Chap.o47
"How was the trip?"
Nagulat ako nang paglabas ko ng shower room ay si Jude na ang bumungad sa akin. Prente itong nakahiga sa kama ko.
"You're nosy, Jude. Talagang hindi ka na nakapaghintay ng umaga para tanungin ako, huh." I rolled my eyes at him.
Kakauwi lang namin kanina at nag-shower na ako pagkauwi namin pero tignan mo nga naman, si Jude na ang unang bumungad sa akin pagkaligo ko. Hindi naman sya excited, noh?
"I'm not nosy, okay? Curious lang ako." He defended.
Lumapit na ako dito at sumandal sa headboard. Basa pa kasi ang buhok ko kaya hindi muna ako pwedeng humiga. Jude was beside me anyway, looking intently at me as if he was examing me.
"Jude, ano ba?" Saway ko na 'cause the way he looked at me was freaking me out.
"Stay still, Cyrene. I'm just looking for hickeys."
His statement gave me goosebumps all over. Binatukan ko na ito at dahil sa inis, pumaimbabaw pa ako dito at dire-diretso syang pinagpapalo.
Hindi pa din ako tumigil sa pagpalo dito kahit panay ang aray nito. I don't care if he was hurt anyway. Sya kasi eh. Ang dumi ng isip.
"Cyrene, aray... Aah... Shit..." Jude groaned in pain.
I still don't stop on beating him. I kept hitting him while he kept on defending himself.
"Jeez, what are you doing?"
My supposed-to-be-punch for Jude froze on air when I heard someone at my back. If I'm not mistaken, he was...
"Bro, help." I heard Jude say.
Dang! He was really Ysrael. Dahil dito, umalis na ako sa ibabaw ni Jude at nagmura sa loob ko. Nakakahiya. I wonder what is he thinking.
"Dinner is ready. Baba na lang kayo kapag tapos na kayo dyan."
With that, he shut the door loudly. Is he mad?
"Damn Cyrene, you hurted me!" Reklamo na ni Jude saka ito tumayo.
"You started first." Bwelta ko naman. "Baka iba na ang iniisip ng kapatid mo na ginagawa natin."
We were on an awkward position a while back. Given that I was on top and Jude was groaning, I know what Ysrael was thinking. Maybe he was assuming that we were having sex and I was the one who was doing the move. Could this day get any better?
"You're considering what my sibling is probably thinking. That's odd."
Jude's remark made me speechless. May point sya eh. Bakit ko ba kasi iniisip ang lalaking yun?
"Speechless, are we? Tell me, Cyrene. What really happened on your trip?"
"N-namasyal kami obviously. Nothing else happened." I defended, almost stuttering.
Tumayo na ako para makaiwas sa susunod na tanong nito. Seriously, I don't recognize myself. It was as if the trip I had with him brought something different in me.
"Let's go downstairs, Jude. Baka tayo na lang ang hinihintay."
We went downstairs after. Cause were pretending, Jude held my hand. And as we reached the dining area, I easily noticed Ysrael's gaze at our hands. His intent look made me remember what happened a while back - on how he held and never let go of my hand.
I just dismissed the thought and began eating. Thinking of him wouldn't bring any good.
SUNDAY na, at uuwi na kami ni jude mamayang gabi. May pasok na bukas at hindi naman kami pwedeng magtagal dito dahil weekend lang talaga ang bakasyon namin.
May napansin lang ako magmula kagabi. Ysrael kept ignoring me until now. It was as if I'm just an air to him. He never looked at me and just like my existence ceased to him.
We are having a picnic here in their garden pa naman. Hindi na kami lumayo pa dahil maganda dito sa kanila. At dahil hindi ako pinapansin nito, hindi ko maiwasang isipin kung may nagawa ba akong mali dito. Isa lang ang alam kong rason kung bakit. Dahil ito sa nakita nya kagabi.
I just ignored him in my mind. I tried focusing my attention on the people around me. Mr. and Mrs. Maniego were busy setting the table. They looked happy and in love. Busy naman ang kambal sa pag-iihaw ng mga barbeque at hotdog.
