"Bakit hindi ako pwedeng pumunta?"

"Ayaw ni tatay," sagot ko sa kanya.

"So? Ang laki-laki mo na. Can't you decide for yourself?" medyo iritado nyang tanong.

"Kapag nasa pamamahay nya ako, susunod ako sa kanya."

"E di lumabas ka ng bahay."

I rolled my eyes. Diyos kong mahabagin naman, nang nagpa-ulan Ka po ba ng katigasan ng ulo, nagpapalakihan ng pansahod si Kent at ang tatay ko? Why won't any of them listen to me? My father doesn't like compromising and Kent's just as stubborn.

"Kent—"

He sighed exasperatedly. "Jazz, it's been two days."

"I know." I slumped back to bed. Dalawang araw na kaming hindi nagkikita mula noong ihatid nya ako pauwi kaya pasyahan sya ng pagtawag sa 'kin. Si tatay naman kasi, ni ayaw papuntahin sa bahay si Kent. Kapag naman nagpapaalam akong lalabas, nagagalit ito. Hindi ko na alam ang gagawin kaya nagmumukmok na lang ako sa kwarto ko.

Pagdating kay Toby, pwede lahat. Ako pa ang pinipilit na lumabas ng bahay para makipagdate. Ang unfair!

"You have to do something about it. Hindi ako tatagal sa gantong setup. It's worse than LDR!" reklamo nya.

"Well, what do you suggest? It's not like pwede akong pumuslit na lang—" Biglang natahimik ang kabilang linya. "So gusto mong pumuslit ako palabas ng sarili kong bahay?!"

"Sa 'yo nanggaling 'yan."

"But you were thinking it!"

I heard him sigh. "It's the only solution I could think of, okay?"

"Kapag nahuli ako ng tatay ko, ikakadena nya 'ko rito. Lalo ka nang nawalan ng pag-asa."

"Then let me come over there. I'll talk to him."

"He hates you," I said as a matter-of-fact.

Kent grunted on the other line. This is getting really frustrating.

"Kuya! Okay na 'yung potatoes. What should I cut next?"

"Teka, nandyan ba si Gale?"

"Yeah. She asked me to teach her how to cook."

"Kuya, si Jazz ba 'yan? Hi Jazzy!" I imagined Gale waving at the phone, wearing an apron and a curly hair. Why would she want to learn how to cook?

Oh... right. For Rico.

"I'll put you on speaker."

Maya-maya'y naging buzzy ang kabilang linya. Parang pumasok lahat ng sound. I must be on loudspeaker already.

"Hi Gale."

"Bakit hindi kayo lumalabas ni Kuya? He's been cranky. Nami-miss ka na yata."

"Hey! Go cut the bell peppers!" It became quiet again. "Forget what she just said."

"Why? I liked what she said," I teased.

"Shut up."

Tumawa ako. And then, a bright idea came to mind. Why didn't I think of that earlier? It might work. Walang masama kung hindi susubukan. At malamang sa hindi, hindi makakatanggi si tatay.

"Hey, may naisip ako. Why don't you ask Gale to come over here?"

"And?"

"Let her pretend na inaaya nya akong gumala or something. And then magkita na lang tayo kapag nasa labas na ako."

"Okay. I'll talk to her."

Bumaba ako sa sala. Naabutan ko si tatay na nanunuod ng TV. Noon time show na naman. Tatawa-tawa sila ni nanay. Kumunot ang noo nya nang makita akong nakabihis. He lowered the volume.

"At saan ka pupunta?" tanong nya.

"Inaya ako ni Gale na lumabas. Kilala nyo naman po si Gale, di ba?"

Ilang beses nang nakapunta si Gale sa bahay. I just hope na hindi naaalala ni tatay na kapatid ni Gale si Kent.

Tumango si tatay. Good. "Saan kayo magkikita? Ihahatid na kita."

"Hindi na po. Susunduin nya 'ko."

"May kasama kayo?"

Umiling ako. "Kami lang po."

"Hanggang anong oras?"

"Tatay," saway ni nanay.

Tumingin si tatay kay nanay. "Nagtatanong lang ako."

"Hindi ko po alam e," sagot ko.

Bumalik ang atensyon sa 'kin ng tatay ko. "Saan kayo gagala?"

"Hindi ko po alam. Kung sa'n lang maisipan."

