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KLEEVE
"NASA'N PO pala si papa, ma?" magalang na tanong ni Melai kay mama nang makalabas kami ng kusina. May dala itong isang pitsel ng orange juice samantalang dala ko naman ang mga baso. Napahawak naman si mama sa baba niya at napanguso.
I put the glasses on the table the moment Melai putted the juice. Nagsalin ako sa baso at isa-isang binigay sa kanila.
We're now here in our house, in entertainment area to be exact. As mom suggested, isinama ko si Finx dito. Nang puntahan namin si Melai sa arcade ay sinabi niyang malayo raw ang bahay nung kaklase niya, at 'yung kasama niya nasa ospital pa rin. She also suggested that she would drag her friend along and the latter was hesitant at first but eventually nodded.
Umupo ako sa tabi ni Finx sa pandalawahang couch sa kanan. Sina Melai naman ay do'n sa pandalawahang couch nakaupo sa kaliwa ni mama, samantalang solo si mama na nakaupo sa mahabang couch na nasa gitna.
"Hmm, ang sabi niya sa'kin kanina nasa biyahe na raw siya. Traffic lang daw kaya baka mamaya pa siya makakarating." mom replied and smiled sweetly to our baby sis. "Anyways, how's the trip, bunsuan~?"
Melai showed a small smile, a small sarcastic smile to be exact. "Boring po."
Mom's lips parted as if she didn't see this coming. Apparently, her face turned normal like she realized something. "Oh, naalala ko museum nga pala pinuntahan niyo, bunso? Ilan nga ba 'yon, apat ba?"
"Opo." Melai replied. "At may nangyaring gulo kanina na hindi naman na kagulat gulat."
Nagkatinginan kami ni Finx nang tingnan kami nang masinsinan ni Melai. "May batang dinala sa-"
"M-Ma?" I interfered. Baka mamaya maikuwento pa lahat ni Melai at makarating du'n sa kuwentong i-ne-mbento namin ni Finx. Lagot ako.
I felt Melai's deadly stare, but I just shrugged it off.
"Yes, kuya?" mom replied sweetly.
"Bakit mo kami pinauwi agad?" shit! Wala na akong ibang maisip na tanong. Well, I really like to ask mom why she suddenly called us home yet dad was nowhere to be found.
My mom squinted her eyes while staring at me. She eventually pouted as if I said the most painful set of words she ever heard. "Ikaw talaga kuya!" Mom lifted her chin up and looked away. "Don't you want to come home anymore na, ha? Nakakapangtampo ka na, kuya, ha."
"What? No. Ma, siyempre hindi. Tinatanong ko lang naman." I scratched my cheeks awkwardly.
One more thing: Isn't it unusual that she called us home when she knew that we're on a middle of the trip?
"Hmp, sige na nga. T-in-ext ako ng papa niyo kanina. Sabi niya gusto niya raw nandito tayong lahat mamaya pagdating niya." Mom showed the text message that my father sent.
"May general assembly pala kayo ngayon, tita." biro ni Finx. Natawa si mama.
"Ikaw talaga, Finx!" iling ni mama.
"Ipinatawag tayong lahat ni Ka Berting, huh?"
Natawa ako kay Melai nang sabihin niya iyon sa seryosong mukha. She's talking like she wasn't pertaining to our father. Pigil ni Finx ang tawa at napansin ko rin ang biglang pag-inom ng kaklase niya ng juice.
"Baby, ah! Bine-Berting-Berting mo lang papa mo." nanunuway ang tono ni mama kaya napatikom si Melai.
Vertucio Carson ang pangalan ni papa, kaya 'di na ako nagtataka kung sa'n nakuha ni Melai 'yung Berting. Pfft.
