Umalis si Slade dahil may kukunin daw muna sa siya sa kwarto niya kaya naman naiwan ako sa kusina kasama si Daddy. Naupo ako sa mesa habang ito naman ang nagluluto.

Nasa second floor sila nakatira. Malaki-laki at para talagang bahay na may shop lang sa ground floor. Iba rin.

Sobra akong nailang lalo't naririnig ko ang pagsinghot ni Daddy at nakikita ko siyang maya't-mayang nagpupunas ng luha habang nakaharap sa frying pan. Pinipilit kong 'wag maiyak pero mas lalo lang niyang pinapalala ang lahat. 

It felt awkward between Dad and I. I could tell that he wanted to talk to me but he just doesn't know what to say. Ako rin naman.

"Anong niluluto mo?" Tanong ko na lang. My voice came out as cold as Silver's.

"Fried Chicken." Lumingon siya at ngumiti sa akin. "Paborito mo 'to noong bata ka pa."

Tumango na lang ako. Hindi ko magawang ngumiti o tumingi man lang sa kanyang mga mata nang matagal kaya kinuha ko na lang ang cellphone ko. Ayokong mag-alala si Magno kaya naman nag-iwan na ako ng mensahe sa kanya.

03:13 AM

Reika:

I went out to grab something.

I'm safe. Sila ang hindi.

"Boyfriend mo?" Dad chuckled as he placed the smoking hot fried chicken on the table.

"Kadiri. Si Magno 'to." Napangiwi ako.

"Sinong Magno?" Dad chuckled in confusion but still he continued putting utensils right in front of me.

"Kuya Wee-wee." Sagot ko habang hindi inaalis ang tingin sa cellphone ko kahit pa pa swipe-swipe lang ako sa kung ano-ano para sabihing may ginagawa ako. "No one calls him by his real name."

"Pinalitan na ba ang pangalan niya?" tanong ni Daddy pero umiling ako.

"No. As much as we hated our names, Grandma always told us never to change it because it was  part of who we are." I shrugged.

All of a sudden, Dad stopped moving. That's when I realized the gravity of my words.

"Y-you hated being a De Juan?" Dad asked cooly but I could sense the sadness in his voice. I closed my eyes shut, trying to stop myself from tearing up, trying not to look at him.

"Grandma says I can only change my surname if I get married. What Grandma wants, Grandpa follows no matter how much he disagrees with it." Sabi ko na lang. "Even Tron can't even change his name. Do you have any idea what Tron's real name is?" Pag-iiba ko ng usapan.

"Sino si Tron?" Tanong ni Dad at nang muli akong dumilat, nakita kong naglalagay na siya ng juice sa harapan ko pero pansin kong nanginginig ang kanyang kamay. 

"Magno's younger brother." Palibhasa iniwan na niya ako nang ipinanganak si Tron kaya hindi niya ito kilala.

"'Yon bang batang lalakeng karga ninyo ni Wee-wee sa vacation pictures ninyo last year?" Tanong niya kaya tumango ako. Siguro pinakita iyon ni Slade kaya alam niya.

"Yeah. That was Megatron John Magno." Natawa ako nang wala sa oras nang maalala ulit ang pangalan ng kawawa kong Pinsan.

 Kahit si Daddy natawa rin. Naupo na siya sa tapat ko pero tawa pa rin nang tawa.

"Iba talaga magbigay ng pangalan sina Addam." Dad shook his head in Astonishment. "Alam mo bang tinangka rin ni Addam na mag-suggest ng pangalan mo noong buntis pa sa'yo ang Mommy mo?"

Natigil ako sa pagtawa nang marinig iyon. "What did he suggest?"

"He said we should name you Rare para daw unique gaya ng pangalan ng Kuya Wee-wee mo. Rare Marie De Juan. Your Mom got so mad at your uncle that her water broke."

"Damn, Tito Addam is nuts!" I laughed harder hearing the story. Biro nila ipinaglihi daw ako sa sama ng loob, it turns out naipanganak pala ako dahil sa sama ng loob. 

Muli, natahimik kaming dalawa ni Daddy nang maubusan kami ng mapag-uusapan. Nakakailang na ulit kaya nagsimula na akong kumain.

"Please stop looking at me like that." Pasimple kong pakiusap nang mapansin kong pinagmamasdan niya akong kumain. Sinabi ko iyon nang hindi inaalis ang tingin sa pagkain. 

"I'm sorry." He chuckled a bit and from my periphy, I noticed him shook his head with a smile. "A-akala ko hindi na kita makakausap at makakasama ulit nang ganito. Ni hindi pa rin ako makapaniwalang nandito ka ngayon at kinakausap ako." His voice broke a little as if he was trying hard not to cry.

I stopped eating but continued staring down my plate.

"Eh kung sana kasi hindi mo ako iniwan edi sana wala tayo sa ganitong sitwasyon ngayon." I bit my lowerlip as it trembled. Saying those words felt so liberating. I didn't even care if I sounded rude or bratty. 

"Anak, napakalaki ng  kasalanan ko sa inyo ng Mommy mo." Dad said as he reached for my hand over the table kaya mabilis ko itong inilayo habang nakatitig pa rin sa pagkain ko. "Alam kong huli na pero sana mapatawad--"

"Can we please not talk about it?" Pinilit ko ang sariling tumawa. "Baka mabato kita ng Fried Chicken." Muli, idinaan ko sa biro at tawa ang sama ng loob. Pumatak ang luha pababa sa pisngi ko kaya mabilis ko itong pinunasan.

