Chasing the Fire

Chapter 6

"Hay, hay, hay. Hay!" halos sumabog na ang utak ni Zashiel kakaisip kung bakit at paano raw 'yon nangyari.

Maski ako ay ganoon din. May nagbayad ba sa akin? Kung meron... Sino? It shouldn't be Kuya Lance nor Ate Zheila.

"Pero syempre ang magbabayad lang n'on is 'yung nakakaalam. It's not me co'z I don't have a money." Ate Zheil said bago maupo sa buhangin.

"Or kahit ako. Just like I said earlier, I don't have a money too." Kuya muttered.

Pero syempre ang magbabayad lang n'on is'yung nakakaalam... An idea popped up on my mind. Si Aeon Jovan!

"Si Aeon!" I said.

"Oo nga 'no? Bakit hindi ko naisip 'yon?" Zashiel asked, bumaling siya sa kapatid. "Ang tanga mo kasi." she blamed her sister.

"Bakit ako na naman?" masungit na aniya.

"Syempre, ikaw naman talaga palagi di'ba!" Zashiel said.

"Inggit ka!?" Ate Zheil fired back.

"Bakit naman ako maiinggit sayo? Ganda ka ba?"

"Hush, enough." saway ni Kuya na naglalaro ng tubig.

"The point is, mahirap sila at kailangang-kailangan niya ng pera. Bakit siya pa ang magbabayad?" Ate Zheil asked.

"I agree." Si Kuya.

"Hmm, does she like my sister?" Kuya asked.

"Kuya!" namumula akong ngumuso, randam ko rin ang pag-init ng aking pisngi.

"What? I'm just wondering." He said but after a while he smirked. "Is he the one you like, lilsis?" He asked.

"Oo, Kuya!" Zashiel's the one who answered. I glared her.

He looked at me teasingly.  
    
"Don't be so shy, lilsis. I am your Kuya."

"Kuya!" saway ko.

"What?" he asked innocently.

I just rolled my eyes before getting up. "Uuwi na ko." aniko.   

"Kapag pikon, isang talon!" sabay sabay nila iyong sinabi bago tumawa ng malakas. I rolled my eyes again.

Ang linya ng mga kapre!

When I arrived home, I immediately took a shower and wore a light red dress. I used a blower for my hair and comb it after.

"Gabriella, bumaba ka rito't may naghahanap sa'yo!" sigaw ni Manang Ellen, our maid.

Alas nuebe na, ah? Sino namang maghahanap sa'kin?

I just went downstairs and in my shocked, halos matumba ako nang makita ko kung sino ang sinasabi ni Manang Ellen! 

It was Aeon!   

Pormal siyang naka-upo sa pang-isahang sofa at may hawak hawak na bracelet. I looked at my wrist and there, ngayon ko lang napagtantong hindi ko pala 'yon suot! Kailan pa 'yon nawawala?

"I came here to give it back to you." he gave me the bracelet. It was Kuya's gift in my 14th birthday! Oh my goodness, muntik ko ng mawala!   

"W-Where did you get this?" I asked as I put it back to my left wrist. 

"A waitress in the eatery gave it to me, naiwan mo raw." He said and glared me, tila ipinaparating na burara ako! Teka! Paano ba 'to napuslit sa kamay ko? Hindi ko naman 'yon tinanggal, ah?

"T-Thank you." I said, shy.   

"Next time, you should observe kung ano na ba ang nawawala sa'yo." He said at akmang aalis na siya, pinigilan ko iyon at hinawakan siya sa kaniyang kamay. He looked at it and in my shocked, binitawan ko 'yon bigla.