He Was My Cousin

Chapter 33

Chapter 33
For New Beginnings

Two months later...

He opened his car door for me. I looked at him suspiciously for he was acting so nice today. I even felt his hand covering the top of my head so it wouldn't bump to the inner roof of his car. Pero wala namang kwenta iyon dahil mataas naman ito. He was acting all nice for nothing.

"What?" tanong niya noong umupo na siya sa driver's seat dahil nakatingin pa rin ako sa kanya.

"You're extra nice today, it's making me puke."

He laughed. "I'm always nice. Stick around me more and you'll know."

I looked at him incredulously. "Paolo, you've been going to my school daily for the past month or so. Pumunta ka sa bahay namin kahapon. At ngayon, Linggo, mukha mo pa rin ang nakikita ko. And what did you just say, stick around you more?"

"You make it sound like I'm so clingy!"

I nodded, "You are."

"Well... I told you I'll annoy you forever."

Napa-irap ako. "You're nailing it, Romualde."

He simpered. "Yeah, that's why from hereon, I'll stay on your school whole day daily," bigla niyang anunsyo.

Kinuha ko iyong maliit na stuff toy na naka-display sa sasakyan niya at binato iyon sa kanya. "Don't you have a life?!"

Humalakhak siya. "Gusto mo bang makarinig ng cheesy line na sagot d'yan?"

Umayos na ako ng upo. I know how cheesy he could get and I'd rather save my fingers from curling because of it. So I said, "No, thank you." Matapos iyon ay nanahimik na lang ako.

"Aya..." he suddenly called in the middle of our trip. Napataas ang kilay ko dahil sa pag-iingat sa boses niya. "Do you... do you like to go to a resort in Batangas? Sa resort ni Garie."

"With? When?"

"Depende kung kalian ka available. Uh... ano. With me."

"And?"

"Me."

Sumimangot ako. "Funny."

"Seryoso ako!" apila niya.

"Ang dami mo talagang time, 'no?" I told him. "You have the time to chill on my office; you have the time to even go out of town! I envy you!" sarkastiko kong sabi.

Biglang bumalandra ang ngisi sa labi niya. "Sabi ko naman kasi sa'yo, Aya, you should date a businessman - just not those corporate men in their three-piece suit; they're complicated to deal with. But proprietors... they're worth the trouble, Aya. Unlike engineers, we have our time in our hands. We can make way for our priorities, and we can do so without neglecting our careers."

"And now I see you learned to market yourself..."

He winked. "Ikaw ang nagsabi niyan."

--

If there was one thing I least expected to happen today, it was meeting Ate Abby again. But here I was, standing right in front of her. Pinasadahan ko siya ng tingin. Long gone was the refined and finesse Abbigail Santiñez Carreon I knew. She looked more carefree now with her sunny dress.

I was about to walk towards her when Paolo who was a few steps back from me suddenly cut their distance when he immediately went to her and hug her tight. "Abby!" He let her go and looked at her, "It's been long!"

She chuckled. "I missed you, Pao!"

"Ditto," he replied with a smile. "How long have you been here, anyway? Ni hindi mo man lang ako tinawagan!"