Ren's Pleasure

Chapter Six

Clyde.

I woke up without Ren by my side. I went at the kitchen and saw her with her phone, silently talking to someone. I decided to slowly walk towards her. Damn my curiosity for being like this.

"...pakisabi pasensya na. Maraming lang inaasikaso..."

"Oo magpapadala ako mamaya ng pera. Susubukan ko na ako naman ang mag-alaga."

"Pakisabi huwag siyang mag-alala. Ayos lang ako."

She maybe felt that I was behind her within a short distance because she looked behind. Nagpaalam na siya sa kausap niya sa phone.

"Sorry. Nagising ba kita? Kausap ko kasi ang kapatid ko." Ren walked towards me.

"I see. Are they looking for you?"

"O-Oo... Parang ganoon na nga..." she looked away.

I lifted her chin to make her look at me in the eyes. "Are you okay?"

"H-Ha? Oo naman. I'm fine," she smiled, but didn't reached her eyes.

Though I can sense that she's hiding something from me, I think I don't have the right to ask her questions. Maybe I'm interested in Ren but still, we are not a couple. We are just friends.

***

Ren.

Clyde decided to go the next day. It's Monday and it's his duty to be present at his company when the week starts. At dahil wala akong pasok, uuwi muna ako sa aming bahay sa Tondo, Manila.

Ang aming bahay ay isang barong-barong lang. Pinilit kong makatapos ng college para makatulong kay Mama na mapag-aral ang tatlo ko pang mga kapatid. Pero mula nang ma-diagnose si mama na meron siyang breast cancer stage two, napilitan ang mga kapatid ko na huminto muna para makagawa rin sila ng paraan na maiahon ang kanilang mga sarili sa gutom.

We owned a small grocery at Tondo – before. Nalugi ito dahil hindi na maasikaso dahil sa sakit ni Mama. While me, I have to make fast money para makaipon ng pampaopera ni Mama.

I feel that my situation became even more difficult. Since meeting Clyde, I don't want to have sex with anyone except him. Clyde wakes the hidden desire that I want to dedicate to the man that I want to marry if there would be a chance of meeting that someone.

It's hard. If I stop this kind of work dahil sa nararamdaman ko, magugutom ang pamilya ko. Hindi ko mapapagamot si Mama. Ni hindi nga sapat ang naiipon ko para maibayad sa isang session ng chemotherapy.

Teary-eyed, I started to pack my things. I'll spend my day with my family hanggang bukas. Dederetso na ako sa café mula sa Tondo kinabukasan.

I should get a hold of myself. I'll do this for my family to survive.

***

"Ate Ren!"

Rikki, our youngest brother welcomed me with a very warm hug. Kahit na she's ten years old, sobrang proud ako rito dahil mabait ito at matalino pa.

"Miss na miss ka na namin Ate. Ang tagal mo nang di nakakapunta."

I patted his head. "Pasensya na kayo ha. Kailangan ko rin gumawa ng paraan para makaipon para kay Mama at sa atin."

Ross, his twenty-year old brother also welcomed me. "Kumusta Ate? Buti talaga napadalaw ka. Miss ka na rin ni Mama."

Ipinatong ko sa mesa ang konting grocery na pinamili ko at agad na inayos ito ni Rage, my fifteen year old brother. "Pasensya na talaga. Kumusta kayo rito?"