chapter 5
1552 Words
Pag-kababa ko pa lang ng sasakyan, agad akong hinila ni Jean palayo, palayo sa maraming tao kung saan kaming dalawa lang halos ang makikita.
Nang makita nyang malayo kami sa mga tao, she then look at me with worrisome. It's like there's something happening, that might put us in danger—ay grabe yung braincells ko naalog ata.
"Hey, Jean. You're panicking." I gently said, then pull her body against me so I could embrace her.
Masyado syang tense. I then rubbed her back, before whispering. "Gaga! Para kang shunga, may nangyari ba?"
"J-jane... J-jane s-si Patrick... N-nakita ko sya kanina! He's holding a gun—I don't know if it's freaking real but he saw me! H-he smirked at me, i-it's like t-threatining me t-that he'll d-do anything... A-anything t-to hurt me"
Patrick—oh! The guy who used to be psychotically, in love with her. That freak, simula kasi nong nireject sya ni Jean, nag-rebelde si gago. Sumali sa fraternity at sinira ang sariling buhay, ang tanga nya, tumigil sa pag-aaral dahil lang na-busted. Psych.
"Hayaan mo yun, remember the last time he tried to force you on seeing him? Diba nakulong sya ng 6 months. Kakalabas nga lang nya e, madadala yan" I assured.
Kahit sa totoo lang, pati ako ay kinakabahan din. Hearing the news that Patrick is holding a gun, kesyo totoo man yun or fake. May possibilities pa rin na masaktan nya kami in any ways.
"P-pero s-sila mommy..." She then started sobbing on my chest.
Ito ang papel ko sa buhay ng kaibigan ko, mahina sya kung damdamin ang pag-uusapan. Oo nga at mabuka sya sa lahat ng bagay, but she was once a nerd kaya ganito na lang kababa ang tingin nya sa sarili nya without me.
Napilitan kasi syang idate noon si Patrick, sa pag-aakalang mabuti itong lalaki, parehas kasi silang nerd non e kaya mag-kasundo ang dalawa.
Matapos ang dramahan na agad naman naka-bawi si Jean sa tulong na rin ng comfort ko. Bumalik kami sa picnic area kung saan nag-bobonding ang pamilya.
When they saw us, agad nila kami binigyan ng pwesto. Hindi rin kasi halatang bagong iyak ang bunso nila kasi tinulongan ko itong itago gamit ang make up. We reason that Jean show me something earlier para hindi na mag-tanong ang parents nya sa pinang-galingan namin.
"Alam mo ba Jane, itong si Jared nong maliit-liit pa gustong gusto ka nyan. Sabi nya dati ay hihintayin ka nyang mag-dalaga at liligawan ka" tita said in a glee.
Habang si Jared naman ay busangot habang kumakain ng sandwich, ganon din ang mag-kakapatid.
Naku si tita! Kagabi ko—I mean kaninang early morning ko pa pinag-iisipan kung si Henry na playboy na lang ba ang crush ko or si Jared na family oriented.
Ang hirap ng puro pogi ang nasa paligid mo, mini-minimo ka nalang kung sino gugustohin haha.
"Ma! It was 6 years ago! I already have a girlfriend, and Jane here is like a family to us, my sister rather." Jared replied that make me pouted.
Okay, Jared on my crush list—erase! Henry, stay. Gosh, ano ba tong iniisip ko—or pwede namang si Kuya Hendrix nalang crush ko, since sya naman lagi ang taga gawa ng project namin ni Jean. He can be very useful pa sya naging boyfriend ko—teka! Crush lang pala muna!
"Sissy, namumula ka. Baka mahalata ni mommy na may gusto ka sa isa sa mga anak nya!" Jean on my right whisper while wiggling her eyebrows. Parang tanga lang.
"Tita laro na lang po tayo, since maaga pa naman." I suggested, and they all agreed. "So this game is True or False, mind game po for additional learning."
"Game"
"Coll"
"Shut"
"U-uhm ganito, I'll ask a question and y'all just have to answer either True or False, when you answered it wrong, I'll correct the statement. Paikot starting from... Jean of course."
