08
"We're gonna eat here?" nakasimangot kong tanong nang pumasok kami sa isang shabu-shabu.
Hindi niya ako sinagot at pumasok na sa loob. Humalukipkip ako at sinundan siya.
I'm not really into places like these. Mostly, sa mga restaurant ako kumakain. College pa ako noong huli kong punta sa mga ganito. It is also scary to think about the sanitation. I mean, I'm not maarte naman, pero basta.
Hindi na lang din ako nag-reklamo kasi baka ito lang ang afford ni CJ. Hindi rin naman ako matapobre. But still, it's evident that he's got a lot of money.
"Choose anything you like," aniya nang maupo na kami.
I frowned ang looked at the laminated menu. Binasa ko ito pero wala akong nagustuhan kaya ibinigay ko sa kanya.
"I'll have what you have."
He looked at me. Nagtaas ako ng kilay lalo na at napangiti siya, pero umiling lamang si CJ. He called the waiter and ordered.
"Hindi ka yata mahilig sa mga ganito," aniya nang iwan kami ng waiter.
"Hindi nga. I just don't find it amusing," sabi ko. "Kung gusto mo lang naman palang kumain ng hotpot, sana nagpunta na lang tayo sa malapit na Korean restaurant. They have a lot of more delicious meal."
"Pare-pareho lang naman sila, Euresah."
"Pero hindi naman kita masisisi kung hindi mo afford. Since libre mo naman, I'm fine here."
Mahina siyang natawa. Mukha siyang pagod at inaantok. Or maybe that's just how his eyes really looked like. Kung hindi siya nakangiti, aakalain mong galit sa mundo, eh.
"Ano nga pala ang ginagawa mo dun?" I asked. "That is a lady's boutique."
Hindi na muna siya nakasagot nang dumating ang waiter at inalalayan kami para sa hotpot.
"O baka sinusundan mo ako?" I added which made him and the waiter looked at me.
My cheeks blushed. Pero nagkunwari akong hindi affected. I flipped my hair and crossed my arms as I stared at CJ who's smiling.
"Hindi kita sinusundan, Euresah," aniya. "May bibilhin lang sana ako dun."
I gasped and put a hand on my mouth. "Are you gay? Do you cross-dress?"
Ngayon ay sumimangot na talaga siya, lalo na at nagulat ang waiter at bumaling sa kanya. When the hotpot is all set, we wore our aprons. I just let him takeover and watched him pulled his sleeves unto his elbows.
Mas nakita ko lang tuloy ang muscles niya. Imposible na bakla siya kasi he's too manly. But who knows...
"Are you gay?" I asked again.
He frowned and stared at me. "I'm not gay, Euresah."
"Eh, bakit ka nga nandoon? Unless you want to buy a dress for someone."
Nag-iwas ako ng tingin. Sinabi niya naman na wala siyang girlfriend. Still, I can't seem to think of anything else. Baka may nililigawan siya or crush.
"Yeah," aniya. "I'm buying a dress for someone."
I felt something in my chest. Frustrated? Disappointed? Hindi ko alam.
"Para kanino?" My gosh, I am sounding curious!
He looked at me. "For my sister."
Kumurap-kurap ako. I looked away. "You have a sister pala?"
He nodded and continued to concentrate on the hotpot.
I was... glad. He looked serious naman when he said that. Hinayaan ko na lang siyang magluto. I would be looking at my phone and checking my long bangs.
When it's cooked, he handed me a pot. I saw how his muscles flexed. And those veins... Naku!
"No girlfriend since birth ka pa ba?" I asked, striking a convo.
"I had two exes," aniya. "Bakit mo natanong?"
"Wala. Curious lang."
So, two girlfriends... I mean, I already dated men before, but it's never serious. Siguro maalaga siya sa babae, considering na may kapatid siyang babae. Mukha rin siyang gentleman kahit hindi halata.
"Sino 'yung nakaaway mo kanina?" he asked.
I snorted. "A bitch! Naalala mo ba 'yung kuwento ko sa 'yo nung una tayong kumain sa isang restaurant?"
He nodded. "Noong umiyak ka at sumigaw-sigaw sa parking lot?"
Sumimangot ako. "You don't have to remind me that." Natawa siya. "Anyways, iyon nga! Siya iyong tinutukoy ko na Charlotte! Nakakagigil."
He handed the box of tissue on my part of the table when some of my soup spilled because of my exaggeration.
"At bakit naman?"
"She said I was too annoying," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Maybe she can't handle me anymore kaya gusto na niya akong sampalin. Ugh!"
"Pero... bakit nga?"
I opened my mouth, ready to tell him about my sob high school story, but I stopped and cleared my voice. "Inggit, eh."
He raised a brow and pretended he did not notice my hesitation.
Nakakahiya kung ikukuwento ko sa kanya ang nangyari sa 'kin. I don't want him to know that I was vulnerable. That I was a bullied girl in high school. Ayaw kong isipin niya na mahina ako.
I am strong now – stronger that I used to be. And that's what matters.
"Anong gagawin mo kung tuluyan ka na nga niyang sinampal?" he shyly asked.
"Edi sasampalin ko rin siya. Easy peasy."
He raised a brow. "Para ka na ring bumaba sa level niya niyan?"
"I won't stoop down to her level! Gusto ko rin naman siyang sampalin, eh. Kahit noon pa man."
We continued to eat and talked about Charlotte – well, mostly ako lang naman ang nagra-rant at nakikinig lang naman siya. I cursed my bully so much until I ran out of words to say. Naubos na rin namin ang pagkain.
"Uuwi ka na ba pagkatapos nito?" I asked when we went out.
Umiling siya. "Bibili pa ako ng regalo para sa kapatid ko."
