Chapter 25
Bumuntong hininga ako at hinilot ang mga mata. I can't believe they're giving us a quiz in the first week of classes. Hindi na ma-proseso ng utak ko ang mga binabasa dahil sa dami nito. I glanced at the time. It's almost six in the evening.
Napalingon ako sa pintuan nang bumukas ito. Kunot noo kong pinanood si Kuya Aiden na dire-diretso sa kama ko, hindi ako tinapunan ng tingin. He jumped on my bed and busied himself with his phone.
"Kuya?" I asked, confused. "Anong ginagawa mo rito?"
"I'm bored." He said dryly and faced the other side.
Ilang segundo ko siyang tinitigan bago umiling at binalik ang tingin sa binabasa. He does that all the time, it's not surprising. When we were younger he'd annoy the hell out of me. He'd barge in my room to do random things and his twin would join, though Kuya Aidan is pretty much laid back compared to him.
"Ailani..." he called after a few minutes.
"Oh?" Humikab ako at nilingon siya.
"Anong magandang regalo? Elira's birthday is coming up."
Ngumuso ako at nagtaas ng kilay. Sumulyap siya sa akin mula sa paninitig sa phone niya. Kinuha niya ang isang unan ko at niyakap iyon bago binalik ang atensyon sa kaniyang cellphone.
"Well..." tumikhim ako. "She's your girlfriend... I mean, mas may alam ka sa kaniya. Hindi naman pare-pareho ang gusto naming mga babae. Alam mo ba kung anong mga interests niya? Maybe, you could look on that and figure out."
Saglit siyang natahimik. Ibabalik ko na sana ang atensyon sa librong binabasa nang bumukas ang pintuan. Bumungad sa amin si Kuya Aidan. He was topless and his forehead creased when he saw his twin on the bed. He averted his gaze on me after a few seconds.
"Ailani, do you have a lip balm or whatever that is? My lips are dry." Aniya at pumasok ng tuluyan.
I sighed and massaged my temple. Tinuro ko ang katamtaman kong dresser kung nasaan ang mga cosmetics. Umupo si Kuya Aiden at sumandal sa headboard, pinapanood ang kaniyang kambal.
"Dude, ang daming mantika sa baba. Akala ko ba praktikal ka?" He taunted at his twin.
"Bakit 'di ikaw ang gumamit no'n?" Kuya Aidan sneered at his twin while he's busy finding my lip balm.
"Hindi ko naman kailangan 'yon dahil hindi naman natutuyo ang labi ko," Kuya Aiden replied like he meant something else.
My forehead crinkled. Nilingon siya ni Kuya Aidan pagkatapos ay sinulyapan niya ako saglit. Pinulot niya iyong suklay ko at binato niya sa kaniyang kambal. Naka-ilag si Kuya Aiden at batid ang gulat niya.
"Dude, what the fuck?"
Bumuga ako ng hangin at tumayo para tulungan si Kuya Aidan sa paghahanap no'n. Nasa gilid lang naman pero hindi niya yata napapansin dahil hindi naman siya pamilyar. Nagpasalamat siya nang inabot ko 'yon sa kaniya.
"Pwede bang lumabas kayo ng kwarto ko? I'm trying to review here." I muttered and squinted at Kuya Aiden.
Parang hindi nila ako narinig. Kuya Aidan was busy smearing the lip balm on his lips while facing the mirror and Kuya Aiden is again busy on his phone. I groaned and went back to my seat.
Kuya Aidan is leaving for law school two days from now. Just before our classes started, we went to Manila to visit his unit at Vista Heights and deliver his stuff. Ilang araw lang naman kami ro'n at bumalik din kaagad ng Cagayan.
"Ailani," tumayo si Kuya Aiden at naglakad palapit sa akin.
"Ano?" I sighed and rubbed my temples again.
