No Other Kind of Love

NOKOL - Chapter 1

Xayden sighed as he was reading an article on the internet. Hindi naman siya artista para pagtsimisan lagi ng mga reporters. Hindi pa man niya natapos ang binabasa ay tumunog ang cellphone sa tabi ng desktop monitor niya.

"Yo Bro!" Masayang bati sa kanya ng nakakabata niyang kapatid. "Guess what I have found!"

"Xavier don't tell me we are reading the same article?" Taas kilay niyang tanong sa kanya. Si Xavier ay nakakabata niyang kapatid, he was 3 years younger than him. Kasalukuyan ito nasa Canada dahil dun niya tinapos ang pagaaral niya, just a month ago he passed the Architect Licensure Exam.

"Binabasa mo rin Kuya?" Tawa-tawa na hirit ni Xavier sa kanya "If I were you don't bother to read it, what's written inside is crap. Or shall I say copy paste ng mga sinusulat na article sayo. Kuya though I believe na hindi totoo ang mga sinasabi nila dito its not good for your image. Change your ways" Payo ni Xavier sa kapatid.

"Wala naman talaga ako ginagawa." Frustrated na sagot ni Xayden sa kanya

"Yeah wala ka nga ginagawa, kaya pala lagi kang spotted sa mga bars na kung sino sinong babae ang kasama at kaharutan. Kuya as far as I remembered you're not a player you are a woman hater." Hirit pa rin ng kapatid

"Woman-hater? Where did that come from?" Takang tanong ni Xayden sa kanya

"We both know where did that come from" Xavier retorted "Kuya stop playing with the girls matakot ka sa karma"

"Akala ko ba di ako player what are you talking about just now?" Xayden asked amused

"Kuya naman eh! If you're not playing with them ano yun mga nakikita sa pictures? Those pictures though may not represent the whole truth but can still mean something because it still happened" Explain ni Xavier

"I'm not playing with them they are the ones playing with me. And besides like what you said those pictures still doesn't prove anything" Depensa naman ni Xayden sa sarili

"You don't want to tarnish your name with those negative write-ups right? And yes naniniwala ako na hindi ka ganun tulad ng kung anong nakasulat but maybe nagkataon lang na nakuhanan ka nila at those compromising positions. But Kuya this have to stop, and I can only think of one way to do it." Suggest ni Xavier

"And that is?" Pahamon na tanong ni Xayden sa kanya

"Settle down" Mabilis nitong sagot

"Tsssssss...Thanks but no thanks I'd rather live with those useless write up than do that. Woman hater nga ako diba? Wait and does that term even exists?" Agad naman na sagot ni Xayden sa kanya. "You know me and you know my answer to that. Anyway stop talking about me, kailan uwi mo? Get your a*s right here and help me out!" Halatang pag-iiba ni Xayden sa usapan

"Mahahanap mo rin katapat mo and you'll see. Anyway I'll be home either next week or next next week. May mga tinatapos lang ako dito then I'll be going home. Pero pagiisipan ko muna kung tutulungan kita, depends on what your company has to offer" Biro ni Xavier

"Architect Xavier, you don't have to doubt what OUR company has to offer to you. So stop making excuses and get back here as soon as possible. Tama na ang papetiks petiks mo dyan!" This time his tone was with authority

"Wow ang sarap pakingan ng prefix ng pangalan ko." Proud na sabi ng kapatid "Ito naman parang di ka dumaan sa petiks petiks stage mas matagal ka pa nga dun , I'll see what I can do bago mo pa ako ipasundo dito. Anyway may call wait I gotta hang up. Bye Engineer Alex!" Agad agad din naman baba ni Xavier sa telepono.

Totoo naman sinabi ni Xavier na papetiks-petiks lang din siya dati. Who would have thought that his life would have a 180 degree turn after that so called accident? And who would have thought that he was more than willing to accept this responsibility he is carrying now. He's here not just for his father's sake and legacy but also to prove them wrong. To show them that they are messing up with the wrong person.

Naputol ang pagiisip ni Xayden ng tumunog ang intercom sa lamesa niya. He clicked the loud speaker button and hear what his secretary wants to tell him. "Sir, PTA and card releasing po sa school ni Althea today, should I prepare the car?" His secretary Leo asked

"Ok, I'll be out in five minutes" Sagot nito sa kanya bago inayos ang sarili at tumayo. Althea is his younger sister, she's just five years old. Kaya nga marami nagaakala na anak siya ni Xayden sa pagkabinata but no. She is her dad's daughter from her second wife her Tita Analyn.

Pagdating nila sa school grounds ay agad niyang pinagmasdan ang paligid nakita ang mga batang nagtatakbuhan sa playground. May mga ilan din siyang nakitang mga parents na hawak hawak na ang mga report card ng anak, may mga ilan naman bata ang nakaupo sa hagdan at tila naghihintay ng mga magulang nila.

"Kuyaaaaa Alexxx!!" Hindi niya na kailangan lingunin kung sino ang tumawag sa kanya boses palang kilalang kilala niya na. Agad niya rin naman naramdaman na may yumakap sa paa niya.

"Althea what did I tell you about running and shouting?" Paalala nito sa kanya. Hindi naman sa gusto niyang maghigpit sa kanya pero ayaw niya lang na masanay siya na ganun. It's not very lady-like.

"Sorry Kuya" Malungkot nitong sagot. Binuhat naman agad siya ni Xayden, kahit na sinasabi niyang girls are headache, exception naman dito si Althea, well kapatid niya ito eh.

Humalik naman agad ang bata sa pisngi nito ng kinarga siya ng kuya. Althea is very sweet in nature what is there not to love? "So where should we go?" Tanong nito sa kanya at may tinuro naman si Althea most likely the way to their classroom.

