"Si Kuningning!" pasigaw na sagoy ni Bea.
“’Yung favorite doll mo? ‘Di ba, babae si Kuningning?”
“Walang gender ang mga manika--”
“Rebecca, what the hell’s the meaning of this?!”
Halos sabay-sabay silang napalingon sa nagsalita. Isang lalaki ang nakatayo ilang metro ang layo sa grupo nina Bea. The guy was about the twins’ age.
“Babe, who’s that palito guy?”
Babe? Napatingin si Carlo kay Bea. That boy really have a girlfriend…that’s already committed? Parang sasakit ang ulo niya nang wala sa oras.
“Ano ba sa tingin mo, Elvis?” sagot ni Rebecca.
“Rebecca, stop this nonsense--”
“Nonsense? Hindi ito nonsense, Elvis. She--he’s my new guy.”
“Hey, he’s my new guy too--aray!”
At sumali na rin sa gulo ang kapatid ng kambal.
“Makikialam ba tayo?” pabulong na tanong ni Trigger sa kakambal nito.
“Ngayon pang gumaganda na ang mga eksena?”
Gusto niyang batukan ang dalawang ito sa pangungunsinti sa gulong iyon. Pero kunsabagay, hindi nila gulo iyon. Let the kids settle their own thing. With that said, kaya gusto rin niyang hilahin si Bea palayo sa nagbabadyang riot na iyon. Nakita na kasi niya ang ganitong eksena noon, with his former flings, at laging sakit ng ulo lang ang naging hatid sa kanya.
“Ito ba ang dahilan kung bakit mo ako inimbitahan dito sa inyo ngayong gabi?” patuloy ni Elvis. “Just to witness you cheating on me?”
“Bakit ka nagagalit?” ganting tanong ni Rebecca. “Ginawa mo rin naman ito sa akin, hindi ba? Narinig mo ba akong nagalit? Kaya bakit nagre-react ka ng ganyan ngayon? Quits na lang tayo, Elvis.”
And that’s when Carlo noticed Bea’s smug smile. Look at that idiot. Talagang naghihintay ng sakit ng ulo.
“I can’t believe you would do this shit to me, Rebecca.”
“I can’t believe you cheated on me too, Elvis.”
“Hindi ko matatanggap ito, Rebecca.”
“Accept it, bro,” singit ni Bea. “Wala ka na ring magagawa. Sinagot na ako ni Rebecca kanina. Kami na ngayon.”
“Hindi ako tanga. Sa tingin mo maniniwala ako sa kalokohang ito? You’re flirting with two girls at the same time, and you think I would believe na seryoso ka kay Rebecca?”
“Rebecca’s completely fine with this, bro. Bestfriend pa nga sila ni Diosa.”
Gusto nang mapa-face palm na lang ni Carlo. This kid. I’m gonna knock some sense into him later.
“You heard them, Elvis,” wika ni Rebecca. “Kung hindi ka naniniwala, problema mo na iyon.”
“You can’t do this to me, Rebecca.”
“I already did. Kaya umalis ka na.”
Nagkaroon ng tila kaunting conference ang tatlo.
“Bilib din ako sa kanila,” sambit ni Jigger. “Sama-sama hanggang sa huli.”
“Hanggang sa mahuli,” pagtatama ni Trigger.
Carlo would have agreed, kung hindi lang siya naalarma nang kumilos si Elvis at naglakad palapit sa grupo nina Bea. His instinct told him that was not good, when he saw Elvis’ hand pulled up and make a fist, as he walked towards Bea’s group.
Gago.
Carlo moved so quick that in a few strides, he was able to reach Elvis and landed a punch on his face. Barely. Because someone managed to stop his arm and leg, minimizing the impact of his punch.
What the…
Kunot-noo niyang tiningnan ang mga pumigil sa kanya. It was the twins, clinging on his arm and leg.
“Kalma, Boss.”
“Easy ka lang po. Easy…”
But they were not able to stop his anger. Nilingon niya si Elvis na tila hilo pa sa tinamo nito. Lalapitan pa sana uli niya ang lalaki nang may humawak sa kabila niyang braso. Si Bea naman iyon. And Carlo was caught off-guard at the innocent look on the boy’s face. That small face. So delicate…so fragile-looking…
So…
Pretty…
‘I’m not gonna judge your interest in men.’ It was Destiny’s voice, his fiancee’s comment.
Nagulantang ang buong sistema ni Carlo.
“Are you out of your damn mind?!” he snapped. At Destiny in his head and at himself. Bea looked stunned. Damn it! He pulled himself free from the boy. Parang gusto na rin niyang upakan ang sarili. “You, two,” baling niya sa kambal na nakalambitin pa rin sa braso at binti niya. “Throw that bastard out of your village,” tukoy niya kay Elvis. “Before I drag im out myself. And you wouldn’t want to see that.”
“We do, actually.”
“Yeah.”
“What’s going on in there?”
Alec Samaniego was now walking in their direction, in his Katipunero costume. Kasama nito ang tatlong lalaki na gaya nito ay nakasuot din ng parehong costume.
“Ano ‘yan, ha? Gulo ba ‘yan? Bawal ‘yan dito sa village.”
“Bea, is that you?” but the man who asked the question was looking at Carlo’s direction.
“Tito, dito po ako.” Nagtaas pa ng kamay si Bea.
Napadako uli rito ang atensyon ni Carlo. Naramdaman na naman niya ang kakaibang pakiramdam na ‘yon. And when Bea suddenly turned to him, he sucked in his breath and almost ran away.
“I thought you’re the one who dressed up as your favorite doll.”
Ibinaling na lang ni Carlo ang atensyon sa tinawag na ‘tito’ ni Bea. The man was still quite goodlooking even in his older age. Nasa lahi siguro ni Bea ang gandang lalaki--
What the hell am I thinking again? Why am I always praising that boy’s good looks--stop it, Carlo! You're not interested in--
“Don’t worry, people. Kami na ang bahala sa problematic na outsider na ‘to.” The twins were holding up Elvis now.
“Dad, hinahanap niya pala kayo,” turo ni Jigger kay Carlo. “I think he’s the one you told us you’re waiting tonight.”
BINABASA MO ANG
UNTITLED
Roman d'amourBea loves to cosplay. But one day, she decided to cosplay as her favorite support doll on a Halloween costume event where she accidentally met Carlo, who thought her doll had cursed him when he touched the said doll the first time they met where she...
