Of Love, Signs and Logic (Completed)

21 - The Village

Speaking of the devil, enter the dragon, este sumilip lang pala sa may bamboo stairs

"Kuya Wally, Kuya Jose, ano ba kayo? Hindi tayo diyan!" he exclaimed.

"Bakit RJ? Diba eto tuluyan natin? Diba sabi ni Apo?" Jose said adamantly.

"Next week, pag-alis nila." That remark got her attention, she became alert but still not looking.

"Eh saan tayo matutulog?"

"Dito sa baba."

"Alam mo Tisoy, si Wally ang komedyante kasi siya ang kalbo! Nagbibiro ka naman eh. Lupa na yan, saan tayo matutulog diyan?"

"Nalimutan n'yo na, may mga tents tayo. The ground is wide enough for two tents. I'll use the smaller tent."

It was Pao who butt in. "Ah eh, kasya naman yata tayo dito. Meng can use the room, then dito tayo lahat sa labas ng room. Diba Meng? Kawawa naman sila, isang linggong tent."

Suddenly realizing the inconvenience that they are causing, she looked at kuya Jose and kuya Wally, intentionally ignoring him. "Tama si Kuya Poch, kuya Jose, sabi namin di kami magpapabigat and this house was obviously prepared for you."

"You talking to me? Meng naman! RJ, one order of English, please. Pakisagot.'

His face was still serious when he answered. "No, kahit kasya tayo, it's still not proper. We don't want to offend their custom and values. Alam nilang hindi tayo related."

"Kasi dapat sinabi mong mag-asawa kayo nung tinanong ka. Di naman sila manghihingi ng marriage contract at di naman sila mag-iinspeksiyon kung magkatabi kayo. Diba ganon sa mga teleserye? May mga nagkukunwaring mag-asawa?"

That remark caused a blush to spread across her cheeks. "Biro lang Meng, kung lulusot lang naman."

"The arrangement is final." RJ was not to be persuaded.

There was a reason why he came to the hut. He climbed the stairs, then approached her, ventured out to talk to her, truce or no truce. There was no use alerting others of their conflict.

"Wala yata silang kumot at unan dito, you can use these for now. Kuya Paolo can use the sleeping bag he used yesterday. It will get colder at night" He handed her a blanket and neck pillow he packed from his pickup truck.

His concern made her momentarily forget her resolve not to talk to him, "Eh ikaw, paano ka?" Menggay, galit ka diba?

"Don't worry, we have sleeping bags, remember?"

Reading between the lines of his exchange with kuya Jose, she understood now what he had to sacrifice to protect her reputation. She felt gratitude despite her anger. Haay Ricardo, ang contradicting ng actions mo! Bakit di ko makuha magalit sa 'yo nang matagal?

"Thank you." Yun lang ang nasabi niya but didn't realized that her look softened with a smile.

His heart skipped a beat at the unexpectedness of the gentle smile.

Recovering himself and his resolve, "There's a welcome banquet that the village prepared for us tonight, it's up to you if you will join or not."

There he goes again, it's up to me, and he doesn't care. Ano kaya kung patulan kita? Forcing herself to smile this time, "Of course we will come."

"Have it your way, it doesn't matter." He was about to leave when he remembered something.

"Oh, one more thing. I told them that you're both apprentice from the government agency we work with. Remember, it's NCIP. It stands for...."

"I know, National Commission for Indigenous People."

"Right, and you're here to observe so you don't have to do anything. I had to make up something in the absence of any information from you. I know you're tired from the climb so if you want to rest I'm sure they will understand."

"Yes, but as you said, we don't want to offend them so of course we will attend. Saka hindi kami makakakain kung di kami pupunta diba?"

RJ continued na parang wala siyang narinig."I also told them and the captain at the ranger station that you are relatives of the Commissioner of the agency. Just in case they ask. Sorry but I had to come up with some story in the absence of personal details."

"You already said that. You don't have to rub it in the second time, pero salamat ulit."

Little did they know that three curious pairs of eyes are closely observing them, like watching a ping-pong match.

Wally cleared his throat. "Ehem, sige lang usap lang kayo. Kunwari, wala kami dito."

"Panira ka ng eksena Wally! Ang ganda na sana nung pinapanood natin. Parang teleserye oh. RJ, Meng, may LQ kayo?" Trust kuya Jose to go straight to the point.

"Anong LQ Jose? LizQuen ba yun? Natutuhan ko yon sa anak ko." Wally asked innocently

"Okay Wally, wala kang jacket at out ka na sa jackpot portion. Kapamilya 'yon! Kapuso tayo. Yung LQ...Paolo, ano na nga yung LQ?"

"Lovers' Quarrel! LQ agad-agad? Mukhang hindi pa nga sila friends eh!" Paolo remarked, fishing for any reaction from the two.

That broke the spell for Meng. She became conscious again, more so now that she knows what the other three are thinking.

It was RJ who recovered first from the teasing. "Kuya Jose, Kuya Wally, may gagawin pa tayo diba? Itatayo pa natin yung mga tent, diba?"

"Tisoy, wala bang goodbye message diyan kahit may LQ kayo? Yung tipong 'sige pahinga ka na, see you later'?" RJ, in turn, glared at him in warning.

"Sabi ko nga Wally, lika na eh. Abangan na lang daw ang susunod na kabanata."