9-Angel

Hindi ko alam kung anong mali sa tanong ko na nagpatulala sa kanya at nagpainit ng tenga niya. Nanatili siyang walang kibo.

His lips were pressed together. His face was melancholic for a moment before he exhaled a breath.

"Patay na siya... Anghel."

"Oh. Hindi ko alam, I'm so sorry..." tanging nasabi ko.

I touched a sensitive subject. Yumuko ako para pagtakpan ang aking hiya at pagsisisi sa tanong ko.

Jethro never talked about their mother. This might be the reason.

Something pinched my heart. It was not easy to live in a house without a mother. They're the light of love and care. I gave him a small sincere smile. I wanted to hug him.

"Are you hungry?" he changed the topic immediately.

He didn't want me to feel pity towards him. It was obvious. I pretty understood that.

"You can cook?" I was a bit surprised.

Drake, a racer, was far from that. I doubted if he could slice a tomato.

"I may look brass but I can cook, Angel." He tilted his head to the kitchen.

"Talaga?" I raised one brow.

He lifted his chin. "Watch and learn."

We padded to the kitchen. He didn't have a girl sibling. There was no other woman in this house. It was clear from the design of their kitchen furniture's. It was a mixture of brown, black, grey, and white.

I sat down in a high chair, comfortably making myself feel at home.

"Anong lulutoin mo, Drake?"

"Chicken Sotanghon Soup."

He was moving back and forth the kitchen. He laid down all the ingredients in the counter: the sotanghon noodles; sliced chicken meat; few cups of chicken stock; tablespoon of canola oil and fish sauce or patis; and four pieces of dried mushrooms.

"Pwede tumulong?"

Nakakailang ang walang ginagawa. Nakaupo lang ako sa harapan niya. Tila pinagsisilbihan niya ako. Hindi ata maganda tignan.

"Don't ever do that, Angel. Just sit and be pretty."

"Okay."

He chopped one small sized onion, four stalks of scallions, and two pieces of tomato.

Tignan mo Angel. Marunong siyang mag-slice ng kamatis. It was perfectly sliced in dice too.

"May katulong kayo, Drake?" untag ko muli dahil ayaw niya ng tulong ko.

"Wala..." His lips dropped. "Hindi gusto ni Papa at Kuya Ranger. Dapat daw marunong kami sa mga gawaing bahay dahil mga lalaki kami."

He minced the four pieces of cloves of garlic.

"Ganyan din sinabi ni Kuya Soren. Para daw maging independent kaming mga babae. Kinakailangan din naming sanayin ang mga sarili na mag-linis at magluto."

I was propping my chin in the palm of my right hand when he stopped slicing the minced garlic into smaller pieces.

His smile was wide as a mile while looking at the distance afore he responded. "What a perfect match."

"Huh?" I leaned backwards, puzzled. I didn't totally get it. "Pero hindi ako marunong magluto, Drake."

"That's totally fine." He shook his head incredibly with a wide grin on his face that didn't rub off. "We need to divide the household chores. I am assigned to cook every night of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Kuya Gunner and Ranger prepared the meals during those mornings. Meanwhile Khalid and Jethro cooked every morning and evening of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. But I have to cook for us now, since they will be less likely to be here at seven. Drexter and Russel always have to keep the house clean and neat every day."

"Ang galing niyo naman. Nagkakasundo kayo..." I clapped my hands in amazement.

"That's what we are. Even Jethro causes war sometimes, but we usually ended it after an hour."

"Me and my sister normally did that too."

I observed him keenly.

He was skillful enough to run a fast-food chain. There was one thing about his level of seriousness to what he's doing that made his personality a little winning.

After minutes of preparation, he served two bowls of his Chicken Sotanghon Soup. It was looking delicious.

It would be my very first time tasting his homemade food. Umuusok pa ito. He was blowing his bowl of Sotanghon Soup to cool down.

Subalit gusto ko ng tikman ang akin! I twirled the noodles with the chopsticks. I drew away quickly when it hotly touched the skin of my lips.

"Ouch..." I caressed my almost burnt lips.

Worry came across his face and he swiftly exchanged his bowl to mine. "Ingat, Anghel. You can have that."

"Puta ang lamig!"

Nagulantang kami sa malakas na pag-bukas ng pintuan sa entrada. Nakatayo si Jethro doon na parang basang tuta. He took out his camera from his bag and put it in the table.

"Did you kidnap her!?" he thundered when he saw us in the kitchen and the angry sky loudly thundered too.

We were startled by that. My best friends had this exaggerated side. Si Kirsteen lang ata ang wala.

"Kaya hindi tumitila ang ulan kasi ang lakas ng boses mo!" Drake reproached him. "Magpatuyo at magbihis ka muna bago mo ako sigawan ulit!"

