Thorns of a Cruel Summer

Kabanata 20

Kabanata 20

His

Why would he even tell me those things? Tingin niya, I'd be amazed once I found out that he fucks at eighteen? At ano naman? Should I congratulate him on his first fuck buddy? What does he take me for? His mother?

Ang gagong lalaki na 'yon, tingin niya ay kaiinggitan ko siya! I would rather be proud of myself for studying kaysa sa gano'n! And Pietro thought me to be good student so well. Maayos siyang kaibigan. Whatever friends he has, I don't like it.

"Sloane my dear, how did your mind suddenly change? Doon sa kuwento mo, ayos na 'yong nagalit ka kay Tito. But you stayed! For someone's sake, why did you do that?"

I closed my eyes. Alam kong magiging ganito ang reaksyon niya. Pero kung hindi ko sasabihin ngayon at sa iba niya malalaman, ikakatampo niya iyon at iisipan niya pa ako ng masama.

"Pietro, 'yon na lang ang ari-arian na natira sa amin. What should I do? Pati ba 'yon ibibigay ko kay Ylaro?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you've got a point, but didn't you find it fishy, nu'ng hinayaan ka? And where are his kamag-anak? May napansin ka ba since Tito left? O baka kayo na lang ang natira doon?"

Nag-iwas ako ng tingin at nag-isip. Bakit ba hindi ko naisip 'yon? Ni wala akong nakitang ibang tao simula noong umalis si Papa! At kaya ba walang nag-aya sa'kin na maghapunan ay dahil... wala na talagang ibang tao kundi kaming dalawa? But why would I do that? It's clear that he has a girlfriend!

"I don't know... maybe they are just there. Malaki ang mansion, Pietro. How will I know?" Napahinga ako nang malalim.

"Or maybe you really like it there, Sloane? Na kayo lang dalawa ang naroon? And staying there because it's the mansion you really love is just an excuse to be... with him?"

Nanlaki ang aking mga mata at napaatras. "Of course not, Pietro!"

"Then stay with me here! Malaki ang condo ko at madalas ay wala ako. You can freely use this. Puwede ka ring mag-aya ng ibang kaibigan, well... Except him? Ayaw ko diyan."

I rolled my eyes. "This is my mission, Pietro. And I know I was born for this. Kaya ko 'to! And stop thinking that I am doing this just to be with him. Swear, I am not."

I can't blame Pietro for thinking about those things. But I hope he believes me. I would never stay in our mansion just because I wanted to be with him. He's right; we're living in different worlds. I now like studying; siya naman ay hindi na ganoon. Malaki ang pinagbago niya. He ain't cute like before, and he's more stern and arrogant. Plus, he's ill-bred.

We don't even have the same humor, o kung humor ba iyong mga sinabi niya noong nakaraang gabi. He is just... different. Far from acquaintance. He is a stranger.

Ni hindi ko makilala ang mga salitang ginagamit niya. Where are they from? Where did those words originate? Kailan niya nalaman ang mga ganoong salita? Not that I am being too harsh to him. He is at the right age, but he can... explain those things to me in a nicer way. Me. Especially me.

Isinama ko si Pietro sa mansion. I need to gather all of my things na naiwan ko sa condo niya, though I left some clothes kung sakaling gusto kong mag-sleep over.

Tumaas ang kilay niya habang nakatitig sa mga naka-display sa kuwarto ko. Inuusisa ang bawat detalye ng pader, kisame, at ang flooring.

"It such an old style, Sloane. You never invited me nu'ng nandito pa si Tito, talagang ngayon lang! Modernized ang ibaba, at itong kuwarto mo, ni walang nagbago!"

He is right. They could've changed some of the things here in the mansion, since busy ako sa pag-e-enroll, hindi ko napansin iyon. Or maybe Papa was planning this all along. Baka last year pa o ano. Kaya pala... mas gusto niyang sumasama ako kau Pietro.

"I like how they retain everything. Maybe papa told them that?"

"Maybe, or maybe, he just doesn't want to enter your room. Kahit ang mga manggagawa pinagbawalan niya! Imagine that." Tinaasan niya ako ng kilay.

Umiling ako at inayos na ang gamit. Pietro never gave me false hopes. He didn't even conclude what Ylaro feels toward me. Lagi niya lamang akong binabara o dini-deny ang mga naiisip ko. I know he doesn't want me to hope. Naiintindihan ko siya kung gano'n ang gusto niya. Ever since I told him about Ylaro, hindi na niya gusto una pa lang. Ni hindi ko mabilang sa daliri kung ilang beses niya ako s-in-et up sa isang date.

Anong oras na rin nang matapos ako. Pietro was busy chatting with his fling. May date raw sila ngayong gabi, kaya pinapamadali na rin akong kumilos. It's already 6pm, 7:30pm daw ang date nila somewhere here in Palawan.

I checked the ground of the mansion, kung makikita kami ni Ylaro ngayon. Maybe he might get mad since they own this mansion right now, but it's still my room. I have the right to let anyone in there.

Nasa likod ko lang si Pietro, I told him to wait for my cue. Sa back door kami dadaan.

"Wala pa naman yata siya-"

"Sloane," he whispered firmly.

"Bakit? Tara na! Baka umuwi-"

"Sloane!" mahinang sigaw niya.

I looked at him and averted toward whatever he was staring at. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang makita si Ylaro na kalalabas lang ng kuwarto niya. He was sleeping! I thought he went somewhere or went to school! Hindi siya pumasok?

Nakatingin siya sa akin. Lumipat ang tingin niya kay Pietro at bumalik iyon sa akin at bumaba sa kamay naming magkahawak ni Pietro.

Nagtaas siya ng kilay.

"You can send out your visitor and go up here. We need to talk."

Binitawan ko ang kamay ni Pietro. "I don't have to explain anything, Ylaro-"

"You will need to talk to me about trespassing on whoever you are with now in my house," matabang niyang sinabi.

Natawa ako. "In 'your' house?! Kailan pa naging sa'yo ang binili ng kamag-anak mo? This is not yours, Ylaro. I'll retrieve whatever your family took from me!"

He licked his lower lip. "I bought this using my own money, and your father was willing to be paid any amount of penny, even beyond the value of your beloved mansion. So send him out and talk to me," aniya at muling pumasok sa kaniyang kuwarto.