All For Show (COMPLETED)

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

"I'm sorry," sabi ni Pablo sa akin nang kaming dalawa na lang ang magkasama. Umuwi na pabalik sa Manila si Jana. Humingi na lang ako ng favor sa kanya para dalhin dito iyong ibang gamit ko. Ayoko kasi talagang bumalik sa Manila ng hindi ako sigurado kung okay na ba talaga si Papa. Nagsabi na rin ako sa work.

"For what?" I asked.

We were sitting on a bench outside the hospital. It was three in the morning. Tahimik na tahimik. Mas ramdam ko ngayon na nasa probinsya ako. Ngayon lang din ako nakahinga nang maayos kahit papaano.

"You asked me to not say anything," he said. "I really did try though."

I looked at him and gave him a small smile. "I know you did," I replied.

"They're the fucking worse."

"Used to it already."

"That's even worse."

"It's fine. I already cut them off anyway. If not for Papa, wala naman ako rito ngayon," I said.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about your dad."

I just gave him a small smile dahil hindi ko rin naman alam kung ano ang sasabihin ko. I would prefer na pagusap namin si Papa kapag maayos na iyong kalagayan niya. Until he's in the clear, I'd rather we not discuss him kasi mas lalo lang akong mag-o-overthink.

"About what you said earlier." Tumingin siya sa akin. "Did you mean that?"

"Mean what?"

"That you'll... I don't know... deal with it accordingly?"

Hindi ko alam kung seryoso ba siya sa sinabi niya o hindi. Base rin sa reaction ni Therese, hindi ko alam kung bakit may parte sa akin na nagsasabi na may kinalaman siya sa video na 'yon. Ayoko siyang mapahamak dahil kapatid ko pa rin siya... pero minsan kasi kailangan niyang makita iyong consequences ng ginagawa niya para magtanda.

"Yeah, I plan to," sabi niya. "Don't you want me to?"

Hindi agad ako nakasagot.

But if it were really her, I just needed her to learn her lesson. All her life, lagi siyang kinakampihan ni Mama. She needed to know that that shit won't always fly. Matanda na siya. Hindi na nga dapat siya tinuturuan ng ganito. Dapat alam niya na 'to sa sarili niya.

"I don't know," I said. "I kinda want her to learn her lesson. Is that so bad?"

"Her?"

I shrugged. "Yeah... Is it also bad that I think it's my sister who did this?"

"Nah. She gave you plenty of reasons why you'd suspect her."

Napabuntung hininga ako. "I don't know why we ended up like this. We used to be so close."

Pablo placed his arm on my shoulders and pulled me close. He kissed the side of my head. "That's life," he said. "Sometimes, you really just outgrow people."

"Even family?"

"If they suck, yes," sabi niya. "Just because you're family doesn't give you an automatic pass to treat people like shit."

"They suck."

"Oh, God, they really do," sabi niya sa akin.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked.

"You wanna know?"

I nodded. "Distraction," I replied.

"Okay," he replied, nodding his head like he understood that I needed to be distracted at this very moment. Gusto kong pumasok na sa loob kaya lang ay pakiramdam ko magkakaroon na talaga ng gulo kapag nagkita iyong pamilya ko at si Pablo. Pablo wouldn't start a fight pero hindi ko rin siya masisi na sumagot kapag ganon na iyong sinasabi ni Mama sa kanya.