Present Day
After lunch at matapos akong kulitin ng mga Auntie ko tungkol sa non-existent kong lovelife umakyat na ako papunta sa kwarto ko. Malaki ang bahay ni Lola Conchita, ancestral house na ito dito sa Manila, it has ten bedrooms sa main house at may extra pang three rooms sa two-storey house within the grounds. The main house sits on a two hectare land area, mahilig kasi ang great, great grandparents ko raw sa garden at mga puno kaya napapalibutan kami ng mga halaman.
The house is already decades old pero dahil maraming pwedeng tumulong, it was renovated a few years ago. Daddy's an architect kasi and Mommy's an interior decorator. Ang Uncle Manny ko naman is an Engineer. Lola raised very successful children kahit na halos siya lang ang nagpalaki sa kanila bilang cook. Maaga kasi namatay ang Lolo Pancho namin. Lola's been the breadwinner of her family at marami daw ang dinanas na hirap niya sa pagpapalaki sa mga anak niya.
I look around and see na pareho pa rin naman ang itsura ng garden. Dahil malaki ang lupain at maganda rin ang lugar, most of our family gatherings are held here. Kaya ganoon na lang ang tampo sa akin ni Lola that time dahil nag-iisang apong babae na nga ako tapos hindi pa ako nakapag-debut dito dahil nasa New York na ako. Sumilip ako sa bintana at pinagmasdan ang garden. Nakaharap ang bintana ko sa gilid ng bahay at from here kita ko ang patio at ihawan, doon kami madalas tumambay nila Kuya noong nagbabakasyon kami dito.
May kumatok sa pinto at pumunta ako doon para buksan ito.
Sumilip muna ako at napangiwi. Siya na naman.
"Hey." Nakangiting sabi ni Ollie. Itinuro niya ang luggage ko na hawak hawak niya, huminga ako nang malalim at pinagbuksan siya ng pinto.
He pulls my luggage inside, pero hindi siya hanggang pinto lang, pumasok siya sa loob ng kwarto at inilagay ang luggage ko malapit sa cabinet. I cross my arms over my chest.
"Thanks for bringing those, you didn't have to." I say.
Kumunot ng kaunti ang noo ni Ollie, "I wouldn't let you carry those, Mi. You know that."
The old Ollie wouldn't, yung kilala kong Ollie nung mga bata kami ay matulungin at sweet. But my perception of him changed when we grew up, surely he knows that.
But I keep my thoughts to myself, tumango ako, "Of course."
Hindi siya umaalis sa pagkakatayo niya doon at sumandal pa sa cabinet, "So, Mi. Kumusta ka na? You didn't answer my question from before."
Kapag kaharap ko siya I feel uneasy, so I rub at my arms while speaking, "Okay naman. Ikaw?"
He notices and I immediately stop, tumingin ulit siya sa mukha ko, "I'm good. Well, okay lang rin siguro."
Kumunot ang ulo ko because I'm curious, he answers "good" then "okay lang" tapos sinundan pa ng "siguro". He's confusing.
Tumango lang ako ulit, sobrang awkward ko sa kanya but I feel like he's not. He looks interested, he's genuinely curious about me. I don't understand him at all.
I bite the inside of my cheek before speaking, "Well, thanks again sa pagdala ng luggage ko ha. I better wash up, I'm pretty tired."
He pushes away from the cabinet pero imbes na dumiretso palabas ng kwarto he stands in front of me and stares at me, I blink a few times.
"Mi, we're..."
He sighs, "We're okay right?"
I grit my teeth before speaking. Ayaw kong magmukhang hung up on him or whatever, I should be able to talk to him like a normal person. I shouldn't let him see how he affects me.
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