(It's my fault. Nakalagay kasi sa akin, hindi ko pa na-pub ang Chapter 18 then when I checked my noti, may vote at comment na. Sorry guys. Unedited yun at hindi pa tapos. This is the original. Enjoy reading for the second time around.)
Chapter 18: Hug Me
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AFTER Mikee's debut, hindi ko na namalayan na ang bilis ng mga araw.
After what happened on that night... when I throw up, Josh become normal again. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang nagawa ng alak sa kanya... basta biglang ang bait ulit nya.
Which was a good thing, maybe. Hindi ko na nga namalayan na uuwi na si Miguel next week. No more extensions.
I met Josh's mom couple of days ago. It was her birthday. Nung sinundo nya ako sa school, nagulat ako nang ideretso nya ako sa CM Tower.
"Why are we here?" I asked.
"I'm sorry. It's my mom's birthday today and she asked me if I can bring the girl I'm picking up at school with. I tell her, you're Miguel's girl but she didn't believe me. Sorry kung di ko sinabi sayo. Magtatampo kasi yun kapag di kita napapunta ngayon. Sorry for that, Calvy."
I smiled. "It's okay. It's her birthday naman. It's an honor if I can make her happy today. Hindi naman s'ya masungit?"
Narinig ko s'yang tumawa at sumagot ng "Hindi. Mabait yun."
We proceed to the elevator after he parked his car on the underpass of CM Tower.
He typed his passcode and the door opened. His condo's a little bit different than Miguel's at AM. It was all grey in the color. It looks great.
"Mom. We're here. I'm with Miguel's girl." He said from nowhere.
I looked at him straightly. "Josh. Don't call me Miguel's girl. I am not." I said.
"Yet?" He asked.
I stare at him trying to guess what's on his mind then he laugh. "Don't worry. I won't if you don't want."
"Young man!"
A middle aged woman in a wheel chair appeared on our sight.
"How are you here?" Josh asked her and gave him a kiss.
Is she Josh's mom? She's so beautiful. I mean gorgeous.
"I'm fine. Doing fine alone. Because I'm excited to meet this girl... behind you." She said with a little of british accent.
Sinubukan pa n'ya akong silipin sa nakaharang na katawan ni Josh sa akin.
"Ah. Hi–hello po, Ma'am..." I greeted him with nervousness and stuttering.
"Tita Joana's fine. And you must be..." She formed a quotation mark on her fingers and said, "Miguel's girl just like my son said." She said while smiling.
"No, ma'am. Joke lang po ni Josh yun." I joked, too at kinurot sa tagiliran si Josh.
"Aray!" He shouted. Her mom laugh. Ang cute nilang dalawa.
"Introduce yourself, beautiful lady." Tita Joana said.
"I'm Calvary Clough. Happy birthday to you po." I cheerfully said and response to her beso.
"I cooked carbonara for us actually." Josh's mom said.
"Really, mom? That fast? Parang kaninang umalis ako, tulog ka..." Josh asked.
"Of course, son. I have powers. Nakakalakad ako kapag wala ka."
"Psh. Kayo talaga." He said to his mom's joke.
Josh's mom's really lovely. Pati ako na-starstruck. Nagka-crush pa yata ako kay Tita Joana.
"By the way, Calvarie. Kumakain ka ba ng carbonara?" Tita Joana asked me.
"Yes po. That's my favorite." I shared.
"Pareho pala kayo ni Josh..."
I nodded and smile.
Nagka-kwentuhan pa kami habang kumakain. Josh's mom's an amazing woman. How can he grew Josh like an awsome man with her condition?
She honestly narrated her story infront of us. That Josh was only 10 that time when his husband was ambushed while traveling to Cavite. Tita Joana was in the car, too. But because Mr. Albert, Josh's dad is the target... which is the present Governor that time, he was dead on arrival when they tried to send him to the hospital.
Luckily, Tita Joana just got shot four bullets on her knees and thighs. I mean... she's not really lucky with those four bullets but she's lucky because she ended up alive. Who's Josh now if she didn't survived?