I smiled at him. "Can I join you? Tutal wala naman akong gagawin ngayong gabi, eh."
His eyes went to mine. "Okay."
Matagal niya akong tinitigan kaya nag-iwas ako ng tingin. I flipped my hair and walked first, ignoring my heart beating twice.
"How old is your sister?" I asked when we strolled around the mall.
He tilted his head and touched his nape. Natawa ako lalo na at kumunot ang noo niya, mukhang nag-iisip.
"Hindi mo alam ang age ng sister mo?" ani ko. "That's absurd."
"I lost track... perhaps 24? 25? Around that age."
Natawa ako at napa-iling.
"Bakit, alam mo ba ang edad ni Mr. Martinez?" aniya.
"Yup! He's 33 years old." I snorted. "Dapat alam mo ang edad ng kapatid mo 'no."
Magalang niyang hinawakan ang balikat ko para itulak ako sa gilid nang may dumaan na mga salesman na nagtutulak ng mga karton.
"Ikaw?" I looked at him. "How old are you?"
"29 years old." Tumingin din siya sa 'kin. "How about you?"
"27 years old," I mumbled.
It was weird to let him know my age. I mean, hindi naman personal pero para bang mas may abante na siya kaysa sa mga taong nasa paligid ko. For me, it was weird to say things about myself.
"Ano bang gusto mong bilhin para sa... anong pangalan ng sister mo?" I asked.
"Chona." He sighed. "And I don't know what to buy her."
"Tumingin ka na sa mga damit kanina, 'di ba?"
"Oo pero... hindi ko alam. Baka ayaw niya."
I don't know much about her sister. Kaya hindi na rin ako nag-abala pa na problemahin 'yun kasi hindi naman kami magkapatid. Pero alam ko na may isang bagay na gusto ng mga babae.
"I know what to buy," sabi ko.
Naglakad na ako. Nakasunod lamang si CJ sa akin. Pumasok kami sa branch ng Serese Jewels. Kaagad akong napangiti nang makita ko ang mga naka-display na mga alahas.
I looked at CJ, but it turned out that he was already looking at me. "Is this okay? Sapat ba ang budget mo?"
"Yeah. Ikaw na bahalang pumili."
I asked for his sister's face. Pinakita niya naman sa 'kin ang picture ng kapatid niya sa cellphone. She looked pretty and cute. Simple lang din at magkahawig sila – kung hindi lang palaging nakasimangot si CJ.
In the end, we agreed to buy a bracelet for her. Kaagad naman kaming lumabas sa store.
"Hatid na kita," alok ko.
He raised his brow. "Bakit?"
"Wala lang." I looked away. "You saved me from that bitch's slap. Nilibre mo rin ako. Kaya naman deserve mong ihatid pauwi."
"I can manage."
"But I insist."
Mataman niya akong tiningnan at bumuntong-hininga. "Fine."
Naglakad na kami palabas ng mall. It was dark and cold. Kaagad naman naming nahanap ang sasakyan pagdating sa parking lot. Alam ko na rin kung saan siya nakatira.
"No offense," panimula ko," pero you look wealthy naman. You even bought a jewelry worth 15 thousand – in cash. 'Tsaka sa private firm ka rin nagtatrabaho. Bakit wala ka pang sasakyan?"
He lowly chuckled. May ka-text siya pero nahinto si CJ at bumaling sa 'kin.
"Secret."
I frowned. "I am serious... 'tsaka curious na rin. Kasi mas maganda na mag-invest ka sa sasakyan kasi kailangan mo rin naman para sa trabaho."
He intently listened with a smile on his face.
"Tapos, it would be a great help. Paano kung may ime-meet kang kliyente? Magco-commute ka pa kung ganun? 'Tsaka hassle ang traffic. Marami pang masungit na driver nowadays."
"Secret nga," aniya.
Sumimangot ako. Natawa lamang siya. I was being kind to him! I was striking a very important convo about the advantages of having car especially in his work, pero tinatawanan niya lamang ako.
It seemed like he doesn't want to talk about it. Hindi ko na rin itinulak pa na pag-usapan iyong sa sasakyan kasi ang insensitive ko naman kung ganun. I am rich, but I am not a matapobre.
"Kuya," I called when we were dismissed from a board meeting. "Kumusta 'yung project sa Rizal?"
I can see that he was stressed about it. Base pa lang sa buntong-hininga niya. Tungkol din roon ang meeting namin kanina. I figured out that the rest don't know about the problem with the land. Kaya naman nag-alala na ako.
"Atty. Perez is working on it," tugon niya.
"Are you pressing charges towards the people who won't go away?"
Sinenyasan niya ako na hinaan ang boses. 'Tsaka lang kami nagpatuloy nang naiwan kaming naglalakad.
"Sinusubukan ko na hindi aabot diyan. We are working on it now. Atty. Perez is processing the papers already."
"Kawawa naman siya kung ganun."
"Bakit naman kawawa?" Kuya asked.
"I mean, sobrang hassle siguro sa part niya na mag-trabaho pero nagco-commute pa rin."
He chuckled. "Commute? Anong pinagsasabi mo, Ysah?"
"Wala siyang car, you know. So be kind to him."
He stopped walking and looked at me as if I'm crazy. "He has a car, Ysah. Napansin ko na dalawa pa nga, eh. Noong nagkita kami sa restaurant, may dala siyang puting sasakyan. Tapos nitong nakaraan naman ay itim."
I frowned. "R-Really?"
"Uh huh."
Hindi na niya ako hinintay lalo na at tinawag siya ng sekretarya niya. I was left there standing, questioning myself if I really heard my brother. May sasakyan siya... what the hell?!