Childhood Sweethearts

Chapter 12: Are You Mad?

"Ano? Sila nai-express ang pagmamahal kahit pareho silang may nota samantalang ikaw patorpe-torpe pa bottom naman!"

"Wa-what do you mean?" I asked him. Ms. Morie nodded. I know she wants to say what I'd asked but she better to zipped her mouth.

"I'm....I'm just kidding," he said at kumamot pa sa ulo.

We breathe out. Ang akala ko pa naman at mabubuko na niya ako, hindi pa pala. I know that I'm inlove with someone. And that is Andy. But saying that he is ready to catch me when I fall?

"Okay, Josh Maxwell," Ms. Morie cutted the silence.

We looked at, and curiosity face written on Maxwell's face. Nakita ko ito via peripheral vision ko.

"Why?" Maxwell asked his mother.

"Hiwalayan mo na si Carlo! Wala kang mapapala diyan!" She shouted again.

"Ms. Morie---"

"Ms. Morie?" Isaac asked what Carlo's said. "Natikman mo na ang buong katawan ko, 'di ba? Bakit pati si Josh kailangan din?" He asked. I saw his eyes, its were watering. Hindi nito kayang magalit. Hindi rin nito kayang bumulyaw nang tao. Pero ito na, ginawa na niya. Ano pa bang magagawa niya kundi ang ipagpatuloy iyon, 'di ba?

"Isaac..."

"Isaac?" He asked what Carlo's said, again. "Dati, baby tawag mo sa'kin. Dati, kapag may gusto kang bilhin binibili ko," he paused.

He was starting to cry even if he force it to stop. He was a crying man. Mabait si Isaac, palibhasa mulat sila sa kahirapan pero ngayon ay mayaman na. Nanalo yata sa lotto ang mga ito kaya nakapagpatayo ng businesses and palace like mansion. "Hindi mo ba ako nagawang mahalin noon?" He added the question.

We looked at Carlo. He was crying like a baby.

"Tapos katawan ko lang ang gusto mo?" Nagbalik ulit sa galit ang hinanakit ni Isaac.

Nagtaka ako sa sinabi nito na "hindi mo ba ako nagawang mahalin noon?". So, minahal ni Isaac si Carlo but Carlo wants only for Isaac is a body?

"Sorry," Carlo said while crying. "Si Josh lang talaga ang mahal ko," he added while sobbing.

"Si Josh?" Isaac pointed his index finger to his nephew. "Bakit ako? Ilang taon rin naging tayo. Hindi mo 'ko nagawang mahalin noon? So..... katawan lang talaga?" Isaac said while crying.

Isip bata, hindi ganyan si Isaac. Nakasama ko na ito. May pagka-moody but he was a kind of person that do anything just to make his loves so much happy. But now, he can't do anything but to accept that his loves only wants for him is a f*****g body.

"Teka, teka!" Maxwell stands and raised the both hands for stopping. He looked at Carlo. "Hindi naman kita minahal," he said in a baritone.

We shocked. Hindi mahal ni Josh si Carlo. "Noon, ang tanga ko dahil hindi ako naniwala sa sinasabi nang iba na may pagkamalandi ka, pero totoo pala. Kung hindi lang sa'kin sinabi ni tito at mama, sigurado akong malalasap mo ang katawan ko." He said.

"Ang sama mo magsalita, Josh." I said. Nagtinginan silang lahat sa'kin. Curiosity written on their faces. "Huwag gano'n, kahit naman hindi ko na siya ituturing na kaibigan, eh, kailangan pa rin natin siyang respetuhin."

They breathe out. I took a deep breath. "Wala naman tayong magagawa, eh, kung ganyan siya. Pwede siyang magbago but when? No one knows. Hayaan na lang natin siya, ang importante ay alam na natin ang tunay na pagkatao ng ex-bestfriend ko." I added.

"Hi-hindi mo na ako ka-kaibigan?" Carlo said weakly.

I slowly nodded my head for answering. Masakit man sa'kin na mawalan ng kaibigan, kasangga at katuwang, mas masakit naman kung ang mismong kaibigan mo ang magsabi sa'yo ng masama. At ang masaklap do'n ay sa harap mo pa sinabi ang masasakit na katagang iyon.

"Minahal ka pala ni Isaac, bakit hindi mo siya nagawang mahalin no'n?" Ms. Morie interrupted my thought.

"Kasi.... kasi--"

"Kasi ano? Wala akong panama sa pamangkin ko?" Isaac cutted Carlo's word off.

"Hindi ganoon!" Carlo shouted us.

Lumabas ang karamihan dito sa loob ng boarding house. Ang natira na lang ay kaming lima nina Ms. Morie, Carlo, Josh, Isaac, at ako. Sumama din kasi si Andy na kanina pa kunot ang noo.

"Hindi ganoon? Pero pinamumukha mo na wala kaming similarities ng tito ko!" Josh said.

Naghubad si Josh. Kitang kita namin ang perpektong hubog ng katawan nito. Mula sa dibdib, patungong pusod. Nakita ko namang nanlaki ang mga ni Carlo. I know he couldn't take this kind of body because he's a gay, too. Pero ako, na dati ay pinagsisiksikan ang sariling mahal ko si Josh, walang epekto. Why? Because in a front of me, Josh wasn't here, it was Andy, seducing me with his well-toned body.