"It's been 10 years since the last time I walked. Josh's 21 already. He's studying while running the corporation that his father left to us. It was really hard. Pati tuloy ako na walang alam sa business... napapasubo sa mga meetings. Dagdag pa ng kundisyon ko... ang hirap kumilos."
"But still you contributed alot in our company, mom. Wag ka sana ma-depress ulit dahil di ko kayang patakbuhin 'tong kumpanya na 'to ng mag-isa." He laughed but that doesn't seem a joke.
"Ikaw ba hija? Share your stories to us. You already knew us. I think we should know you, too." Tita Joana suggested.
"Ah– I'm a grade 12-STEM student at St. Anne's. I have an elder brother which is a 4th year college-nursing student. Well, I really want to be a nurse but my dad says... Iba na lang daw. So I'm shifting up to pharmacy."
"That's good, Calvy." Josh uttered.
"Thanks. I'm also a pianist in our church, a Catholic church. My dad's a doctor at AZ's and my mom owns a flower shop outside Mc Kinley."
"Flower shop? I want to visit your mom's shop some other time. I like flowers in my house. At dito sa condo ni Josh, naglalagay ako kadalasan kapag dinadala nya ako dito."
"I like flowers, too Tita. Kaya po nag-flower shop si Mama dahil sa akin."
"Nice. Sa Mc Kinley kayo nakatira?"
"Opo."
"We have a lot of business partners there." She shared. I just smiled.
"Mom. Tama na nga ang usapang business. Naririndi na ako. Pati dito sa bahay." Josh said with irritation.
Tita Joana laughed. She really loves to laugh. I admired her really. Ang galing-galing n'ya para sa akin. I was really inspired. Na...kung dumating man yung panahon na magka-anak ako, I liked to be Tita Joana. Although I liked to be my mom also. Walang bakas ng pagod at parang batang-bata pa. How to be her?
After we ate carbonara, I played with Josh's dogs. They're all cute. Their names are Paprika, Shovel and Pail. I asked why is that then Tita Joana answered for him.
"He really likes the children show "Blues Clues". So he named his dogs from the name of the talking things there."
"Mom!" Josh yelled.
"Why? College ka na, pinapanood mo pa yun?"
I burst into laughter. That's cute. Pareho sila ng Mommy n'ya.
Late 7PM, hinatid na ako ni Josh. His earing's shinning in the light from somewhere. I went to his car with a smile on my face. Goals si Josh and Tita Joana. Dalawa lang sila pero parang nagagawa na nilang pasayahin ang atmosphere ng buong paligid.
I remember Josh's aura everytime I'm looking at him before. Parang papatay. But it's really nice to know him now. Na hindi pala ganun. Simangot lang s'ya pero masaya kasama.
"Hindi mapagkakailang mag-ina kayo." I said while Josh's turning the steering wheel.
"Why?" He asked with a smile.
"Close na close kayo. And obviously, she knows alot about you."
"Dadalawa na nga lang kami, hindi pa kami magpansinan. Tsaka sa kondisyon ni Mommy, dapat talaga lagi akong nasa tabi n'ya. She got depressed when my father died and she knew she woudn't able to walk again. Bata pa lang ako, itinaga ko na sa bato na dapat walang iwanan."
"I admire you on that part... Talagang sa kanya ka nagmana."
"No. Kay Daddy. Kung alam mo lang."
I looked at him and asked why.
"Every piece of my face, I got him. Everything. Pati ugali, sabi ni Mommy. Naninigarilyo, black label ang favorite, tumutugtog ng base. Even a birth mark on my chest. Nakuha ko lahat kay Dad."
"Wow. Ang lakas ng genes n'ya sayo."
"No wonder kung bakit hindi na nag-asawa ulit si Mom. Titingin pa lang kasi s'ya sa akin, nakikita na n'ya si Dad."
THAT night, I felt like I knew Josh for a long time. Nalaman ko rin na may tatoo s'ya sa dibdib na arrow kung saan nakaturo sa birthmark n'ya. Na-curious tuloy ako at parang gusto ko na 'ring magpa-tattoo.
