Surface Tension

chapter 7

     “Miu-miu mas malaki ang gagastusin mo pag ginawa ko ang kotse mo mas maigi na bumili ka nalang ng bagong sasakyan” sabi sa akin ni Mang Rudy, kausap ko siya sa phone. Yan ang dahilan kaya sa kanya ako nagpapa gawa ng kotse ko. Hindi siya mukhang pera at honest talaga.

“Paki compute nalang po kung magkano aabutin kung papalitan yung buong makina bago po ako mag desisyon kung bibili ako bagong sasakyan” sagot ko.

“Sige iha, i-te-text ko nalang sa iyo”

“Salamat ho” pinindot ko ang end button. May kumatok sa pinto. “Pasok” sabi ko at umupo sa kama ko. Bumukas ang pinto and it was Lucas.

“What’s wrong?” tanong niya.

“Wala” sagot ko.

“Halos magka dikit na yung kilay mo”

“Sabi ng mekaniko ko mas malaki daw gagastusin ko pag pinagawa ko yung kotse ko” huminga ako ng malalim.

“Then buy a new one” simpleng sagot ni Lucas.

“Wala sa budget. Kakabayad ko lang sa tuition ni Coco dahil mag fa-Finals na. Yung ipon ko pambabayad ko sa tuition sa susunod na pasukan”

“I’ll buy you a new car and I’ll pay for Coco’s tuition. Problem solved”

“No!” tangi ko.

“Alam mo hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit masyado kang kuripot pag dating sa sarili mo. Im sure the money in your other bank account is enough to buy a decent car”

“What are you talking about?” nag maang-maangan ako.

“Miuccia, I think mali na Music Industry ang pinasok mo dapat nag showbiz ka nalang sa galing mong umakting” amused niyang sabi.

“Paano mo nalaman na may isa pa akong bank account?” tanong ko sa kanya.

“I found out by accident” sagot niya.

“Really?” sarcastic kung sagot.

“I was looking for a brilliant programmer for Griffith Mobile kasi I am planning to change the website and I want to have an app for iOS and Android. A so called recluse programmer was highly recommended pero he politely declined thru e-mail. Imagine how shocked I was the other day when I found out that he was a she and is standing in front of me right now” he smiled.

“Money talks nga naman. By the way I want the name of the person you hired to track my I.P Address trails and the person who told you about my secret bank account”

“Kaya mo naman malaman yun if you really want to. We all thought you were a technophobe. I think I already know why you dropped out of College and why you hated school so much. You were simply bored” 

“Tapos ka na?” tanong ko sa kanya.

“Alam mo ba gaano kataas IQ mo? Pa-test kita bukas” curious niyang tanong.

“Pina-test na ako ni daddy before” sagot ko.

“Bakit hindi niya pinag yabang na may genius siyang anak?”

“I told him not to. Kakain na ba?” tanong ko.

“Hindi pa. Pero hinahanap ka ni Coco nasa baba na tinatamad lang umakyat” he explained.

“So gaano kataas ang IQ mo?” tanong niya.

“Lucas wala ako sa mood sagutin yang tanong mo” tumayo na ako at nag lakad sa pinto.

“Pag hindi mo sinagot tanong ko I’ll tell everyone about the secret life you have been living” he threatened.

“Mang blackmail ba?” inis na tanong ko. He grinned. Natakot ako sa susunod na sasabihin niya.

“Have dinner with me tomorrow or else alam mo na mangyayari” blackmail niya

“I’d rather tell everyone my secret than go out with you on a date” binara ko siya and that shut him up. Nag walk out siya at tumawa ako.