When I returned to Manila, the story of Ate Via had blown over. I was surprised by the hundreds of followers that were added to my social media accounts. Even more when some of them asked me if I was the portrayer of "Chynna," which was disconcerting.
I didn't respond muna because I hadn't the foggiest idea of what to reply to that, kahit na it bothered me that there were unread messages on my Instagram account. Hindi ko kasi ugali mag-iwan nang unread messages. I reply to everyone all the time. I was that OC with my social media accounts.
I was bone-tired when I got back so I didn't have the time to read the update. Nag-upload lang ako ng photos sa drive para makita nina Ance at Shane before I went to bed.
Back to reality na dahil kahit pagod pa ako, tuloy lang sa pagpasok sa work. Though, I'd admit, I missed my job. I felt empty in the past few days that I hadn't been reading and editing manuscripts.
After my work, I headed straight for home and found my cousins, Kuya Cairo and Ate Bali, lounging around the sofa. Like me, they were around here kaya dito sila nakatira sa bahay for convenience. It worked well for my parents who doted on them. Unang baby kasi na naalagaan ni Daddy si Kuya Cairo kaya paborito niya 'to while Mom absolutely loved Ate Bali dahil accountant 'to katulad niya.
My cousins were not speaking. They were both on their phones pero napansin kong nakapang-alis si Kuya Cairo while Ate Bali was already in her jammies. I jumped onto the sofa where Ate was seated.
"I'm hungry. Let's eat, please."
Without looking at me, Kuya replied, "What do you want?"
I pouted. "Kain tayo Jabee or Macca's."
I heard a sigh coming out of Ate Bali. She put her phone down to throw me an incredulous look. "Seriously, Callie? You come home from the greatest trip of your life, from the best food of the food capital, and you crave for what? Fastfood?"
"Ano naman? Macca's is my favorite!"
"It's not good for your health! Duh, it's fastfood."
"So? Ikaw, ha. Nag-start ka lang mag-gym, inaattack mo na decisions ko in life."
At what I said, she laughed in earnest. Kuya Cairo chuckled before rising to his feet and flexing his shoulders.
"Order what you want, but keep me out. I have a date. Don't wait up for me," he said.
Ate Bali and I turned to him, brows raised.
"Oooh! Who with?" I asked, excited.
He grinned like a cheshire cat. "Wouldn't you like to know? Au revoir, cousins. Don't pig out too much," he said and saluted, already walking to the shoe racks to change into his sneakers.
Nagkatinginan kami ni Ate Bali at sabay tumawa.
"Sino daw? Kilala mo?"
"Ewan ko d'yan kay Kuya. Iba-iba naman 'yan quarterly, don't mind him."
I burst out laughing again. Kuya Cairo may not have the best face out there, but he certainly was not a bad catch either. He was tall, moreno, and had a good toned physique, and he could be handsome as hell for some girls. Kaso for some reasons, his relationships always failed. Either he wasn't in it too much or the girls he ended up dating proved to be monster girlfriends in the long run. He wasn't lucky in this department at all kaya lagi siyang inaasar ni Ate Bali.
Natatawa ako sa kanya. Between the three of us, he was the one who wanted to date the most but he kept on landing the wrong girl. It's almost a routine, a pattern, and I was glad to have the front seat of his blunders we loved to call "the misadventures of Don Romantiko."
