Nasa frontseat si Santino habang papunta kami kina Ate Nia. I was just quiet at the backseat, nag-uusap lang naman si Santino at yung driver tungkol sa mga sasakyan. There were times that I would catch him look at me through the rearview mirror pero nag-iiwas din agad siya ng tingin pag nahuhuli ko siya. Nakasuot kaming dalawa ng shades dahil namumula ang mga mata naming dalawa, lalo na yung sa kanya.
Santino's phone rang kaya natigil siya sa pakikipag-usap sa driver at sinagot yung cellphone niya. "Ate...yes, we're on our way. Sorry natagalan...opo...okay, bye."
Nakakahiya na natagalan kami ni Santino dahil sa pag-uusap namin kanina. Sana nga lang hindi nila mahalata yung mga mata namin mamaya.
Hindi nagtagal ay dumating na rin kami sa shop nina Ate Nia. Magkatabi lang pala yung milktea shop at yuung laundry nila Ate Nia. So habang naghihintay ka sa mga damit mo ay pwede kang bumili ng milktea at snacks sa kabilang shop. What a strategy.
"Zia, Santi! Finally! Pasok kayo at pumili na kayo ng milktea niyo, it's on me since first time niyo naman." Nakangiting sabi ni Ate Nia pagkababa namin sa sasakyan.
"Thank you, Ate Nia," I smiled as I removed my sunglasses, hoping that my eyes are not red anymore. "what do you recommend?"
"I'll just give you my bestsellers, would that be okay?" Tanong niya samin at tumango lamang kami ni Santino.
"Si Kuya Naj?" Santino asked.
"Nasa kabila." Sagot ni Ate Nia habang naghahanda para sa mga milktea namin.
"Puntahan ko lang." Sabi ni Santino bago umalis at hindi na tumingin sakin.
Ate Nia glanced at me when Santino left. Ngumiti lamang ako ng maliit kay Ate Nia. I'm sure she sensed something.
"Pwede ba akong tumulong, Ate?" I asked.
"Sige! Halika," Ate Nia smiled before handing me the spatula. "bantayan mo muna yung pearls, malapit nang matapos yan. You'll know when it's done kasi iilaw yung machine." She told me.
"Okay, Ate." I answered.
"Are you guys okay?" Ate Nia asked as she turned the blender on.
Bumuntong hininga ako. "Hindi mashado, Ate..."
"Oh, sudden lq? Okay naman kasi kayo kanina pagkaalis namin ni Naj..." She said before looking at me.
"Mukhang ganon na nga, Ate," Sabi ko bago inoff yung machine dahil umilaw na ito. "kasalanan ko rin po."
Lumapit sakin si Ate at nilagyan ng pearls yung cups namin. She smiled at me. "Just give him time, Zia. I know my brother, he may be an ass sometimes pero hindi yan ma pride. Maybe find ways to make it up to him...gustong gusto non na sinusuyo."
"Talaga, Ate?"
"Yes, Santi is a big softie," Natawa si Ate Nia. "bata palang kami, sorry at lambing lang yung katapat sa tampo niyan."