"Mag-paliwanag ka sa akin mamaya!" he pointed his finger at Drake as he climbed upstairs.

Jethro came back when we finished our bowl of Chicken Sotanghon Soup. Drake held my hand when I'm about to switch the faucet on and wash the dishes.

He brought me to the living room and pressed me down by my shoulder in the couch. "You're not going to wash the dishes or clean the living room, pretty. I told you to just sit here."

He scooted to the kitchen. "Tawagan mo si Mama Anne bago mo galawin ang niluto ko!"

Bakit kailangan nilang magsigawan? I turned my head at them.

Naibaba ni Jethro ang kubyertos niya. "Ulitin mo nga!?" sigaw niya.

"Tawagan mo ang Mama ni Angel. Bungol. You have her mom's number, right? Call her now." Drake demanded. Hawak niya ang bowl ng Sotanghon Soup ni Jethro.

Pwede naman ako mismo ang magpaalam. I reckoned she would not accept all my reasons.

Jethro dialed my mother's number and pressed the loud speaker button. In a few rings, she answered the call.

"Jethro, kasama mo ba si Angel ngayon? Malapit ng mag-alas sais wala parin siya dito. Wala siya kanina sa School gate nang susunduin na siya ng Tito niya." she asked consecutively.

I was biting my thumb while listening to her. Drake and I were silently waiting.

"Tita, hinga muna ng malalim! Kasama ko po si Angel. At dito muna siya sa bahay matutulog ngayong gabi. Malakas pa po kasi ang ulan. Delikado ang daan. Mabuti nalang talaga naabutan siya ng kapatid ko." Jethro's mouth slipped at the last sentence.

"Sinong kapatid ang sinasabi mo, Jethro!?" My mother exclaimed.

"Mali po ang pagkakarinig niyo! Mabuti nalang talaga naabutan ko siya." Jethro corrected.

"Asikasuhin mo ang anak ko, Jethro..." she quested.

"Wala po kayong poproblemahin, Tita. Ako na po bahala sa kanya. Isasauli namin siya kaagad bukas. Ako mismo ang maghahatid sa kanya."

"Sa kwarto mo ba siya matutulog?" she wondered with uneasiness.

Hindi ko rin naisip iyan. Saan kaya ako matutulog?

"May extra po kaming kwarto. Huwag ka na pong ma-stress. Sige po, bye Tita!" Jethro ended the call.

After that, Drake gave him the white bowl and patted his shoulder.

He returned to the living room and sat beside me. Jethro loudly slurped the Sotanghon Soup.

"Nagtext si Kuya Ranger at Russel. Baka bukas pa sila makakauwi. Sina Papa at kuya Gunner nasa cabin ni Kuya Ranger. Sina Drexter, Khalid, at Russel naman ay nasa Tattoo Parlor." he informed between mouthfuls of the soup.

"Salamat, walang disturbo." Drake mumbled.

I could feel Drake slowly draping his arm behind the couch. Jethro was way fast to notice it.

"Pero nandito ako, bro!" he swallowed all down the remaining soup and made a sound.

Nagtitimpi si Drake na sumabog.

"Hugasan mo ang mga plato, Jethro." utos niya sa kapatid niya. "Ako ang nagluto."

"Bukas na!" Jethro placed down the bowl in the sink.

He dashed to the living room and squeezed in between us. "Drake, sa kwarto ko matutulog si Angel."

"Ako ang nagdala sa kanya dito, Jethro. She's my responsibility. Kaya sa kwarto ko siya matutulog." Drake said in defiance.

Umiling-iling si Jethro. "Why don't we flip a coin? If it's a head, she's going to sleep in my room. If it's a tail, she will be sleeping in your room."

"Deal."

They sealed the deal by bumping their fists together, seriously. Ganito lang siguro ang pamamaraan nila ng pakikipag-sunduan.

I had no right to pick which room I'm going to sleep in. It wasn't our house in the first place.

"I never failed in a game, Jethro. I'm always the winner." Drake boosted.

Jethro tossed the coin in the air. The coin landed on the floor. They both checked it. I couldn't help it and checked it too.

The coin was on Drake's side!

"See?" Drake flashed his victorious smile.

He yanked my hand. I just let him dragged me through the stairs because Jethro followed us.

"Ikaw sa sahig, Drake. Si Angel sa kama! Iyong mabango mong kumot ipagamit mo sa kanya."

"Sa sahig ako matutulog. Siya sa kama ko. Ayos na ba? Panatag ka na?"

Drake closed the door straight to his face before he could enter in his room. Jethro's voice was muffled outside. He was banging the door as Drake locked it.

Napagod din si Jethro sa huli.

He languidly lay down on his bed with his hands propped at the back of his head.

