Chapter 10

Kursk

Gabi na nang nagsidatingan ang mga gago sa room ko rito sa ospital. Magkasabay na dumating si Ivo at Verdandi na nagtatalo. Naka-lab gown si Ivo habang si Verdandi ay suot pa rin yung sweater na suot niya kahapon.

Sunod na dumating sina Rhaego, Lynch, at Theos. Hindi ko alam anong iisipin pagkakita sa mga bahid ng dugo sa kanilang mga suot. Kumunot lang ang noo ko nang makitang namamaga ang mukha nina Lynch at Theos.

Si Shamus at Frey ang sumunod na may dala-dalang napakalaking ice box. Seryoso silang nag-uusap habang mabilis na nilapag ang dala sa sahig. Nakakunot ang kanilang mga noo habang nagpatuloy sa kanilang pag-uusap.

I really don't know why these many fools are here. I won't ask how they managed to convince the guard to let them all in when they all look like crazy bastards. Sigurado naman akong dahil ito sa sinasabi nilang 'connections'.

Tinitigan ko lamang sila habang unti-unti silang nagkumustahan na para bang wala ako roon. I frowned in frustration. What's the point on coming here?

"So..." bungad ni Shamus habang nakangisi. Tumingin ito sa akin kaya sunod-sunod na napatingin ang mga walanghiya. "We're all here to congratulate you buddy."

"Congratulate?" Oh shit. Ano na naman bang kahibangan 'to? "What's the meaning of this?"

Verdandi clapped his hands and cheered.

"Doon ka na titira sa bahay ni baby girl!"

"What the fuck?! Bakit?!"

"Hurray!" sigaw naman nina Shamus at Frey.

"Sinabi kasi ni baby girl sa amin na may nangayari na raw sa inyo," paliwanag ni Ivo habang nakangiwi. He pointed at Rhaego who was frowning. "At sabi nitong isang 'to na dapat mo raw panagutan ang kapatid niya."

Tila may tumamang sibat sa ulo ko dahil sa sakit niyon. Naningkit ang mga mata ko sa inis at binulyawan sila.

"Huwag na huwag niyo akong biruin nang ganyan dahil sasapakin ko kayo, mga gago!"

"I wish it was a joke," rinig kong sabi ni Theos at umiwas lang ng tingin. Tinitigan ko ito nang masama pero hindi ako nito pinansin.

Bumaling ako kay Rhaego na parang nag-iisip nang malalim. Binato ko ito ng unan na agad nitong nasalo. Walang emosyon nitong binaling ang tingin sa akin.

"What the heck's wrong with you?!" naiirita kong sabi. "Walang nangyari sa amin ni Sirin! At kung meron man, wala na kayong pakialam kung pananagutan ko siya o hindi! We're in the 21st century for fuck's sake!"

His face remained stoic as he stared at me.

"Fine," sabi lamang nito kaya nagtawanan ang iba. Napa-ano naman ang ilan. "Hindi naman talaga ako naniwalang pumatol si Rini sa isang gaya mong gago." Aba't— "Now my question is regarding your job being her bodyguard."

Napailing ako at napalingon sa mga kaibigan naming tila balewala lang ang narinig.

"You know, my mission is supposed to be confidential," I pointed out while sighing. "Sinabi mo rin ba ito sa kapatid mo?" tanong ko kay Rhaego.

"Of course," he deadpanned. "Mas mabuti nang klaruhin natin ang role mo sa buhay niya dahil baka mapagkamalan ka pang soulmate o manliligaw niya kapag bigla kang lumitaw sa kanyang harapan."

Siraulong lalaki. Hindi ko alam na napag-isipan pa nito pati lovelife ng kapatid pero may punto naman ito. Mas mabuti na ring may alam ang babae para hindi ito umasa ng kahit anong romantiko mula sa akin.

Siya ba talaga o ikaw, Kursk?

I groaned. Magsasalita na sana ako nang biglaang sumabat sa usapan si Lynch.

