Romance of the Four Juans

Track 24

HB feigns a fainting spell and crashes on the bed. She gulps, breathing hard while trying to form words.

Jigo lies at the other end, trying to catch his breath as well. His heart was thumping wildly on his chest. It had been months since his body was subjected to such rigorous motions. But he’s happy that he hasn’t forgotten how to dance. “Again, mama.”

HB waves her hand in the air. “I can never compete with the boundless energy of a child. It was four songs, at least three minutes long. I’m beat. Your turn.” She pushes Jigo up to a sitting position.

Jigo chuckles. His hand couldn’t help but wipe the sweat from her forehead before trying to keep still the child who’s still bouncing up and down, holding her arms steady. “Ei, listen. There’s a thing called siesta and at this time, children like you should be having a nap, so you’ll grow faster.”

“I’m not sleepy and mama said I shouldn’t try to grow faster.”

They both look at HB for confirmation. She sits up and evades. “I need a bath.”

“Ei, before that.” Jigo took to the center of the bed everything he had brought from her unit. “I asked Lucille to pack some things you might need, and Julian packed some food. But I can’t remember which one is intended for you and Bivi and which one is intended for sharing with the family.”

HB opened one food container, had a quick taste, then fed Jigo just the same.

What did she put in his mouth, he wondered as he coughed. It’s just spicy and nothing else. Still, he chewed and chewed and swallowed it because that’s how he was brought up with respect to food. From a young age, he had been taught to appreciate whatever is on the dining table and never to waste it. However, the spicy level of whatever he ate is beyond a level he can take. He didn’t even taste the nuttiness of the crunchy peanut that was in the mixture because of how spicy it was. He’s coughing, then salivating, sticking his tongue out and fanning it, yet the one who fed him is sitting oh so prettily on his bed, laughing at his expense.

Jigo still didn’t complain when the girl with that same hand motioned for him to open his mouth again, like the way she did when they first met and shoved an orange ball into his mouth. This time, an overwhelming sweetness came to him, alleviating the spiciness of the food from earlier. First, she feeds him poison, then next honey? But he opens his mouth again, begging without words for more of that orange ball. HB obliges, giving him two and Bivi one.

Pointing at the bag that’s still in his hands, she says, “That is meant for sharing, while this one is for me and Bivi. But because you can’t take the spiciness of the somtam,” She removes the container of the papaya salad from her own plastic bag and exchanges it with the one sitting atop Jigo’s pile of containers. “Let Kiko have it as punishment. Tell him it has been made especially for him.”

“I think he’ll know.”

“He won’t. It doesn’t even smell spicy. He won’t suspect a thing.” The worst thing is, she even enlists the help of Kiko’s own child in her mischief. “Hide the milk.”

Bivi excitedly leaves the room, leaving the two of them. As HB peruses the bag where Lucille placed her clothes, Jigo is in front of his closet, trying to pick a nice, fluffy towel for her.

“Can I borrow some of your clothes again? I can’t wear any of these.”

He turns just in time to find HB throwing a yellow dress and another bright-colored shirt. Jigo almost laughed at her helplessness. Lucille knew that HB only wore black. Picking those bright-colored clothes for her must be for his own amusement and no one else. Tempted to see her wearing whatever that is, he says, “You still haven’t returned the ones you borrowed last time.”

“I couldn’t possibly give them back.”

“Why not?”

Jigo recognized the hint of hesitation in her face.

She murmurs, “I got blood on them.”

“Blood? Were you injured? Where? How?”

She laughs then closes her eyes, as if distraught, and puts it bluntly. “It’s the monthly thing with women? You know, right?” Jigo’s mouth opened and formed a big oval. “So… yeah… I guess, I marked it all mine. You can’t have it back. But if you must know, I enjoy wearing it more than my own clothes.”

Jigo opens his closet wider. “Take your pick.”

He leaves her alone, taking the other bag with him to the kitchen where his father is trying to find what he can prepare for merienda.

“I got it.” Jigo plops the black plastic bag unto the dining table and takes out container after container. His other brothers also flocked to the table, opening one container after the other.

“You can say thank you to HB’s friend, Julian.”

“Is Julian here? She made these?” Jigo nods to both of Kiko’s questions. “Ahy, get your plates, that girl can cook. I don’t know about the others, but this is somtam. This is…”

Dante pulls Jigo from the bunch. “So, what do we think of Julian?”

“If you’re asking me about her for comparison, who’s better for kuya and whatnots…” Dante looks at him expectantly, nodding too many times than necessary. “Whoever kuya loves will always be the best, papa.”

“Damn you. Whose side are you on? What don’t you understand, ha? Kiko needs options.”

“And you’re betting your hopes on a girl you haven’t even seen, only heard the name of?”

“This Julian is HB’s best choice for Kiko.”

“I’m sure HB has convincing reasons…”

“She has very good reasons.”

“But kuya Kiko is his own person and he makes his own choices. And how many relationships has HB ever been that you’d trust her word? How many couples have come together because of her meddling? How many of those ended in marriages? How many of them are still together? I’m sure HB wants the best for kuya and Bivi, but she might have a hidden agenda for all we know, or she might be biased against Ame. At the end of the day, HB is only a girl, pa. I wouldn’t trust her so much if I were you.”

“What are you whispering about?” Kiko appeared behind them. His lips are chili red, and he’s drinking water in rapid succession.

Dante replies. “HB said your friend Julian is dating her brother.”

Kiko’s expression dimmed once more, and it looked as if he even forgot that his tongue was still stinging with the spiciness of the somtam he ate. “Which one?”

“How many brothers does HB have?”

“Five, but she only has one problematic brother.”

“The one who put bodyguards on her?”

Kiko nods. “Nicolai.”

“That’s the name of the guy Julian is dating.”

“Kuya Nico? She must be insane. No! She’s crazy!” He strides towards the stairs then turns back towards Huan. “Motorcycle keys please. I’m going to see Julian.”

Dante nudges his third son. “See. There might be a chance. He’s concerned.”

“Concern does not equal love, pa.”

The next moment, Jigo went up to his room, he finds HB asleep in such an awkward position, her legs prepped on two pillows, her feet pointing at the headboard, while her upper body is twisted sideways and her curly hair splayed at the foot of the bed. He was supposed to ask her to come down for merienda, take the chance to eat while Ame was not haunting the vicinity.

Jigo stared. This is the first time that he’s seen HB’s neck in full, unobstructed view. There has never been a moment where he met her without a choker or a turtleneck on. Who would’ve thought that it wasn’t in the name of fashion, rather to hide a scar on the right side of her neck? It’s no longer than three centimeters, and it looks rather faint now. There must be a reason why she conceals it from view. Whatever caused that scar, he’ll probably never know, though he finds himself hoping that someday, HB might find the courage to stop hiding it and show it to the world because, despite the scar, the girl has a pretty neck. It’s thin, breakable. Agh! Now he hated himself for always arriving at some really ominous thoughts, and he could only stay away.