Chapter Theme : Safe Haven - State Champs

"Anak, kailan daw ang uwi ni Slade?" Dad asked as he placed food on Mom's plate.

"Bukas pa raw po siya pauuwiin ng Dad niya," I replied as I carried Drummer and let him sit on my lap. Itinuro niya ang fried chicken kaya. Inabot ko sa kanya ang Drumstick ngunit nang mahawakan ito, sobrang init pala kaya nahagis ko bigla.

"Chicken!" Iyak agad ni Drummer kaya hindi ko napigilang matawa, hindi dahil sa hitsura niya, kundi dahil naalala ko ang paghagis namin noon fried chicken sa mukha ni Haji. 

I smiled at the thought of my friends. I missed them a lot. 

I couldn't help but wonder when's the next time we'll get to hang out happily again, together, complete. It had been a week since we had that dinner and it didn't even end well for Sawyer, Magno and I.

"Rei, you okay?" Mom asked as she carried the crying little bean away from me.

"Yeah." I chuckled, brushing it off. "Sorry Drummer." I added, patting his butt.

All of a sudden the doorbell rang. I stood up and volunteered to go outside. 

"Tito Addam?" I let out a confused smile when I found him outside the gate. "Pasok po kayo," yaya ko agad.

"Naku, huwag na," he answered and smiled. "Dumaan lang ako kasi may gusto lang akong itanong."

"Bakit po?" I got nervous all of a sudden. Did Megatron threw me under the bus? Sabi ko sa kanya sikreto lang namin na binigyan ko siya ng alcoholic drink para sa 15th birthday niya!

"Did wee-wee tell you where he's going?" he asked, worry evident in his eyes. I got curious all of a sudden.

"W-we haven't really talked since last week's dinner..." Muli akong nakaramdam ng kaba at sa pagkakataong iyon ay naging kakaiba ito. I felt my heart sank. I've been to busy with work that I didn't even got to call him after he dropped me off.

"Oh..." Tumango-tango si Tito.

"Ano po pala ang nangyari?" Pilit kong itinago ang kaba at pag-aalala ko.

"Bigla na lang kasing nagsabi na aalis daw muna siya ng Filimon Heights. Magpapakalayo-layo nang pansamantala para makahinga. Ewan ko ba sa batang 'yon," Tito said while shaking his head in disdain. 

"I-I'll call our friends. I'm sure--"

"No..." Tito smiled a little. "Let him be. Maybe your Kuya Weewee just needs some time, away from all this, a time to breathe. Siguro masyado lang talaga siyang na-pressure. I may have been too hard on him lately. This isn't the first time he left on a whim like this."

"P-pero lagi niyang sinasabi sa akin ang lahat..." Hindi ko napigilan ang paglabas ng hinaing.

TIto shook his head as he scratched his temple, as if he was trying to find the right words to say. "Reika, ganito kasi 'yon... Your Kuya Weewee has been complicated for some time now. Mahirap ipaliwanag pero may mga bagay lang talaga na nagbabago."

"Part of growing up?" The words just came out of my mouth.

He nodded and smiled. "Don't worry, your Kuya Weewee will come back when he's feeling better. About two years ago, bigla rin siyang nawala at umalis nang walang paalam. Bumalik din naman siya pagkatapos ng isang buwan. Nasa Manila ka yata nang mga panahong iyon, nagte-training."

Lalong bumigat ang kalooban ko. Masyado akong naging abala, ni wala akong kaide-ideya sa mga nangyayari sa buhay niya.

Tito patted my shoulder lightly. "Don't worry, he'll come back. He always does."

That night, I stayed up all night thinking about Magno. I kep sending him messages, calling him over and over again, but he didn't answer.

"Don't worry, he'll come back. He always does." I whispered to myself.

Morning came. As I was preparing to go to work, all of a sudden my phone beeped. It was a message from him.

Bro #1:

Okay lang ako.

Kailangan ko lang huminga.

At sa mga sandaling iyon, kahit papaano ay nakahinga ako nang maluwag.

Reika:

Few weeks 

If you're still not back, I will hunt you down and drag your ass back to Filimon Heights

****

Gayfriend:

THIS NOT A DRILL

THE WATER BROKE

BABY HAWTHORN IS HERE

I jolted up my swivel chair and I smiled uncontrollably. I couldn't wait to see the first baby of the gang so I grabbed my keys and hurriedly went out of my own office.

"Ms. Reika?" Naagaw ang pansin ko ni Stella, ang personal secretary ko mula nang gawin akong Operations Manager ni Grandpa sa kompanya. She was younger but more mature than I was. She was more like my babysitter actually.

"Please cancel all my meetings today. Bubbles went into labor." For the love of God, I couldn't stop smiling!

"Kanino ka excited? Sa baby o sa friends mo?" she asked jokingly, making me chuckle.

"Both," walang alinlangan akong umamin. 

Sa sobrang busy naming lahat, sa tuwing espesyal na okasyon na lang namin nagagawang magkita kaya napaka-importante sa akin ng mga pagkakataong nagkakasama kami.

I waved goodbye and ran to the elevator. Good thing I was wearing my trusted wedged boots and black romper jumpsuit.

As I walked towards my car, I called Magno right away. As usual, he didn't answer so I left him a message. He would be thrilled to meet our Godson! Ang laki pa naman ng ipinusta niya na magiging babae ito.

