Skipper

4| Mails

SKIPPER

"So you spent the whole day with my cousin," Trey smirked at me.

Tricia and I have been hanging out for months now. And I am liking her more and more.

I wasn't expecting to see Trey tonight. He got a glass of bourbon on his hand, and he's playing with a stick of cigarette at the other.

I raised my eyes to Dara. She gave me a shrug. She sat at the other side of Trey then snatched the glass of liquor from him.

Dara is busy managing this night club for two years, and she's doing a success. Top hat and Mustache is a four star night club and I heard that Dara's working to make it a five star.

"What's your problem, Trey?" Dara asked Trey in her usual demanding, bitchy tone.

I rolled my eyes then raised my finger at the bartender. I spent most of my nights here so all of Dara's bartenders know my usual.

"What made you think that I have a problem?" Trey raised a brow.

Dara rolled her eyes. "Aside from the fact that you never ran out of problems, you're wasting your precious time here instead of working on your beloved company. So, what's your problem?"

I focused my whole attention on Trey. Dara has a point. Trey wouldn't be here if he's not problematic.

"Marron broke up with me," Trey sighed. He snatched the shot placed in front of me then took it straight in a gulp.

"So?" Dara raised her brow higher.

Trey's face crunched. "Ano'ng so?" he hissed. He turned to face Dara better. "Marron broke up with me and that's my problem!"

Dara made a face. "You've been breaking up and making up for a million times already! Hindi ka pa ba sanay? You'll fix that eventually."

I agreed with Dara. Pero hindi ko maiwasang mainis sa kapatid ko. Trey got so much in his plate right now. Hindi na sana s'ya dumadagdag pa. That's immature.

"She got someone else," Trey said in a broken tone.

Mukhang pareho kaming nagulat ni Dara. We exchanged looks. Her eyes were asking me. I shook my head.

Dumukdok si Trey sa counter at sinimulan nang umiyak. Ilang sandaling natigilan lang ako. My mind isn't working. Parang ang hirap isipin na may iba na si Marron.

"I think I should call Darco," I murmured after a while.

"Don't you dare!" Dara hissed.

"Dara things are not always about you!" I pointed out. "This man needs all the support he can have."

It sunk into me. Marron got tired, and she found someone else. And that will leave Trey with nothing.

Hindi ko din naman masisisi ang kapatid ko. She's been taken for granted. Trey has his reasons but it's not enough to stop Marron's feeling for seeking his time and attention.

After a raw with Dara, she finally let me call Darco. In no time, he arrived.

The three of us decided to take Trey on a yacht trip. He seems fine with it.

The four us used to be so close with each other. I grew up with Trey and Dara. Our parents were best friends, and the friendship and bonds has been passed down to us. We met Darco before college, and he's been like a brother to us. But things developed then broke between him and Dara and it changed everything. We can't put them in the same room together, until now.

Walang ibang ginawa si Trey kundi, uminom, umiyak, at maglabas ng sama ng loob. My heart broke with him. He's like my equal half and I love him like how I love myself. Seeing him broken like this is killing me. But I can't do anything.

I am sure that Marron has her reasons. Baka napagod na s'ya. I want to call her, pero pinigilan ko ang sarili ko. I don't wanna be mad at my sister.

In the middle of Trey's agony, I received a mail.

triciaamante@usermail.com
Photograph

Hi Skipper! I found this mail on your website. If it's not much to ask, can you send me the picture of my dishes? Thank you.

I checked on my mates. Trey's looking blindly on the night sky, while Dara's busy watching the water. Darco's eyes never left Dara. They don't mind me.

I found myself smiling.

I typed a reply on Tricia.

I'm sorry, signorina. I don't have my camera with me right now. I'll send it to you first thing tomorrow when I got home.

"Really, Skipper?!" Dara exclaimed. "You're sexting your girl while Trey's having this problem?"

"What?!" I shouted. "I am not!"

Trey snatched my phone. I saw how his face crumpled. He threw my phone back at me.

"Don't fuck with my cousin, Kipp. Tito Tee will have a great time murdering your ass," Trey warned.

I glared at him. "Fuck agad? 'Di ba pwedeng friendship lang?"

"You won't be Skipper if that's the case," Darco chuckled.

I made an offended facial expression. "Ang harsh n'yo sa akin. I thought you love me?"

Dara threw a crumpled table napkin on me. "Wala kang maloloko dito, gago."

And that started our usual kulitan. But at the end of the night, we got filled by Trey's misery.

"You'll be alright, man," I comforted Trey while we're lying on the bed.

I don't want to leave him alone. He might kill himself.

"I don't want to accept the fuck that she found someone else. I want her to have only me," he cried.

I tapped his shoulder. "It'll be fine. If it's fated, you'll have her."

And I do believe that they were fated. They both have obsessive love. They're meant to be.

When Trey fall asleep, I logged in to my Facebook. I tried to search for Tricia's account, but there's none.

"Such a serious person," I chuckled.

I went back to my mail then reviewed our brief conversation.

I'm sorry for the late reply. I'm with your cousin and he's a bit problematic. Call of brother's duty. 😂

And I didn't expect that she'll answer back

It's fine. I hope he's a little bit better. I wish to be there for him.

And our conversation went on and on until the sun rise.

It's morning already. I'm sorry for taking much of your time.

I yawned. Alam ko naman na mali na puyatin ko si Tricia sa mga walang kwentang messages ko, pero 'di ko kayang hindi mag-reply sa kanya.

It's a pleasure, don't worry. I'll be preparing for work. Please look after Trey. I'll be taking over for him today.

After my reply that I will, she didn't answer. And I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

Para kaming teenagers.

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16 August 2018