He Was My Umbrella

07

"Ren!" Sumigaw si Kuya Kent sa kanya. Napalingon agad ako sa main door at tiningnan siya ng matalim dahil mukhang galit siya.

Nagliwanag ulit ang mukha ko nang makita ko si Tita Sally! Ka-alinsabay lang niya si Kuya Ren dumating.

"TITA SALLY!" Sigaw ko ng ubod ng lakas. Tumakbo ako sa kanya, walang pakialam kung sino man ang tamaan ko. At ayun nga, nabangga ko si Kuya Ren ng medyo malakas, pero wala akong pake. Niyakap ko ng sobra-sobra higpit si Tita Sally. "Tita, na miss kita!"

"Adi! Long time no see, Adelaide! Ang laki laki mo na," hinalikan niya ang tuktok ng ulo ko. "Wow, I missed you so much!" Hinalikan niya pa ako.

"I've missed you too, Tita. Ba't ngayon ka lang po nagpakita sa akin ulit?" Nagsimula na kaming mag lakad pabalik doon sa booth na inaayos ko.

"Eh kasi, 'di ba, kakalipat niyo lang ule dito? E, busy kasi ako. Tapos nung nalaman kong bumalik na ang Daddy mo dito, kaya ako pumunta ngayon. Hindi naman kasi talaga ako napunta ng socializing, e." Umupo siya sa tabi ko at hinaplos ang buhok ko.

"Ah ganon po b-"

Napatigil ako nang may tumawag kay Tita Sally.

"Mi," may tumawag sa kanya. Pamilyar ang boses. Pakshet, can it be?

"Ah, Adi! Have you met Renzo?"

Anak siya ni Tita Sally...?

"S-sino po?" pinagpapawisan na ako.

"Renzo, my son."

Nilagutan na ata ako ng hininga.

"Yes, Mi. We've met. Right, Adi?" Tiningnan akong matalim ni Kuya Ren.

"A-ah, yes po! We've met!" I tried to just go with the flow. Pero naiilang talaga ako kay Kuya Ren.

"What was it you needed again, Re-Ren?" Tita Sally asked him.

"Decors," Shit nasa akin 'yung decors. "I need decors," he said.

"Nasa van," I plainly answered him. I gulped with the realization that I need to go with him since nasa akin ang susi.

"Adi, dear. Pwede mo ba samahan si Re-Ren doon sa van ninyo?" Tita Sally smiled at me warmly. 

"Of course, Tita. Let's go, Kuya." I tried my best not to be awkward. I started walking towards the main door and quickly went out since napaka init! I opened the van door and started picking out the decors.

"So," I saw him lean on the van door. "You're close with my mother?"

"Yes, and how come we've never met before?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Because," he leaned in closer. "Hindi ako nasama kay Mama kahit saan man siya pumunta."

"Pero bakit hindi ko alam? For my stalker personality, bakit hindi ko alam?" I asked, confused. Hindi ko talaga alam. Si Raine lang talaga ang alam kong anak ni Tita Sally dahil siya lang nakikita ko palagi.

"I suppose you know Raine?" speaking of Raine. "Ang bunso namin,"

"Of course I know her," I finished picking out the decors and closed the van door after handing Kuya Ren the boxes. "I mean, how could I not? Siya ang nakikita kong kasama ni Tita Sally palagi."

I started walking back to the gymnasium. I stopped when he called me.

"Attorney," I turned around and saw him standing a few feet away from me. "You looked beautiful kanina."

Butterflies, why did you come?

I gave him a faint smile and said, "You too, Engineer." I continued my walking towards the gym and successfully went inside, back to Tita Sally's side.