Faded Memories

07: ISSUE

SAGE

"So, sino ang bangko ngayon, Sage?"

The Crimson Tigers won the game by mere two points. Tabla na kanina at segundo na lang ang nasa orasan. I thought it will be an overtime but Leo quickly threw the ball without even thinking about it and luckily, it was a goal!

Would you believe it?!

Ramdam na ramdam ko pa rin ang yanig kanina nang maipasok ni Leo 'yon. Everyone was cheering their lungs out and my eardrums were crying legit tears because of Leonardo Del Fuego's fans.

"Oo na, hindi ka na bangko! At in fairness sa 'yo, ang dami mong fans!" pang-aasar ko sa kaniya habang naglalakad kami palabas ng court. Kaunti na lang ang tao rito dahil nauna nang lumabas ang fans at ibang players at kaunting staff na lang ang natitira sa loob.

Ngumiti si Leo at nagkibit-balikat. "Ano ka ba, hindi naman, 'no!"

"Aysus, humble pa! Sure akong rinig na rinig mo 'yung sigaw ng mga babae kanina." Humalakhak ako sabay siko sa kaniya nang marahan sa tiyan. "Mukhang marami kang dapat pakasalan, Leo! Pila-pila sila, with their banners here and there!"

"S'yempre joke lang nila 'yon! I can't even take care of myself, paano ko pa aalagaan ang daan-daang asawa?"

"Sa bagay, pumapasok ka nga pala sa shop na parang walang suklay," sagot ko. "Pero, teka nga lang. Kung sikat ka na pala rito, bakit ka pa nagtatrabaho sa shop? Bakit 'di ka mag-focus sa career mo? And why the hell didn't I know about this?"

"Okay so you didn't know about this because I didn't tell you. I want to separate my barista work from this," mabilis na sagot ni Leo. "Thankful ako sa career ko pero I want to breathe sometimes."

Well, he's got a point. Sa dami ba naman ng fans at sa hectic ng game practices, for sure nakakasakal din kay Leo ang environment. "Why do you keep working in the shop, then?"

"May mga araw kasi na wala kaming practice, kaya pumapasok ako para alam mo na, hindi tumunganga sa apartment. Isa pa, I'm planning to build my own shop in the future at nagkakaroon ako ng experience dahil sa shop. It's like hitting two birds with one stone," paliwanag niya.

Leo has mentioned before that he wants to establish his own business, I just knew now that he wants a coffee shop. Nabanggit niya rin dati na sa experience siya kumukuha ng nalalaman sa negosyo dahil hindi business-related ang kurso niya noong college.

And what could be Leo's course? Leo has an education degree. Tama, teacher ang kaibigan ko.

"Baka naman! Kapag may shop ka na, recruit mo 'ko ha!" biro ko sa kaniya at ngumiti nang malapad.

"S'yempre 'no, automatic na 'yan!" natatawang sabi ni Leo. He then rubbed his palm on my head which he knows annoys me a lot.

It is such a cold evening. The wind whispers in a shivering tone while the stars shine brightly up above. November nights hit different, don't they? I can smell Christmas weeks away from here. I don't know. . . the yuletide spirit is just in the air.

"Ilang years ka na bang naglalaro, Leo?" biglang tanong ko sa kasama ko.

Naningkit ang mga mata ni Leo. "Three years? Nagsimula ako noong third year ako sa college, ngayon isang taon na akong tapos. Oo, tama, tatlong taon na."

"Varsity ka ba noon sa university natin?!"

Humalakhak si Leo. "Oo! Hindi ka nanonood, 'no?"

Bakit hindi ko alam ang tungkol dito? Leo and I went to the same college and I had no idea he was a varsity player!

Umiling ako. "Siyempre, hindi! Pero bakit hindi kita nakikita noon sa posters man lang?"

Leo shrugged and smiled. "Baka iba pa mukha ko dati? Alam mo na, gumaguwapo ka talaga lalo kapag tapos ka na sa college."

Napangiwi ako. Iba talaga ang hangin nitong team captain na 'to! "Hay naku, Leo! Tumigil-tigil ka nga sa ganiyan dahil—"

Naputol ang aming munting usapan palabas dahil may tumawag sa pangalan ko.

"Sage?"

Hinanap ko kung saan iyon nanggagaling at natanaw ko sa 'di kalayuan si Ralph. He is not wearing his eyeglasses and he is wearing a cap so I didn't recognize him immediately.

"R-Ralph! You're here," sinundan ko iyon ng ngiti at maliit na kaway.

Kinalabit ako ni Leo at sinabing, "Una na muna ako. Hintayin kita sa parking lot."

"Okay, sige."

Pinanood muna namin ni Ralph na maglakad palayo si Leo bago kami nagsimulang mag-usap.

This is awkward. When we were young, Ralph and I weren't really that close. He stood as the brother figure for both Riel and I but I didn't have the same bond with him as I do with Riel. Siguro, dahil iyon sa age gap namin. He is four years older than me so we didn't hang out that much as kids.

And now, it just feels new that he and I have these little talks whenever we bump together. Back then, we would just nod or smile when we see each other and call it a day.

"Boyfriend mo?" seryosong tanong ni Ralph habang nakatingin kay Leo na lumiko na papunta sa parking lot at sumisipol-sipol pa. Napatid pa ang loko.

"What?"

"The star player." Tinuro ni Ralph gamit ang hinlalaki niya ang direksyon ni Leo kanina. "Boyfriend mo?"

"Him? Leo? N-no, we're just close friends," agaran kong sagot at nagpeke ng tawa.

