~52~
"Louie, gusto mo bang magbaon ng sandwich? Ipagbabalot kita."
Bahagya ko lang tinapunan ng tingin ang kausap saka umiling. "Okay lang ako, yaya."
I busied myself in playing PSP habang hinihintay si Kuya J sa living room. He was driving me to school today dahil sa hapon pa naman daw ito kailangan sa opisina.
Or so I thought.
"Goddamn it!" dinig kong malakas na mura ng pinsan habang kausap yata nito ang sekretarya. "Bakit ngayon mo lang sinabi na nire-schedule pala ng mas maaga ang meeting? What did I tell you about this? Give me a minute, I have to hang up."
Saka ako binalingan nito. "Louie, si kuya Drigo na muna maghahatid sayo dahil baka ma-late ako sa board meeting. I didn't know it's--"
"It's fine, Kuya J." Putol ko dito. "I'll be fine. Tatawag na lang ako sa guard house for a cab. Sige po, una na'ko."
Mabilis na hinawakan nito ang isang kamay ko upang pigilan ako.
"Are you holding a grudge against kuya Drigo dahil tingin mo hindi niya nagampanan ang trabaho niya bilang bodyguard ni Mama?" diretso itong nakatingin sa mata ko, waiting for confirmation.
Napansin marahil nila na halos hindi ko na ito kinakausap at madalas ay umiiwas ako kapag nasa paligid 'to. Even when he tries to talk to me I act like he barely exists. I just don't want to be disrespectful in case I say something offensive. Hindi ko maipapangako sa sarili kong wala akong masabing hindi maganda rito. Avoidance seems more appropriate than the former.
Tinapatan ko ang diretsong tingin ng pinsan.
"Grudge?" kaswal kong sagot. "I don't have time for that, Kuya."
"Then let him drive you to school," frustrated namang saad nito.
"I, however, remember all the facts until the day I die."
He was left speechless. Like he knew there's something behind what I said. I just continued walking towards the door.
***
UP Diliman
"I'm with my best friend, Louie-- what? Uh, no. What do you mean? I can't hear you clearly na, what was that?"
Bahagya lang akong napalingon kay Althea. I know she's my friend, what I don't however, if she was serious about what she said to whoever she was talking to, because personally, I wouldn't consider her as my best friend. No offense, pero dalawa lang ang best friend na kilala ko. Si Sebastian at Charlotte. Although I am flattered she thought of me like that.
Lately she's been hanging out with me a lot. Sinasamahan niya ako sa school kapag may libre siyang oras, reminding me of our homework kahit yung hindi kami magkaklase. She keeps on checking on me. Sila ni Nina, Teofe. Katulad din nila Mason, Hiro, Charlie at Chang. Like they've been extra attentive to me. Like I need saving.
Maybe I do.
Cause you really do.
I felt my phone vibrate inside the pocket of my jeans at bahagya akong napangiti sa nabasa.
Charlotte:
Bespren, hello!!! May ga2win kba ngaun?
Bka gus2 mo akong ilibreng kumain kc
libre nako. Huehuehue.
Ngunit hindi pa man ako nakapagtype ng pangreply kay Charlie ay napalitan ng pagkunot ng noo ang reaksyon ko nang muling magvibrate iyon sa pagpasok ng sunod-sunod na mga mensahe.
Sebastian:
How are you? May gusto ka bang gawin
ngayon? I'm kinda free. We can hangout.
Let me know.
Lloyd Hiro:
Siob, sunduin ba kita diyan? May alam akong
masarap na sushi house baka gusto mong
Subukan? Ako taya. ;)
BINABASA MO ANG
Miss Astig 2
Humor"I won't go easy... on anyone," Louie Antoinette. *TAGLISH* *NO SOFT COPIES* This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's creative imagination or used in a fictitious manner. An...
