Overrated

Chapter 32 – Akari Keito

“Yatto kimi o mitsuketa!” sabi ng lalaki. (I finally found you)

“K-Keito... Naze... kimi ga kokoni iru no desu ka?” (why are you here?)

“Jiro.” kinapitan ko si Jiro sa balikat.

“Ah...” napatingin sa akin ni Jiro, mukhang nag-aalala. “Bicoy, this is my cousin Akari, Keito,” sabi niya, tapos ay humarap sa kaniyang pinsan. “Keito, this is Victor, boku no koibito desu.” nakita kong mamula ang mukha ni Jiro. “He’s my boy friend.”

Pati si Ronald ay nagulat sa sinabi ni Jiro. Napatingin naman sa akin ng masama ang pinsan niya.

“Why don’t you all take a seat?” tawag ni Ronald sa amin.

Umupo na nga kami ni Jiro nang magkatabi, habang tumabi naman kay Ronald ang pinsan niyang si Keito.

“So, I believe you’re cousins?” tanong ni Ronald kay Jiro.

“Actually, he’s my father’s great-grandson, which makes him my grandson through my niece,” sabi ni Jiro.

“We are cousins.” pilit naman ni Keito in acceptable English. “And I have been searching for him since he left Japan eight years ago!”

“We didn’t leave, your family chased us out!” sinabi ni Jiro.

”Chika, I’m getting intrigued,” sabi naman ni Ronald, sabay yuko sa tabi ko, “And I love it!” bulong niya sa akin.

“Why are you here anyway?” tanong ni Jiro kay Keito.

“I’m here to bring you back!”

Agad akong napakapit sa braso ni Jiro. Hinawakan naman ni Jiro ang kamay ko, telling me not to worry.

“I have no plans of coming back!” sabi ni Jiro “How did you find me anyway?”

Kinuha ni Keito ang isang magazine na Hapon na nakapatong sa mesa sa gitna namin.

“I saw this ad.”

“Ad natin `yan sa international branches natin,” sabi ni Ronald.

Whole page advert ito naming dalawa ni Jiro na imino-model ang Blue Ridges. Nakaupo ako sa stool, habang nakasandal naman sa likod ko si Jiro na nakasideview.

Muling tumingin ng masama sa akin si Keito.

“Well, whatever. Like I said, I have no plans of going back to Japan.” kinuha niya ang kamay ko at kinapitan ako ng mahigpit. “I have my own life here now. Why would I go back to a place where I’m not wanted?”

“But you were never sent away!” sabi ni Keito, “Our family have always cared for you, we wanted you to stay in the main house with us!”

“What are you saying?” sagot ni Jiro na mukhang galit na. “You told my mother to leave and didn’t even give us a single cent when otou-san died!”

“That is not true!” tumaas ang boses ng kaniyang pinsan. “Your mother sold the stocks from Touma jii-sama – from your father’s business and left the family, saying that if we refuse to give her your half of the inheritance, then she would just take you home with her to the Philippines!”

“That’s not true!” tumaas na rin ang boses ni Jiro.

“Guys, this conversation is very interesting, but please, tone it down a bit,” sabi naman ni Ronald.

“If that was true,” patuloy ni Jiro, “then we wouldn’t be living in poverty when we came back here... it was only when she remarried a year later that we finally...” biglang natigilan si Jiro na napaisip

“It took about a year to process all the papers for the transfer of the bonds,” sabi ni Keito, “It was also about a year later that the family started sending your allowance to the bank account your mother provided us.”

“But that’s...” muling natigilan si Jiro. “Bank account?” tanong niya sa pinsan.

“Yes, we’ve been sending you a monthly pension of 200 thousand yen. Don’t tell me she hasn’t been giving it to you?!”

Natahimik si Jiro. Biglang nanlamig ang kamay niya.

“Are you okay, Jiro?” tanong ko sa kaniya.

Dahan-dahan s’yang himarap sa akin, nakatikom ang bibig. Sumandal siya sa balikat ko, at kumapit sa akin ng mahigpit.

“Jiro...” bulong ko sa kaniya.

“Fuck.” narinig kong bulong niya.

“Ken-chan, daijoubu desu ka?” tanong sa kaniya ni Keito na lumapit na sa kaniya. “Are you okay?”

“No.” basag ang boses na sumagot sa amin. “I-I want to go home.”

Hindi kami pinauwi ni Keito.

Sinama niya kami sa hotel na tinutuluyan niya.

Doon, nahiga si Jiro sa sofa dahil sa sama ng pakiramdam. Pinipilit siya ni Keito na sa kama mahiga, pero hindi siya pumayag. Si Ronald naman ay nauna nang bumalik sa office. Mukhang itong isyu lang kay Keito ang pakay ng meeting namin.

“Okay ka na ba?” tanong ko kay Jiro na kasalukuyang nakahiga at nakapikit sa sofa.

“Mas okay... parang `di ako makahinga kanina...” sagot niya.

“Ahem...” nagpapansin si Keito. “Please speak in English,” sabi nito.

“Sorry... I just said that I’m feeling much better,” sagot ni Jiro.

“So, can you tell me what your relationship is with this man?” tumingin siya sa akin, nakasimangot.