Bago pa tuluyang lumubog ang bangkang sinasakyan ko sa ilog ng pagnanasa, umiling ako at tinutok ang sarili sa lalaking naghuhubad din. It was Isaac, after he removed his clothe, we saw his body. Look like Josh, perpektong perpekto din. Mag-tito nga.

"Ngayon mo sabihing wala kaming pagkakapareho," Josh said.

"Wala naman akong sinabing magka-iba kayo, ah!" Carlo said with a high tone.

"Wala nga, pero pinamumukha mo naman 'cause you can't love my uncle," sambit ni Josh.

I walked out, ayaw kong makisali sa kanila. Hinayaan ko na lang na unti-unting humupa ang kanilang mga galit at magkaunawaan.

Sinalubong naman ako ni Andy at inakbayan. I looked at him and I saw him looking at the way we walking by.

"Nasaan sila?" I said nang hindi lumingon sa'kin si Andy.

"Sa boarding house nina Myco at Jin," sabi nito nang hindi lumilingon sa'kin.

"May problema ba?" I asked him.

"I saw you, nakatulala ka sa katawan nina Josh at Isaac," he said coldly.

Nangunot ang noo ko dahil doon. "Bakit? Dahil ba sa nakatulala ako sa katawan nila ay pwede ka nang magalit?" I asked again.

"Dapat sa'kin lang nakatingin ang mga mata mo,"

"Huh? Paano 'yon?" I asked him.

"Common sense," he answered my question iritatingly.

"Are you mad? If I looked at someone's body?"

"Yeah!"

"Hala galit nga," I said at tumingin na lang sa dinaraanan ko. Bakit siya magagalit? Titingin lang naman ako. Saka wala naman siyang dapat ikagalit dahil roommates lang naman kami.

I sigh. Kaiba na talaga ang mga tao ngayon. Hindi mo alam kung sa'n ka lulugar.

"Mag-iinuman daw sila do'n. Nag-iinom ka?" He asked.

"Oo mag-iinom ako," sambit ko at iniikot at aking mga mata kahit hindi nito iyon nakikita.

"Do'n ka na lang muna, huwag kang iinom," babala nito sa'kin.

Hinarap ko ito. Nakaharap na pala ito sa'kin. At ang paligid namin at parang tumigil. I only heard is my heart beats. Ito na naman ako. Lalong nahuhulog dito kahit hindi ko pa ito kilalang lubos.

"Galit ako sa'yo, dahil kung kani-kaninong katawan nakakatingin iyang mga mata mo," he paused at hinawakan ang magkabilang balikat ko. "Dapat sa'kin lang," he added at nilapit pa ang kanyang bibig sa tainga ko. "Akin lang," he whispered.

"A-are you mad?" I asked, stuttering.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't take care of you." He said and that words make my face blushed.

"Why?" I asked him even though my heart can't stop beating fast.

Pesteng pusong ito!

"Paulit-ulit?" Sambit nito na nakakaloko.

Napatawan na lang din ako. Heart failure. Ayun lang naman siguro ang dahilan kung bakit tumitibok ang puso ko ng hindi normal.

'Kahit kasama mo si Andy?' Asked of my mind.

I don't know if I have a real feelings from Andy. Pero gusto ko lagi siyang kasama, lagi siyang katabi, laging kausap. Does that mean I'm inlove with him?

Hindi naman siguro, 'di ba?

"Ano nang nangyari sa'yo?"

Nagbalik ako sa ulirat nang marinig ko ang boses ni Andy. "H-ha?" I asked. Nakanganga pa 'kong nagtanong niyon.

"Tinatanong kita kung inlove ka sa'kin?"

I choke. "A-ano?" I asked curiously. I don't know where he'd got that word. I love him, on my own ways. I don't want to express it because I'm the only one that got hurt.

"Inlove ka nga," he said and he squeezed my chicks. "Namumula pa pisngi mo," he added.

My eyes widened. "Pa-pa-paano ba 'to?" I whispered. I looked at his eyes, its full of happiness. From where?

Tumalikod na lang ako at binilisan ang lakad. Mabuti na lamang at hindi na mahigpit ang pagkakakapit nito sa balikat ko.

"Hintay!"

The only word I've heard when I opened their door without warnings.

I see...... Jin and Myco, kissing. In a front of our schoolmates and boardmates.

"A-ano 'to?" Another asked.

Lumingon sa'kin sina Frank, Jan, pati ang lalaking hindi ko kilala. "They were expressing their love," answer of Frank na tinanguan naman ng iba.

"By the way, I'm Gene Marco Adulyadej. And you are Jhay Cee Masmela, right?" Sambit ng lalaking nangngangalang "Gene".

"Bakit gano'n ang surname mo? A-dul-ya-dei?"

"Yeah, bakit may angal? Half-half din ako katulad mo, half thai nga lang." He said.

"Bakit hindi mo 'ko------ what?" Andy interrupted. Napatingin kami dito. Hindi pa kasi ako nakakapasok kaya nasa likod ko ang damuhong ito. Nanlalaki pa ang mga matang nakatingin kina Jin at Myco na hindi pa rin matapos tapos ang expressing of their love.

'Ano? Sila nai-express ang pagmamahal kahit pareho silang may nota samantalang ikaw patorpe-torpe pa bottom naman!' My mind shout me that.

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