"Teacher Sue! Kuya Alex is here already" Tawag naman agad ni Althea pagkakita malamang sa teacher niya. Her voice caught the attention of few people. Curious eyes, inquisitive eyes, and some are also in shock to see him. Well its not everyday you can see the 'Engineer' Alexander Xayden on a preschool and to others the issue/scandal that their family had encountered had not yet fully died down. Ilang taon na halos ang nakalipas di pa ba sila makagetover?

"Althea dito na kayo" Nakangiting tawag ng teacher ni Althea sa kanya. Nagpababa naman agad si Althea mula sa pagkakarga at hinila ang kuya niya papunta sa tapat ng teacher niya.

"So you're the Kuya Alex of Althea? I'm Teacher Calista adviser ng klase nila Althea" Pakilala naman ni Teacher Calista

"Teacher Calista? I thought I heard Althea calling you Teacher Sue?" Nagtatakang tanong ni Xayden sa kanya, baka naman iba ang tinatawag ni Althea kanina.

"Ako rin yun" Parang natatawa niyang sagot "Teacher Sue is just Althea's nickname for me. Pero most of the kids here call me Teacher Calista" Paliwanag niya and he just nodded.

"I guess Althea just loves giving unique names, people usually call me by my second name. But Althea choose to call me Kuya Alex." Xayden answered.

"So what should I address you?"Formal naman na tanong ni Calista

"Any will do. Maybe Xayden will do mas sanay ako kahit papaano" Suggest ni Xayden

"Sir Xayden, Here is Althea's report card and here is her merit card. Like last year Althea is still on top of her class this grading period. She is very smart and participative in class. Wala rin naman ako marereklamo sa kanya except for one thing" Tumigil siya para tignan si Althea "Althea ano nga yun?" Playful niyang tanong sa kapatid niya

"I'm too talkative" Pag-amin ni Althea. Hindi na naman siya nagulat dun. Sa bahay lang nga di na siya maubusan ng kwento sa school pa kaya. "Pero I've tried to lessen that na naman"

"Lessen ka dyan, I don't think so." Pang-aasar ni Xayden sa kanya. Sinimangutan niya lang ang kuya nita at inirapan. "See that ang sungit sungit mo pa" Hirit pa ni Xayden

"Althea go play with your friends first, I'm gonna talk with your Kuya Alex for a while." Pakiusap ni Teacher Calista kay Althea.

"Sir Alex last week Althea had a very interesting answer for my homework" Agad din niya naman kwento kay Xayden. "And that is?" Tanong nito sa kanya

"What is love?" Derecho niyang sabi at tanong. Natawa naman si Xayden. Naalala niya naman yun araw na kinukulit siya ni Althea nun akala niya lang magtanong ng bata

"I remembered that. So you were the one who asked that silly question."

"And you are the one who gave her THAT answer" Giving significance to the word THAT. And he tried remember kung ano ang sinagot niya nun? Ah all pain no gain.

"Got a problem with that?" Taas kilay nitong tanong

"Wala naman pero I don't think it would be good to instill on a young mind that love is all pain and no gain" Calista accused.

"It's better to give reality than to give false hope" He answered in defense.

"But still you could have given a better answer." Sagot pa rin ni Calista. Mukhang sa hindi maganda mapupunta tong usapan na to.

"I don't think you have to remind me of what to teach my sister or not. I just don't want her to grow up thinking things are like the fairytales that she sees and read. We are both grown-ups here and we both know how cruel this world can be" He answered her didn't want to sound rude but he want to stop this argument already.

"I rest my case Sir. Sorry kung feel niyo po nangengealam ako sa inyo but I'm just concerned." Her face seems guilty. He didn't mean to let her feel that way. But anyway it was for the better good.

"Thank you for your concern, and thank you also for guiding our Althea." Mahinahon na compliment ni Xayden sa kanya

"All my pleasure Sir." Pilit niyang nakangiting sabi. And for the time that Xayden had spent mingling with people he knew that was fake but he choose not to care anymore.

"May iba pa ba tayong concern?" Tanong ni Xayden sa kanya

"Wala na po. Thank you for making some time from your very busy schedule and keep it up with Althea she seems very fond of you" This time she smiled again and it was better than she did earlier.

Nagpaalam na din siya bago tinawag si Althea para umalis na.. Habang palabas sila ay nakasalubong nila si Dean, one of the few cousins that he has close tiese with.

"Tito Dean!" Tawag ni Althea sa kanya. Dean made a shhhhh sign at agad din tinakpan ni Althea ang bibig niya. He just gave him a tap on the shoulder as an acknowledgement before passing by them.

"Remember we told you about calling Tito Dean at school?" Paalala ni Xayden sa kanya habang papunta sila sa sasakyan.

"Eh bakit ba kasi secret lang sa school na uncle ko siya?" Nagtataka naman niyang tanong ni Althea.

"Althea there are some things na kids shouldn't know, understand? Next time pag big ka na tsaka ko na iexplain okay?" He tried explaining to her

"Sige na nga in one condition." Sabay taas ng isang daliri

"Depends on what condition first" Sagot nito sa kanya. Kahit medyo spoiled siya sa Kuya, sinisgurado niya pa rin nasa moderation pa rin siya.

"I want McDo Nuggets for dinner!" Sabay palakpak niyang sabi.

"You just had that the other day" Saway agad nito sa kanya.

"Please please please.....Last na to for this week..no for this month" Kulit nito sa kanya habang niyugyog ang kamay niya

"Leo sa pinakamalapit na drive thru tayo" Utos niya kay Leo

"Yaaaaaayyy!" Biglang yakap ni Althea sa kanya. Ginulo niya lang ang buhok ng kapatid at inutusan siyang umayos ng upo.