Chapter 6
1983 Words
The sky cracked open and the light from the sun was appearing through the vast land of Aklan. Lucas woke up in the morning and everybody are busy for this day. It is already eight in the morning yet, Lucas is washing his handsome face.
Someone knocked on the door and opened it without his calling.
“Lucas! You need to hurry your flight will be this noon, busy na ang lahat parang ikaw lang ang hindi” Madam Lou nagged Lucas as he go downstairs and eat his breakfast. Their maids carry the heavy baggages of Lucas to the Van of Madam Lou and he take a glimpse through the window to watch their maids.
Ante Alma struggled to lift the heavy luggage thus, Lucas rushed to help her lift it. “There you go” Madam Lou was shocked and even Ante Elma. “LUCAS!” dali-daling lumapit si Madam Lou sa kaniya at hinatak si Lucas.
“Ate Elma, patulong kayo sa guwardiya natin alam mo namang di mo na halos kaya pinipilit mo pa” Pang-sesermon ni Madam Lou at dumating na ang guwardiya nila para sa pagbubuhat.
“P-Pasensiya na Madam” Nauutal nitong pagpapa umanhin at umalis ang dalawa para kumain.
“When you are there on Manila, you need to study hard also be nice sa bagong guardian mo dun ha. I know that he is somehow older than you”
“G-G-Guardian?” nalilitong tanong ni Lucas kay Madam Lou.
“You don’t have a brother, puwede mong maging kuya yun” pahabol pa ni Madam Lou habang kumakain silang dalawa sa lamesa. Madam Lou smiled then, get some apple to eat.
“Hambaea kung sino ab—“
‘Di pa puwede, I think I will make it a surprise for you. I will go to Manila, after the day that you will arrive. Linisin mo ang bahay natin sa Valenzuela, gusto ko walang alikabok, matutulog ako dun.” Madam Lou is very strict when it comes to cleanliness, no wonder na hindi nagmana si Lucas sa kaniya.
Lucas is a messy boy na palaging umaasa sa kanilang katulong, ngayon na papunta na siya sa Manila at magsisimula ng bagong buhay ay matututo na siya. Lucas sighed and just agreed to his mother that is looking at him.
“I will keep it as a secret kung sino. You need to be nice Lucas; alam ko ang ugali mong may pagka suplado a—“
“Mom!”mahinang siaw ni Lucas sa kaniya habang kumuha ng mansanas sa platito.
“Go prepare now, you will leave. Say goodbye for now matatagalan kapa bago bumalik” Lucas hugged Madam Lou and the other maids dahilan kung bakit naluluha si Ante Elma kay Lucas.
“Anak, Malaki kana talaga. Alam kong isang araw ay iiwan mo kami dito para mag-aral sa malayong lugar” Lucas hugged Ante Elma.
“Thank you Ante Elma, babalik din ako pag bakasiyon” Lucas smiled and Madam Lou was touched on the kindness of Lucas towards their people.
After some hours lumipad na pa-Manila si Lucas at dumiretsiyo sa Mall of Asia para makita si Xaviar. Habang papalakad sa loob ay napansin nitong wala si Xaviar.
Di pa naman oras ng out niya to ah bakit wala siya dito?
He asked himself bago pumunta sa cashier, umorder ito ng isang kape at tinawag ng babae ang barista na wala sa kaniyang puwesto.
“Coffee” tawag nito at merong isang taong lumabas sa backdoor. Lumakas ang kabog sa dibdib ni Lucas sa sandaling ito ngunit laking dismaya nang ibang lalaki ang lumabas.
He keeps on wondering kung bakit hindi si Xaviar ang lumabas.
“Excuse me miss, dito ba si Xaviar?” Tanong ni Lucas sa babaeng cashier
The cashier smiled before saying her thoughts “Ah, si Xaviar yung guwapong barista? I’m so sorry Sir but he decided to end his contract.”
Nanlaki ang mata ni Lucas sa kaniyang narinig at dali-daling nag tanong ulit. “Do you know where he works now?”
“Sir, we don’t know but when he said he is working for someone this time around” sagot ng babaeng cashier sa kaniya. Di mapakali si Lucas at nagtanong pa ulit.
“One last question, alam mo ba apelyido niya?” Lucas said seriously at natawa lang ang babae sa kaniya.
“Sir, it is Xaviar Copper” when Lucas got the answer the coffee was serve hot and he get it from the cashier.
“Thank you Sir”
Lucas goes to his table and looked at the people coming around, nagbabakasakaling dumaan si Xaviar. He sighed while taking out his beloved diary from his small bag.
Dear Diary,
Why I am like this? I would feel weak when I do not see him or I just hate the feeling of being rejected? It’s been some weeks and I will start a new life here at Manila, I don’t know how to start and adjust from the new environment that I will living on.
Mom said pagmatapos ko ang pangarap kong maging surgeon, I will see my Dad. I still have some few years to accomplish it help me Lord. I want to see my Dad and hug him tight, at kung sino man ang guardian kong pa mysterious ni Mama sana mabait at marunong makisama.
Lucas closes his diary and looked at his bag, kinuha niya ang librong regalo sa kaniya ni Aura.
“Hey, you are might confuse kung ano ka talaga. Maybe, this will help it is a LGBT Man to Man story I highly recommend you this story”
Lucas recalled what Aura said to him some days before leaving Aklan. Lucas looked at the synopsis of the story and hooked his interest to it, while sipping some warm coffee on the table; Lucas read the 200 pages book from a random Author.