"I think hindi mo na dapat alalahanin ang lovelife ni baby girl, Rhaego," nakangisi nitong sabi. "I talked with her back in Humbert's wedding. Sinabi niyang ayaw na niya sa mga lalaki and I quote, she said, men are not worth going to my grave."

Sumikdo ang isang 'di mailarawang damdamin sa loob ko. Did she just declare that she became a man-hater?!

"What?!" ani Frey with his thick accent. "So that's why she doesn't want to meet us anymore?! I thought she was busy with her work!" Affected na affected ang gago. "And I really thought it was about the cake I gave her the last time I visited."

"Ano namang meron sa cake?" sabi ni Shamus.

"Well err," Frey smiled. "It's heart-shaped?"

"Why heart-shaped, you moron? Kakabreak lang nga nila ni Humbert, di ba?" sabi ni Theos na halang iritang-irita.

Frey then stuck his tongue out and retorted with the best reason he could give.

"Because she's a sweetheart!"

Nagtawanan naman sila pero napansin kong pati sa Theos ay hindi rin tumawa. I think this man has a problem with something. I've never seen him so irritated. He was the calmest of us all. Kanina ko pa napansin ang mga galos nila ni Lynch kaya nagtanong na ako.

"Theos," tawag ko sa kanya at tumingin ito sa akin nang nakasimangot. "What's wrong with you today?"

He hissed and walked out kaya mas lalo akong nagtaka. What the fuck's wrong with the guy? Nagkantiyawan naman sila kaya nagkasalubong na ang aking mga kilay.

"Hayaan mo na yun, Kursk, pare," sabi ni Lynch na sumulpot sa tabi ko at inakbayan ako. Akma nitong tatampalin ang kamay kong may bali pero agad ko itong iniwas. "Oooh, fast," panunuya nito at ngumisi. "About Theos, he's just pissed, you know because you're going to be with baby girl."

"At ano naman 'yon sa kanya?!" iritable kong turan at napansin si Rhaego na lumapit sa kama ko.

I warily stared at him. The fucker might give my leg another blow after what he did to me.

"Use your imagination, Kursk," walang emosyon nitong sabi habang sinisipat ang paa ko. "You'll have to be in the hospital for a month to recover. Until then, we'll be watching over my sister."

"This is your fucking fault," paninisi ko rito. "Anyways, you didn't answer ny fucking question," baling ko kay Lynch na nagmake-face lang.

Gago talaga.

"Man, I didn't know he's this dense," rinig kong komento ni Ivo habang nakasandal sa pader at nagtitipa sa kanyang phone. Tumingin ito sa katabing si Verdandi na patingin-tingin sa screen ng phone ni Ivo. The latter walked away and sat on the floor, obviously keeping a distance from Verdandi. "Ikalawa na yata yan sa pagka-dense ni Verdandi."

"I'm not dense," sabi ni Verdandi at ngumuso. "I'm innocent, okay? Innocent!" Nag-ilingan kami. "Kumpara naman sa inyong mga mahilig."

"Anong mahilig?" sabi ni Shamus at dinuro si Verdandi. "Wag mo 'kong idamay-damay diyan sa kalibugan ng mga kolokoy na 'yan."

"Says the guy caught ogling baby girl."

"Huwat?! Di ah!" depensa ni Shamus at nang napansing nakatitig na ang lahat sa kanya, he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine. Nagandahan lang sa kanya eh! Big deal?! Big deal?!" He puffed out some air and said, "Mabalik nga sa topic, 'di mo talaga napansin, baby boy?"

I grimaced.

"Mapansin ang alin?" I asked, nonchalantly.

"That Theos is jelly," Ivo said while tapping his phone.

Tumango naman si Shamus at ngumisi.

"May HD 'yon kay baby girl eh matagal na," paliwanag ng walanghiya. I heard someone coughed and they looked at Frey. "Well, Frey likes baby girl but Theos well..."

"He loves her?" I asked, a feeling of dread surging to my chest. Fuck. Si Theos pa talaga? Tsk. "Then he can just have her, for all I care," labas sa ilong kung sabi pero sa tingin ko, wala namang nakapansin doon.