My father gave me a speculating look. Hindi ako nagpatinag sa titig nya. If I quiver under his stare, malalaman nyang may itinatago ako. Keep calm, Jazz.

Naupo ako sa tabi nila at nakinuod habang inaantay ko si Gale. She called me after my conversation with Kent. She said that I should wear a red dress. Why red? Because Kent likes red in women. She said he finds it sexy. Ayaw kong maging sexy palagi sa paningin ni Kent dahil mahalay ang taong 'yun. On the other hand, if I looked desirable to him, he won't even think of cheating. Pero ayaw kong masobrahan, mahirap na.

I had a hard time finding a dress. Unang-una, alien sa damitan ko ang bestida. Lalo na 'yung kulay pula. Kaya nagsuot na lang ako ng t-shirt na red. 'Yung org shirt namin nung college. Tapos maiksing shorts at flat shoes.

Alam kong lalaitin na naman ni Gale ang choice of outfit ko. Bahala na. Hindi rin naman ako pwedeng mag-ayos ng todo dahil sigurado akong magtataka si tatay.

Mga after 30 minutes, dumating na si Gale. She was looking pretty kahit ang simple-simple ng suot nya. Ang ganda nya kasi talaga. Kahit ang tatay ko, hindi nakaligtas sa charm nya. I guess it helped because he was cordial with her. He even said that we should take our time and enjoy. Whew!

Gamit ni Gale ang sasakyan ni Kent pagpunta sa 'min. Nang nasa loob na kami, she immediately pointed an accusing finger on my shirt.

"What the hell is that?"

"Sabi mo red," depensa ko.

"Sabi ko, red dress! In what world is that considered a dress?" mataray nyang tanong.

"Wala akong dress, okay?"

Tiningnan nya ako ng mataman. "Jazz, if you want my brother to stay out of temptation, then you should be the temptation! Make him not want to look at any other woman but you! And that org shirt won't do the trick!" She started the engine and told me to buckle up. "We're going shopping first."

Dumaan muna kami ng mall bago dumiretso sa bahay ni Kent. She made me try a lot of red dress. Naumay ako pagsusukat. She bought three of those and two blacks. Sabi nya kailangan na may dress daw ako sa closet ko. She even insisted that we go shopping for my new wardrobe.

And to top that off, she made me buy heels. Ugh.

"You already have my brother's attention. The only thing left for you to do is to keep it to you," she said while she's putting makeup on my face. "I may not have liked you before but I'm actually considering having you as a sister-in-law, Jazz."

Medyo nag-flutter ang mga paru-paro sa tiyan ko dahil sa sinabi nya.

"Talaga?"

"Well, you're better than some women he dated in the past," she replied with a shrug. "And I'm not even kidding when I said that he was getting cranky. I think he really misses you."

"Tigilan mo nga ako, Gale." Yumuko ako to hide the blush creeping up my cheeks.

"Chin up!"

I tilted my chin up. "Tama na. Baka sabihin nya naman masyado akong nagpapaganda para sa kanya."

She chuckled. "Ano ka ba. Normal lang 'yan."

"Sa 'kin hindi."

She bored her eyes at me. "Listen to me: from now on, you should make an effort to look good for him. He would really appreciate it. Plus, kapag nagpapaganda ka sa kanya, iisipin nyang you're really into him. And trust me, Kuya have had a lot of women before you. They're all... well, some are not pretty—but some knows how to play with their assets. You should too."

"Ano ba ang asset ko?" Dahil sa pagkakaalam ko, flat-chested ako. He made that very clear to me na kahit sa daydreams ko, flat-chested ako. Hindi rin ako sexy. Slim is more like it.

"You have pretty legs," she pointed out.

"Yun lang?"

"And you have an okay face." She seemed to ponder on that for a bit. "Compared to me, your face is okay," dagdag nya.

I rolled my eyes. Typical Gale.

Nang matapos na kami, we drove to Kent's house. Doon daw muna si Gale habang nagdi-date kami ni Kent. Date. Lecheng 'yan. Hindi ko alam ang mararamdaman ko kapag naririnig ko 'yun. Parang gusto kong kiligin at masuka at the same time.

The dress and heels seemed to be working. Kent can't keep his gaze off me. It was a little unnerving. Feeling ko hinuhubaran nya ako sa titig nya. Kakilabot!

"Sa'n tayo?" tanong ko sa kanya pagka-buckle ko ng seatbelt.

"Hotel."

I gaped at him.

