In Chasing and Crashing

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Bakit Siya Umiiyak?

Tango lang ako ng tango sa mga sinasabi ni Ceres. Kasalukuya'y ikinukwento niya sa akin ang tungkol sa kanyang mga kuya. Free storytelling. Titiisin ko 'to. Bahala na't laging name-mention si Crash basta marinig ko lang ang tungkol kay Kuya Bas.

And yes, I will settle with that. Hindi pa ako sure whether I should call him kuya o sir because I never asked, but I think I won't go with Basty. Hindi rin Baste. Hindi pa naman kami close. But don't worry, we'll get there. Hinay hinay lang.

"Si Kuya Zach at ako ang pinaka-addicted sa travel. Wanderlust nga. Si Ate at si Kuya Bas, behave lang. Lalo na si Kuya!" Tumawa siya. "Ayaw niya talagang lumabas sa bahay."

"Ano naman ang ginagawa niya dito?"

Sumimangot siya. She shifted her gaze from her iPad to me. "Natutulog."

Kaya pala ang tangkad! Six footer si kuya. A few more inches to that, I believe. Hindi naman kasi ako pandak. 5"4 ako. Actually, I find that average. Pretty tall since I know some people my age na 4"11 pa rin ang height. Sadly, chances that they'll get any taller are low.

"How often does he go out? I mean, may mga kaibigan ba siya? Gumagala rin ba?" Curious kong tanong.

"Lumalabas naman siya. Pag may importanteng lakad lang. Yes, he does have friends and they often go out pero inuuna niya talaga ang kanyang trabaho. He's such a passionate artist, and I call him that because he always treats his work as a form of art." Ngumiti siya. "Pero actually, gusto niya talagang mag-engineer."

Ako nga, ginusto kong magfocus talaga sa creative writing, eh. Gusto kong kumuha ng mga course about sa literature. Ewan ko ba't napunta ako sa masscom, eh hindi naman masyadong makapal ang mukha ko. I personally think that it's a major need in the field. Getting out of the house and interviewing people. I'm not good at that initially, pero I gradually improved.

Plus, my family never found writing a stable job to rely on. Hindi ako hit writer sa Wattpad though I have a reasonable number of reads on my stories.

"Kaya instead of si Kuya Bas ang mag-engineering, si Kuya Zach ang pumalit. Kaso gusto ni Kuya Zach na mag-architecture dahil magaling talaga siya sa larangang 'yon." She wiggled her brows. "Kuya Zach is such a passionate artist."

"At ayaw nilang mag-shift?" Tanong ko.

"I actually asked them about that already. Sabi nila, okay rin naman pero tinamad na sila." Napataas ang kilay ko. Ganun sila kabilis mag-give up?

"Thing is, napamahal na sila sa courses nila. Kuya Zach is a really natural math wiz. Si Kuya Bas naman, natural talaga ang talent niya sa art." Namangha ako sa sinabi niya. The part about Kuya Bas, that is.

Nagpatuloy siya sa pagsasalita. "The awesome thing about them is that they're naturally talented. Walang kinuhang art workshop or classes si Kuya Bas. Pero trained na siya ngayon dahil may subjects naman siya na nagf-focus sa arts." Tumango ako.

"Si Kuya Zach naman, natural lang talaga. Hindi matataas ang grades niyang may kinalaman sa math pero di naman siya bumabagsak. Tamad kasi, eh. Ayaw gumawa ng mga project at assignment. But if merong mga competition, siya ang idinadala palagi. National competitor 'yan at grumaduate ng Kumon at the age of 11." Kwento niya. "I think we have it here somewhere. Yung trophy niya. Sa time na 'yun kasi, he was entitled the best Kumon student in the Philippines. Galing, 'no?" She smiled.

I can't help but smirk. National competitor? Wow. I can't believe I'm impressed. I passionately dislike Math kasi. I never knew he had it in him. Well, I don't know Crash that much. I haven't heard of him except when it comes to fame.