"Mahal na mahal kita, Anak." I heard him cry and in that moment I closed my eyes shut.

"Love never abandons! You told me that a thousand times! You abandoned me so don't you ever tell me you love me ever again!" I opened my eyes as I stood up. I shook my head as my breathing got shallow and faster. I was surprised with my own words and actions.

Nasapo ko ang noo ko dahil sa sobrang kalituhan. "I.. I think I'll go home now. Maybe we'll talk some other time again?" 

And with that I ran towards the stairs and out of the shop. 

I found myself catching my breath and crying my eyes out while sitting in the passenger seat of Apollo's car. I was so caught up with the beating of my own heart that I didn't even gave a damn even if Slade was already in the driver's seat. 

I hate it when people see me cry so I always try to bottle everything up, but this time the hurt was so great that pride was already out of the window. Wala na akong pakialam pa kahit nakikita ako ni Slade. Umiyak din siya kung gusto niya, bahala siya.

"Do you want to go back to Filimon Heights now?" Halata ang awa sa mga mata ni Slade habang nakatingin sa akin.

Tumango ako at pumikit. "I thought I could forgive him but it's so hard when everything he does reminds me of his misdeeds."

"You tried. It's okay. You tried and it's all that matters." Slade pulled me into a hug and all I could do was cry in his comfort. "You'll be okay. Everything will be okay. Just give it time." He added.

I woke up and we were already in Filimon Heights. The Sun began to rise up while the Sky was slowly shifting into a lighter shade of blue and white. 

Next thing I know we were already parked right in front of Grandpa's house.

Tinanggal ko ang seat belt ko. Ni hindi ko maalala kung kelan ko ito isinuot. Bago bumaba nilingon ko si Slade na halatang pagod dahil walang tulog. "'Yan napapala ng pakialamero, wala ka tuloy tulog. Magdusa ka Villafranca!"

Ngumiti si Slade at bahagyang natawa kahit pa napakalalim ng walang buhay nitong mga mata. "Good to see you're still the little shit that you are."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

Bumaba ako sa sasakyan at sinara ang pinto ngunit mabilis ko itong binuksan ulit nang may maalala.

"Bakit?" Tanong agad ni Slade.

I flashed my fakest smile. "By the way, I was serious about our deal. Don't you ever talk to me again. You're still a lying and conniving asshole and I never want to talk to you again. Ever."

Slade's eyes widened but before he could say anything, I closed the car door and went inside the house.

****

"Thanks!" I smiled at Magno the moment we reached the University gates.

"Sigurado ka ba talagang papasok ka? Kaya mo na ba talaga?" Kunot-noong tanong ni Magno. Kinwento ko na kasi sa kanya ang lahat ng nangyari kagabi. 

"Oo naman! Kinaya ko nga kahit inabandona na ako ng maraming tao diba?" Biro ko kaya agad niya akong sinamaan ng tingin. "Except you of course! Even if you're weird and ugly as hell, thank you for always having my back and staying my side."

Biglang nagbago ang timpla ng mukha niya. Umiwas ito ng tingin at ngumiti habang umiling-iling. Marahan pang tumawa na para bang proud na proud sa sarili niya.

Natawa na lang ako at bumaba na.

Dahil alas-onse na, nagtungo agad ako sa cafeteria. Pagdating ko doon, namataan ko agad si Silver sa karaniwan naming upuan, nag-iisa habang kumakain. Naka-ponytail ang mahaba nitong buhok kaya halata ko ang eyebags sa ilalim ng matamlay niyang mga mata. 

Napabuntong-hininga na lamang ako at lumapit. Hindi na ako nagsalita pa at basta-basta lang akong naupo sa tapat niya, bagay na ikinagulat niya. Mukhang hindi niya napansin kahit ang pagdating ko sa cafeteria.

"I found this series called What Would You Do. Some clips are available on youtube so maybe we could binge watch them after your exams." Sabi ko at binuksan ang backpack ko. Inilabas ko mula rito ang binili kong Buffalo Wings at agad itong inilagay sa gita ng mesa.

Nang tingnan ko ulit siya, nakita kong umiiyak na siya habang nakatingin sa akin. Walang kaemo-emosyon ang mukha pero lumuluha.

"Mukha kang multong pinalayas ng esperitista, alam mo yon?" Pabalang kong biro kaya naman dali-dali niyang pinunasan ang luha niya at sa pagkakataong iyon ay unti-unting kumurba ang ngiti sa mukha niya. Her nose crinkled as she pursed her lips. She looked like she was about to laugh and cry at the same time but she was trying not to.

Ngumisi na lamang ako at naunang kumuha ng buffalo wings mula sa lalagyan. 

"'Wag mong ubusin!" Reklamo niya habang kinukusot-kusot ang mga mata na parang bata.

"Syempre! Anong akala mo sa'kin? Kumakain ng buto?!" Ganti ko.

"Mukha kang kasapi sa kulto!" Ganti niya naman at sa puntong iyon ay kapwa kami nagtawanan.

▬ end of 29// thank u ▬