"We're going to an exhibit," he explained.

"Exhibit?"

"Yes. Food exhibit."

"Merong ganun?" kunot-noo kong tanong.

"If there's none, then we won't be going to one."

Bakit ba hindi magawa ng taong 'to na sumagot ng matino? Palagi na lang sarcastic!

Sa pent house ng isang sosyaling hotel ang exhibit. Ang hilig nilang magdaos ng event sa pent house. Ang yayaman talaga nila. Mabuti na lang pala at nag-dress ako kundi, hindi nya ako madadala rito. He was wearing a simple gray shirt and black jeans. Tapos may coat na kulay black. Mukhang formal na casual lang. Parang getup ni Cha Dae Woong sa My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho.

Pagpasok pa lang namin sa venue, medyo nilaway na ako. Para syang buffet style. Nakaikot sa kwadradong room ang mga pagkain, laid in long tables covered in white cloth. May mga pagkaing nakalatag tapos may mga labels.

There are little round tables in the middle of the room pero walang upuan. Standing ovation ang pagkain. May stage din sa bandang unahan tapos ay may speaker na nagpapaliwanag ng mga pagkaing lumalabas sa white screen na nasa isang sulok.

I was just following Kent around. He seemed to know a lot about every food laid there. He explained things and gave trivia while I ate.

"Don't eat too much," he warned me.

"Ngayon ko lang nakita ang majority ng mga pagkain dito tapos pipigilan mo akong kumain?"

"Hindi bagay sa dress mo ang malaking tiyan," he said while looking at my midsection. Well, he's right. Bakit kasi fitted ang ipinasuot sa 'kin ni Gale? Dapat kasi 'yung empire cut na lang para tago ang tiyan!

Sinimangutan ko sya habang kumukuha ako ng shrimp at tahong doon sa pagkaing mukhang jambalaya pero kulay black 'yung kanin. Paella daw 'yun pero ang weird ng pagkakaluto.

"Stay here. I just have to talk to someone," paalam nya pagkalapag namin ng mga plato namin sa isang table.

"Okay."

Nagsimula na akong kumain. Dahil wala akong kausap at sabi ni Kent ay bagalan ko raw ang pagkain para hindi ako magmukhang matakaw, I began observing the people around me. Karamihan sa mga babaeng nandito ay puro small portions lang ng salad ang kinakain. Grabe, mabubusog na sila dun? Napansin ko rin na karamihan sa mga nandito ay hindi masyadong nagagalaw ang pagkain dahil busy sila sa pakikipag-usap.

"Hi!" bati ng isang lalaki.

"Hello."

"Can I join you? Wala na kasing table e."

Nagpalinga-linga muna ako. Mukhang wala nga. "Okay."

Inilapag nya 'yung plato nya sa table. Wow. Ang dami nyang pagkain. Plato pa lang nya ang nakikita kong punong-puno at gabundok halos ang laman. Puro meat ang nakalagay tapos may mashed potato at corn sa tabi.

"I'm Dave, by the way." He held out his hand.

Nakipag-shake hands namana ako. "Jasmine."

"Nice meeting you, Jasmine. Are you alone, by any chance?"

Ngumiti ako sa kanya. "Yes. This plate's mine too. Takaw ko 'no?" Itinuro ko 'yung plato ni Kent.

He laughed. "I guess I should have figured that out already. Who's with you?"

"My boyfriend."

His eyebrow arched. "Oh."

Just then, nakita kong papalapit sa 'min si Kent. "There he is."

Dave followed my gaze. "Big time pala ang boyfriend mo." Sinalubong nya si Kent at nakipagkamay. Kent was frowning when he looked at me.

"He's Dave," I told him.

"Yes, I know him," he said.

Kinuha ni Dave ang plato nya. "I'll go find another table, then. Nice meeting you, Jasmine." He smiled at me and nodded at Kent. "Kent."

"David."

Nang makaalis si Dave ay tiningnan ako ni Kent ng masama.

"What?"

"Ilang minuto lang akong nawala..." Umiling-iling sya.

"Nagseselos ka na naman," biro ko sa kanya.

"I'm not."

"Okay. Deny and deny until you die..." I chanted.

Nang mabusog kami pareho ay pumuslit na kami palabas ng event. Then we headed to the cinema. Pagkatapos naming manuod ng sine, tumambay naman kami sa isang coffee shop.

