ROUGE (androgynousxstraight)(bxb) -ongoing

Chapter 05 - One Who Cares

Chapter Five
"One Who Cares"
Dani Rouge Gustilyo's Point of View

"Good Morning." Theo was scratching his eyes while wearing his robe nang pumunta ito sa hapag kainan. He greeted his Mom with a kiss at naupo ito sa hapag. Wala ngayon si Dad at si Lolo dahil maaga silang umalis to god-knows-where.

I realised Theo wasn't looking at me at iniwasan lang nito ang presensya ko nang mapadaan sa tabi ko. Akala ko kasi bati na kami nang pinatulog ko ito sa tabi ko. But I was wrong. He acted as if he didn't know me instead. The morning I woke up wala na siya sa tabi ko, siguro kasi agad din itong lumipat nang sumikat na ang araw.

"Dani Dear," panimula ni Mom nang maupo na si Theo sa kabilang upuan. "I have set an appointment for the doctor tomorrow. She will be checking up on you." Dagdag pa nito. "So don't try to eat too much today." Paalala naman nito sa akin. Tumango lang ako sa kaniya.

I took a spoonful of corn kernels that was placed on my plate at kinain na lang ito and I stopped eating. "Mom don't you think you're being too harsh kay Dani?" I looked at Theo, he wasn't looking at me instead he was facing his Mom habang nakakunot ang noo nito.

Hindi sumagot si Mom nito atsaka nagpatuloy lang ito sa pagkain. "Mom, can you like stop him from dieting? He's getting skinny." Dagdag pa ni Theo. I noticed I am pero 'di naman talaga ako nagugutom paminsan.

I don't know, was I getting used to this?

"Skinny is better Theo. Ayaw kong tumaba si Dani." Mom answered directly.

"So how about me Mom? Is it okay for me to be fat?" Theo answered back.

"Of course not!"

"But you're not letting me diet too."

"Do you want to?"

"It's not like that Mom. But you're not treating him well. Ano ang kinalaman ng pag-lilimit ng oagkain ni Dan, sa check-up niya tomorrow?" He added. Napahawak naman ako sa kamay ni Theo para sawayin siya but he was quick to pull it away from me.

Mom inhaled and exhaled, then turned to look at me, "Daniel dear, do you think I'm not treating you well? Dahil sa diet?" Napa-iling na lamang ako nang tanungin ako ni Mom.

"Hindi naman po."

"You heard him Theo." Suddenly Theo stood up and went inside his room na nagdadabog. "What's wrong with him?" Tanong nalang bigla sa akin ng Mom nito. "Rouge do me a favour and try talk to him." Napailing ito na inutos sa akin kaya tumayo ako at saka pinuntahan si Theo sa kwarto nito.

I knocked on his door first at nang wala akong marinig ay agad akong kumatok ulit. Kaya naramdaman kong binuksan nito ang kaniyang pintuan. Theo was actually half naked habang basang-basa ang katawan nito. Napakurap naman ako sa nakita kong katawan nito. At age nineteen he already has this built of a body.

And I reminded myself that he just got out of the shower still soaking wet, "What?" He asked with his forehead wrinkled — may it be to tell me that he's annoyed with my presence o kasi I disturbed him.

But he let me in kaya naupo ako sa higaan niya at pinagmasdan ang likod nito habang nagblo-blower ng buhok niya. I composed myself and told him.