One Summer in Bicol ✔

Kabanata 32

Car
dedicated to: kimdeathsavers salamat sa pag-vote.

"Tell me she's doing fine, Jacob."

I looked at Neil who is seating beside me. Over a counter top of a bar we used to go often time during college days, we are having our drink.

"I thought you talked to her already? Sabi nya."

He looked at me brows furrowed.

"She doesn't answer my calls, Prime, paano kami mag-uusap?"

Natigilan ako.

Bianca is lying to me. That is so sure. Pero bakit naman nya gagawin yun? After a few drinks we decide to rest already. He took his car off to his place and I took mine. Habang nasa byahe pauwi ay yun lang ang iniisip ko. Ang mga sinabi nya.

My phone rang, saktong nagpula ang ilaw ng traffic lights. My lips automatically smiled when her name registered.

"Hey," bati ko. "I miss you, gorgeous."

"Gorgeous ka dyan! Nagdadrive ka?" Avery asked, her voice sounds tired. Medyo husky and I can feel that she's in her room.

Ang hirap pala ng long distance relationship. Nakakailang araw pa lang kaming ganito pero pakiramdam ko ay napakatagal na naming hindi nagkikita.

"Yeah. Are you tired? How was your day, love?"

"Ang dami mo namang tinatawag sa akin, Jacob."

Natawa ako. "You didn't answer my question."

"Jacob. . . can you go to our place? Please? Doon ka na lang magdinner."

She has been asking me to do this for days since she went on her training. I think she wants me to get along with Mama Ed and Chris. I U-turned my car to get the road to their house. On the way she kept telling stories about how her day went. Tiring trainings, nakakaubos brain cells na case studies and such. But she never said that she's tired of it. It's because she loves what she does.

Bago pumunta sa kanila ay bumili muna ako ng pagkain para hindi naman nakakahiya kay Mama. I am still not used to call Manay Edna that but I am practicing.

When I got to their place, pinapasok naman ako agad ni Mama. Inabot ko sa kanya ang dala ko, nagpaalam syang aayusin muna ang kusina. Naabutan ko si Chris doon na abala sa laptop nya. Seems like he is editing something. A photo of a girl.

"Girlfriend mo, Chris?" I asked nang makaupo ako sa tabi nya.

Napabaling sya sa akin saka mabilis na nilipat sa ibang tab ang nasa laptop nya. Natawa ako.

"Hindi si Bea 'yon. Sino yon?"

He shook his head at sumandal sa sofa. "Wala yun, Kuya Jacob. Bakit ka pala nandito?"

"Pinapunta ako ng Ate mo," I said and shrugged my shoulders.

Bumuntong hininga sya at saka seryosong humarap sa akin.

"Kuya Jacob. . ."

"Chris."

"Kuya kahit mukhang unggoy ang Ate ko, please don't hurt her. I want her to be happy. You can do that, right? She rejected Kuya Neil because of you," he casually said.

I know Chris and Neil has been good friends since that summer in Bicol. He even wants Neil for his Ate. It took him days and week before he talked to me again since I got to see his Ate again. Nagalit sya dahil ako daw ang dahilan kung bakit sya iniwan ng Ate nya. He was young back then so I couldn't blame him.