Behind His Curtain (COMPLETED)

Kabanata 12

"Sinubukan ko ligawan pero tangina, pare, mas pinili 'yung foreigner!"

"Ano ba laban ng bulaklak mo sa green card ng Amerikano na 'yon?" tawanan ang lahat pagkatapos kong ubusin iyong dalawang shot.

"Malay ko ba! She's hot! And why did she settle with an old man?!"

"You're rich, Rico. But not rich enough to swoon her. Remember she's not like you, surely she'll settle with someone who has an assurance of a good life!"

"And good money!" diin ng iba.

"I can give her that!" singhal nito at pinatong na lamang ang ulo sa table. Nagpatuloy ang usapan tungkol sa kaniya at nasa gilid pa rin ako, nakatulala habang umiinom.

Imposibleng mahanap ko pa si Dustin sa paligid dahil pinauna ko na siya kasama ang tulong ni Roger. See, I don't wanna talk about what happened earlier. I don't wanna think about it. I don't want to believe we just had a first fight and instead of resolving it, mas lalo lang lumama.

I've shared a lot of quarrels with my girlfriends before but all of them are usually because of allegations I'm cheating, or the fact na ayaw kong sumali sa picture, o busy ako magtrabaho, etcetera etcetera. But never like this. I never had any problem with any of those girls about people accepting what we have.

Nakapanlulumo. Parang gusto kong isuka. Parang umiikot ang buong paligid. I thought what's not coming wouldn't feel like I'm whirling in the wind. But it does.

Sinabunutan ko uli ang sarili. "Puro kayo love, sana lahat love, e 'no?" anang Anna na nasa kaliwa ko.

"Kasalanan ba namin na sa lahat ng naging crush mo noong third year e basted ka?" Biro ng isa naman.

Anna made a face, her small but round face turned red. It's red already because we've drank a lot now but it's really red. "Is it my fault now that they have no taste?!"

Bumugso uli ang tawanan hanggang may mag-tug sa balikat ko. "Huwag kang ganyan, sinasabihan mo ba na walang taste ang birthday boy?"

Suddenly, all their eyes are on me. Napailing ako at ngiwi. "Ano mayroon?"

"Anna? You confessed to Henry?"

"Oo naman." ako ang sumagot. "Pero alam ko may mas bagay pa sa kaniya kaya hinindian ko kagustuhan niya na ligawan ko siya."

"Ang kapal mo, Henry! Hindi ko sinabi na gusto kong ligawan mo ako!"

"Ganoon din 'yun!" sabat ng isa. "Kaya ka nga aamin para magligawan kayo!"

"Wala ka pa rin bang boyfriend?" singit ko at umalis sa puwesto. Siniksik ko ang sarili sa kaliwa niya at mataman siyang tinitigan; some of them squealed. "Tagal na, ha?"

"Ano naman kung wala?!" nginig niyang tugon. Tikom ang bibig kong sinusulyapan siya. She's still pretty; with her brown hair dancing when she bounces her head and chinita eyes. "Layo ka nga, Henry. Nakaka-intimidate ka, eh."

"Single ka naman, Anna! Arte ka pa?"

"Hindi naman 'to nanliligaw!"

"What if I am?" I said flirty.

"Alis! Usog!" sabay tulak sa akin pabiro. I broke off my character and punched her shoulders. "Bwisit ka talaga! Para ka pa rin kagaya ng dati!"

"Ito naman... Dapat sa ibang table ka pumunta kung ayaw mo ng usapan nila eh love." sabay iling. Pinasadahan ko uli ng tingin ang paligid. "You'll find someone soon enough."

"Kanina pa pala natin hindi napapansin si Henry, eh!" sabi ng isa at tinitigan ako. "Henry, ano't ganito ang naisip mong celebration?"

"Wala akong ibang choice." tawa ko.