Tears of the Paradise (Isla Filipinas Series #2)

Chapter 04

"You can't keep running away,"

Napatigil ako sa paglalakad nang marinig ang boses ng kapatid ko. I rolled my eyes. I always hated the word kapatid. Half brother ko lang naman siya.

"Stay out of it," Inis kong asik bago binuksan ang sasakyan.

"You know why he wants you to come," He sarcastically said before walking towards his car. "Right, Ate??" A playful smirk formed in his lips at ang sarap sapakin ngayon ng mukha niya.

Sobra ang pagpipigil ko na hindi sapakin itong mukha nito. I sighed heavily to calm myself down before facing him again.

"My life is already miserable kaya wag ka na dumagdag," Ngumisi ako nang makita ang inis sa mata nito. "It's my life that they're trying to ruin not yours so stay the fuck out of it, lil bro." I sarcastically said.

Tinalikuran ko na ito at agad papasok na sana sa kotse nang dumating ang dalawang itim na van. Lumabas doon ang ilang lalaki na naka itim. I heard Nathan's footsteps beside me at paglingon ko ay nandoon nga siya sa gilid ko na parang nakikitago.

"Ah, the boss and company." I heard Nathan whispered before getting inside his car. I stopped when he rolled his window down. "For the record... I'm not a lil bro anymore. I'm taller than you, gurang."

"Bwiset ka!" I shouted and then turned my sight back at Dad and his colleagues.

I was watching them from the parking at parang naramdaman ng isa ang tingin ko kaya napalingon ito. Para akong kinilabutan nang ngumisi ito kaya pumasok na lang ako sa kotse at pinaharurot iyon palayo.

Somehow the bad vibes of this day got in to my system and stayed there for the next few weeks. I never been so irritable. I decided no to use my phone in those times.

Today is thursday and I'm just here sitting at a bench in the bay walk. The rain is pouring hard and I have no umbrella with me. It was already late at night kaya wala na masyadong tao.

I'm just wearing an oversized black hoodie and maong shorts. My clothes are already soaked because of the rain. Even my sneakers are wet.

For the past few days wala akong ginawa kundi ang lunurin ang sarili ko sa pag aaral. Gawa ng plates and everything.

Nakakapagod na iyon tapos nagawa pa dumagdag ng tatay ko. He was still pushing me to come with them on Christmas. Ano ba ang mahirap intindihin sa pagtanggi. Hindi ba nila alam na nakakapagod ang paulit ulit, bakit parang hindi sila napapagod.

I wonder how my Dad is like when he's at work. Politics. Tsk.

He is supposed to work for the people of the country. Listen to the people.  Paano niya kaya magagawa iyon kung sa anak niya mismo ay hindi niya magawa. 

He can't even ask how am I doing at school. All he does is bathe in the money he earns. I don't even know if earn is the right term for the money he has now.

"Shit,"

Napahawak ako sa ulo ko nang bigla iyon kumirot. Ngayon ko lang din naramdaman ang lamig. Napayakap na lang ako sa sarili ko dahil sa ginaw.

Tomorrow is the last day of classes before Christmas and New Year vacation.

"Mas willing pa akong magkasakit kesa pumunta sa shitty dinner na iyon," I whispered to myself.

Napapikit ako nang kumirot na naman ang ulo ko. Parang biglang nanghina ang buong katawan ko at naramdaman ko ang panginginig ng katawan ko.