Si KUYA [COMPLETE]

Paunang Salita

Alyssa Montelibano

"Good afternoon po Tito Ben." Bati ko sa Papa ni Sophie Gamboa, ang best friend ko since high school, na nakahiga sa kanilang sofa habang ako naman nakatayo sa may pintuan ng bahay nila. "Andyan po ba si Sophie?"

Napabangon ito bigla at napaupo. "Oh, Aly ikaw pala." I smiled politely. "Teka at tatawagin ko si Sophie."

Tumayo si Tito at pumunta sa may kwarto na katabi lang ng sala at tinawag ang kaibigan ko. And when he came back to the living room, Sophie was walking behind him. And her face instantly lit up as she saw me.

"Aly!" Sigaw nito at niyakap agad ako. "Kailan ka lang dumating? At bakit andito ka sa may pintuan ha?"

I gave her an awkward shy look and she just shook her head. "Ano kaba, welcome na welcome ka dito sa bahay kahit nawala ka ng anim na buwan noh." Pinaupo niya ako sa isang single seater couch tapos bumaling sa Papa niya. "At Papa naman bakit hindi mo pinapasok at pinaupo agad si Aly?"

Tito Ben just shrugged his shoulder and got back from laying on the sofa. Sophie just shook her head in disbelief and shifted back her attention to me. "Anyway, kailan ka pala dumating? Loka loka ka, na surprise mo ko ha."

"Kahapon lang." Sagot ko. "Alam ko kasing may pasok ka sa school kahapon kaya hindi na ako ng informed. At tsaka surprise na din." I gave her a naughty smile.

"Sus, okay lang yon." She said as she waves her hand. "Kamusta ka na pala? Oi, infairness namayat ka, mahirap ba talaga ang OJT mo dun sa Laguna?"

"Oo." I answered as I remembered the struggled I encountered as an OJT in Laguna. Isa kasi akong technician graduate, well about to graduate, sa Technological University of the Philippines-Visayas, and required kaming mag.OJT ng six months sa mga industrial company. I was assigned in Laguna with most of my classmates but the work was worst than what we had been expecting.

Pero okay naman kahit papano kasi natutunan ko din ang tinatawag talagang hirap. Yong gigising ka ng alas tres ng madaling araw para sa six oclock mo na pasok at mag.oout ka ng six ng gabe at makakadating ka ng boarding house ng seven depende sa traffic. Tapos minsan pag malaki ang demand ng product ay hanggang alas diyes ka ng gabe na magtatrabaho.

"Pero kinaya ko naman ang trabaho." I added with a smile to stop her from worrying about me.

"Good, I know naman na makakaya mo, ikaw pa." She patted my shoulder. "So ano? Yong love life mo naman, kamusta? Kayo pa ba ni Jaden?"

"I really don't know." I mumbled sadly and she gave me a sympathetic look.

I can't blame her to feeling sorry for me, my love life sucks. May boyfriend nga naman ako pero hindi ko alam kung in a relationship pa ba kaming dalawa. We been together for four years but each year everything seem to just go downwards.

"Si Patrick na lang kasi." Biglang sabat ni Tito Ben. He was referring to Sophie's older brother, Patrick. Patrick the adrenaline junkie, certified playboy and the city's residence bad boy. "Walang girlfriend yong anak kong yon at naghahanap na nang mapapangasawa." Tito Ben teasingly smiled at me and wiggled his brow.

I shook my head at this. Matagal na akong tinutukso ni Tito Ben kay Kuya Pat kahit alam nito na may boyfriend ako.

"Tito Ben, mapapangasawa talaga? Ni hindi nga nagkakaroon ng matinong girlfriend yong anak niyo, asawa pa kaya."

"Uy, baka marinig ka ni Kuya, andyan kaya siya." Sambit ni Sophie.

My heart skip a beat as Sophie said those words. Patay ako. Kahit na magbest friend kami ni Sophie ay hindi kami close ni Kuya Pat, sa totoo lang ay nakikikuya lang talaga ako, feeling close ba. The truth is, I am afraid of him. As I said, he is the city's residence bad boy, so I heard a rumor about him almost everywhere. Kahit na sabihin ni Sophie na hindi naman daw yon totoo ay natatakot pa din ako sa kanya. Nakakatakot kasi talaga siya. There is something about him that just seem so mysterious and dangerous.