"Saan na daw sila?" Tanong ni Ace sakin habang naglalakad kami papasok sa isang luxury japanese restaurant dito sa Paranaque. Kabababa lang namin ng sasakyan, pinatawagan na agad ni mayor ang bodyguard kung nasaan na yung mahal nyang kapatid.
Naghimala ang mundo at nag-ayang kumain sa labas si Vincent. Mind you, it was a double dinner date with reserved seats. Hindi naman kasi mahilig sa ganitong luxury yung batang 'yon. Ayaw nya ng pumipila or yung mga restaurants na kailangan pa ng reservation. Gusto nya kung ano yung unang makikita nyang makakainan, doon lang sya.
Na-contact ko naman si Vincent, malapit na raw sila. Sabihin na lang raw namin ang pangalan nya. "Papunta na daw, bakit ba atat na atat ka?"
"Ewan ko ba, kinakabahan ako sa dalawang 'yon."
"Bakit? Natatakot ka ba baka sabihin sayo ni Alice isang araw, buntis na sya?"
Natigilan sandali si Ace bago sumagot. "That will never happen."
Pagpasok namin, we were ushered by the waiter to a four-seater table where less people would see us. "Paano mo naman nasabi? You know him with girls."
Vincent with girls is the typical playboy except he's very discreet and clear on everything. No emotions involved, just sex. And he likes older women. Heto yata ang first time na mas bata sa kanya ang kasama nya kaya ganito rin siguro sya ka-ingat kay Alice, plus the fact that it's his bestfriend's sister.
"Because Vincent said so." confident na sagot nya sa'kin. "Saka he's different with Alice, alam mo naman 'yon."
After four of us realized that no one was actually going to die after that hell of a mess, every change between the four of us sunk in. Drew and I together in the eyes of the management. Alice on meeting her older brother and know he's alive.. And Vincent. It was like he came back as a different person. We've never really seen him connect to a person other than us ever since we left that mansion. He never really bothered about almost anything in life but now he's taking an absolute responsibility of Alice, following actual advice from the older brother who seemed too shocked to even process what's happening.
"Yeah, I know. But it doesn't mean he'll go super slow with her. Besides, hindi naman natin alam kung anong nangyari dun sa ilang buwan na magkasama sila at patalon-talon sa iba't ibang bansa."
Napapikit lang na lang si Ace sa'kin sabay hawak sa batok nya at dumaing. "Ahh.."
I was asking both of them, Alice and Vincent, several times pero walang kumikibo. It was always, 'I'm not sure' and 'I don't know'. I expected that kind of answer from Vincent but not from Alice. Pati tuloy ako minsan naguguluhan sa kanila. Parati silang magkasama pero kapag tinanong kung mag-girlfriend-boyfriend ba, hindi nila alam. Dating would be the best label for them, at least for now.
"Akala ko ba okay ka sa kanilang dalawa?"
"Okay naman ako."
"Yung itsura mo hindi ka okay." Di ko alam kung ano bang masakit sa kanya; yung batok, balakang, o puso.
"Syempre kuya ako."
"Oo naman pero kasi ang sabi mo kay Vincent, okay lang. Sabi mo pa nga 'you should'. Dapat kasi kung hindi ka komportable sa idea, huwag mong i-suggest kasi katulad nyan, konting paalam ng kapatid mo na lalabas kasama si Vincent nagkakaganyan ka. Daig mo pa lola ko eh."
"Bata pa kasi yung kapatid ko."
"Sa kinagisnan natin, matanda na ang disiotso, baka nakakalimutan mo. Middle age na tayo dyan." then an idea popped into my head; I leaned over him and whisper, "What if they're married na pala?"
