Hindi maiwasan ni Xavier na mapabuntung-hininga habang naglalakad sa direksyon na tiyak siyang tinahak ni Kuya Yohan. He was pretty sure that his brother went to his home gym. Kahit pa man sabihing nasa nakaraan sila ay hindi pa rin naging hadlang iyon upang hindi nila madala ang mga hobbies nila sa hinaharap.
Wala man silang treadmill o exercise bike dito ay nagawan pa rin nila ng paraan para magkaroon sila ng own gym. They used sacks full of sands as an alternative for a punching bag, sticks with blocks of cement on either side as another version of dumbbells, and ordinary bamboo structures as a pull-up bar. Lahat ng bahay nila ay mayroong gym at once in a few months ay nagkikita silang magkakapatid upang mag-bonding. That bonding usually end up with all three of them working out.
Nang makarating sa mini gym niya ay dahan-dahan niyang binuksan ang pintuan at nakita ang kapatid na walang pantaas habang binabalot ang kamay ng pahabang tela. Pagod siyang napailing-iling bago pumasok at hinubad rin ang pantaas upang itapon sa may gilid. Guess he has no choice but to help him calm down through boxing.
Lumapit siya sa kuya niya at pumulot ng tela upang simulang balutin ang kamao niya. Nag-aalangan siyang napatingin-tingin dito habang ginagawa iyon. He was there when Kuya Yohan got his heart broken into pieces. He was there when he was going through the stages of denial and anger. Siya mismo ang nakasaksi nang halos mawala sa sarili ang kapatid kakahanap sa nobya nito. Nakita niya ang paunti-unting pagbabago ni Kuya Yohan simula nang mangyari iyon.
He started having some anger management issues. Halos lahat ng bagay ay kinagagalit nito. Not a single conversation would go by without Kuya Yohan noticing something wrong and getting pissed off about it. It got so bad that they hired a mental health professional to properly diagnose his brother.
After awhile ay nasolusyunan naman nila ang problema nito. Yohan started boxing to let off some steam whenever he felt his anger rising. Naglalaro pa rin naman ito ng soccer ngunit mas naging inclined na ito sa boxing. They don't have any problem with that as long as he was coping great, but there was something that he doesn't approve of.
Cigarettes.
Along with boxing ay nagsimula ring manigarilyo ang nakatatandang kapatid. Ang sabi nito ay kumakalma ang sistema nito dahil doon. He tried warning Kuya Yohan about it but he won't listen. In the end ay sumuko na lamang siya dahil na rin sa sinabi ni Kuya Zy na kung nakakatulong naman daw sa anger management issue ni Kuya Yohan ay huwag na lamang daw naming punahin. Kinagagalit kasi ni Kuya Yohan sa tuwing napapangaralan niya ito patungkol sa dangers ng paninigarilyo.
He just hoped that he would find a way to quit it.
"Kuya . . . it would only be for 3 to 5 months. Why don't you just accept her in your house?" panimula niyang ani ngunit kaagad siyang nakakuha ng matalim na tingin mula sa kapatid.
"You better keep your mouth shut if you don't have useful things to say," inis nitong sagot sa kaniya.
Kaysa matakot ay nagpatuloy pa rin siya. Sanay na siya sa ganitong ugali ni Kuya Yohan. "I'm just saying that you don't specifically need to always see her when you're in your house. We can't disguise her as a binibini from a rich family if she is gonna live with you. That would be considered scandalous especially since she has no chaperone with her. Pwede mo siyang gawing maid sa mansyon mo. She would be earning her keep and she would stay out of your sight, just like hitting two birds with one stone."
"Kung ganiyan rin naman kadali, bakit hindi ikaw ang magbantay sa kaniya?!" sigaw nito kaya naman kaagad niyang hinawakan ang balikat nito. Kuya Yohan's anger was slowly peeking out again. Mukhang napansin rin iyon ng kapatid dahil padabog nitong tinapon ang tela na pinangbabalot sa kamay at nagsimulang maglakad sa boxing ring na nasa gitna ng silid na iyon. Katulad ng mga gamit sa mini gym niya ay alternative materials ang ginamit nila upang magawa ang ring na iyon.