“He’s my boy friend. We’re living together.” parang kumalabog ang puso ko sa kaniyang sinabi.

“So, you’re cohabiting?”

“Yes.” hinigpitan ko ang kapit kay Jiro.

“We’ve been living together for about three months now,” sabi ko naman.

“As you can see, Keito, I have no reason to go back,” sabi ni Jiro.

“But we have been wanting to see you all these years... can’t you at least come home for a visit?”

“Maybe... sometime in the future... I’m still a bit confused right now...”

“Well, for now, I’m going to make a phone call to make sure that woman doesn’t get any more money from the Akari family.”

Tumayo si Keito at nagpunta sa may balcony ng malaking hotel room para tumawag sa kaniyang cell phone.

“Okay ka lang ba talaga?” tanong ko kay Jiro, “Ang putla mo kanina, at muntik ka pang mahulog nang umalis tayo sa cafe...”

“Naisip mo ba, Bicoy?” tanong niya sa akin, “Lahat ng pinagdaanan kong hirap... lahat ng tiniis ko... dahil wala akong nakuhang tulong... sa... nanay ko...” tumagilid si Jiro at yumakap sa akin habang nakaupo ako sa tabi niya. “Nasira ang buhay ko... na baboy ako, Bicoy... para lang mabuhay ko ang sarili ko ng mag-isa.”

“`Wag mo nang isipin `yon, Jiro.” bulong ko sa kaniya. “At least ngayon, maayos na tayo. Magkasama tayo, masaya, wala na ang nanay mo sa picture. Hindi na natin siya kailangang ispin pa.”

“Hindi eh,” sabi pa ni Jiro na umiiyak na sa balikat ko. “Hindi tama. Hindi p’wedeng hindi sila magbayad sa ginawa nila sa akin!”

“Jiro...”

“Ken-chan.” napatingin ako kay Keito habang tuluyang umiiyak si Jiro sa tabi ko. “I just talked with our lawyers. They will send someone here as soon as possible.”

“Keito, thank you for your help and for informing us about all this, but can we please go back home now?” sabi ko kay Keito.

“I would like my cousin to stay here with me,” sabi ni Keito. “I can book the other room next to mine.”

“Jiro? Is that okay with you?”

Umiling si Jiro. “I want to go home.”

“But Ken-chan, we still need to talk about a lot of things, also, I would like to catch up with you!” mukhang desperado ang pinsan niya. “Please, just stay for the night!”

“Jiro, you can stay, it’s okay, I won’t mind,” sabi ko pa.

“T-then, I want Victor to stay too,” sabi niya.

“Tsk.” napa-ismid ang pinsan ni Jiro na lalong sumama ang tingin sa akin. “So be it!” sabi niya sa huli. But we’ll all be staying in the same room.”

Nagpapalit ng mas malaking silid ang pinsan ni Jiro. Isa itong three bedroom suite na may separate rooms para sa aming tatlo. Nag message naman kami kay Tita Lucy para ipaalam na hindi kami uuwi ng gabing iyon.

Umorder si Keito ng dinner, pero walang gana si Jiro kumain, kahit pa ang sasarap ng mga ito. Napilit ko lang siyang sumubo ng ilang beses at humigop ng mainit na soup.

“So, as I was saying,” sabi ni Keito nang ligpitin na ng room service ang mga plato sa mesa, “We have been trying to reach you for years, but your mother refused to let us see you. She just insisted that we put your share in the company under her name.”

“But, didn’t you ask for evidence that I was still okay?” tanong ni Jiro.

“We did.” inilabas ni Keito at pinakita kay Jiro ang ilang mga picture sa cellphone niya. “She’s been sending us pictures every month.”

Kinuha ni Jiro ang cell at tinitigan ito.

“Putcha... si Tita Agnes...” bulong ni Jiro. “These were taken in my old house... and she kept saying my mom doesn’t keep in touch anymore.” nakita kong nanginginig ang kamay ni Jiro. “They were all using me.”

“Jiro.” hinimas ko ang likod niya.

“It was really a blessing that I saw the ad in the magazine. Just in time too, since you would be given full rights to your inheritance when you each your 21st birthday. By then, you will be recognized officially as part of the board of directors of the Akari business conglomerate.”

“Eh?” napatingin si Jiro kay Keito.

“That was what was written in your father's will.” patuloy ni Keito. “As the only surviving son of the 7th head, of course, there would be a possition set for you. But you would need to return to Japan to claim your seat.”

“What do you mean, only living heir? What about my brother Shinichiro?”

Sandaling natahimik si Keito.

“Shinichiro-nii san passed away two years ago.” mataimtim niyang sagot.

Napakagat si Jiro sa kaniyang kamay na mahigpit ang pagkakakuyom.

“Shin-nii chan is...”

“Didn’t your mother tell you?” tanong ni Keito.

“Never. I lost touch with her when I was in highschool... about six years ago...”

“That’s one more reason for you to come home.”

Napatingin sa akin si Jiro.

“It’s your choice.” automatic kong sagot.

“Will you come with me?”

“No. The family would never allow such a relationship!” biglang sabat ni Keito.

“Then I won’t go back after all.”

“Ken-chan!”

“And please stop calling me that,” sabi ni Jiro sa pinsan. “I’m not a naive little kid anymore.”