After the Chase

Fourteen

#ATC14 Chapter 14

"YOUR SISTER'S finally coming home!"

Apollo's mom announced once he entered the kitchen. Kakauwi lang niya galing trabaho at iyon ang ibinungad ng ina. Nalaglag sa sahig ang bitbit niyang blueprint tube habang gulat na nakamaang rito.

Fuck. Artemis is finally coming back home!

"Real shit?" gulat na bulalas niya at agad ding tinakpan ang bibig nang matanto ang pagmumura. "Sorry, Momma. Pero totoo ba?"

His mom raised her eyebrow at him. "Didn't she call you? Hindi nagsabi sa 'yo si Artemis?"

Apollo pouted and shook his head like a kid. Ngumisi naman ang ina saka siya pinagtawanan. Mas lalo tuloy siyang bumusangot.

Humanda talaga ang kakambal niya. Hindi man lang siya sinabihan na uuwi na pala ito ngayong taon.

After six years in abroad, and in those six years, dalawang taon silang hindi nakadalaw na buong pamilya sa kapatid dahil hindi na ito pumayag pa. Artemis considered their time and effort of going abroad to just pour it to their works, na tama namang desisyon dahil halos magda-dalawang taon na rin yatang nagrereklamo si Apollo sa kanyang sangkatutak na mga trabaho.

Considering that he was the son of one of the owners of ASDG, parang hindi niya ramdam ang special treatment na ini-imagine niya noong mga unang araw pa lang niya sa trabaho. Pinapaasa lang naman niya kasi ang sarili niya sa iniisip.

Armee Leighann Suarez-Cordova, treating him like a prince? Lumuha man siya ng dugo, hinding-hindi 'yon mangyayari.

Umungol siya habang nagmamaktol na umakyat patungo sa kanyang kuwarto. He took a cold shower and stayed inside the bathroom for almost an hour. Inisip niya lahat ng nangyari sa kanyang buhay sa nakaraang dalawang taon.

He was already twenty-four and he still should be enjoying life. And when Apollo meant enjoying, it included partying and girls. Pero simula noong ipinasok l siya ng ina sa kumpanya nila, parang nagkaroon ng sudden shift ang buong pagkatao niya.

Akala niya noong nasa huling taon na siya sa college ay magiging mas maluwag na ang mga bagay-bagay sa kanyang buhay. But Apollo wasn't expecting life to test his freedom and patience as soon as he graduated college.

Ilang buwan pa lang ang nakalilipas nang matapos ang graduation ni Apollo ay agad siyang kinuha ng kanyang ina para magtrabaho sa ASDG under her command for his apprenticeship. He was somehow lucky dahil ang ina mismo ang magiging senior niya. But the negative side was that Architect Cordova was strictly professional at work. Wala itong kinakaawaan sa trabaho kahit pa siya na mismong anak nito.

And that was the reason why Apollo's slowly crumbling down like a lost kid. He missed partying so much. He missed meeting with his friends. He missed kissing and fucking someone. He missed those constant things in his good old fucking days.

Oh, to have that kind of life again.

Nang magsawa sa loob ng banyo ay lumabas na siya para magbihis. Tanging boxer shorts lang ang suot niya nang mahiga sa kanyang kama. He was done drying his hair using a small towel when he noticed a light coming from his phone. Umuklo siya para silipin kung ano iyon. His lips rose for a smirk. He picked up his phone and opened the notification.

Maybe there was still one constant thing that has left in his life after all.

S_now: U home na? Can I call? I have chika.

S_now: Or busy ka pa rin?

Nakangiti si Apollo habang nagtitipa ng ire-reply.

ApolloNCrdv: What's your chika?