Seeing them together would make you confused. Kung hindi mo sila lubos kilala, hindi mo malalaman kung sino sina Jude Ysmael at Jude Ysrael. They're both handsome kasi. May pagka-brown pa ang buhok nilang dalawa na bagay sa kanila.
Saka lang ako tumigil sa pag-oobserba nang lumingon si Ysrael. Akala ko papansinin na nya ako pero mali ako. Agad din itong nag-iwas ng tingin.
Makalipas ang ilang minuto, lumapit na si Jude sa akin at binigyan ako ng tig-isang hotdog at barbeque. Okay naman ang ihaw nila. Hindi sunog at hindi din hilaw. Una ko nang tinikman ang hotdog pagkatapos.
"Uhm okay ang pagkakaihaw, huh." I commented while still chewing. Never mind the manners. Si Jude lang naman ito.
"I know. Years of practice eh. Kami kasi ni bro ang palaging naaatasan sa pag-iihaw."
"And speaking of him, Ysrael's ignoring me, Jude." Parang batang sumbong ko na.
"You called him Ysrael." Hinarap na ako ni Jude after. "You called him Ysrael for the first time. What happened to prick and bastos, huh, Cyrene?"
I opened my mouth to say something or to explain but I couldn't find the right words to say. That's why I closed it after. Dang! I'm tongue-tied!
"Akala ko ba sya ang mahuhulog sa trip nyo kahapon? Nabaliktad yata ah." Jude then laughed. "Alam mo ba kung bakit hindi sya nahulog sayo kahapon? Ito ay dahil matagal na syang nahulog sayo, Cyrene."
I want to say my protest but I'm still tongue-tied. Wala ng nagsalita sa amin after. Hanggang sa narinig ko na lang ang pagtunog ng phone ko.
"Oh saved by the bell. Sagutin mo na yan. Mag-iihaw lang ako saglit." At umalis na ito.
Kaya naman sinagot ko na ang tawag pagkatapos. I cleared first my throat. Mahirap na. Baka hindi ako makapagsalita.
"Hello." I greeted.
"Hoy babae, nasan ka? Nandito ako sa pad mo pero wala ka." It was Jen.
"I'm at Ilocos, Jen. Missed me?" Biro ko na.
"Sort of. Oo nga pala may sasabihin ako. Diba nakipag-eyeball ako kanina. Usapan namin ng ka-eyeball ko ay magkikita kami sa mall. And then I wore black instead of white na sinabi kong susuotin ko. And you know what? Mabuti na lang at nag-black ako. My gosh! Ang pangit nung guy, Cyrene. May lalakeng mas papangit pa pala kay Tomas." Hysterical na wika nito.
I tried lauging dahil nakakatawa ito. Jen is fond of eyeball kasi. If she feels that the guy is handsome, she'd wear color white. But if the guy is not that handsome - ugly for short – she'd wear black kahit na white ang sinabi nitong kulay na susuotin. Mean diba?
"Cyrene, are you okay there?"
Napatigil ako sa pagtawa nang magsalita si Jen sa kabilang linya.
"Oo naman, Jen. I'm okay here. Nag-eenjoy pa nga ako dito."
"You're lying, Cyrene. Alam kong may problema ka. Care to share?"
Jen is really my friend. Ramdam nito kung may problema ako o wala. Na kahit pilitin ko mang itago dito ang problema, mararamdaman pa din nito na may problema ako.
"Cyrene... You can tell me what your problem is. Friend mo ako, diba?"
"Jen..."
I heaved a sigh. Lumayo na din ako para walang makarinig sa sasabihin ko. What I am going to tell Jen is confidential.
"What? Cyrene, binibitin mo ako eh."
Nang masigurado kong wala ng makakarinig sa akin dito, sinabi ko na kay Jen ang totoo. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit ako nagkakaganito at kung bakit ko iniisip ang hindi pagpansin sa akin ni Ysrael. Maybe Jude had a point after all.
"I think I like Ysrael, Jen."
