AGS 4: The Best Man's Wedding

Chapter 39: Prelude of Bad News

"Kuya, I'm hungry na."

"Why did you have to go here, alam mo nang magugutom ka?"

"Sisilip lang ako."

"Ang hilig mong manilip. Paluin kaya kita diyan?"

I went to Clark's pad, and I found my Kuya here kasama ng buong barkada niya. They were doing a bunch of paperwork. And not just simple paperwork. As in, super daming paperwork na occupied halos buong library ni Clark.

I was hugging Kuya from behind. Doon ako nakasiksik sa likod niya habang pareho kaming nakaupo sa sahig.

They were reviewing so many papers na naaamoy ko pa lang, nakakawala na ng interes basahin.

They were talking about debts, accumulated income, audit trail, overstated inventory something-something, bad data, and millions of pesos na hindi raw nila sigurado kung saan temporary ilalagay until the auditing is through.

They sounded illegal, but I don't think naman na papasok si Kuya sa illegal things. I mean, Mum would kill him if he do so. I just waited kasi super busy nila.

"Kuya, Jaesie is looking for you."

"She can track me, bakit niya 'ko hahanapin?"

"Para nga silang nagbabalak ng war declaration ni Mum every time na nag-uusap sila sa garden. Hindi ka raw kasi nagtatagal kasama siya."

"Jae knows I don't do anything dirty behind her back."

"We all know that. Lagi kaya siyang may hawak na kutsilyo."

"Sab," Calvin called.

"Why?" I replied.

"Sino-sino pa ang mga naghahanap sa 'min?"

"Hmm . . ." I thought about that for a second. "Si Mel kay Pat?"

"Sino pa?"

"Aside from Jae and Mel, wala na akong kilala."

"Si Mum, may sinasabi?" Kuya asked.

"Mum is acting so weird these past few weeks."

"How weird?" Will asked.

"Like . . . parang ang lalim lagi ng iniisip niya, and she kept on checking her phone, or she would call someone."

"Si Daddy?" tanong ni Kuya.

"All I heard from Dad was . . ." I narrowed my eyes to recall what I heard from our father. "Parang sabi niya, hayaan na lang tayong dalawa."

"Hayaan saan?"

"I don't know. I don't understand them. Hindi naman sila mukhang nag-aaway ni Mum, but your mother looked so pissed for whatever reason."

I went back to hiding behind Kuya's back and hugged him tightly. Ang sarap-sarap yakapin ni Kuya, ewan ko kung bakit. Maybe kasi he's so bango. Or maybe because I couldn't hug anyone in his barkada while he was looking. I could hug Clark, but he was busy walking around and printing papers time after time.

"Sab, uwi ka nga sa 'tin," utos ni Kuya.

"Bakit na naman?" naiinis na sagot.

"Chikahin mo si Mum. Ask mo siya kung bakit siya naiinis."

"Ayaw! Baka pagalitan ako n'on!"

"Sige na, tanong mo lang."

"Ayaw."

"Bigyan kita fifty thousand."

"Eh?" Sinilip ko agad ang mukha ni Kuya. "Fifty?"

"Yeah."