"Peste ang bata na yan!"
"Pero anak ko rin sya."
"Ibalik mo sa tatay niya ang bata na yan. Hindi siya pwede dito sa pamamahay ko!"
"Napag-usapan na natin ito, Ricardo." Isang sampal ang nagpatumba sa babae.
"Wala kang kwenta. Kayong mag-ina."
Hihinga-hinga akong bumangon mula sa kama. Ang sikip sa dibdib, ang sakit sa ulo. Kumikirot, pumipintig. Nagsasabay ang bawat pagkabog ng dibdib at ulo ko.
The dream was blurry. Kagaya noong sa mga bata pa ang laman ng panaginip ko, hindi ko alam ang kakaibang reaksyon ng katawan ko mula sa mga panaginip na 'yon. Ngayon, it seems like a couple fighting over their child, or is it the woman's child?
After I calm my breath, naghilamos lang ako at bumaba na. Dumiretso ako sa kusina to drink some cold water. Saka para magluto na rin ng agahan.
When I came there, the kitchen was empty.
"Just don't interfere. Like you always does."
Napatigil ako sa pag inom. It was Kuya. Who was he fighting with? Glen?
"Gagawin ko kung anong gusto ko."
Is it really Glen? Then why is he silent? All I can hear was Kuya's voice.
Out of curiousity, I move nearer to the door and take a peak. The first thing that I saw was Kuya's back. His phone on his right hand. Ah! He is talking to someone. Who could it be? Sino na naman ang kaaway niya sa telepono?
It looks like he is gardening when someone calls him. Baka kaya mainit ang ulo, naputol ang pag-gagarden. I just shrugged it off. Saka ako bumalik sa kusina when I suddenly heard him say,
"Go on. Magpakasaya ka sa lalaki mo. Hindi kita kailangan. Hindi ka namin kailangan."
I can't help but to bit my nails and think. Who is he talking to? Cathy? I think deeply kung sino pa ba ang babae sa buhay niya but there is only three: Cathy, Me and .... Mama?
"Oy."
"Shit," Agad akong napahawak sa ulo ko shemay! Ang sakit. Pagkasabi kasi ng 'Oy' lumingon ako agad e sinalubong tuloy ako ng baba ni Glen. Di nya rin ata expected na mangyayari yon.
Alanganin naman akong ngumiti sa kanya na ngayon ay hawak yung baba nya na tinama ng ulo ko. Ngumiti naman sya pabalik saka ginulo ang buhok ko.
The breakfast was peaceful. Tahimik si Kuya na umupo, kumain at umalis sa harap ng mesa. Sa sobrang awkward ng ambiance, tahimik rin kami ni Glen or tahimik naman talaga si Glen? Ayst ewan.
After lunch, I decided to go to the mini-stop store nearby to buy some ice cream to mend the hot weather. On the last step of the stair I saw Glen and Kuya sitting. I was just about to joke them both when Glen spoke something serious.
"I can just go home," mababa ang boses na sabi ni Glen habang pinapaikot ang phone niya sa daliri.
"No."
Bahagyang tumawa si Glen to somehow broke the silence. The statement given by Kuya was like a command. You cannot break it. You can't oppose.
Glen stopped playing his phone with his fingers.
"She must be hurting just by the mere thought that I'm living in her house." Pero walang sinabi si Kuya. I can't really see his reactions kasi nakatalikod sila sakin but I can feel that he is tensed. Both of them.
"I really appreciate everything, James," saka bahagyang lumingon si Glen kay Kuya at ngumiti pero nanatiling diretso ang tingin ni Kuya, ni hindi lumingon o sumilip manlang, saka ibinalik ni Glen ang atensyon sa kanyang harapan.
"You're staying." Napatayo naman si Glen at humarap patagilid kay Kuya.
"James, come on."
"Come on! Kapatid ka rin ni Kristina," napatayo na rin si Kuya. At ako? Naputol ang paghinga habang pinapanuod sila.
Kapatid? Si Glen? Paano?
Tears started rolling down my cheeks. Ang gulo. Paano? Bakit? Kanino?
I felt betrayed. Kailan pa 'to alam ni Kuya? Bakit 'di niya sinabi? Bakit 'di ko alam? Akala ko ba no secrets ?
Napatawa naman ako sa loob-loob ko. Ha! No secrets. Naglilihim ka rin Kristina, wag kang magmalinis.
"You said you want her to acknowledge you? You want her to know you too? That you are also her brother. Then why leave? Hindi ka pa niya kilala. Ano? You can't stand the responsibilites of being a part of this damned family I'm in?" lintanya ni Kuya habang dinuduro sa dibdib si Glen. Parang nanghahamon. This is the first time I saw him like this.
Damned family? iyon ba ang tingin niya samin? Okay naman kami. Okay lang naman kami. Okay lang naman diba
I bit my lips to prevent myself from further crying. Kuya's hurting. Since when? He sounds so burdened. It seems like he's doomed. He sounds like it's a jinx. He sounds like he regret being part of this family. Does he regret being my brother too? Ito ba ang problema na sinasabi ni Cathy na hindi ko alam?
"It's not like that bro. Ayaw ko lang dumagdag pa sa problema mo. Ayaw ko lang masaktan ang mama mo," Glen is trying to reason out but Kuya didn't listen. Panay lang ang iling nito at ayaw pagbigyan si Glen na umalis.
"I know. Your mother doesn't like me being here. Hindi man niya sinasabi, it's breaking her heart. That the sole reason why her man left her was just inside her own house. The pest was roaming around her kids. That's the only reason why I will leave. I don't wanna hurt her."
I'm still shocked. What the hell are they talking about? He is the sole reason? A pest? What? I'm still flustered by the sudden revelations but what surprised me the most is what Kuya has replied.
"Break news: I don't really care."
My knees go jelly and the next thing I know was the shock and concerned face of Glen looking at me and Kuya leaving. Tiningnan niya lang ako saglit, without any glint of emotion in his eyes.
He doesn't care to me too?
BINABASA MO ANG
Until the Last Page
Teen Fiction"There is nothing worse than meeting the perfect person at the wrong time." Kristina Azalea Villazarde is always fascinated by the idea of love. She is a girl, like a book, open to anyone who likes to read her. And she sees love as something powerfu...
