The Coño Boy 1 & 2: Love What You Will

Chapter Sixty-Six: Family Day is Overrated

Me: Kuya Guard, pa-radio naman po sa guard on-duty sa College Chapel na magdadala ako ng flowers doon para kay Mama Mary.

Kuya Guard: Okay po, sabihan ko na papunta na kayo.

Me: May naiwan pa po akong gamit sa dressing room ha, I'll come back pa.

Kuya Guard: May mga tao pa ba sa loob?

Me: Yes Kuya, may mga nagliligpit pa rin ng mga stuff nila.

There's always a guard on duty at the lobby of FB Hall because the Central Accounting office is located upstairs. This building used to be the old Rizal Library's Annex before it was repurposed and renamed.

Me: Kumain na po ba kayo, Kuya?

Kuya Guard: Ay opo, sir. Tinawag kami ni Madam. Yung mestizang parang orange ang color ng buhok. Nakakahiya nga po eh pero mapilit siya.

*Mestizang Madam with parang orange hair? That's definitely Aunt Agatha.*

Me: Ah Auntie ko po 'yon.

Earlier, before they went ahead, I asked permission from my Lola Doray if I could offer the flower arrangement she had delivered for me to the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at the ground floor of G-Hall. Parang thanksgiving na rin to offer the flowers to Mama Mary and because I also have to carry three bouquets home —yung mga inabot ni Jake sakin during the bows and a third one na iniwan sa table ko.

*Speaking of Jake. Saan na kaya siya? I saw him assisting Lola Idang ride the hotel's town car kanina and after that, sina Auntie at Lola Doray naman. I went inside to get my stuff organized and nawala na siya.*

It's going to be a quick back and forth lang naman along the covered walk so I decided not to ask anyone to accompany me to the college chapel na. As I step out of FB Hall's glass doors, I was half surprised that Jake's still there; standing all by himself at the edge of the steps.

Me: You're still here? What about si Kuya Mack?

Jake: Nauna na siya, luluwas pa siya pa-uwi sa atin sa Laguna.

Me: Eh ba't hindi ka na lang sumama sa kanya?

Jake: Hindi ka pa kasi nakaka-uwi, Se.

*Why do I have a feeling that there's going to be a part two of the argument we had a while ago pag pinagsabihan ko na dapat sumama na lang siya kay Kuya Mack pauwi?*

Jake: Saan mo dadalhin yan?

Me: I'm offering this to Mama Mary sa college chapel.

Jake: Ako na magbi-bitbit niyan, Se.

_ _ _

I say a short prayer before leaving the chapel. I take one final look at the flowers my Lola Doray had delivered to the dressing room earlier. Old school talaga si Lola Doray with the red roses and aster flowers. There's about four or five dozen of them in this arrangement. I check my pocket pero I forgot na naiwan ko yung mobile phone ko inside my bag again. I want to take a photo to show it to my Lola sana.

Me: Jake...

Jake: Se?

Me: Kunan mo naman ng photo yung flowers at si Mama Mary. Naiwan ko kasi yung phone ko. I want Lola Doray to see them na nasa chapel na yung flowers na she gave me.

Jake: Okay. Kukunan ko.

_ _ _

Jake and I walk back to FB Hall after offering the flowers to the chapel. He's not saying much —more like wala talaga siyang sinasabi maybe because na-realize na din niya na tonight's not really the time to discuss things —very complicated things. Or I may just be assuming that's what he's thinking.