Inggitera! Haha.
BACK to reality! Today's Kuya Rave's birthday. And honestly, di ko alam kung ilang taon na s'ya. Basta nagpa-cater lang si Papa at nag-imbita ng mga kapitbahay sa subdivision. Mga classmates ni Kuya. Si Mikee at si Josh. Mga kakilala ni Mama na umo-order at bumibili sa flower shop n'ya and the rest are my fathers co-doctors and nurses at AZ's.
It was a little late at night when they started to drink. Papa allowed me but I don't drink because my Mama opposed. Nag-away pa sila dahil do'n. Si Mikee ay pa-shot-shot lang at si Josh, umiinom talaga.
Tatlo kami sa table at may kung anu-anong pinag-uusapan tungkol sa school. Si Josh, graduate na kaya sa kanya kami nag-shashare.
"Alam mo, si Ma'am Luis... Nakaka-irita. Ang daming pa-lecture!"
"Tapos nagpapa-quiz, di manlang nagtuturo." Dagdag ko.
"Sa college, mas malala yung mga ganyan. Kahit hindi kayo matuto, problema n'yo yun. Kayo pa ang mag-eeffort para lang maka-graduate." Josh shared.
"Ayoko nang mag-aral!" Mikee said. "Mag-aasawa na ako!"
"Sira ka, Kimi." Sagot ni Josh.
MAYA-MAYA nagpaalam si Josh na lalabas dahil walang signal sa loob. Tumatawag daw ang mommy nya at kami ni Mikee ang naiwan mag-isa.
"Bes. Di ka ba nahulog kay Josh?"
"Ha?" I asked with a frown.
"Kay Josh. Na-fall. Kahit konti."
"Hindi. Bakit? Anong klaseng tanong 'yan?"
"Kasi. Halos tatlong buwan kayong magkasama tapos, wala manlang spark? Siya talaga gusto ko para sa'yo Calvy." Sabay simangot.
"You don't have my heart, Mikee." I smiled at her.
"Babalik na si Miguel. Sa kanya ka na ulit."
"Eh ano naman? That's what we're supposed to be."
"Jo-vy shipper ako."
"Lasing ka na... Pahatid ka na kay Josh. Umuwi na kayo may samba pa kayo bukas."
"Hindi. Pwede namang sa Youth Service na lang ako pumunta e."
"Baliw ka. Parehong mahalaga yun kaya pareho mo dapat puntahan."
"Pareho lang naman ang sasabihin ni Pastor dun."
"Ugok. Bahala ka d'yan. Tatawagin ko si Josh."
"Calvy!" She cried pero hindi ko pinansin. Lasing na 'yun kaya paganun-ganun lang 'yun.
I proceed on our gate kung saan nakita kong nakatalikod na nakatayo si Josh. He's talking to someone and I didn't mean to hear what he's saying.
"Fuck dude."
Nanlaki ang mata ko nang marinig kong magmura ng malutong si Josh. I didn't know he can do that cursing.
"Bumalik na sana sya. Hindi ko na kaya pigilan."
Then I think the call ended.
I go outside and walk towards him.
"Uy! Hi. Kanina ka pa?" He asked.
"Hindi. Kakarating ko lang. "
Nung makita n'ya ako parang nakakita s'ya ng multo.
"Hatid mo na si Mikee. May tama na s'ya. Sasamba pa kayo bukas at baka hinahanap na yun sa kanila." Sabi ko kay Josh. At nung paalis na ako bigla sya nagsalita.
"Kahit konti ba? Wala?" tanong n'ya.
"Calvy. Kapag ba kasama mo ako, wala ka manlang nararamdaman? Kahit konti?", hindi ako makasagot. Bigla na naman akong naguluhan.
"This sounds childish pero kung meron, pwede bang yakapin mo ako? Gusto kong malaman. Kung wala, just turn your back. Iwan mo na ako dito at balikan mo na si Mikee."
He said with a serious low tone. I can feel the pain in him now. Yung parang alam naman nya yung sagot pero nagbabaka sakali pa rin sya.
Paano naman ako?
(#)