CREAM OF THE CROP

Chapter 10 - Lalaki

Naunang umuwi si Veronica dahil pinuntahan niya pa ang mama niya sa office nila. Veronica's dad is the president of a law firm in our city.

Pagkatapos naming kumain ay nag-unahan kaming makapuwesto sa tricycle ni Mang Jun. Naunahan ko si Hovea kaya siya ngayon ang nasa stall at ako ay komportableng nakaupo. Si Sharisse ay nasa kaliwa ko at si Desteen ay nasa Floor.

"Sinong mauuna?" tanong ni Mang Jun

"Kila Desteen muna Manong. Ayoko pang umuwi." sagot ni Sharisse. Bigla akong kinain ng curiosity.

"Family prob?" I asked

She smiled. But that kind of smile isn't the smile she usually gives. There's something in it. Ano na naman kaya ang pinagdadaanan ng babaeng to?

Napatingin ako sa mga kasama ko. Nakikinig rin pala sila.

"Ilabas mo yan Sha para gumaan kahit paano yang pakiramdam mo." pangungumbinsi ni Desteen

"Ano ba kayo. I'm okay." Sharisse faked a smile

"You don't have to pretend that you are okay when you really aren't." I said. Tumango-tango si Hovea.

May nabubuong luha sa mga mata ni Sharisse pero kumurap-kurap siya kaya napigil. She also swallowed the lump in her throat then smiled again. I sighed.

"Kung ano man yang pinagdadaanan mo, I'm perfectly sure maaayos rin yan. Everything's gonna be alright. Hindi man ngayon but eventually," pang-aalo ko. I gave her an assuring smile.

"Kaya mo yan Sha ikaw pa," sabi ni Madsen na nakikinig pala mula sa likuran.

"Group hug!" sigaw naman ni Hovea

***

Alas singko na nang makarating ako sa bahay. Walang nakabukas na ilaw. Wala pa siguro sina mama. I searched the key in my bag.

Binuksan ko yung gate at dumiretso sa loob. I switched on the lights then went in my room. Inilagay ko ang bag sa single bed pagkatapos ay binuksan ang electric fan.

I opened the door to the terrace and went outside. I can see from here the wholeness of the sky and how it slowly turned into different shades of red and purple. It's like an abstract painting that is springing to life.

We only know sunset as the symbol of an end. No one really knows what lies behind the colors above except the great artist that designed it all.

"A-te!" a small, familiar voice said.

I found him at the terrace of the house beside ours, Tita Evelyn's house. Karga-karga siya ng kanyang yaya. His tiny hands waved at me and his smile was like of the sun, warm, comforting.

"Hi Sav!" masigla kong bati. He giggled.
Nagmadali akong bumaba para puntahan siya.

Sa pagmamadali ko ay hinihingal na ako nang makarating sa kanilang gate. I put my hands on my knees and take deep breaths.

The front yard contains my cousins except Sav. Three boys and five girls. Nakaupo sila sa may nipa hut na binili pa ni Tita Evelyn five years ago. David is playing an opm song with his guitar. He's tall and a bit musculine. He's a year older than me. Si Marie naman na mas bata sa akin ng isang taon at Lane na sampung taon pa lang ang kumakanta.

Magsasalita sana ako when someone patted my head. "Problema mo?" nakabusangot kong tanong kay Tofer, my closest cousin. Tumingin siya sa kaliwang bahagi niya at noon ko lamang napansin na may kasama siya.

"Pasok ka," aya ni Tofer sa kasama niya.

Nakatingin ito sa akin, curiosity is evident in his eyes. His eye color is different. Though I can't name it. It's gray but not totally gray. It's not black. It's like dark gray. I don't know. Ang alam ko lang ay may something sa kanya.