One of the Boys 1 & 2 (Published by Pop Fiction)

Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Six

Past

Months ago...

Nurse 1: Si Dr. Recto, may naakit na naman.

Nurse 2: Wala kang magagawa. Maganda, eh.

Nurse 3: Balita ko nga, kaya siya nakapasa sa mga subjects niya dahil ano... alam niyo na.

Nurse 2: Pero akala ko iba si Dr. Hizon. Perfect gentleman kaya! Hindi siya magpapaakit ng ganun-ganun na lang.

Nurse 1: Akala ko rin, eh, pero wala tayong magagawa. Kahit anong gawin mo, lalaki pa rin siya. Tsk. Paano kaya siya na-seduce ni Dr. Recto?

Ayaw naman talaga makinig ni Apa, pero hindi niya mapigilan. Hindi napansin ng mga nurses na nandoon lang siya dahil nakatalikod siya. Haharapin na sana niya mga nurses, pero nagsalita na si Anthony.

"Pangit niyo kasi. Magtatrabaho ba kayo o magchichismisan?"

Umalis yung mga nurses dahil sa sinabi ni Anthony. Nagulat si Apa dahil bigla siyang tinapik nito. "Doc, kanina ka pa diyan? H'wag mong pansinin mga 'yun. Insecure lang 'yun kay Ags."

"Wala ka ba talagang gusto sa kanya?"

"Kayo, acquaintances lang ba talaga kayo?" Tinawanan siya ni Anthony at umalis na.

Nakalimutan niyang acquaintance na nga lang pala sila ni Ags, pero hindi pa rin mapigilan ni Apa mag duda dahil lagi niya silang nakikitang magkasama at pinagtatanggol pa ni Anthony si Ags.

Habang nag-uusap nga sila kasama sila Czarina at Kalvin dahil ininvite sila ni Kalvin sa birthday party nito, biglang sumulpot si Anthony at sinabi kay Ags na hinihintay na siya ni Kirk. Pati schedule ni Ags, alam ni Anthony.

Noong birthday ni Kalvin, sabay ulit nag punta sila Ags at Apa. Medyo na-late sila ng dating dahil mahirap hanapin yung bahay nila Kalvin. Pagdating nila, napakunot na naman noo ni Apa dahil nakita na naman niya si Anthony.

"Uy, kamusta?" Anthony asked Ags.

"Okay naman, medyo naligaw lang. Ang hirap hanapin ng bahay nila Kalv." Tumawa si Ags.

Apa thought, 'Anong nakakatawa?'

Anthony smiled at Ags. "Medyo tago kasi, eh. At least, nandito na kayo." He looked at Ags like he just fell for her. "Oo nga pala, hindi ka mukhang haggard ngayon." He laughed.

Ags glared at him. "Sinasabi mo bang lagi akong haggard?"

"Hindi ba?" Tumawa ulit Anthony. "Joke lang. Hindi ko alam kung paano sasabihing maganda ka, eh."

Deep inside, naiinis na si Apa dahil una, tawa sila ng tawa eh wala naman nakakatawa. Pangalawa, bakit tumatawa si Ags? Pangatlo, bakit ang landi ni Anthony? Pang-apat, hindi dapat siya nagseselos. Hirap na nga siyang mag move-on, kung anu-ano pa iniisip niya.

"Aba, aba. Wait lang. Nilalandi mo ba ko?"

Apa's eyebrows creased at Ags' question. Tinatanong pa ba yan? Obvious naman na nilalandi ka niya.

Anthony grinned. "Cinompliment lang, nilalandi na? Kaya ba hindi ka nagkakaboyfriend?"

Sasagot na sana si Ags, but Apa couldn't help, but cleared his throat. He thought, 'Wala ka na dapat pakielam kung bakit hindi pa nagkakaboyfriend si Ags.'

Ags raised a brow. Apa just shook his head and made a hand movement like he was telling Ags to go on with what she was doing.

