Trieja: Jake And Josh [Under Revision]

Chapter 38

"I first met them sa bayan. My family sell vegetables and fruits, so technically, we met at the Public Market. I'm no gay nor bisexual, but I was extremely attracted to Gabriel when I first ever saw him. Pero kalat sa buong bayan na ikakasal na sila ni Jennette, though I also liked her, I kept my distance.

"But I think I caught Jennette's attention. So just like what happened with Marilyn, ilang beses kaming nagkita ni Jennette ng patago. I was afraid of the result of our sinful affair, but I kept going anyway. Alam kong masama ang ginagawa namin dahil ikakasal na siya, pero pinagpatuloy pa rin namin."

Sumimsim si Papa Joaquin sa tiniplang kape. I kept playing with my glass of milk as I silently listened to his story.

"I never felt this kind of love in my entire life when I was with Jennette, but it wasn't that long when Gabriel found out about everything. Of course, they pretended to quarrel in front of me." Ngumisi siya sa akin. "Familiar?"

Tumango ako. "Yes."

It's the same as what Jake told me.

"But I never forget Gabriel's piercing eyes everyday he walked passed our stall. Kasabay ng pagputok ng balitang na-postpone ang kanilang wedding ay ang araw-araw na pagbisita ni Gabriel sa bahay namin. At first, akala ko ay binabantayan niya lang ang mga galaw ko para hindi ako makalapit kay Jennette, but I was wrong.

"Jennette gave him a chance to get to know me..."

Parang si Josh lang kay Jake.

"And when he was sure that I am locked in his grasp, he offered me marriage. Akala ko noon ay nasira ang kanilang relasyon dahil sa akin, yet again, I was extremely wrong. Matunog man ang apelyido ng mga Ignacio sa bayan, pero iilan lang ang nakakaalam sa kanilang tradisyon.

"So I was really shocked to know that the three of us will be married. Ikinasal man kaming tatlo... I felt happy that day which is weird, but confusion got the best of me. So I immediately walked away from that scene the reason why I wasn't in our wedding photo." Papa Joaquin chuckled. "Naalala ko pa nga dahil muntik ng pabagsakin ni Gabriel ang photographer dahil wala iyon free time para mag-set ng appointment for a photoshoot... thankfully I was there to stop him."

Napangisi ako nung may maalala. "That explains everything."

He laughed knowingly. "Manang-mana si Jake sa kanyang ama, right?"

"Indeed."

Medyo kinabahan ako nung unti-unting nawala ang ngiti sa mga labi ni Papa Joaquin.

"But then... I cheated on them... and it tore our bond apart." Sumimsim siya ulit ng kape. "And not a single day passed by of how much I regret having an affair with someone... trying to love someone just because I was losing their attention. I regret searching for the love I want just because both of them are no longer the first time we met."

Kumunot ang noo ko, naiipon ang tapang na magtanong.

"What do you mean, Papa Joaquin?"

Hindi siya agad nakapagsalita. When he looked at me, kahit hindi man niya sabihin, kahit 'di ko pa siya lubusang kilala... alam ko kung kailan may gusto o ayaw sabihin ang isang tao. Nararamdaman ko iyon. And staring at his deep-set dark eyes, I can sense that he's having second thoughts of answering my question.

Pero kalaunan, humugot siya ng isang malalim na hininga bago dahan-dahan bumuka ang bibig.

"You see, Claire, there's a consequence to everything... And loving two people at the same time, it can make you happy and let you feel as if it completed the missing pieces of the whole you. But it only reaches that far... because love is never fair, just like life."