My Summer Love ★

Forty-Miguel's Misery

Chapter Forty

"Migs, Its getting late. di ka pa ba aalis?" tinignan ko saglit si Jake tapos binalik ko yung mata ko sa binabasa ko.

"Mauna ka na. tatapusin ko lang tong shipping for next month."

"Seriously Dude? shipping for next month inaatupag mo na? napakaworkaholic mo naman!" nakasimangot na sabi ni Franz na nasa likod pala ni Jake.

sunod sunod na nagsipasok yung mga pinsan kong lalaki. si Jerome, si Lester saka si Kent.

"Cut your self some slacks bro" sabi ni Jerome saka tinapik yung balikat ko.

"i'm fine"

"Tatlong taon na yang I'm fine mo" nakasimangot na sabi ni Kent saka umupo sa table ko.

"Leave me alone" iritadong sabi ko.

"Wish we could but we cant so sorry, Miguel. we are taking you out tonight" sabi ni Lester saka kinuha yung binabasa ko papeles.

iritadong tinignan ko silang lahat.

"We're not leaving without you, Bro. so give it up." sabi ni Jerome saka nilahad yung kamay nya para kunin yung ibang folder na hawak ko.

tinignan ko yung kamay nya.

"Hand it over Troy Miguel." nakangising sabi ni Jake.

"Shut up, Troy Jacob!"

napailing nalang ako saka inabot kay Jerome yung papeles.

sinipa ni Kent yung swivel chair ko palayo sa table. sila na nagpatay ng macbook ko saka sinuot sakin yung coat ko.

"Tignan mo yung itsura mo" sabi ni Franz saka binigyan ako ng salamin. "Mas mukha ka pang matanda kay Lolo."

tinignan ko yung itsura ko. halos lampas balikat na sa sobrang haba yung buhok ko. yung balbas ko sobrang haba din. para akong sangganong sanggago.

"Mind your own biz!" iritadong sabi ko.

"thats what we are doing, Bro. minding our business. you're our business." nakangising sabi ni Kent

"pasinin mo naman. complete attendance kaming mga lalaki dito" sabi ni Jake. tinignan ko sila isa isa. kumpleto nga kaming mga lalaking magpipinsan.

"so what brought us together?" tanong ko sa kanila.

"si Lolo syempre. sino pa ba?" ani Lester.

"Monique and the rest of the girls will be managing all the business in philippines and we'll be managing the business here." paliwanag ni Kent

"unless you want to pick philippines over N.Y. Lolo's giving you the freedom to choose where we are going to live." sabat ni Jerome

"but for now ang utos samin ay ayusin ka." ani Lester saka ngumisi

"I'm not broken!" angil ko sa kanya.

"Face the mirror and tell that asshole you're going to see you're not broken" hamon ni Franz sakin.

"Tama na drama, Troy Miguel. we are leaving this hell hole" sabi ni Jake saka ako hinila palabas.

***

Sober.

thats what i am right now. Sober.

two bottles of tequila, a case of JD and five bottles of scotch

and i'm still fvcking sober!

Three long years had its toll on me.

Tiffany Charmaine