GAMES & GAMBLES

CHAPTER XVII: A Fellow in Hard Times

Wednesday and Thursday went on and Jin got the same treatment from Jael. Jin on the other hand is trying to understand Jael's situation even though it's not likely of him. Jin is trying to make Jael feel that there's someone ready to listen to him. He started making his own lunch box in the morning so he can eat with Jael even though they are not talking. That Friday Jin decided that he should make another move to help Jael. He decided to go to Jael's house after class. Jin knows that Jael isn't going home immediately after class because he spotted Carlos and Jael going to the computer shop near their school. Jin wanted to ask about Jael's father so he went there uninvited. *Doorbell rings. "Tao po" called Jin. Someone went out of the house and he saw Allu, Jael's little brother. "Bakit po kuya?" Allu asked Jin as he open the gate. Allu have seen Jin in their house last time he went so he knows that he's a friend of his brother. "Andyan ba kuya mo?" Jin asked. "Ahh wala pa po e" Allu replied. Jin wanted to ask Allu instead but he's too young and Jin don't know how will Allu respond if he asked about his father. "Si mama mo nandyan?" Jin asked. "Ah opo" Allu replied as he let Jin enter their house. "Wait lang kuya tatawagin ko si mama." Allu instructed Jin to seat as he call his mom. "Oh Jin, bakit napabisita ka?" Jael's mother asked as she went out of a room. "May itatanong lang po sana ko" replied Jin. "Kung may lakad po ba kayo sa Sabado?" Jin asked. He did not want to ask directly about Jael's father because it might be a sensitive issue to their family so he asked that instead. "May oras ka ba?" Jael's mother asked as a cue that they are about to have a long discussion ahead and so Jael's mother went on. He heard the details about Jael's father and what happened. "Kung may lakad kami sa Sabado?" Jael's mother asked. "Opo" Jin politely responded. "Oo eh. 5th death anniversary ng papa." That answer is unfortunate for Jin because he planned on accompanying Jael as he visit his father. "Ah..." Jin is about to respond. "Pero hindi namin kasabay si Jael." Jael's mother said. "May gawain pa ako sa Sabado kaya mauuna kaming pumunta ni Allu sa papa nya" she continued. What Jael's mother said gave Jin a hope. "Ahh... So Jael goes by himself po?" Jin asked. "Yes." Replied Jin's mother. Before Jin's mother can say anything else he asked; "Pwede ko po bang samahan si Jael? Ihahatid ko po sya.". "Aba pwede. Para hindi na sya mamasahe" Jael's mother answered delightfully. "Gusto mo bang dito na mananghalian?" Jael's mother asked. "Ay haha hindi na po. May pagkain pa po ako sa bahay." Jin replied. They have been talking for an hour since Jin came over that's why Jael's mother asked him to stay for dinner. "Siya sige. Tska wag mo na akong tawaging 'Mrs. Fuego'. Too formal. Tita nalang." Jael's mother said to Jin. "Okay po Tita." Jin went home and the next morning came. Jin is supposed to take Jael to their destination in the afternoon as soon as Jael's mother got home. The afternoon came and Jael's mother got home. "Jael maligo ka na ikaw naman" Jael's mother said as soon as she entered the house. "Opo ma" Jael responded as he turn off the TV. "May mag hahatid pala sayo nandyan na sa labas nag aantay." Jael's mother added. "Sino ma?" Jael asked. "Ay nako dalian mo na't maligo kana nag aantay na sa labas." Jael's mother replied. Jael was ready to go out of the house and as he goes, he saw a familiar car outside. It was Jin's. He thought that that's the case because he noticed what Jin is doing in the past days in their school. "Get in." Jin said. "Thank you" Jael replied. Jael linked the maps where they are headed. The silence in the car for 30 mins is deafening so Jin decided to put some music on because no one is talking anyway. They arrived at their destination after an hour. No word slipped in both of them for the whole hour. "We're here" Jael said to Jin so they parked. Both went out, Jin was accompanying Jael as they go to the grave. Jael was standing in front of the grave but Jin is standing far enough for him to not hear what Jael is saying. 10 mins have passed as Jael stood in front of his father's grave and then suddenly; "Jin halika dito" Jin wasn't expecting Jael to call him so he was startled. "Pa, this is my new friend; Jin." Jael started talking. "Sinamahan nya ako dito." "Naka libre tuloy ako pamasahe. Hehe" Jael said while his hand is on Jin' shoulder and it flattered Jin. He did not know what to say. "Hello po Tito." The only words that came out of Jin. "Alam mo ba Pa, hindi ako pinapansin neto nung una." "Pano kase naka upo sya sa pwesto ko sa comshop tapos ang tagal tagal nyang mag laro". Jael said as he tell the story of how they met. Jin was shy as if someone was listening to the both of them. He feels as if Jael's father was really there. 20 mins have passed before Jael was finished talking. Jin was carrying the flower and they offered it to Jael's father's grave. "Pa, yun lang muna... babalik ako ha, miss you Pa." last words he said as they put the flower they bought along the way. "Tara na?" Jael asked Jin and they went back to the car. "Do you wanna grab something to eat?" I'm kinda hungry." Jin asked Jael, he wanted to hang out with Jael more because he saw Jael's face went back to it's sad look as they went back to the car. "Sure" Jael responded. Jin took him to where they ate before, it was just a 10-minute drive from where they came. Jin offered to pay for his meal but Jael refused. Jael said it'll be too much if he accepted because he already troubled Jin to go with him so they payed separately. "Jin, how about we go play here again?"