Baby Madness

Chapter 27

"Kailan kaya 'to titigil?" tanong niya habang nakatingala.

Nandito kami ngayon sa isang gazebo dahil habang naglalakad kami ay bigla na lang umulan. Wala kaming nagawa kundi magpatila pero wala yatang balak tumigil ang ulan. Halos thirty minutes na kaming nandito pero parang lalo lang lumalakas.

Sa kasamaang-palad, pareho rin kaming walang dalang phone kaya hindi kami makapagpasundo kay Kuya Larry pero okay na rin 'to dahil ayaw ko rin naman munang umuwi. I don't want to face her.

"May tanong ako," biglang sabi niya habang nakatingin pa rin sa langit. "Huwag ka sanang magalit."

"What?" Mukhang alam ko naman na kung tungkol saan.

"Do you really hate her?" he asked, his eyes staring at mine.

Hindi ako nakasagot agad at tanging ang pagbagsak ng ulan ang maririnig sa pagitan naming dalawa. I didn't expect his question to be that serious.

"I honestly don't know," sagot ko naman.

"That means you don't," dagdag niya at saglit siyang ngumiti.

"What?"

Hindi naman niya ako sinagot at umupo siya sa steps. Nanatili akong nakatayo sa bandang likuran niya at tinignan ko rin ang langit. Kailan ba 'to titigil?

"Have you ever felt this way?" mahina kong tanong.

I didn't have any "friends" when I was young and I would always keep my worries to myself so it was kind of hard to open up to someone. However, this guy has always been by my side when I needed comfort and he said I could rely on him. Seriously, how could he say those words without getting embarrassed?

"Oo," sagot naman niya. "Pero kapag naiisip ko ang sakripisyo ng nanay ko, nahihiya rin ako sa sarili ko. Anong karapatan kong magalit sa kanya dahil lang sa mababaw na rason kung siya nga ay walang reklamo sa lahat ng ginagawa niya para sa amin?"

Para namang kung may anong lumubog sa loob ko nang marinig ko 'yon. Maybe if I was as nice as him, I'd forgive her, too.

Para namang kung may anong lumubog sa loob ko nang marinig ko 'yon. Maybe if I was as nice as him, I'd forgive them, too. Yes, they did everything to support me financially but aside from that, there was nothing else. I felt like I was just an unwanted responsibility for them and I had accepted that after years of hoping for my futile dream—that they would spend some of their time with me.

"Pero naiintindihan ko naman kung saan ka nanggagaling," sabi niya. Muli siyang tumayo at humarap sa akin. "'Yong nanay ko, kahit malayo siya sa amin, umuuwi naman once a month. Samantalang ikaw, ilang taon kang naghintay sa kanila. Did you get tired of waiting?"

His words stirred up my emotions and I immediately turned around to prevent him from seeing my weak side . . . again.

"Bwisit ka talaga," I murmured and I heard him snicker.

"Sorry. Tama na nga 'tong usapan na 'to. Ayaw mo nga palang may nakakakita sa'yo na umiiyak," he teased.

"You started it!"

Huminga naman ako nang malalim para kalmahin ang sarili ko at buti na lang ay hindi nagtuluy-tuloy ang luha ko. Habang pinupunasan ko ang pisngi ko ay napatigil ako at napatingin sa kamay ko.

Oh, God. Where did it go?

Nilibot ko ang paningin ko sa sahig ng gazebo pero wala ro'n ang hinahanap ko.

"Bracelet mo?" pansin ni Jazer at napahawak ako sa wrist ko. Hindi ko namalayang nawala na 'yon sa braso ko at baka nalaglag habang nagtatakbuhan kami kanina.