Dahil malapit talaga kami ni Leo, hindi maiwasan na matanong siya o ako ng mga ganito. Hindi na ako naninibago pero nakakahiya pala kapag galing kay Ralph.

"Oh I see." Tumango si Ralph at humalukipkip. "By the way, naglaro rin kanina si Riel. Did you see him?"

"I did. He played really well."

Iyon ang totoo. Kung nanalo nga siguro ang Ravens, malamang ay siya ang MVP. There is no doubt on that because he carried the team both in offense and defense.

Nakakatuwa nga, e. Naririnig ko sa bleachers kanina ang mga bulungan tungkol sa kaniya. They call him the newbie but I can hear them praising his plays as they should.

"Pero 'di ba, may history siya? Bakit siya naglalaro roon? What if he accidentally fell on the floor or someone, maybe something, hit his head?"

"Sinabi na namin 'yan sa kaniya but he's a prick and he'll get whatever he wants," Ralph answered as a matter of factly and sighed. "But don't worry about him, he'll take care of himself. Besides, he knows that he has to be really careful."

That is good to know. Medyo marami pa namang pisikalan sa basketball lalo kapag nag-aagawan ng bola o sobrang tindi talaga ng labanan. Minsan din ay nagkakaroon ng literal na suntukan kapag sumobra na ang tensiyon.

"Kuya?"

Agad na dumungaw si Ralph sa aking likuran at kumaway. He smiled timidly. "Riel."

"Oooh. . . you're talking to someone?" I heard Riel asked with a bit of a tone to it. Hindi pa rin kasi ako humaharap kaya hindi niya pa ako nakikita at gano'n din siya sa akin. "Nakakaabala ba ako?"

"Not at all."

Gusto ko pa sanang magpa-suspense, pero dahil gusto ko na ring magpahatid kay Leo pauwi, humarap na ako kay Riel at nagpilit ng ngiti. "Hi, Riel!"

"Sage! You're chatting with my brother? Cool," Riel replied and smiled. Nagpupunas siya ng basa niyang buhok habang nakatingin sa akin.

"Yes and by the way. . . good game, Riel. I didn't expect to see you there but here we are. Player ka pala."

"Oh, sorry for the surprise," Riel giggled and placed the towel on his shoulder. "And thanks. We lost, though."

"That's fine," sagot ko at ngumiti muli. "May next games pa naman saka bago ka pa."

"So where is your boyfriend again? He went home already? I wanted to congratulate him, it was a good game."

What?

Kumunot ang noo ko at tinuro ang aking sarili. Ako ba ang kausap niya? "A-ako? May boyfriend? Sino?"

Nauna pa niyang malaman na may boyfriend ako kaysa sa akin?

Riel nodded while pursing his lips. "Del Fuego..?"

Nasa dugo ba nila ang pagiging ma-issue? Nakasabay lang maglakad, boyfriend agad? If Leo is here and he's listening to this, he would just laugh at what these two asked me.

"Sinong nagsabi sa 'yo niyan?"

Riel chuckled. "Teammates ko. They got their eyes on Del Fuego, naturally they would see you."

I slowly shook my head and made hand gestures to convince him. "Oh, they got it wrong, Riel. He's not my boyfriend. Just a very close friend. Very."

"Yeah, she told me that too," Ralph butted in.

"Ah. . . akala ko kasi. Nakita ko rin kasing sabay kayong lumabas kanina, sorry," tumatawang sagot ni Riel. "Anyway, are you going home now?"

"Oo. Nagkausap lang talaga kami ni Ralph, pero pauwi na ako."

"Can I send you home? Gabi na, mahirap nang maghanap ng sasakyan pauwi," seryosong sabi ni Riel at tinuro ang parking lot, inaayos ang buhok niya. "I'll go get my car—"

"A-actually, Leo's waiting for me in the parking lot na, kasabay ko siyang umuwi."

Riel went silent and Ralph giggled like a kid. Alam kong gumagawa na naman sila ng issue sa isip nilang dalawa kaya nagpaalam na ako at halos patakbong nagpunta sa parking lot.

♡ ⋆｡˚

"Hulaan ko: kapatid ni Riel Delgado 'yung kausap mo, 'no?" sabi ni Leo habang inaayos ang helmet niya.

Nagsuot na rin ako ng helmet na pinahiram ni Leo sa akin dahil magmo-motor kami ngayong gabi. Lagi kasi siyang may extra helmet dahil sabi niya, hinahatid niya sa school ang kapatid niyang si Leina araw-araw. "Oo, kapatid niya. Magkamukha sila, 'no?"

"Correct ka riyan, mare. Pero magaling maglaro 'yong si Riel ah, hirap depensahan!" natatawang sabi ni Leo. "Ngayon lang din namin siya nakalaban kaya 'di pa namin siya kabisado."

"He just came from the States. Recently lang umuwi kaya kahit ako nagulat na naglalaro pala siya."

Tumango-tango si Leo at sumakay na sa motor. "Balita ko nga rin, drafted daw siya rito. Pero alam mo, gusto kong maging kaibigan si Riel. Masaya siya kalaro, e. Walang mayabang na aura, basta laro lang."

I frowned. "Sure ka ba na 'di mayabang 'yon?"

"Tingin ko naman? Bakit, mali ba? Close ba kayo?"

Ngumiti na lang ako bilang sagot. Saglit pa kaming nag-usap ni Leo bago niya sabihing aalis na kami. Umangkas ako sa motor at pagkatapos niyang tanungin kung komportable na ako sa puwesto ko, lumarga na rin kami.