ENSHROUDED

Bong

“I hate him,” Bong talked at last.

“Who?” No…not again…

“Tatay. I thought he would really come…and that I could see him for the first time…”

“Bong-”

“I curse him. He’s a coward. I don’t want to see him again.”

“Bong, I think it’s time that you should know the truth about your Tatay.”

At that moment, Nyor was envigorated. “What truth?”

“You’re father’s sick.” What disease? Think Luisa…uhm…Cancer? AIDS? Leprosy?

“Sick? He’s sick? Since when?”

“Since his first year in Dubai…I dunno…it’s a rare disease…his skin is terrible…he’s so thin…”

Bong’s anger towards his father suddenly turned to pity. He felt worried. “Did he send a new picture? Where is he then?”

Luisa had diaphoresis. She was feeling guilty of her new alibi. “No picture…you’re father won’t let us see his condition.”

“Where is he?"

“He’s in Australia, seeking medical assistance.”

“I’ll pray for him.”

Entering Caningay National High School opened a new world for Bong. After surviving the intimidating puberty years, Bong turned into a beautiful man that every girl would crave for. He was the ultimate campus crush.

It was also in CNHS that he met his only barkada, the ‘G. melina Boys’, named after their favorite tambayan below the G. melina trees.

“Pre, Jenny has a crush on you,” Larry told Bong one afternoon at their tambayan.

“Naks! Another one?” Lando quipped.

Hans, who was on the curved branch of a G. melina tree, suddenly jumped to the ground and said, “Too much, Bong! Give us the others!”

Bong just smiled.

“I heard that you screwed Carla already?”

“No way!’ Bong finally said. “I didn’t even spoke to her after he treated us banana cues.”

“Ows?” Larry and Hans chorused.

“That girl? She’s a pimple who evolved into a face.”

And the four laughed.

On weekeneds, when they had nothing to do or had exhausted themselves playing basketball, the barkada would stay at Lando’s uncle who was a barber. It was there that Bong learned how to cut hair. At first, he was just observing. But as time passed by, he mastered the use of scissors and comb and began cutting his friends’ hairs for free.

Bong never inquired his mother about his father all throughout his high school life. He never asked about the progress of his treatment or whether he’s going home at last or not. But during his graduation day, he finally asked his mother which ignited a serious fight between them.

“I know you’re father will be proud of you, Bong…” Luisa told his son as she fixed his toga.

Bong laughed sarcastically. “Whatever,” he replied.

Luisa was hit by his son’s sarcasm. “What did you say? Say that AGAIN!”

“I said ‘whatever’…I mean…I don’t care.”

SLAP!

“RICHARD, YOU’RE GETTING RUDE! IS THAT WHAT YOU GET WITH YOUR BARKADA?!” Luisa was furious. Her makeup was ruined as she began to sweat.