Escaping Strings

Chapter 48: The Siblings

“What, you'll just stare at it? Eat up — Oh, what happened to you?” he asks when I suddenly give him a hug beside me on the couch.

“Nothing,” I said, shaking my head, feeling bliss. “I'm just thankful.”

“Thankful? For what? It's not like I have done anything big, I'd just served you your cravings,” natatawang sabi niya kasabay ng pagyakap din niya sa akin pabalik.

“I don't know. For letting me stay here, maybe?”

Humiwalay ako sa kaniya para umpisahan na ang pagkain. It is so delicious. Ang asim ng mangga at sobrang sarap ng bagoong! Maalat siya na maanghang na matamis, it matches the sourness of the mango. Agh! Jazzy's cooking skills are so good as well as my brother's talent of picking these too sour mangoes just like I wanted. Wait, how did he get....

“Where did you get these? Buti at may nahanap ka? And you're quick, huh? Nice,” I said like I'm giving him an appraisal.

“Consider it as luck, sis,” he winks, “My hot body's luck — I mean, your baby's luck, haha.”

Chuckling a bit, I shrug my shoulders and eat. Tumabi si Jazmin kay kuya bago namin sinimulan ang palabas. It's a horror film, I chose it. I don't know if it's just me or seriously, my brother's acting overly. Hindi naman kasi nakatatakot pero kung makasiksik ng mukha sa leeg ni Jazmin, akala mo.... Okay, he is just taking advantage of the film as well as his girl. Gusto lang talaga niya lumandi at the moment. Hay, nako, ano pa ba ang bago? Bahala sila riyan, basta ako ay nanonood ay kumakain ng....

“Kuya!” hampas ko sa braso niya.

“Ouch! What is it? You scared? Want me to hug you too?” natatarantang tanong niya na may halong katarantaduhan na nagpasama lalo ng tingin ko sa kaniya.

“Not that! This!” Tinuro ko ang bowl na kanina ay naglalaman ng napakaraming hiwa ng mangga na ngayon ay wala na. “Get me more!” I requested like a spoiled, little sister.

Ini-spoil naman talaga kami ni kuya noong mga panahon na hindi pa niya naiisipang lumayas.

“Dang!” he hissed. “You eat like a hungry man, too quick.”

“Just get me more,” I murmured while pouting like a kid.

“Yeah, right, kiddo.”

Jazzy and I silently watched and focused to what we are watching. We both love horror movies at kahit na paminsan-minsan ay nagugulat kami, hindi naman kami natatakot talaga nang sobra to the point na kung ano-ano nang nai-imagine namin once na maiwanan kaming mag-isa. We're getting more serious to what we are seeing on the big screen when hand hold my shoulder like trying to scare me. Pagtingin ko, syempre, ang abnormal kong kapatid. Ginawa rin pala niya kay Jazmin ang ginawa niya sa akin kaya ayon, nakatikim siya ng masamang tingin from both of his sides. Alam naman niyang hindi kami magugulatin eh, ginawa pa rin.

“Ha–ha! You scared us,” I mocked before rolling my eyes.

“Just trying,” sabi naman niya habang tumatawa.

Bumalik naman siya sa puwesto niya sa pagitan namin ni Jaz saka ibinigay sa akin ang kanina ko pa hinihintay na mangga.

“Thanks,” sabi ko nang nasa pinanonood pa rin ang mga mata.

It is our third film at ganoon lang ang ayos. Kain lang ako nang kain at uutusan si kuya kung sakaling maubos man ang mangga o ang bagoong na kinakain ko. I am sharing it with Jazmin too because all the girls I know loves how sour the mangoes of this kind are and the taste of shrimp paste with it. Napansin kong patingin-tingin si kuya hanggang sa kukuha na rin sana siya ng mangga nang ilayo ko ito sa kaniya. Tiningnan naman niya ako nang parang may nagawa akong mali. Itinuloy niya ang paglapit ng kamay niyang naiwan sa ere nang ilayo ko ang bowl kanina pero nilayo ko lang ito ulit.

“Ang damot mo,” he scowled in Filipino language and I laughed inside my head. “I'm the one who bought and peeled it yet you're—”

“Shhh!” I shushed, ignoring what he's saying.

I heard him groan before hugging Jazmin's arm. Patingin-tingin pa rin siya sa mangga pero iniinggit ko lang siya nang iniinggit. Binibigyan ko si Jazzy at ipinadaraan mismo sa harapan niya ang bowl ng mangga pero hindi ko siya pinakukuha. Minsan naman ay aakto ako nang para bang susubuan ko siya. Bumubuka naman ang bibig niya pero ako rin ang kumakain na nagpapasimangot sa mukha niya. All I want is to tease him 'cause I missed seeing him pissed, hahaha! I'm sorry, but I want it just for me, Jazzy and the baby.

“Hey, big brother,” I called him. “Last one, peel me one more of it.”

Humarap naman siya sa akin nang masama ang tingin. My, my, I forgot, so funny of me. Hindi ko siya binibigyan kanina tapos utos ako nang utos sa kaniya. Hahaha, wow.

“Tsk! Go peel yourself one. May isa pa yata roon,” inis na sabi nito.

But I am his little sister, he can't resist his little sister.

“Kuya naman eh! Dali naaa,” pangungulit ko but he shushed me back like what I did to him earlier.

He's ignoring me. I thought.... Tss, I hate him. Bahala nga siya! Inis kong inilapag ang bowl sa coffee table. Napatingin naman silang dalawa sa akin.

“Hmp!” I hissed, looking away from him.

I know, I am acting like a baby, but I can't help it. It's not me, it really is the baby. Alam niyo namang hindi ako ganito ka-sensitive noong hindi pa ako buntis, hindi ba? It's my pregnancy, really, blame my pregnancy. Oh, this is that man's fault for getting me pregnant. Agh! At least, I have a little hope now and he doesn't have. Oh, yes, may anak nga pala siya sa ibang babae. So disgusting — Aish! Again, forget that man. Naisingit na naman siya eh, ano? Bad trip.

“What did you do now, Marcus?” nakataas ang kilay na tanong ni Jazmin kay kuya.

I hid my smile thinking that I have her as an ally but it faded that quick to what he replied. He's so not good.

“She's just acting,” he said calmly before looking back to the screen.

I hissed more and murmured things saying how I hate him kaya hindi naman siya nakatiis at tumayo na muling nagpangiti sa akin nang palihim

“Argh! Fine, alright!”

See? It's because I am his little sister. No brother can resist his little sister. Hihi!

[A/N]

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TEMPTED SERIES
by Peerless-Us

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