"We can't go on like this. You have to let me talk to your father."

"He won't listen to you."

"I could try," he insisted. Umiling ako. "Ayaw mo lang yata akong makasama e."

"Tingin mo magsisinungaling ako sa tatay ko kung ayaw ko?"

"Ako na nga ang gagawa ng paraan, ayaw mo pa." He grunted.

"Hindi naman sa ayaw ko—" Inirapan ako ng loko. "Look, I'll be looking for a job next week. Pwede tayong magkita during that time. Huwag mo lang akong ihahatid sa bahay."

"And then you'll look for an apartment?"

"No. Ayaw ni tatay."

"Bakit ang laki ng takot mo sa tatay mo?"

"Hindi ako takot sa tatay ko. Gusto ko lang makuha ang tiwala nya. Alam mo namang botong-boto 'yun kay Toby. Kung pwede nga lang ipa-shotgun marriage kaming dalawa, nagawa na nun e. Kailangan kong magpakabait para maging mabait din sya sa 'yo."

"Buti pa sa parents ko wala kang problema."

Totoo 'yun. Botong-boto sa 'kin ang parents nya, lalo na ang mama nya. Kulang na lang suotan ako ng belo at iharap nila sa altar agad-agad.

"Katiwa-tiwala naman kasi ako. Hindi mo katulad."

He gave me a glare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Nginitian ko sya. "You know what I mean. Anyway, kailangan ko nang umuwi."

"Agad?"

"Kent, alas-syete na," I said to him.

"So?" He raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me he even gave you a curfew?"

Umiling ako. "Curfew ko sa sarili ko. Let's go!"

Pagdating namin sa bahay nya, nandoon na rin si Rico. Mukhang nagbahay-bahayan ang dalawa. Makalat sa kusina. It looks like they tried baking pero paghahalo pa lang ng ingredients, pumalya na sila. Kung tatanungin nila ako, dapat pareho silang mag-aral ng domestic chores. They need them badly.

Kent pulled me again outside. Mukhang hindi sya makahinga sa nakita nya sa loob. He considers it sacrilige when his kitchen is dirty.

"Okay ka lang?"

He huffed. "Next time, sa bahay na lang nina mama ako magtuturo ng pagluluto!" inis nyang sabi.

I patted his shoulder. "Ano ka ba. Give her time, she'll learn eventually."

"I highly doubt it. Teenager pa lang 'yan, tinuturuan ko na syang magluto. There's already no hope in her."

"Kalma..." Ikinawit ko ang mga braso ko sa leeg nya. He seemed to have relaxed a bit. "How about a good night kiss?"

"Wet kiss?"

"Peck."

Sumimangot sya.

"Maya-maya tatawagan na ako ng tatay ko."

"Nagsisimula na akong mainis sa tatay mo."

"Nasi-sense nya kapag ayaw mo rin sa kanya. Lalo syang maiinis sa 'yo."

"So? At least we're even."

I kissed his cheek. "Ang tanda mo na para makipag-quits sa kanya. Sige na." Humiwalay ako sa kanya. Tinawag ko na si Gale mula sa loob.

"You can't go home yet."

Kent pulled me and kissed me hard. Isinandal nya ako sa sasakyan. I could feel his hand caressing my hips. Unti-unti akong naubusan ng hangin. Damn him and his kisses!

Isang malakas na tikhim ang nagpatigil sa amin.

"That's enough, love birds." Gale was standing at the doorway, her hands on her hips. Nakataas ang kilay nya habang nakatingin sa aming dalawa. Bigla akong tinamaan ng hiya.

Kent seemed cool with it. Sanay na kasi sya. He simply opened the car's front door. Nang makaupo ako, he buckled the seatbelt for me... and kissed me in the process of doing so.

"Kuya, honestly!"

I couldn't help but giggle.

"I'll see you soon." Kent cupped my face and smiled. Then he closed the door. Sumakay na rin ng sasakyan si Gale. We waved Kent and Rico goodbye tapos ay umalis na kami.

"Kuya can't get enough of you," she said a while later. Good thing the inside lights were off.

"I'm sure he's like that with his past girlfriends."

"With Ate Kiele, yes. With the rest, no." She let out a laugh. "I swear to God, he couldn't stop talking about you."

Napangiti ako sa sinabi nya. "Talaga?"

"Yes. Konting push na lang kay Kuya, mahuhulog na 'yun sa 'yo completely."