"Would you like to play?"

My shoulders tensed. "What kind of play?"

I fiddled the edge of his sweatshirt I was wearing. His eyes were keen but sparkling. As if he was reading my movements and it amused him.

"A board game. Snakes and ladders. I'm sure you're familiar with that."

Parang binuhusan ako ng malamig na tubig. Hindi ko maitago ang ngiti ko.

"I loved board games, especially during a rainy evening."

He got up from the bed and opened his closet to get the board game and dice. He sprawled it onto the bed.

"The winner will ask random questions." he kneeled down the end of the bed.

"Game." I sat down with a sigh.

We decided that I should go first. I rolled one dice and got the highest number. After my turn, he rolled the dice and got three dots. I had a strong premonition that I'm going to win. The play continued smoothly, taking turns after one finished.

To my dismay, I always landed in squares with a hanging mouth snake. The result Drake landed first on the last square. He won, throwing hand fists on the air.

"Who's your current crush now?" he asked with his lips protruded slightly.

"Wala naman." I shook my head. "Lately, no one seem to captivate me. I can barely remember the last time I had a crush on someone."

"Pwedeng ako nalang?" agap niya.

Our gazes met. Doon ko lang napagtanto na matuwid at makapal ang kanyang mga pilik mata.

His eyes were deep set. I knew why Jethro called him dakog ulo because he really had a rounded head.

"Bakit naman?"

That shut his mouth. Mali ata ang pagkakapili ko ng mga salita.

Binitawan niya ang dice at tinakpan kaagad ang kanyang bibig.

"Who's your favorite singer?" pagpapatuloy niya na nagpipigil ng tawa.

"Taylor Swift!" I answered with obvious excitement. "Songwriter din siya, Drake. Director and many more..." I corrected him.

His shoulders were trembling. He turned his back. He was laughing in a suppressed manner.

"Anong nakakatawa? Hindi mo gusto si Taylor Swift?" I wondered. "Anyone would dislike her probably didn't know she's the music industry. She had it all. From Pop to Country, Rock, Country Pop, Alternative rock, Indie folk, Baroque pop, Folktronica, Synth-pop, and etc. "

Ngayon sabihin mo sa akin, kung anong ibig sabihin ng paghalakhak mo, Drake Wayne Mathildo? Gusto mo ng away? Hindi pa nangyayari sa tanang buhay ko ang magsimula ng gulo. Mabait at kalmado ako para bumuo ng gera gaya ng sabi ng lahat. Kung si Taylor Swift ang dahilan. Hindi ako magdadalawang isip na magsimula ng argumento.

Drake swallowed down the lump in his throat.

He raised his two hands to impose peace. "Kalma, pretty. Natatawa lang ako sa sagot mo sa una kong tanong. Hindi dahil kay Taylor Swift."

"Mabuti naman..."

"I shouldn't have asked you who's your favorite singer. I already knew that you love her."

I beat him in the second round. I jumped up and down his fluffy bed. He smirked and rose up to repose his back on his soft bedsheet.

"Why are you worth knowing, Drake?" I asked instantly as I settled down beside him.

Tinukod niya ang kanyang siko. He titled his head slightly with a grin frolicking on his lips. "Because I'm not really boring to know. There's all the fun in me, pretty girl. I can be soft and I can be tough for you. I can do all the things just to be with you."

Sumimangot ako. "Malimbongon kaayo ka, Drake."

"I'm not lying. Why everyone always doubted me if I'm just saying the truth." salungat niya sa paratang ko. His face remained solid. "There's only one portal in my heart that I want you to open. That's why maybe I'm worth knowing if you want to know me more. I will open up like a portal to you. I think my family and personal issues would be safe in you. How about that?"

His sharp jaw and the blaze in his eyes called me in for a challenge. My heart pounded furiously.

"Next question." maangas niyang hamon. "I like all your questions, Angel. It makes a lot of sense for me."

Nanlalamig ang mga palad at paa ko subalit hindi lang halata sa mukha ko.

"Who lights you up?"

I didn't know where I get that question. It came out from my mouth naturally.

Drake took seconds to play with his tongue in his right cheek while thinking.

Umisod siya papalapit at tinignan ako sa mga mata bago siya sumagot.

"You."

He chuckled.

His eyes were truly lighting up at me.

Everything went silent. We could only hear the fading hum of the clock.

Malamig ang panahon. Ngunit ramdam ko ang pag-iinit ng pisngi ko.

"Inaantok na ako, Drake. Ikaw ba?" I broke the deafening silence.

"Hoy! Rinig na rinig ko kayo! Matulog ka na Anghel! Drake sa sahig ka matulog!" malakas na suway ni Jethro sa kabilang kwarto.

That was my unforgettable rainy Tuesday.

PERIEDOT