Breathless (Book 1&2)

Harder to Breathe #21.1

Harder to Breathe #21.1
Cielo

"What happened?" tanong ni Kuya ng nakasimangot akong naglalakad palapit sa kanya. He called me at napag-usapan naming dito na lang kami magkikita sa may lobby.

"Nothing, just Ate being Ate," I replied back, hindi na siya nagtanong pa ulit. I was looking at him habang sabay kaming naglalakad papuntang parking area.

"Why?" tanong niya ulit matapos akong mapansin.

"Wala lang, I just realized lang na ganyan ka talaga," sagot ko naman.

"What do you mean?" He opened the car door for me.

"Na ganyan. You don't usually ask for explanation, mabigat man o magaan. When someone told you na ganito kasi, you usually agree na and hindi magtatanong pa." Hindi siya umimik.

"Seatbelt." he simply uttered.

"Why Kuya?" bigla kong tanong. "Are you that disinterested to other people's business kahit na it involves you?"

"Did she ask you to work for her again?" balik tanong niya sa akin habang nakatingin sa daan. I had lunch with Mom and Dad after namin mag-usap ni Ate Chloe kaya around three PM na kami nagkita ni Kuya. Papunta na kami ngayon sa vet clinic to pick-up Pogi.

"Yes and I saw Danica sa office niya." pagsasabi ko ng totoo. "Isa pa iyon, why are you letting that woman cling on you?"

"Pushing her away would just be a waste of energy." he simply replied.

"Di ba you learned about her connection to Ate Chloe? Why don't you hate her? You didn't even confront Ate Chloe about it!"

"Cielo..."

Hindi ko na siya pinilit. I'm sure ayaw niyang pag-usapan ang topic na ito kaya ganun ang tono niya. After what happened eight years ago, Kuya seemed to be more secretive or mas nagi siyang less opinionated.

Yes, he became a little more talkative and he interacts to other people na unlike before pero if you really know Kuya, you'll know. He somehow closed a lot of doors after what happened, alam ko iyon, ramdam ko iyon. And I want to know the real reason why.

I'm aware about the connection between Ate Chloe and Danica but the reason behind why Kuya didn't pursue Ate Noreen and why Ate Noreen suddenly married another man, gusto kong malaman iyon!

I was young back then and they kept all the doors shut but now, I want to understand them more! I want to know more!

Why Ate Noreen did that to Kuya?

Why Kuya didn't pursue her?

What really happened between them?

That day when Kuya learned about the marriage, he went home agad and that moment, hindi ko talaga makakalimutan iyon. That was the only time I saw him like that. How dead his eyes were. I couldn't even bring myself to talk to him that time, even Mom and Dad never had the guts too. I didn't know what exactly happened but he went back to UK the very next day and continued his life as if nothing happened.

He never came home after that, even on holidays or special occasions. Ako or si Mom lang ang bumibisita sa kanya doon when we want to see him. Sometimes with Dad.

I know he was hurt, hindi ko man narinig mismo mula sa bibig niya but I know, Kuya was deeply hurt. He never had any relationship after Ate Noreen or at least wala siyang pinakilala sa amin. Kuya is not a type of man who plays around when it comes to relationship kaya I know for sure wala siyang naging karelasyon after Ate Noreen.

Maraming taon na ang lumipas pero minsan when I look at him, I can still see the same eyes I saw eight years ago. As much as I want to know about what really happened, tingin ko, asking him now would just reopen a very deep wound.

Reopen? or-,

I looked at Kuya.

It is still there, unhealed and still bleeding?

"OHH!?" biglang napatingin sa akin si Kuya matapos ang expression ko. "ITIGIL MO! ITIGIL MO!" hampas ko sa braso niya kaya wala na rin siyang nagawa kundi mabilis na kabigin ang manubela.

"What happened?" nakakunot na noo niyang tanong.

"She's here," mahina kong sagot and hurriedly opened the car door. Pogi was sleeping at back seat na when I had a glance of him.

"Who?" he asked.

"Yung favorite little girl ni Pogi," sagot ko.

I saw Keysha standing in front of the convenience store again just like the first time I saw her. She looked serious and a little depress too.

"Hey!" bati ko sa kanya, I saw Kuya went out of the car too. "What are you doing here? Madilim na ang langit, it will rain soon."

Parang may kumirot sa dibdib ko matapos makita ang mga mata niya. She looked sad but she won't tell about it. Somehow para siyang si Kuya. I looked back and he was approaching us na.

"I want to buy chocolates po," she answered and looked down. "But I don't have money."

"For you ba?" I asked her, mabilis siyang umiling. "Para kanino?"

"For my Mom po," she politely replied. Kuya stood beside me, he smiled at Keysha and Keysha look stunned after seeing him. Kumunot ang noo ko, do they know each other? The way they look at each other kasi parang they are familiar na sa isa't-isa.

"What happened to your Mom?" Kuya asked.

"She's crying po."

"Why?" kumunot lalo ang noo ko because of the way Kuya asked her, he seemed too interested, and it's very, very unsual.

"Inaway nanaman po siya ni Lola."

Kuya changed his expression, he looked serious again this time.

"You know my brother?" I asked Keysha. Tumango yung bata.

"We met po before, he is one of my Dad's friends." paliwanag niya.

"Dad's friends?" takang tanong ko. "Sino ba ang Daddy and Mommy mo?"

"My dad's name is Robb po, Robb Coyiuto," she politely answered again. "And my Mom's name is Noreen, Noreen Del Vega-Coyiuto po."

Napalunok ako at dahan-dahang napatayo. "K-Kuya?" tawag ko sa kanya. He didn't answer me but the way he looked, it was soft, so soft dahilan para mas lalong dumami ang mga tanong na tumatakbo sa utak ko ngayon.

"Here." he handed me the car key. "Take the car and Pogi home. Susunod na lang ako."

"Huh?" nalilito kong sagot sa kanya pero bago pa ako makapagtanong ulit, he gently smiled at Keysha and reached for her little hand. The little girl didn't hesitate to give hers too unlike the first time we met or dahil nagkita at nagkakilala na sila noon?

"What chocolates do you want?" rinig kong tanong niya sa bata habang sabay silang naglalakad papasok ng convenience store, Keysha didn't reply immediately because it was too obvious that she can't think of a particular chocolate she wants. "It's okay. If you can't choose, we can buy everything on display."

"KUYA!"