Nang mag-aalas tres na, medyo nagutom si Carlo. Lumabas siya and looked for something to eat.
May loaf bread pang natira sa ref. And may peanut butter rin. He thought na magmerienda muna sila.
He made seven sandwiches saka dinala sa kwarto. Inalok niya si Warren.
"Wow, ang sweet naman," sabi ni Warren.
"Magtigil ka, sandwich lang iyan," sabi ni Carlo.
"Masungit ka ba talaga? Or playing hard to get ka lang," sabi ni Warren as he took a bite of the sandwich.
"Hindi ka lang prangka, mahangin ka pa," natatawnag sabi ni Carlo.
"In short, astig ako," sabi ni Warren. "Ikaw naman kasi, balak mo pa yatang magpakipot sa akin."
Tumawa ng husto si Carlo. He laughed so hard that bits of sandwich flew out of his mouth.
"Yuck," sabi ni Warren. "Kadiri."
The moment Carlo heard that, he relaized a fact that he almost forgot: Warren, is a self-proclaimed gay guy.
Warren was proud of his sexuality but his attitude, idagdag mo pa ang looks, offsets his feminity.
He stared at Warren a bit saka pinunasan ang kanyang bunganga. Bigla naman napansin ni Warren ang gitara sa kwarto.
"Kanino ito?" sabi niya.
"Kay Vince," sagot ni Carlo.
He remembered na bilin nga pala ni Vince yun sa kanya. It was their so-called 'baby.'
He made a mental note in his mind na linisin ang gitara mamaya pagka-alis ni Warren.
"Ah, yung ex mo," sabi ni Warren. Kinuha niya ang gitara saka tumugtog.
"Marunong ka?" tanong ni Carlo.
"Konti," sabi ni Warren. "Si Vince, tinatawagan ka parin niya?"
"Malamang, mahal niya ako eh," sabi ni Carlo.
"Ows, kung mahal ka niya di ka niya iiwan," sabi ni Warren.
Medyo natamaan si Carlo by what Warren just said. He thought it was insensitive of him to say that.
"Ah basta, sa amin na yun," Carlo said, trying to change the topic.
He wasn't comfortable talking about Vince with others. Kay Sis nga, di pa niya nakwento ang huli nilang pag-uusap ni Vince, kay Warren pa kaya.
----------------
"Nakita ko nga picture niyo eh," sabi ni Warren, sabay-turo sa isang picture frame na nakatapotng sa study table.
"May itsura din, kaso mas pogi ako."
"Hah, kapal, mas gwapo pa siya sa iyo ng di hamak!" sabi ni Carlo.
"Bading ba siya?" tanong ni Warren.
Napaisip si Carlo. He didnt really thought of that. It pops in his mind sometimes but he never really put much though into it.
"I think he's straight," sabi ni Carlo ng mahina, sounding unsure.
"Unbelievable. Sus, may ganun bang lalaki? Straight tapos nagkagusto sa ibang lalaki?"
"How can you even say that, di mo naman siya kilala," sabi ni Carlo, feeling his temper rising.
"Baka kasi akala mo love ka niya, pero ang totoo binobola ka lang niya," sabi ni Warren. "Naniwala ka naman nung sinabi niyang lalaki siya?"
Natahimik si Carlo. He was trying to find the right words to say.
Still, he felt like errupting. Like bursting into tears. It was that feeling again. But he tried to regain his composture.
