When Hestia Falls in Love

Chapter 19: While the World let go

Chapter 19

While the World let go

***

"MAMA'S home?" I asked loudly. The hint of excitement in my voice is evident. Minsan lang umuwi sa Pilipinas si mama, unlike Kay Papoosh.

Yuri smiled hesitantly at me, alam na alam ko ang reaction niyang 'yun, Mama seems to not like me kaya nga close ako kay Nanay—Noreen Solera-Altavista because I've always wanted a Mom, sa mga kapatid ko naman parang okay lang si Mama.

Sometimes, I cannot help but to ask if anak niya ako but my face is combination of hers and Papoosh.

"Yes, she's actually with your sister. You know, Karille is in the Philippines, and the reason I got the bag was because she wanted to buy it, and when Tita Shaw bought it, biglang ayaw niya naman na niya, your sister is such a spoiled brat. But you and Kuya Xenon are not, and Tito Papoosh is, by the way, leaving for Hawaii to supervise."

Napatango ako. I love my sister, but sometimes I get jealous of the way Mom has been treating her.

I guess this is what you call middle child syndrome. That's why Papa's girl talaga ako.

"Oh,"

"Mara," I heard Apollo calling me, bigla na lang siyang sumulpot sa kung saan bitbit ang bag ni Chandler.

"Oh, bayawak!" nanlaki ang mata ko sa sinabi ni Yuri. Pasimple ko siyang kinurot

"Hoyy ang bibig mo!"

"Nah, I was talking about his bag, like, oh, an Iguana, we studied Biology kaya," aniya at tinuro ang isang picture sa bag ni Chandler. Masyadong maliit 'yun para makita, pero Iguana nga 'yun.

"Ay oo nga no, bayawak pala 'tong drawing na 'to. Galing mo!" Masayang sabi ni Apollo bago nakipaghigh-five kay Yuri ngumiti lang nang hilaw ang pinsan ko bago naghigh-five sa kanya.

"Yeah, are they your friends?" Yuri asked in a low voice. I nodded

"Yes,"

"Oh, and btw, should we stay here, like, are you not going to uwi na?" nagtatakang wika niya habang napapatingin sa paligid niya, I can see her being uncomfortable, Yuri doesn't like a lot of unfamiliar people

"Ay oo lumabas na tayo, ano 'yan?" Wika ko habang tinuturo ang maleta na bigla niyang hinila. It was a mini luggage, like yung dinadala niya noon sa bahay.

"These are your things, with love from Tito Papoosh, like white t-shirts for your training daw, some chocolates from Hawaii, a pants, and a belt. Di ba?" and she showed me the insides, doon mismo sa loob ng building, namangha ang mga kaklase ko sa laman ng maleta. Those were too many. "But the luggage is mine; ginamit ko lang kasi mabigat 'pag binuhat ko lahat," she replied in a casual tone. I nodded

"Oh, and I was brought by your car here, and I have money like in this card."

Pinakita niya sa akin ang isang mastercard.

"Kumain daw tayo sabi ni Tita with your friends, kasi baka you're not eating real food, and we'll have groceries after,"

I was stunned by what I'd heard. Parang gusto kong umiyak since noong nagDorm ako natuto akong kumain ng delata na mga pagkain, something that in our society would not be initially served.

There is no chef and no variation of foods, naawa rin kasi ako sa mga dorm mates ko so I helped them with their expenses and then hindi ako marunong magluto so I need to eat what is available.

"Yu," tawag ko kay Yuri habang tinapik tapik sa balikat si Apollo, titig na titig siya doon sa Credit Card na dala ni Yuri.

"Hmm?"

"How much was the bag?" tanong ko.

Yuri's skin doesn't tan but it is unlikely for her to get outside dahil nilalagnat siya 'pag sobrang init, so I figure that the bag might be rare and really expensive.

"Ibebenta ko rin 'yun." Yun lang ang sinabi niya. Ngiting ngiti naman si Apollo na naglahad ng kamay.

"Hi, ako si Apollo,"

"Oh, Yuri,"

Napakamot ako ng ulo; hindi ko pa nga pala sila napakilala.

"Oo nga pala, Yu, these are my friends si Chandler, Mikaella, Simone, and Apollo, of course," I mentioned as I pointed to each of my friends. My cousin just smiled at them as I also introduced her.

After that, we went to a restaurant, sa sasakyan kami mismo namin sumakay. It was an Escalade.

Manghang mangha ang mga kaibigan ko sa interior, hindi na yata liliit ang siwang ng mata nila lalo na noong mag abot si Yuri ng mga chips, chocolate at tubig sa likod at noong inadjust ko ang mga upuan para komportable sila.

Si Simone at Mikaella nanigas sa mga upuan, kasi baka daw masira. Si Chandler, naman panay selfie. After eating at a restaurant, we went to get groceries. Si Yuri na lang ang nagkukusang maglagay sa cart namin, kasi iling at tango lang ang nagiging sagot ng mga kaibigan ko. I just chuckled at their reaction.

That errand ended with Yuri sending us to our dormitory with our groceries, and my things, may take out pa kami sa restaurant para hindi na kami mag abala para sa dinner namin.

"Bakit ka pa kasi magpupulis Mara? Ang yaman n'yo naman, kita mo nga parang bibilhin ng pinsan mo yung buong grocery," namamanghang sabi ni Mikaella pagkatapos naming pumasok sa dorm

"Oo nga Day, jusko tas natitigan ko ang mukha kanina, walang kapores pores, or peklat sagana sa derma. Kung sabagay ganon ka rin naman noong first day natin, gatas ba ang pinangliligo n'yo?" Tanong ni Simone.

Napangiti ako

"Uhm minsan pag sobrang pagod talaga, meron ding wine bath, or bubble bath." Sagot ko na nagpanganga sa kanila.

Huli ko na narealize na joke lang pala dapat 'yung sinabi ni Simone. Kaya bumawi agad ako

"Pero naliligo rin kaming shower lang, shower pero walang dipper, you know tabo,"

Napatango silang lahat. This is the thing with people in middle-class society: what they perceive as expensive or overrated is sometimes just a normal thing for us. But it doesn't really change a thing when it comes to dreaming.

Like pare-pareho pa rin naming lahat gustong maging Pulis at magsilbi sa bayan, at least for me, that is what I struggle for—to serve my country and its citizens, not the politicians or the government but the whole nation itself.

Kinagabihan habang kumakain, narinig kong narereklamo si Apollo na hindi nakuha ang number ni Yuri, kaya binatukan ko.

"Hoyy ikaw Apollo, tigil-tigilan mo si Yuri kinse lang 'yun, menor de edad."

His eyes widened. Binaba naman ng mga kaibigan ko ang kutsarang nakaumang na sa bibig nila.

"Ha?" Exaggerated na sabi ni Chandler.

"Kinse lang 'yun, parang ang mature naman niyang magsalita para sa isang kinse," anito at tumusok ng ulam

Natulala naman si Apollo na parang hindi makapaniwala. Mababait naman ang mga 'to kaya lang loko loko pagdating sa babae kaya mas mabuti nang hindi nila alam na kaedad namin si Yuri.

"Sabagay mukha nga siyang kinse," panapos ni Apollo sa usapan.

I just smiled.

This is my life now, slightly messy but a lot better than what I had done in high school. And at times like these, where everything is functioning well on its own, hindi ko maiwasang isipin ang kalagayan ni Genesis, kumusta na kaya siya?

Ang tanong ko nasagot ng tawag ni Yuri isang gabi. And for the first time since I was away, I had the urge to go home.