Pagdating sa ospital, hindi lang pala ako ang nagtataka sa biglang pagkawala ni Magno. Pati rin sila. Magno's presence was missed lalo na at ito ang isa sa mga pinakamadaldal. Akala ko makikita ko rin si Sawyer doon pero hindi rin ito dumating, kahit si Haji wala rin.

Mabuti na lang talaga at makaraan ang ilang sandali ay dumating si Slade at kasama si Silver.

"Mabuti naman at umuwi ka!" Nagtatakbo ako at yumakap nang mahigpit sa elemento ko.

"Hello? andito ako?" sarcactic na paalala ni Slade sabay taas ng kanyang kamay.

"Manahimik ka, ako ang Villafranca #1," pabalang na biro ni Silver kaya halos magsalubong na naman ang kilay ni Slade.

Nakauwi na lang kami sa bahay, wala pa ring Magno na nagpakita o nag-reply man lang sa mensahe ko. Ang pag-aalala ko ay nauwi sa inis, mabuti na lang at nagyaya si Silver na mag movie marathon sa kwarto niya kaya kahit papaano ay nawala sa isip ko ang tungkol dito.

Silver and I both sat on the floor, our backs leaned against the bed while the laptop was right in front of us.

"Ang arte ni Denver, halos ayaw akong pahawakin sa anak niya. Nakalimutan niya ata na nurse ako," reklamo ni Silver habang kumakain ng popcorn. Movie Marathon daw pero nagdaldalan kami.

"Mukha ka kasing quack nurse," biro ko sabay pulot ng popcorn at hagis nito sa kanyang mukha.

"Mukha ka pa ring myembro ng kulto," ganti niya at binato rin ako ng popcorn.

Natatawa kong hinilig ang ulo sa balikat niya. "You back for good?"

Hindi siya kumibo kaya hinilig ko na lang ang ulo ko sa balikat niya. I promised to support her decisions but I just miss her and I want her back in Filimon Heights for good.

 All of a sudden, my phone beeped.

Dali-dali ko itong kinuha sa pag-aakalang si Magno ito pero hindi, si Grandpa pala.

Gramps:

My friend in Manila is offering to train you so that you can be the Chief Operating Officer. Okay lang ba sa'yo? It could take 2-3 months.

"Grabe, hindi business pinag-aralan mo pero tingnan mo running for COO ka na," biro ni Silver sabay siko sa akin.

"Perks of being a Magno." I jokingly shrugged.

"You better like what you're doing, Rei," aniya pa.

I smiled and faced her. "Actually noong una, napilitan lang ako. I had no other choice kasi iba ang company nina Tito Addam at doon din nagta-trabaho si Magno. I didn't want Grandpa to think that none of us were willing to take over the business kaya nag volunteer ako. Gaya ni Slade, natutunan ko ring magustuhan ang ginagawa ko lalo na't lagi rin kaming nags-sponsor ng charity events. Its a win-win actually, I get to earn for my family, I get to continue Gramps' legacy, plus I get to help people."

"Proud of the woman you've become, Rei." Silver chuckled and raised a thumbs-up.

Natawa na lang ako at tumayo. "O siya, hanapin ko muna kapatid mo."

"Use protection!" biro niya at nambato muli ng popcorn. 

Paglabas ko ng kwarto ni Silver, dumiretso agad ako sa kwarto ni Slade pero nagtaka ako dahil wala siya roon. I went down the stairs and began to hear faint music coming from the garden.

I opened the door and took a peek.

I smiled at the sight of Slade on the white hammock, just beside the window. He was lying upright while holding his guitar, eyes up the sky, feet draping on the ground, and hands gently strumming on the strings.

"I need my number one fan here," he said with his eyes never leaving the sky.

"I'm your number one basher," I chuckled as I walked towards him. Slade was lying vertically over the hammock so I had enough space to lie right next to him. Our feet comfortably draping to the ground.

He put his guitar on the ground and snaked his hand under my neck, making me lie on his shoulder.

"Hey, you might get cramps," I reminded him but he just chuckled.

"What's up?" he asked. "Don't say the sky or I swear to God," dagdag pa niya kaya mas lalo akong natawa. Sa sobrang tagal na naming magkasama, alam na ata niya ang takbo ng isip ko.

"By the way, I received a message from Gramps." Isiniksik ko ang sarili at yumakap sa kanya. "He wants me to go to Manila again. 2-3 months of training. I want to go. It's a good opportunity. I'll get to prove everyone that I deserve my job."

"Now that you mentioned it... Heath told me they're preparing for a new album, after the release, they'll be on a nationwide tour. He asked me if i'm up for it." 

Agad akong nag-angat ng tingin upang makita ang mukha niya.

He was still looking at the night sky with a smile on his face.

"Gusto mo ba?" I couldn't help but smile from ear to ear.

"The company's doing pretty well. I guess I've already earned the right to ask Dad for a few months off... plus you're in Manila. It's a total win." He chuckled. 

"At kung hindi ka papayagan ng Dad mo?" I asked.

He smirked. "The Rebel in me is still here, Babe."

Natawa na lang ako at ginawang unan ang dibdib niya.

"And if Grandpa asks why you returned to the band, you can just tell him that it's your ruse to stay with me in Manila. Your way of protecting me." I glanced at him and winked. "I'm still a rebel as well."

▬ end of 67// thank u ▬