Dating Alys Perez (PUBLISHED)

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I was about to ask Tita Katrina about her statement na I am always messing with Drake's head ng dumating si Tito Steve.

"Alys! Nabisita ka!"

I immediately discarded my thought to interrogate Tita Katrina even more at lumapit na lang ako kay Tito Steve at niyakap siya. Bakit kasi sobrang bait ni Tito Steve to the point na kahit tapos na kami ng anak niya, hindi ko siya kayang ilagay sa past ko? Sobrang nakakaguilty kung kakalimutan ko sila...

Tinignan ko si Ethos na masayang naglalaro ng train at ngumiti ako. "Binigyan ko lang po ng regalo si Ethos."

Nagsmile din si Tito Steve sa akin. "Parehong pareho kayo ni Drake, iniispoil niyo si Ethos."

"He's worthy to be spoiled," I commented.

Pinabayaan muna naming maglaro si Ethos ng toys niya habang si Tita Katrina naman ay naghanda ng makakain namin. Tumigil na pala sa pagtuturo si Tita Katrina. Good thing. Baka lang kasi mag history repeats itself na naman siya sa isa niyang estudyante. Better be cautious, di ba?

Naupo kami ni Tito Steve sa garden nila. Good times.

"So, kamusta naman, Alys? Hindi tayo nakapag usap nung birthday ni Ethos," Tito Steve said. 

I nodded. "Oo nga po, e. Ang dami kasing tao."

Nag usap muna kami about Ethos for a few minutes. Nag aaral na pala siya sa kindergarten. Ang cute niya siguro pag naka school uniform! Bale si Tita Kat na din yung tutor niya. Mabuti na din na hands on mom siya.

I was hesitant to ask about Drake and Cristine but since nagtanong na din naman si Tita Kat, hindi ko na kayang icontain yung curiosity ko! "Tito, tell me about Drake and Cristine."

Brave thing to do, you may say. But then, it takes a brave man to ask brave questions, di ba? Worse naman yata kung gagawin ko na lang dreaded topic si Drake at Cristine. I need to face facts. Besides, mukhang okay naman si Drake at Cristine. Who am I not to be happy for them e in the first place, masayang masaya ako kay Tripp. 

"Drake and Cristine?" he said and then paused. "Ikaw talaga yung gusto ko sa anak ko, Alys, pero wag kang madidisappoint, ha? Mabait na bata din kasi si Cristine at hindi niya iniwan si Drake. Wag mo sanang masamain dahil masaya ako para sa kanila, ha?"

Binigyan ko ng ngiti si Tito Steve.

"Of course, Tito. We're over. If they're happy, I am happy."

Nginitian din ako pabalik ni Tito Steve. "Mabuti naman, Alys. Iyan kasing si Cristine, best friend ni Drake. Pero hindi naman sila agad naging mag best friend, mga siguro ilang buwan pagkatapos niyong maghiwalay ni Drake."

"After po naming mag break?"

Tumango si Tito Steve. "Ah, oo. Kasi, classmates talaga niyan si Drake at Cristine. Madalas sila dito sa bahay dahil ewan ko ba, gusto nila dito gumawa ng project ng mga group mates nila. Pero nung mga sumunod na araw, si Cristine na lang ang pumupunta. Tapos ang maganda pa nun, napasali ni Cristine si Drake sa isang organization. Good influence sa kanya si Cristine kaya magaan ang loob ko dun, e."

Natahimik na lang ako. Parang medyo masakit. Hindi ba ako good influence kay Drake? 

Ano ba ang ginawa namin ni Drake dati? Wala naman akong matandaan na ginawa namin paa maisip ni Tito Steve na bad influence ako kay Drake. Hindi ko naman siya tinuruang mag inom, mag sigarilyo, o kaya naman mag drugs. Hindi lang ako nag eexcel academically pero hindi naman ibig sabihin nun bad influence ako!

