The Fifth Son

Sanjyuni

~32~

"Ano na namang klaseng narcotic ang sininghot mo at bigla mong naisip maging bakla?"

"H-Hindi sa ganon! Hindi ako bakla." He denied but I just looked at him with a bored face. 

I narrowed my eyes at him in suspicion. "Fine. So, what kind of game are you playing on me this time?"

"Makinig ka nga muna. Ie-explain ko. Let me explain."

May pa 'let me explain' pa ang mokong. Sarap pingutin sa lungs ah. I sighed in defeat. "You got five minutes to explain this idiocy."

He  sighed before proceeding. "Ganito kasi yun: lumabas kami last time nina Hunter tapos may natripan kaming babae."

Kung may-ina-narrow pa ang mata kong singkit na, malamang ay halos line nalang talaga ang mga mata ko. I got a feeling that this is not going to be good.

He continued. "So medyo nakipag-flirt ako. Tapos naging mag-syota kami."

My eyes did almost all of my acting. At this point, pakiramdam ko lumapad palabas ng bintana ang logic ko. His story is  so stupid, I felt like I'm losing a brain cell every second I spent listening to it. 

"Excuse me. Naging mag-on agad kayo after a few minutes? Ano to? Nakausap mo lang, girlfriend mo na agad? Parang friend request lang sa Facebook?" I blurted out, exasperated. 

"Hindi naman ganun, Sand. Sobra naman ang bilis niyan. Mga isang oras."

Sa isip ko naihilamos ko na ang mga palad ko sa mukha ko. Hindi ako ang nasa relationship pero bakit parang ako ang na-stress?

Alam kong babaero si Paolo at talaga naman kasing may charm siya pero, nyeta, isang oras lang niyang naka-usap, naging girlfriend na niya agad? I am amazed, in a bad way.

"You certainly amazes me," I said with an expression of despair.

"Diba? Pogi kasi."

"I'm not complimenting you, aho!"

"Aho? Aso yun ah."

Lord, bigyan niyo pa po ako ng dagdag na neurons! My neurons were so frustrated at Paolo, they willingly went through apoptosis! His antics left me in despair.

I tried to compose myself although the urge to whack Paolo's head was so strong. I refrained from committing a felony no matter how tempting it was. "So, saan ako papasok sa narrative na ito?"

"Nung hihiwalayan ko na kasi siya, ayaw niya. So sinabi ko may girlfriend na ako."

"Tapos?"

"Ayaw niyang maniwala."

"Tapos?"

"So pinakita ko ang picture ng girlfriend ko sa kanya."

"Tapos? Anong problema dun? Pinakita mo na naman pala ang picture ng girlfriend mo."

"Picture mo ang pinakita ko."

There was silence for a brief moment. Parang mali yata ang dinig ko. "Excuse me, kaninong picture ulit?"

"Picture mo."

Forgive me, Father, for I will commit a sin. I'll punch this idiot in the throat! Nasan ang shinai ko! Hahatawin ko talaga tong mokong na to! Never in my life have I wanted to strangle someone so bad. 

At umulan ng mura sa loob ng sasakyan niya. Sinubukan kong suntukin siya sa braso pero nyeta ang lakas niya. 

"What the hell were you thinking?!"

"Wala na kasi akong maisip."

"Of all the girls you're toying around with, picture ko talaga ang naisip mong ipakita, loko ka?!"