"No, we cannot let that happen!" hirit ni Frey at tila naglelecture na nagsalita. "He's just in love with her face!"

I shrugged.

"Well, she's beautiful," sabi ko. Napatingin sila sa akin na tila hindi makapaniwala. "What? It's true."

"Oh my gulay," sabi ni Lynch at tumawa. "Hindi ka pa na-inlove, baby boy 'no?" Tiningnan ko ito nang masama. "Okay, chill lang bro. Regarding Theos' love for baby girl, it's quite questionable you know." I cocked my head to the side, now fully interested with what he's about to say. "Una kasing nainlove ang mokong sa kakambal nito. Kaya nga hindi sila hinahayaan ni Rhaego na magmeet in person. There's a possibility that he'll love her just because her sister and baby girl look exactly alike. She can't have that kind of love, you know after what happe—"

"Just let them meet," I cut him off, thinking about what Theos might feel. Ah. Since when did I become fucking sympathetic? "Lynch said a while ago that Sirin doesn't want anything to do with any man. Wala kayong dapat ikabahala kung ayaw niya talagang ma-inlove. Well, it depends on how she can suppress her feelings."

Lynch tsked and pouted.

"I feel bad for you baby boy," paiyak niyang sabi habang suminghot-singhot pa. "Hindi ka pa talaga na-inlove ano?"

I sneered.

"Says the man with the polygamous heart." Napasinghap ito at tinuro ako. Gimbal na gimbal ang hitsura ng gago. "I'm telling the truth."

"You're always telling the truth," Rhaego said.

"Only to some," I mumbled.

"With that, hahayaan ko na si Theos na makita si Rini."

I smirked. Theos doofus, you should thank me for this.

Though there's this fucked up part of me who wants her all for myself. I shook my head. Theos and her can just meet for all I care. Just meet, that's all.

"Whoah,"

"What?! Just like that?" sigaw ni Lynch, tila hindi makapaniwala. Nakanguso itong tumingin sa akin. "Bakit pumayag agad si Rhaego tapos kapag kami ni Theos ang magpapaalam, 'di kami pinapayagan?! Nabugbog pa kami!"

I grinned.

"Mas gwapo kasi ako." Pagkatapos ay naisip ko ang kanyang sinabi. "But why are you not allowed to meet her, Lynch?" Hindi ito sumagot, bagkus ay humalukipkip at umiwas ng tingin. "Gago, tinatanong kita."

"Eh..." humaba pa ang nguso nito sa pagmamaktol at sumubok na ngumisi pero nauwi lang din sa ngiwi. "Err, how should I put this?" He uncomfortably scratched his cheek with his fingers and looked at me. "I-I courted her o-online and we exchanged messages." Sumulyap muna ito kay Rhaego tila naninigurado bago tumingin ulit sa akin. I don't even know what my expression is right now. "Kaya lang hindi kami nagkausap sa personal dahil mahiyain siyang tao. W-When I tried to force her to meet me, she didn't reply or contact me anymore. But can you blame me? She's ho—I mean, beautiful! Ahe-he-he," he nervously said while glancing at Rhaego who stood there with a pokerface. "And eventually Rhaego knew about it so he prevented me from meeting her. Uhm, Rhaego dude. Nagbago na ako."

"Shut up," Rhaego said. "Sino ba ang nahuli kong nag-m-make up kay Rini, huh?"

Lynch paled and chuckled nervously.

"Make up? Hindi make out?" naguguluhang sabi ni Verdandi at nanlaki ang mga mata. Sinimulan nitong tudyuin si Lynch. "What?! Bakla ka pala? OMG. I can't!" pag-d-drama ng walanghiya at malutong na tumawa.

"Fuck!" mura ni Lynch nang sinimulan na siyang pagdiskitahan ng mga gago. Namumula itong sumigaw. "I-I just want to see her!" tila bata nitong sabi. "Hmpf. Inggit lang kayo dahil 'di kayo marunong magmake-up."

Doon na ako natawa. Siraulo talaga ang isang 'to.