Held Voluntarily

3

"Hala, nakalimutan ko!"

Inikutan ko na lang ng mata ang kapatid ko. Katatapos lang nang parehas naming klase kaya sabay kami manananghalian.

"Nga pala, sabi ni Manong sabay daw tayo kay tito sa uwian. Pinapacheck daw ni lolo mga sasakyan,"

Tumango ako.

We still have our own respective classes after lunch kaya naghiwalay kami muli para pumasok. Naging mapayapa naman ang mga sunod na klase ko.

Papunta pa lang ako sa parking nang maaninag ko ang bulto ni Zollana at tito na nag-uusap. Habang papalapit, napansin ko ang hindi magandang aura ni tito habang nagtitipa sa kanyang cellphone.

My twin felt my presence. Napalingon siya akin at suminghap, dali-daling lumapit at bumulong.

"Si Lalianah, umalis nang walang paalam!" She informed and pointed at tito. "We tried contacting Lalianah already, ayaw naman tumawag ni tito sa mansion nila."

My brows arched. Right, maybe tito Axar doesn't want to stir the Mellalejes knowing he has no idea where her wife is right now. Nasa tabi lang kami nang bigla kaming hinarap ni tito na nakakunot ang noo. We quickly fixed our stance.

Ewan ko ba, pero takot talaga kami kay tito. He was not over stict but his authority is making us nervous sometimes. Maybe because he was the one taking care of us every vacation ever since we were little. He has his own ways of disciplining us back then but also grant our own little wishes.

"Didn't Lalianah tells you about her plans today?" Tito Axar asked calmly, but his voice is already etched with frustration in it.

Sabay kaming umiling.

Napangiwi ako nang may maisip. It took me a minute before I step away a bit and sighed harshly. Nagtaka pa ang kambal ko at inilingan ko lang siya at sinenyasan na saglit lang.

I fished out my phone and unblocked his number. Just this once, mabuti pa na may mapala naman ako sa kanya after ruining my morning.

To Unknown number:

I'll just messaging you right now because I need to know if Lalianah is in your mansion.

Nakatutok lang ako roon at hinihintay siyang magreply. He might be doing something if he can't reply and he's number is not being useful for me then.

I was about to turn off my phone when he replied. Umangat ang kilay ko, good.

From Unknown number:

I just called there, she was but she's out now to fetch her siblings. A nice reason to message me, huh.

I rolled my eyes at the last words. I don't even know what he's trying to infer. Nonetheless, may kwenta naman pala ang numero niya. I just have to inform tito without being suspicious.

Kinakabahan akong lumapit kay tito at sabihin ang nalaman, pansin kong nagtaka siya pero imbis na magtanong ay inaya niya na kaming umalis para pumunta sa mansion ng mga Mellaleje.

I was confident I will not see Duncan there, kung pagbabasehan ang mensahe niya—siguradong nasa trabaho niya iyon o kung saan man. I don't actually care, aside from feeling great that I wouldn't see him.

"Ate Frella!" Zollana beamed.

Malawak ang ngiti ni ate Frella na sinalubong kami sa sala, ilang sandali pagkarating namin ay sinabihan nila agad si ate Frella sa pagdalo namin.

She greeted tito Axar first before she sitted beside us. Bago pa man lumabas ang unang salita sa bibig ng kambal ko ay naunahan siya ni tito.

"Have you talked to Lalianah earlier?" Tito asked, already being impatient of Lalianah's presence.

Hanggang ngayon, hindi ko pa rin maiwasan maging kuryoso sa relasyon nilang dalawa. I really wonder how Tito Axar proposed to our friend, or how they dated, or how they started out.

He's still the same stoic uncle and as professor, but I found myself urging to smile seeing how he cares for Lalianah and how she brightened up his face in a subtle way. I'm glad that our uncle finally settled, and he looks content.

I may not be vocal about it, Zollana does though.

"Yes, tito. We we're having a conversation earlier, umalis lang kasi susunduin niya  raw 'yung mga kapatid niya."

Tumango si tito. "How have you been?"

"Oo nga ate, I missed you na!" hirit ni Zollana.

I nodded in agreement. "I do too,"

Doon napunta ang usapan namin, it was only disturbed few minutes later when someone came. We simultaneously glance where the steps of the sounds come from.

"Good afternoon," greeting with his deep casual voice is Duncan Mellaleje who I thought wouldn't be here.

How unfortunate..

He directed his eyes on tito who gave him an acknowledging nod and greeted back. No tension in between but still a bit awkward when our eyes suddenly met.

I cleared my throat and subtly avoided his gaze. Napunta ang tingin ko sa juice at meryenda na nasa harapan. 

"Hi!" Of course, Zollana wouldn't miss out greeting him back to. "Ikaw lang mag-isa?"

I shouldn't be shocked but my lips parted a bit when she casually talk to Duncan as if they are close. Kita ko rin ang halong gulat at pagtataka ni ate Frella while tito Axar just glanced at her. 

Curiously, my eyes flew to him. His brows knitted in confusion. My twin is just like that in general, but they don't know each other so... he might be weirded out.

Bumaling siya sa akin. Wala sa akin ang sagot. I don't know what Zollana meant by that.

"I mean, 'yung kambal mo!" Humagikgik ito sa dinagdag dahilan para luminga uli sa kanya si Duncan. "Hindi mo—"

"Zollana." Uncle simply called her.

Everyone in our family does that whenever my twin can't control her mouth. It's a warning that she needs to behave. She acted zipping her mouth and pouted.

"My twin's not here," ngumisi si Duncan pagkasagot pero nasa akin na ulit ang mga mata. I subtly rolled my eyes. "But I can inform him that someone's looking for him."

"Oh—"

Muling naputol ang dapat pagsasalita ni Zollana nang may lumapit na helper. They informed us that our agenda here finally came home. Sinundan ko nang tingin ang papalayong bulto ni Duncan, he would maybe greet them. Narinig ko pa ang pagbuntong-hininga ni tito. Mukhang may away na magaganap.

I hope not, I don't actually like the idea of tito being in bad mood again. The tension was deafening, kahit hindi kami kasama sa away ay parang nadadamay kami.

Bakas ang gulat sa mukha ni Lalianah nang makita kami, but my eyes followed the tall man behind who's now carrying her little brother. It reminds me of how he tries to comfort him too during the wedding.

Parang may bumara sa lalamunan ko kasabay nang pagbilis nang puso ko. I groaned internally as I realized how I've actually liked how he looks caring that way. Hindi ko alam pero parang naipinta na sa utak ko ang senaryong iyon, and now there's an addition to it.

Seriosly, I don't even like the idea of him!

So why!