From A Pebble To Dust

Chapter 10

Batangas

Umuwi din si Lucius bago magdilim. Hindi ko alam ang ginawa nila ni Kuya at hindi ko din naman kailangang alamin. I woke up feeling good. Mabuti hindi ako nilagnat.

"Good Morning Kuya!" I greeted my brother who is eating breakfast. Kumagat sya sa toast nya at nagtataka akong tinignan. He looks so confused, hindi siya sanay na ganito ako. He sipped on his juice at pagkalapag sa la mesa, nagpunas sya ng labi.

"You're happy. Bakit?"

"I woke up to a beautiful morning! Ayaw mo ba? Just tell me so I can go and get grumpy all day," I didn't look at him kasi dumampot ako ng toast saka naglagay din ako ng eggs and sausage sa plate ko.

"No, just stay jolly. Ayokong may umaaligid sakin na halimaw."

I stopped picking up the sausages and I looked at him. Ang kapal nga naman ng mukha nya 'no. He's the halimaw, not me.

"Sino kaya ang halimaw satin?"

"Ikaw." mabilis nyang sagot.

I finished putting food on my platter saka ako umayos ng upo. I'm gonna make him realize how much of a halimaw he is.

"I'm not the halimaw, you are. Halimaw sa babae, halimaw sa pag-aaral, halimaw sa lahat! At lalong lalo nang halimaw sa pagkain," I smiled. The side of his lip rose and he shook his head.

"I'm a good type of halimaw Seth, unlike you." mockery in his voice was very much evident. Hindi ko talaga gusto ang tono nya kaoag nang-aasar, I always lose.

"Alright, halimaw nga ako." ngumisi siya dahil akala nya nanalo siya. "But I'm a beautiful halimaw." I winked at him. Ngumiwi siya at isinubo ang kalahating toast na hawak nya bilang pagtutol. I just smirked and ignored him. I won at that, didn't I? Or just partly.

"Bilisan mo tapos samahan mo ako ha." tinignan ko siya. Samahan saan? May pupuntahan ako.

"I can't, may pupuntahan ako."

"Ano? Saan?"

"K-Kayna Caleb."

"Ha? Bakit? Pool party na naman?"

"No! Naiwan ko yung bag ko sakanila kahapon, so babalikan ko. Ayaw kasing balikan ni Lucius eh." I whispered the last sentence.

"Then let's get it."

"Saan ka ba kasi pupunta at kailangan pang kasama ako?"

"You said you wanted to go to Batangas, right?"

"O-oo, nung isang araw."

I wanna go back to Batangas, since it is summer. Magandang panahon ito para bumisita diba? I like Batangas. A breathe of fresh air.

"I'm going there. May gagawin kami doon saka magu-unwind, vacation, three days yun."

"Woah, three days?"

"Oo. Kaya naisip ko na gusto mo nga palang magpunta doon. Kaya sumama ka na."

"Sinong kasama mo?"

"Sina Jandy. Saka si Natasha."

"Oh Natasha.."

"I know you don't like her, pero kasama sya."

"Sige na nga. Kasama ba si Perry?" Perry is my worst nightmare. Kung nasaan kami madalas ay naroon sya, hindi ko gusto 'yon.

"Yeah. Nayaya ko na sya kahapon pa eh."

"How dare you, Kuya! Niyaya mo sya and ako, hindi?"

"That's why I'm inviting you now."