He shouldn't be jealous! Ang hindi niya alam, tinitest lang siya ni Anthony kung magseselos siya at tama nga ang hinala niya. Dahil doon, nalaman niyang mag-ex sila ni Ags.

Buong gabi, nakatingin lang si Apa kay Ags. Kahit may kumakausap sa kanyang iba, yung attention niya, na 'kay Ags. Iniisip niya na ngang nababaliw na siya.

Then he thought, how could Ags not have a boyfriend when she was everything a man could ask for? Siguradong maraming nagkakagusto sa kanya. How could she wait for him when he wasn't even worth waiting for?

Gusto na lang ni Apa na pumunta sa kahit saan basta malayo kila Ags at Anthony. Sakto, nakita niyang umiiyak yung host ng party. Yung organizer naman, hindi na alam ang gagawin.

Pinuntahan niya sila para malaman kung anong pwede niyang maitulong. Noong sinabi sa kanya kung ano ang problema, agad niyang naisip si Ags. They were used to hosting children parties.

Alam naman ni Apa na hindi kayang tumanggi ni Ags. When Kalvin's parents finally introduced them as the party's hosts, sabay silang umakyat sa stage.

"Kaya mo mag magic, diba?" tanong ni Apa kay Ags.

Ags raised a brow. "Paano mo alam?"

Hindi na sila nag-uusap noong panahong pinag-aaralan ni Ags mag magic, pero alam ni Apa lahat. Pati yung pagiging expert niya sa pag gawa ng origami at pag-aaral niya kung paano maging clown. Alam niya lahat dahil sinasabi sa kanya ng mga kapatid niya pati ng parents ni Ags.

"Gill told me. You're an expert at making origamis, you tried to be a mascot, you know how to be a hilarious clown, you know how to do magic tricks, and a lot more. You're no joke."

"Nakakatawa?"

"Why would I laugh? Sinong tao ba ngayon ang mag-aaral ng lahat ng yan para sa mga bata na hindi naman niya kaano-ano? I told you, Ags, you're no joke. You were a good person, but you've become better. You're actually better than me, and you have no idea how proud I am of you."

He was so amazed at how hard-working and persistent Ags was. What woman would do all the things she was doing?

Ags gave him a genuine and sincere smile. "You're one of the reasons why I've become like this. It's actually one of the reasons why I couldn't hate you when you left even if I wanted to just so I could move on. I still admire the whole you, Apa, trust me. Your courage, your braveness makes me braver."

Hindi makapaniwala si Ags sa sinabi ni Apa. 'I broke her, yet she was still thankful?' Apa didn't get her, but he was over-whelmed with her words.

"Present tense?" he asked.

Natawa si Ags sa reaction ni Apa. "Oo, present tense. Pag malungkot ako, iniisip kita. Naiisip ko na walang wala yung pinagdaanan mo sa mga pinagdaanan ko, but here you are, sitting beside me, smiling, laughing, and helping. You're so brave. Wala akong karapatan malungkot. You inspire me at ngayon ko lang 'to sasabihin kahit alam kong lalaki na naman ulo mo, because Dr. Hizon, you're doing a great job." Ngumiti siya at nag thumbs up.

It made Apa smile so wide and his cheeks were red. "Ikaw talaga ang dahilan kung bakit tumataas self-esteem ko, alam mo 'yun?" Ags made him feel like he was a treasure, like he was worthy to be taken care of and loved.

"Huh? Hindi kaya. Ang pangit mo, eh. Buti na lang, mabait ka," she joked.

Apa clenched his fist and held it up to his chest. "Ouch. Kaya pala patay na patay ka sa'kin noon." He smirked. "Don't forget you fell for this ugly face once." He put his hand under his chin and gave Ags a fake sympathetic look.

They stared at each other, then Apa realized, while looking at her smiling face, 'I could never unlove her. I could never move on from her. This beautiful soul can break and complete me.'

But he could never run away from her again even if it would kill the living sht out of him.

(A/N: Another update coming up.)