My Beautiful Disaster

MBD 002

"Welcome  aboard."

Ngumiti ako sa iginawang pagbati ng stewardess sa akin. Pagkababa na pagkababa ko ng eroplano ay agad kong isinuot ang aviators ko. I smiled. I'm home.

"Casey!!"

Napangiti ako nang marinig ang boses na iyon. I turn around and grin. "Han Han!" masaya kong sigaw dito. Masaya akong tumakbo papunta sa kanya at niyakap ito ng mahigpit. I missed my best friend.

"Kumusta na ang best friend ko?" I beamed at her. She's still the same Hannah I left the day after I let him go. Maganda pa din— isa nga lang ang nagbago—she's bearing their fourth baby girl.

Nakangiting hinaplos nito ang kanyang tiyan. "Heto masaya ang buhay asawa! Ikaw? Hmm, meron na ba?!" may halong pamimintang nitong tanong.

Natawa nalang ako. "Sira! Where's the twins?" I asked. Wala sa huwisyo kong nahawakan ang noo ko "God.." I preached "It's almost six years."

Natawa ito sa sinabi ko, "the twins are at their school. Si Chaos naman nasa opisina— babad sa trabaho.." marahan akong napangiti at tumango. Chaos.. Are they mad at me because of what I did to his brother? Hindi naman siguro, it's Charm's fault. Charm.. I sighed.

"...Si Adrian nasa pre-school na. Makulit nga eh!" nagkwento pa ito tungkol sa mga nangyari sa Pilipinas noong nawala ako. I feel like a stranger in my own country.

"Ikaw? How is your five year stay at the country of love and passion?" tanong pa nito. I laughed as I get inside the car. Paris was great, masaya ang buhay pintor. Who wouldn't be? Painting your feelings? Such a great feeling.

"Great." tipid kong sagot.

Nakatingin lang ako sa paligid na parang ignoranteng bata. The buildings and structures kind of changed. The traffic is still the same—you'll get stuck and it sucks. Air pollution? Getting worse than ever.

"Remember that building?" napatingin ako sa tinuro ni Hannah nang huminto ang kotseng aming sinasakyan sa gitna ng trapiko. Napalingon ako doon at napairap na lamang. Ano 'to throwback time na ba?! I sighed deeply.

"Castro Incorporated.." I said breathlessly.

Building of engineers? No, our building. Building of our memories. The place where all the first-times in my life is experienced—cheek kiss, intertwined fingers, forehead kisses, neck kisses, lap sitting, hugging, lip bites, neck bites and kissing. Everything happened in that building, sa office ni Charm. Sex? It happened at his house. Why would I give my purity to the man I love in a cheap building? If you love someone and you're ready to give your purity—that place must be special as ever.

"Alam mo kung sino na nagmamay-ari niyan?" bigla nitong tanong.

"Who?" I asked out of curiousity.

"The Baez.." nakangisi niyang sagot sa akin, like it wasn't a big deal na sila na ang may ari niyan.

My mouth partly parted. "Pati ba naman iyan?" tanong ko dito, bakas pa sa boses ko na hindi aki makapaniwala. I am still in the state of shock. I don't really doubt if the Baez's bought that building, they can buy and have everything they wanted. They can even buy the country. Mas makapangyarihan pa sila sa Presidente. Pero, damn! Pati ba naman iyan?

"Yes Case. JM owns that—personally" dagdag pa nito.

Mas lalong nanlaki ang mga singkit kong mata. "J-JM? As in.. Jose Maria?" I asked, stuttering in disbelief.

Ngumisi ito at tumango. "Why?" taas kilay niyang tanong sa akin, "Charm is an independent man now after the tragedies that he experienced."

Yeah.. tragedies..

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Parang lumipad ang ulo ko sa lakas ng sampal ng babaeng nasa harap ko ngayon na halos makulangan na sa tela ang suot

"Fuck you Baez! It's Mia not Myla, you jerk!" irita itong umalis. I grinned as I looked at her walking away. I have forgotten the name of that girl who I fucked at the men's room three minutes ago.

She's just like any other girls out there, or what everyone call fuck buddies.

Bumalik na ako sa bar. Natatawa akong nilagok ang dry martini na hawak hawak ko. Mia? I thought it's Myla.. Pasensya naman—tao lang!

Nakakalimot din.. sa sarap.

"Yo, bro!" napatingin ako sa gilid ko nang may umakbay sa akin— it's Chaos. Tumango lang ako bilang pagbati sa kanya.

"Nandito ka na naman.." pamumuna nito.

"Ayy, sorry po kuya— aray! Isa Chaos! Mas matanda ako sayo!" bulyaw ko sa kanya. Mambatok daw ba?! Totoo naman talaga eh, he acts like a big brother to me yet I'm the one who is the older one.

He just laughed with my reaction to what he did. "Dry martini nga.." utos nito sa barista.

"Have you heard the news already?" bigla itong nagsalita sa gitna ng katahimikan. He got my attention kaya I looked at him, waiting for him to tell me the news. What news? Is it about the empire? Is it a good news or a bad news?

"News? I heard nothing. What news?" nakataas ang isang kilay kong tanong dito. He smirked after he drank his martini.

"...that she's finally back"