Muli (An Agnes-Jerry fic)

TEN

"Ito bang pagdalaw na kasama siya ay sign na?"

Agnes looks up from dicing carrots and looks at her aunt, sitting at the table with the rest of the women in the family. She is smiling, her eyes knowing.

"Anong 'sign na,' Tita Nena?" she asks in return.

"Kayo ba nitong si Jerry —"

She shakes her head. "Tita ha... Kadarating ko lang may mga chika ka nang ganiyan."

"Naku... Eh kasi naman. Kasama mo siya. Tapos kasama pa si Melissa saka 'yung anak niya. At mukha naman kayong okay."

"Nagkamali lang ho ng book ng flight para sa sarili nilang bakasyon... At naisip namin maybe it will be more convenient for everyone to just stick together... Kaibigan ko rin naman siya, Tita."

"Nagkamali ba o sadyang minali?"

The women at the table nod and giggle. Agnes tries hard not to roll her eyes. She smiles instead.

"Basta ho kung minali man, hindi po si Jerry ang nag-book. Saka nagka-asawa na po 'yung tao, may anak na nga... Wala naman na sigurong ganoon..."

"Sige, kung magbubulag-bulagan ka," Nena says in the dialect.

"Ano 'yon, Tita?"

"Wala... Sabi ko sige. Satisfied naman ako sa sagot mo. Basta't nakauwi ka."

—

Jerry takes the opportunity over lunch, while Alie and Daisy look at dessert choices, to confront Melissa about what has happened. "I didn't like what you did."

"Bakit, anong ginawa ko?"

"Ginawa n'yo." He lifts the stick of barbecue and points it at her. "Ikaw, alam kong may connivance kayo ni Daisy ha... Nakakahiya kay Agnes na nakikisalo tayo sa holiday niya."

"Parang hindi naman siya bothered, Kuya. Cute n'yo nga eh."

"Haay naku, Melissa."

His baby sister sighs and points back at him with her own barbecue stick. "Kuya, alam mo, tadhana na nagdadala sa inyo together."

He hits her stick with his and takes a bite of the pork. He puts it down and gets some rice, readying his response. "Tadhana ka diyan."

"Instruments lang kami ni Daisy."

"Makulit lang kayo, 'yan ang sabihin n'yo... Buti hindi nga ilag 'yung tao. Nakakahiya lalo na nakikialaga siya kay Alie."

"Fond lang siya du'n sa bata. Mommy material, ganiyan."

"Melissa."

His sister giggles, shaking her head. "Alam mo, Kuya, magiging awkward lang kung ikaw ang magpapa-awkward. Okay naman si Agnes, eh. Chill lang siya. Kami rin chill lang... Si Mamon love na love siya, and that should make you happy."

"Happy? Bakit?"

"Wala naman... Na..." She purses her lips, careful with her words. "Alam mo sabi niya sa akin kanina nu'ng nagre-ready kami para sa pag-alis natin, para daw niyang mommy si Agnes. 'Di ako nagtanong ha!" There's a wistful smile there, and then a look up at her brother. "'Di ba, Kuya, ito naman talaga 'yung pangarap mo noon? 'Yung pamilyang bubuuin mo, si Agnes ang kasama mo?"

He smiles, a sad one. "Nagbago 'yung mga plano, eh. Masaya naman ako na si Camille 'yung kasama ko."

"Pero wala na rin si Camille."

"Can we talk about something else?"

"Sorry..." There is another pause, but Melissa just can't seem to help herself. "Nami-miss mo pa rin si Camille? Palagay ko kung nandito siya —"

"And she isn't..."

"It's been five years, Kuya. Gugustuhin niya siguro na bigyan mo naman 'to ng pagkakataon... Matagal na rin —"

"'Di naman mababago ng ilang taon kung ano 'yung nararamdaman ko, 'di ba?"

—

It's been a good day to see part of the city. They return to the compound before sunset, where there is an ongoing preparation for dinner. Apparently, the whole clan is gathering at the open space of the area. Just another thing about big families.

"Kumusta ang pasyal?" Agnes inquires, sitting with him as the girls go to the buffet.

"It was okay." He smiles. "Si Alie, she really enjoyed. We went to see, uhh, The Ruins?"

"Maganda nga doon. Matagal na rin akong 'di nakakapunta."

"Pwede naman nating daanan next time. Ikaw, how was your afternoon?"

"Very... uhm... domestic?" She giggles at this, and wrinkles her nose. "I haven't been around a big family in so, so long. Nor stayed home the whole day to do just this— cook and eat and talk and cook and eat and talk some more."

"Iba rin ang kasama ang pamilya, 'no?"

"Oo naman..." She is about to say something about being the butt of jokes all afternoon, but she lets it slide, mainly because she wouldn't really want him to know what her family was teasing her about. Enough about that.

The girls join them at the table, plates full. Alie is holding up the one meant for dessert, grinning at her Tatay.

"Naku, masu-sugar rush na naman 'tong si Mamon, ha?" he says to the older ones. "Kinukunsinti n'yo na naman."

"Para sa ating lahat 'yan!" Daisy says. "Wala pa ngang ice cream!"

"Dapat lang. Halika, anak, kain na muna ng dinner, okay?"

"Naku, Jerry, kami na! Ako BFF nitong si Alie, eh."

The women take the child to the other end of the table, joining everyone else. Left alone, the two smile, shaking their heads, though refusing to say why, even when they're thinking the very same thing.

"So..." they say at once.

Then smile again.

"You go ahead," he says.

"I was just gonna ask... Bakit Mamon 'yung nickname ni Alie?"

"Sabi kasi nitong sina Melissa ang tambok raw ng pisngi. Syempre 'di naman pwedeng Tambok itawag dyan, 'di ba?" Agnes nods, giggling. "Kaya ayun. Fluffy cheeks. Parang mamon. 'Yung Alie naman... Nanay niya may tawag sa kaniya. Akala kasi namin lalaki siya ipapanganak."

"May junior pala sana."

"Junior pa rin naman siya... Junior ng nanay niya."

"Kamukha siya ng mommy niya?"

"Yeah... Singkit, eh. 'Di naman maliit mata ko."

She giggles a little more. "Naaalala ko 'yung dati tinatry mo maging singkit." She pulls the skin from both ends of her eyes. "'Yung ganito? 'Pag nagtatampo ako sa'yo tapos —"

He chuckles. "Oo. Tapos may 'Chinese accent.'"

"Oo, ang racist mo."

"Ginagaya ko lang si Mang Johnson du'n sa may kanto namin."

They laugh, and laugh a little more.

"Saka kapag bagong gising ka? Sumisingkit ka naman."

The peels of his laughter melts into a smile. His gaze, lingering.

Masaya naman tayo... Pwede pa naman tayong maging masaya ulit, 'di ba?

—