"Tsk . . ." pagod niyang iling habang tinatapos ang pagbabalot sa kamao niya. Wala siya sa mood na magpapawis ngunit wala siyang choice dahil hindi kakalma si Kuya Yohan hangga't hindi makapaglabas ng galit.
He quickly finished whatever he was doing and walked towards the boxing ring where Kuya Yohan was warming up already. Nagsimula na rin siyang mag-warm up para makapagsimula na sila. Habang ginagawa iyon ay ilang ulit niyang muling tiningnan ang kapatid at nang masiguradong kumalma na ito papaano ay nagsimula na naman siyang magsalita. "Alam kong galit ka sa kaniya pero may pinagsamahan naman kayo 'diba? For old time's sake, accept her this once."
Mukhang mali ang timing niya dahil sarcastic na napatawa si Kuya Yohan bago siya matalim na tiningnan muli. "Pinagsamahan? My relationship with her has always been a one-sided love! Sa relasyon naming dalawa, ako lang ang nagmahal. I'm the one who always has to be the "understanding" one. Fuck! She even forgot our 1st anniversary! On top of that, lagi niyang nakakalimutan ang monthsary namin! Do you even know how hard it is for me to act like a loyal dog and wait for her validation?! Tang-ina, Xav! You were there when I was still a lovesick fool who would constantly follow what she wants! Tapos anong ginawa niya?! Nang-iwan at pinagpalit ako dahil lang sa hindi ko na kayang tustusan ang pangangailangan niya!"
Malakas siyang napabuntung-hininga dahil sa sinabi nito. Kuya Yohan was right, he was there when his world fell apart. Nakita niya kung ilang ulit na pilit tinawagan ng kapatid si Apple Pie para sabihing wala na itong pakialam kung may iba itong lalake basta ba't uuwi ito kay Kuya Yohan. He even heard him say na wala na itong pakialam kung pera lang ang habol ng babae dito.
Kuya Yohan just wanted her to be back but she didn't . . . not until now when everything was already too late.
Napag-usapan na nila ang tungkol kay Binibining Carmelita. Alam ni Kuya Yohan na ito ang napupusuan ng mga magulang ng dalaga. He also knew that they might approve on a marriage by the end of the year. Ang sabi nito ay wala daw itong problema doon, but he could clearly see that he was only thinking of getting an heir for his business and nothing more. Alam naman niyang niligawan lamang ito ng kapatid dahil nanghihingi na ng apo si Tatay Ado.
No love connections, that would be his marriage.
"I've moved on, Xav. I don't want her in my life anymore," mahihimigan ng pinal ang boses nito.
"Kung naka-move on ka na nga then take her in while she's here. Wala ka na rin namang nararamdaman sa kaniya then why the hesitation?" nanghahamong saad niya na mukhang nagpakulo ng dugo nito. One thing that he knew about Kuya Yohan was that he fucking hates being proven wrong. "Natatakot ka bang ma-inlove ulit sa kaniya?" dagdag niyang ani na mukhang naging dahilan kung bakit tuluyan na itong nag-give in sa suhestiyon niya.
"I would let her stay in my house, but remember this Xav . . . huwag na huwag niyang aasahan na magbubuhay reyna siya doon. I don't love her anymore and I wished to all the gods that she would disappear from my life already!"
Napa-smirk siya dahil sa sinabi nito bago muling nag-ani, "Huwag kang magsalita ng patapos Kuya . . . baka pagsisihan mo."
YOU ARE READING
My Everything In His Past (2nd Book of 'In His Past' Series)
Historical Fiction"I wish I realized much sooner how important you are, my wife, my president, my everything."
