Capricorn

Seven

That wasn't the last time I went to his condo. Naulit 'yon nang sumunod na linggo. We made the bigger version of the kwek-kwek. Normal na egg na ang ginamit namin, at naging maingat na din ako sa pagkain no'n para hindi ako mapaso.

My days go on with the usual routine. Nadagdag lang ng paminsan minsan naming pagkikita ni Dark sa coffee shop at minsan ay sa condo niya. He introduced me to some things I don't know. Marami 'yon, katulad na lang ng mga larong pangbata at xbox. I learned how to do Sungka, and we also played jackstone game, then some Jenga and card games.

I realized how small my world was. Sobrang dami ko pa palang hindi nalalaman. That there was so much more than my lavish lifestyle. Napagtanto ko na may mga bagay sa buhay ng average people na mas masayang gawin compared sa magarbong buhay ng mga altang katulad ko.

I never questioned the way I was raised. I thought my life was normal. To travel abroad every gathering and occasionally, to shop luxuriously once in a while, to have a personal nanny until I turned eighteen, to celebrate a birthday in different places, and to receive gifts worth millions as birthday presents. I was surrounded by people who had the same lifestyle so I thought we had a normal routine.

Hindi pala.

Dark made me realize that. Ang buhay na iba sa marangya kong kinalakihan. He introduced me to the other side of my world. Not the darkest side, which is being ratted poor or homeless, but the average life of the people. It made me so curious.

Ano nga ba ang mabuhay ng walang karangyaan? I bet I won't survive. Kaya nakakamangha ang mga taong kinakaya ang kakapusan ng pera at kawalan ng makakain. They're the ones who should be blessed for being so resilient.

All that in just a few visits to an orphanage that Dark knew about. Who would've thought that this guy used to serve god? Kaya gulat na gulat ako nung malaman ko na sacristan siya nung Elementary!

"Mom used to work full time, so she entrusted me to the church until she was done working. Malapit lang ang bahay namin noon sa simbahan na 'to, kaya dito niya ako ipinagkakatiwala kapag busy siya. She knows the nuns and the priests kaya malaki ang tiwala niya sa kanila. I grew up quite well because of them." He chuckled lightly.

Hindi mawala ang mangha sa mga mata ko habang nakikinig sa kanya. We're on a park just in front of the church he was pertaining about. Katatapos niya lang makipaglaro sa mga bata bago ito pinapasok ng mga madre para sa afternoon nap nila. Kaya ngayon nag-uusap na lang kami habang kinakain ang miryendang bigay ng mga madre.

"Wala kang nanny?" I asked out of pure curiosity. "My parents are both very busy with our business but they never entrusted me to someone or somewhere else. I had a nanny and guards around me all the time. You don't have that?"

Natawa siya at napailing. Mahina niyang pinitik ang noo ko na ikinasimangot ko. He found a new hobby, at 'yon ay pitikin ang noo ko. He said he likes it when it turns pink just with a simple flick! So childish!

"May trust issues si Mama. The last time she hired one, she lost my twin-" Para siyang napasong umiwas matapos ng sinabi. Tila ba hindi niya sinasadyang sabihin 'yon. "Ah, never mind that. I had fun growing up in the church so I had no problem."

He changed the topic so quickly. Now I can confirm that his twin is one of a few sensitive topics he doesn't want to talk about. Ilang beses na rin siyang nadulas sa pagbanggit ng kambal niya pero mabilis niyang binabago ang usapan bago pa ako makapagtanong.

But why?

Iyon ang tanong na hindi maalis sa isipan ko lumipas man ang ilang araw. It's been three days since I last saw him. Midterms na namin kaya parehas kaming walang oras para magkita. Though we still communicate via messages and calls. I want to ask him about his twin just to end this curiosity of mine.