Lucas started to imagine the setting of the story, turning the page continuously until his coffee was finished. He packed his things and on his way to LRT, the train was crowded especially it is now a rush hour.
He should gotten early to leave the restaurant but because – of the book that Aura gave while standing for some minutes he entertained himself by reading the book until the train stopped at 5th Avenue station and some minutes later he got a jeep to Karuhatan to go home.
Lucas opened the locked gate, door of his home, and ordered some pizza at Yellow Cab while waiting for the order he read the book again and eat the pizza -- delivered hot and fresh from the oven. Lucas cannot stop reading until he almost empty the box of his pizza.
There is bed scene on the novel and he had a boner while fasting the pace of his reading. Lucas cannot hide the fire burning inside his chest and cold feet from the erotic story that he is reading. Ilang saglit lang ay nakaka-kalahati na siya sa kakabasa ng libro, ngunit pinili nitong matulog ng maaga para sa pagligpit at pagdating ni Madam Lou.
Madam Lou takes her work at home to have some days to go to Manila and guide Lucas to his new life and environment. Madam Lou arrived at Manila in the afternoon and get a grab taxi—she gets her luggage and will for some days at Valenzuela before the university will open up.
Some hours later, she contacted Xaviar to have a conversation in the afternoon. Finally, she arrived at her home at Valenzuela; the sun’s heat wave is burning her sensitive skin. “Lucas!” she shouted and Lucas came out topless then, immediately carry the luggage of his mother.
Lucas offered his mother a cold glass of water to quench her thirst for hours of traffic on Edsa. “Malinis na ba ang bahay?” Yung agad ang naitanong ni Madam Lou habang nakita na malinis na nga ito, she roam around and Lucas immediately get the yaoi novel that Aura gave to him.
Kumunot ang noo ni Madam Lou at dumiretsiyo ang dalawa sa lamesa para kumain. Madam Lou was about to pick up the spoon and fork, pero natigilan siya nang makita niyang walang damit si Lucas habang ngumunguya ng manok.
Madam Lou stared at his only son; Lucas was ghost-silent until he realized the wind was touching his topless body. “Hehe, I will be back Mom” Lucas excused himself para sumuot ng damit, sa kaniyang pagbalik ay umupo ito ng dahan-dahan.
“Mind your manners when eating, diba sabi ko sa iyo kampod ni Satanas ang hindi nagdadamit pag kumakain?” Madam Lou was old and still believing on some superstitions even in this modern time where technology makes our life easier than before.
“Lucas, ilang araw nalang at mag-uumpisa na ang klase mo. Be good, be friendly but not to everybody, your gadgets especially your phone and some accessories. Mainit yan sa mata ng mga halang ang kaluluwa, mind it before walking in the dark street. Malapit lang ang U.P sa condo you can walk everyday malapit na din lahat if you mind you can buy some goods at Robinson” payo ni Madam Lou kay Lucas bago tinapos ang kaniyang kinakain.
Madam Lou rest for some minutes and Lucas washed the plates.
“Lucas, I have a duplicate of your condo, I will go there and will show the room to your new guardian, okay?” Lucas just agreed to his mother and Madam Lou texted the new guardian of Lucas.
“Maybe the next day I will go home depende pa sa mga pending cases” Umalis si Madam Lou at di alam ni Lucas kung saan ito papunta. He leaved his only son blanked and Lucas just read some chapters of the novel, his emotion went roller coaster when he read some heart fluttering chapters and he even nearly cry for the main lead.
He decided to visit his condominium to know if his mother was on there and the new guardian. Lucas got his blue umbrella, locked the gate and door before leaving. He does not even informed his mother that he is going to his condominium.
Lucas get off on the LRT, it is dusk and the f*****g traffic from Malabon got him mad. Hawak-hawak ang susi ng kaniyang kuwarto, Lucas unlocked the door and closed it after he go inside, locking up again the door and get some stocked food on the fridge. Lucas get some rest from the exhausting trip.
Some minutes later when he hear two voices that is talking outside the door of his condominium. The door squeaked when the doorknob was unlocked, Lucas stands up from the sofa and he witness his mother walking through.
The where both startled seeing each other since they don’t have any signals that they are both having a visitor inside the room. Madam Lou found Lucas surprised and waited for the man to enter the room.
“Mom! I was just waiting for you her—“
Di na natapos ang sinasabi ni Lucas nang may isang pamilyar na mukha ang kaniyang nakita sa likod ni Madam Lou. Parang bumagal ang mga segundo sa kaniyang nakita at ngumiti si Madam Lou sa kaniya.
Mrs. Lou introduced to him a familiar face which led Lucas’s heart skipped a beat seeing the man’s beautiful like Cupid’s bow lips, pointed nose and great figure.
“His name is Xaviar Copper” parang tumigil ang mundo ni Lucas sa paglakad ni Xaviar papunta sa loob ng kaniyang kuwarto. Madam Lou was a little bit of surprised seeing the two quiet and seems know each other already. It was a ravishing chance for them when their eyes looked at each other; Xaviar left a small smile on the edge of his lips. Lucas smiled what a small world they are living.
Madam Lou sighed while getting the words she will say to his only son “Lucas, be good to him, he will be your guardian starting today.”
Lucas kept on staring at him looking at the man that he was longing to see before. The atmosphere was awkward when they both don’t utter some words to say. Lucas took a deep breath and looking for the appropriate words to say.
“Hi, I’m Lucas, nice to meet you”
- Writer