"Uhm, kailan po naging sila?" I said after beating around the bush.

Umiling si Tito Steve. "Hindi ko din alam, e. Nagulat na nga lang ako ikakasal na daw sila," he said then he shrugged. "Pero pumayag na ako, bagay naman sila. Parehong matalino tsaka ewan, magkasundo talaga yung dalawa na yun."

Dumating si Tita Katrina dala ang isang tray na may pitcher ng juice at dalawang slice ng cake. Napatingin ako sa kanya pero nag iwas siya ng tingin. 

"Ikaw naman, Alys. Kamusta? Four years kang nawala!"

Ngumiti naman ako kay Tito at nagsimulang nagkwento ng masasaya kong memory sa Paris at New York. Hindi ko na sinabi yung malulungkot kong ala-ala. Ayokong isipin nila na miserable ako habang si Drake dito, masaya kasama si Cristine. 

--

"Alis na si Ate Alys..." sabi ko tapos kinuha ko yung gamit ko. Kanina pa kasi ako nakikipaglaro kay Ethos dito sa playroom niya. "Bye, baby Ethos," sabi ko sabay kiss sa cheek niya.

"Bye, Alys."

"Aww. Call me Ate Alys, will you?"

Umiling siya. "Don't like."

"Why naman, baby Ethos?"

Hindi niya ako tinignan tapos nagplay lang siya sa robot niya. "Alys mean. You're the reason why kuya used to cry. Alys bad."

I bit my lip to prevent myself from shedding a tear. Hindi ko din alam kung bakit ako naiiyak. D-amn!

I tried to compose a smile and then patted Ethos' head. "Ate Alys is not bad, okay? I'll explain it to baby Ethos next time."

Tumayo na ako at naglakad. 

"I don't want to see you, Alys. You will make my kuya cry again. I don't like that."

And there. A tear fell. D-amn, Drake! Ako na yung nasaktan mo dati pero ako pa yung masama ngayon?!

--

"Oh, bakit ka nagpatawag ng SOS?"

Nandito kami ngayon sa isang bar. I don't know where basta somewhere high end. Ugh!! Naffrustrate pa din ako sa pag uusap namin ni Ethos kanina! Paano ba akong nagawang frustrated ng four years old na bata?!

Umorder ako ng isa pang round ng cosmo. 

"I need someone to get me home later," sabi ko kay Tofer. SOS means duh, emergency. Nung nasa Paris ako, pag may night out ako, si Tofer ang tiga sundo ko. Si Tripp kasi, nasa New York. At saka hindi naman ako pinapayagan nun magbar. Lolo yun, e.

He snickered. "Back to b-itchessa ka na naman, Zyril?"

I rolled my eyes. Nung nasa Paris kasi kami, I made my friends there call me Zyril. And by being Zyril, I was kinda bad assed. Yeah. I know, mahirap iimagine but please do. My life when I was in New York was pretty messy. I tried to be excellent with my courses but I just could not! What the eff' was Drake's reason ba naman kasi?! Did he think na poof magiging matalino ako just because he asked me to?! After two sems, I transferred to a culinary school in Paris. I knew no one there so I took the oportunity to re-invent myself. Gone was the sweet and naive Alys. I tried to be different. You wouldn't want to know what I became while I was there. Even Tripp was mad at me when he saw me after months. I was... worse than ever. 

It took him months of begging and bugging bago niya ako napahinto. I took a break from all the partying and the drinking... when he's around. When he's not around, it's just an endless pit of darkness. After school, diretso bar. What could I say? That's the only consolation I got for myself. I pitied myself so much. 

Once, Tripp caught me crying inside a stall holding Drake's picture. Those months were horrible. Ayoko nang balikan. 

Once was enough.

Twice will be a mistake. A big, big mistake.

I turned to look at him and gave him my loopsided smile. "Am I back? Yes, Tofer. Meet Zyril, my doppelganger."