Bartholome 'Bart' Maranan is my dad's full name. Ngayon ko lang din napansin na people have been calling him BBM for short. Some call him Bart Maranan, but that one is already common. I know some of his friends who call him that even way before.
"Ang pagdakip sa ating mga kapwa mag-aaral na sina Gabriel Ancala at Joanne Portovino ay malinaw na deklarasyon ng panunupil sa ating kalayaan sa pagpapahayag ng ating mga saloobin sa gobyerno!" Said a girl speaking through a megaphone.
"Isa itong tahasang paglabag sa ating demokrasya at pagtapak sa ating mga karapatan na ipaglaban kung ano ang mas nakabubuti para sa atin at sa ating mga kababayan. Ano nga ba ang papel ng mga pulis na silang dapat nagbibigay proteksyon sa atin? Sila pa itong pinaiigting ang kultura ng pasismo sa lipunan dahil sa hilig nilang magdiin ng mga gawa-gawang kaso. Nasaan nga ba ang dangal ng pulisya? Na sa pulitiko o mamamayan? Sino ang ating tatawagin kung pulis mismo ang terorista?"
Oh, please. They are so freaking dramatic. I can't believe that this is really happening. Who's Gab and Joanne anyway? Are these all their friends? Mukhang hindi naman. So why are they meddling with their lives? Geez.
I folded my arms and rolled my eyes before turning away. Sayang lang sa time. Akala ko naman kung ano.
It was after dinner and patulog na ako when I got down the stairs to the main hall para kuhanin ang mga pinaplantsa kong casual dress kay yaya. Ito 'yung mga dress na dinala ko pauwi galing States. Hindi ko naman gagamitin ang mga iyon pero gusto ko sanang makita kung alin pa ang mga kasya sa akin at hindi na para matapon ko na.
Iilang ilaw na lang ang bukas kaya medyo madilim na. Wala na ring mga servants dahil baka abala sa pag-aasikaso sa kusina. I made a turn at the corner. Pagliko ko sa hallway, my heart almost dropped when I suddenly bumped into someone!
Nag-angat ako ng tingin mula sa pagkakayuko.
"Uy! Sorry. Okay ka lang?" Gio Alandy asked, holding my elbows. My eyes went to the stem of rose that rolled to the floor. He suddenly picked it up.
His clean-cut hair, minty smell, and soft eyes distracted me for a while. I snapped myself out of it and helped myself on.
"Yeah, yeah," I said, looking at him from head to toe. He's wearing a dark blue polo shirt tucked inside his white pants with a leather belt. "Why are you here?"
"Napadaan lang. Tinext ko si tita kung p'wedeng pumitas nito," He said, eyeing the rose in his hand. "P'wede naman daw. Ikaw, bakit gising ka pa?"
"Ikaw, bakit nakatayo ka pa d'yan? Just leave." I crossed my arms and lazily started walking away. I stopped when I heard him chuckle lowly to himself.
"Something funny?" I said sarcastically, turning to him.
"Of course not. I'm just amused how backward you've grown while you were away."
My jaw almost dropped. He did not just say that!
"Excuse me?"
"Tell me I'm wrong." He said with an amused smile. "Nangibang bansa ka lang, naging spoiled brat ka na."
"Wow. Speaking as if you know me. I'm not surprised. That's what everyone says!" I spat.
"You're not surprised?" He said, playfully doubting.
"No," I said confidently. "If there's anything I'm surprised for it's that we're growing freaking roses sa garden. So baduy of mommy."
I almost turned around completely to leave him be.
He chuckled quietly. "Oh, man. That's not the only thing your family's growing."
I ignored his last remark and left him standing there in the dimmed lights. Gabi na. Wala na ako sa wisyo makipag kapwa-tao. Buti nga hindi ko siya inirapan e. And besides, he's dropping his words like he's so sure that I want to stay here and catch up with things. This is not my life anymore. Yes, my family is here, and that is why I came back in the first place, but I swear that's it.
