looked at his twin sister "Narinig mo Tai?"

Napatigil sa pagsubo si Tai at biglang binaba yung mugcake at kutsara na hawak niya. She raised her eyebrows and folded her arms acrossed her chest. "I'm not deaf. Tss"

Napailing na lang ako nang magsimula na naman silang mag-away. Sanay na ako sa away ng kambal, bukod kasi kay Troy, palagi ko ding kasama yung dalawa. Para silang package deal, palaging nakabuntot kay Troy kahit saan after magmove ni Kuya Trystan sa sarili nitong bahay with his own family.

"Triple chocolate, cookies 'n cream o vanilla strawberry?" tanong ni Tita Honey at tinuro yung tatlong natitirang mugcake sa table.

"Vanilla strawberry kay Tai, cookies 'n cream kay Lala and Triple chocolate kay Tan," sagot ni Troy.

"Do you want me to make one for you?" tanong naman ni Tito Great kay Troy.

But Troy shook his head, "Wag na po," he then smiled at his father.

I can't help but smile as I watched them. They're such a great family. Very ideal. I'm sure Kuya Trystan's family will be like this too. His wife is six months pregnant now with their second child, and Troy ofcourse will follow his father and brother's footsteps. I bet Tan-tan will be great as well and Tai will find a great man like her brothers and father.

Napalingon ako nang maramdaman kong may humila sa buhok ko, "Nagdedaydream ka na naman," sabi ni Troy.

I smiled at him then I scooped on my mugcake and offered the spoonful to him. He opened his mouth and I shoved the spoonful inside. "Namiss ko sila"

"I missed you too Ate Lala, later pag-uwi ko sakin ka ha," sabi ni Tai.

Tan huffed, "Wag mong solohin si Ate Lala!"

I chuckled while Troy shook his head.

"Kids stop it. Taiana, be ready, baka malate ka sa klase mo," sabi ni Tito Great.

"Okay Dad. Thanks for the delicious food!" she said and stood up then kissed her Mom and Dad. "Bye guys"

I smiled when I saw their reactions. They were all shaking their heads, but there's a smile on their lips as they've watched Tai leaving the dining. She's a spoiled brat, upfront and snob pero sobrang sweet naman kapag nakasundo mo. Tita Honey once said that she's Tito Great's girl version. Bukod sa magkamukha sila pati daw ugali nakuha ni Tai pero hindi ako naniniwala. I don't find Tito that way, sobrang bait kaya ni Tito Great. Then as for Tan, he is Tita Honey's boy version at bukod doon they are the twins who were born in different date and year. Isn't that amazing?

"Magsisisi na ba ako na pumayag akong i-move ng Saturday ang Tuesday classes niya? Weekends are our family day," Tita Honey stated.

"We've spoiled Tai too much. Kuya is afraid she'll be like Ate Yanna," sabi naman ni Troy.

"My daughter knew what she's doing, hayaan na natin," Tito Great said then looked at me "I have new cook books, you want to borrow them?" he asked and I quikly nodded.

*

"Who's that Nicholai Esguera?" tanong ni Troy na nakaupo sa sofa sa bandang likod ko.

My attention was super focus on TV kaya hindi ko siya nasagot. "Ugh! Shocks! Talo na naman!" I groaned saka ko binaba yung joystick at nilingon si Troy, "Anong sabi mo?"

Imbis na ulitin ang tanong, hinarap niya sakin yung iPad niya at pinakita yung post ko kagabi sa instagram pagkauwi niya.

"Pinsan ni Ethon, siya yung sinasabi ko sayong kasama ko kagabi," tuluy tuloy na sagot ko.

Hinila niya nang mahina yung buhok ko saka nilapag sa gilid niya yung iPad at umiling. "Wag kang basta basta sasama sa kakakilala mo pa lang," sabi niya. Sasagot na sana ko pero inunahan niya ko, "Though I know you can beat him, still.. He can take you somewhere where you cannot escape"

I grimaced. He did take me somewhere but not that far.

"I was calling you a lot of times but you never answered," sabi pa nito.

After the hug last night, he asked nothing anymore to me. Gusto niya lang daw masigurong nasa bahay ako at mahimbing na natutulog, but it turned out na wala talaga ako sa bahay that made him worried.

"Sorry na. Pumunta kasi kami sa artshop"

His brows furrowed, "Artshop?"

"Dyan lang malapit sa subdivision nila Melissa"

He nodded and dismissed the topic. One of the best thing about him, he never pry . Kung ano lang ang ibigay ko, he'll accept it wholeheartedly. Kaya naman wala akong tinatago sa kanya. I trust him that much like how my mother trust him to take care of me.

"Be cautious Lala." he said all of a sudden, "Kahit kay Ethon"

I know what he meant. Hindi naman ako bulag or manhid. Nginitian ko lang siya saka ginulo yung buhok niya.

Kung kay Tan ko to ginawa siguradong sisimangot agad yun pero si Troy walang pakialam sa ayos ng buhok niya kaya walang reaksyon.

"Ate Lala, game na ulit," speaking of Tan.

"Ayoko na, kayo nalang ng kuya mo, hindi naman ako nananalo sayo," I said saka naupo sa sofa at tinulak si Troy sa tabi ng kapatid niya.

Ngiting ngiti si Tan na tumingin sa kuya niya, "Kuya, are you ready to be watched losing?" he asked confidently.

Troy just shrugged. He's too mature for trashtalk. I watched them and laughed hard when I saw kung paano lampasuhin ni Tan si Troy. The former even said that I was the lucky one whose first to see his brother's defeated face.

"Troy?" biglang sumilip sa pinto si Tita Honey, "Phone," she just said then Troy stood up immediately at sumunod kay Tita na gets agad yung sinabi.

"Phonepal?" tanong ko kay Tan.

His forehead creased "What's phonepal?" he asked puzzled.

I chuckled, "Parang textmate, yun nga lang sa telephone na palaging katawagan," paliwanag ko.

"Is there such thing?" tanong nito "But he's always on the phone talking and laughing if not smiling from ear-to-ear"

"Really? Bakit hindi ko alam yan?"

Tan shrugged, "Just asked him."

I stood up na pinagtaka naman ni Tan. "I want to see his face," I smiled at him.

Tahimik akong pumunta sa living room, I saw him laughing habang nasa tenga niya yung phone. Now I'm curious. Sino kaya ang nagpapasaya sa best friend ko? I leaned on the wall and folded my arms on my chest as I watched him talking over the phone. I smiled widely when he caught me. Umiling siya saka nagpaalam sa kausap saka ako nilapitan.

"Invasion of privacy," sabi nito saka mahinang hinila yung buhok ko.

"The word invasion doesn't apply to us," I said as matter of fact. "Sinong nagpapakulay ng black and white mong love life?"

"She's just a friend," he shrugged saka pinatong ang buo niyang braso sa balikat ko.

Umiling ako, "And the pigs could fly," I retorted.

"You know I don't lie to anyone lalo na sayo"

"Name her then," I demanded.

He stared at me then shook his head.

"Mel," he casually said but the smile on his lips betrayed him.