Hidden Tales

Tale 6

Taw's sincerity

"Taw."

Napalingon ako sa tumawag sa akin at napailing nalang nang makita si Luke, ang aking pinsan, na nag lalakad palapit sa akin kasama ang babae niya.

"What do you need, bastard?" Tanong ko at bumalik sa aking ginagawa.

Rinig ko ang kanyang halakhak mula sa aking likuran habang naririnig ko rin ang hagikgik ng babae.

"I'm wounded, cousin! How can you call me a bastard when you're an asshole?" Ganti niyang sambit sa akin.

"Can you please leave me alone? Mag hanap ka ng pwede mong pagka-abalahan doon. Don't pull me in your meaningless day. I'm busy." Pakiusap ko sa kanya.

I heard him hissed.

Sunod ay ang rinig kong pag bulong-bulong niya sa babaeng kasama niya. Muli akong napailing habang sinasabayan ng hagikgik ng babae ang simple niyang pag-tawa maya't maya.

This jerk.

Kaya ako iniisipan ng masama ng mga tao ay dahil lagi ko siyang kasama. Nabibilang tuloy ako sa birds with the same feather flocks together kahit hindi naman kami pareho ng gawain.

Damn. Do I even have a choice? He's my best friend and my cousin to add on that.

"I'll see you later, babe." Rinig kong huli niyang bulong bago ko narinig ang pag-sara ng pintuan ng rooftop ng Harris Hotel.

"What is that?" Tanong niya.

"None of your biz."

"I'm just asking!" Aniya at humila ng upuan para makatabi sa akin.

Nilingon ko siya at sinamaan ng tingin. Nag-taas ng kamay ang pinsan ko at muling tumingin sa aking ginagawa.

Napabuga ako nang hangin at muling tinuloy ang pag-pili ng kulay.

Well, her hair is slightly on the brown side... and her lips would be on the natural pinkish kind of color.

Wait, her eyes...

"So you're painting?"

Umiling ako. "Lumalangoy ako." Sarkastiko kong tugon.

"Damn you." Inis niyang sabi.

"Fuck you." Balik ko sa kanya.

Muli ko siyang nilingon at nakitang masama ang tingin niya sa akin. Ginawaran ko rin siya ng masamang tingin kahit na alam kong kung may makakakita man sa amin ay siguradong matatawa dahil sa singkit na mga matang pilit na naniningkit dahil sa matalim na tingin.

We have a blood of a chinese after all.

"Is that Kathleen Fae Camongol? Pre-med student?" Pag-basag niya sa aming masamang tinginan.

I took a deep breath and pulled away my sharp stare from him. Binalik ko ang tingin sa harap ng canvas at binitawan ang brush na hawak ko para maakbayan ang pinsan ko.

Sabay naming pinakatitigan ang napinta kong mukha na kalahati palang ang natatapos makulayan.

It is the face of the girl I'm dreaming of pursuing.

"Isn't she lovely?" Tanong ko sabay ngisi.

Bahagya akong nilingon ni Luke at ngumisi rin sa akin.

"You really have a good taste in women but you also have a bad choice in choosing who to take seriously."

"What? What do you mean?" Lito kong tanong. "Are you saying that she's not the one who to take seriously? Do you want to die--"

Maagap itong umiling na nag patigil sa akin. Gumanti ito ng akbay sa akin at tinapik-tapik pa ang balikat ko na para bang may hindi ako naiintindihan sa mga sinasabi niya.

Well, heck yes! I really don't understand!

"Good taste because that girl is really one of a kind. I admit that. Bestfriend siya ni Adrian at nakasama ko na rin siya sa ilang labas namin ni Ad. Siya ang nag-uuwi kay Adrian pag hindi na niya kaya. She's reponsible, kind, thoughtful, girlfriend material and smart. Well I forgot that she's really very pretty too." Aniya.

Wala sa sariling napangiti ako dahil doon. Of course I know all of that but I didn't like her just for that, unang kita ko palang sa kanya ay alam ko ng magugustuhan ko siya. There is something in her that really pulled me towards her.

I was enchanted.

She was very charming and I really don't know how to explain it but I always want her to smile.

Because everytime she smiles, I do too.

"But."

"But?"

Muli akong tinapik ni Luke sa balikat. Naramdaman ko ang pag-ihip ng hangin sa open space ng rooftop. The yellowish light around us reflected the painting's beauty but I know, what Luke is about to say would change the atmosphere...

"But she likes somebody else."

Napaayos ako ng upo dahil doon. Hindi ko alam pero nakaramdam ako ng pag-kirot sa puso ko. Damn. I didn't even know I'm capable of feeling this. Never in my entire life I imagined that I will once feel this hurt.

Never.

I am never shy to express my feelings. I'm sweet and affectionate towards people. Kay Kathleen lang hindi... dahil ayokong isipin niya na katulad nga ako ng iniisip niya pero parang pinag sisisihan ko 'yon. I should have just flirted with her, made her fall for me... kung alam ko lang.

"Sino? Sino ang gagong--"

"Well, I don't think you should continue what you're about to say because you might regret it."

"Who." Matigas kong tanong.

Sumandal siya sa kanyang kinauupan at ngumisi.

"Carl James Montgomery." Aniya.

Hindi ko alam pero nang marinig ko ang pangalan na 'yon, alam kong mahihirapan akong lumaban. Not only because we share the same blood from our mother side but because I know... if I would be compared to him. I am nothing.

Wala akong laban.

I want to list every differences that we have but just the mere fact of thinking about it makes my head hurt from a long list I could think of.

Sobrang dami...

Sobrang laki ng lamang niya sa akin.

But I still want to try, gusto kong subukan kasi baka kaya naman, baka this time, pwedeng manalo naman ako.

I want to because I know that I deserve to fight.

But if not, if in the end... matalo ako, I still want to make her smile. Gusto ko na maging dahilan ng pag-ngiti niya kahit isang beses lang. That would cost me a lot of happiness, that would be enough.

Kahit isa lang.

Would that be too much?

"We have cousin code, remember?" Paalala ni Luke sa akin na para bang naririnig niya ang naiisip ko.

I smiled and nodded.

"I know..."

"Pero wala pa naman akong natatapakang tao hindi ba? We're not even sure if your theory is correct. If you're sure, then I'll still try. Hindi naman siguro ako mamatay."

Luke slightly laughed and shook his head.

"Hindi naman. Yung puso mo lang."

I nodded once more. "It's okay, I could risk that."