"The academy awards are annually the most-watched single telecast in the USA. Is it true or false, Jean?"
"False of course, well in recent decades, The most-watched single telecast annually by American is the NFL's super bowl, sinong hindi makakaalam non"
"Right then, ganon po dapat a? Ededefense yung sagot para counted. The most correct answer will be having a prize, and it's 3 wish that I can give. Pero pag ako nanalo, I'll be having each wish from all of you"
"Ang duga naman ata non!"
"Fine, then there will be 2 winners. Para fair. So the next will be kuya Hendrix"
"Give it on"
"Long useful to archeologist, The 'La Brea Tar Pits' are found in Los Angeles, true or false kuya Drix"
"F-false—"
"Mali!" Sabay pa naming sigaw ni Jean.
"So yup, is it True. Evacuations of the Tar Pits revealed that the remains of many trapped pre-historic animals" Jean proudly Explain.
When I was about to say the next question, Henry sudden butt in. "Saglit lang! Lugi naman ata kami dito? Dalawa kayong genius ng kapatid ko, kung wag na lang kaya kayong dalawa sumali?"
"What? E pano naman kami?" I pouted.
"Ganito na lang, ikaw taga-tanong, si Jean taga-explain pero kami lang ang pwede maka-kuha ng prize. Kasi lugi naman kasi, baka kayo lang maka-kuha ng tamang sagot"
Nag-katinginan kami ni Jean at sabay nag-buntong hininga. As if may choice kami.
"Ganito na lang, mag-babato ako ng tanong, sabay sabay nalang kayong sasagot nila tita, who ever answers correct will be givin' a point. Who has a highest score takes the prize, deal?"
"Deal!" Sabi nilang lahat, mabuti ng nag-kakalinawan. Advantage na sana namin to ni Jean e, tsk.
"Warts can be cause by touching certain animals, specially toads?"
"Ano yung warts?" Henry ask like an innocent kid, lost in a village. Ang kyut nya...
"True or False lang kuya ang sagot, mag-casual ka nalang!" Jean irritatingly butt in.
"False" Mr. And Mrs. Gornel answer. While the siblings said "True".
Sabay ulit kaming napa-irap ni Jean. "The correct answer is False, the score is for mom and dad. Human warts are caused by viruses—the human papillomaviruses—that affects only humans"
"And warts mean, 'kulugo' in tagalog. Which usually spears on human skin, para syang pimples but warts are colored almost as your skin tone, and it cause by viruses." I added. So that Henry could know.
"Ito na, Gornel brother baka hindi nyo pa maitama to... So in world war 1, gun is the deadliest weapon, true or false"
Once again, they all three answered False. Natawa na lang ang mama at papa ni na sumagot ng True. Nakakahiya itong tatlo, specially kuya Hendrix, sya pa naman ay isang Professor at laging gumagawa ng project namin, hayst.
"Bahala kayo dyan mga kuya! Basta yun na yun!" Jean exclaimed, napagod na ata agad hahaha.
"The african Elephant is the largest carnivore on land—" I haven't finished speaking yet, when the Gornel Bro's, answered "true" in unison.
"At talagang proud pa talaga ang mga anak ko a?" At sya namang tumawa ng pag-kalakas lakas si Mr. Gornel.
"Why dad? Tama naman a!" Henry brotherly said to his dad.
Pero si Mr. Gornel, ay lalo pang natawa. Sa inis namin ni Jean, nakitawa na lang din kami sa papa nya.
Siguro kung pabobohan ang labanan, panalo na tong tatlong mag-kakapatid. I mean wala pa lang taong bobo, malay ko ba kung sinasadya nila yun, or talagang hindi lang nila alam yung question. Pero imposible...
"Ito ang sagot! False! Napaka-simple. Kasi hindi naman carnivores ang mga Elephant. Yes they are huge but they don't eat raw foods. And the Kodiak bear is the largest carnivore on land! Not Elephant!"
Gusto ko sanang asarin pa si Jean, kaya lang napaka-sungit na ng mukha nito. Pero, kahit papaano masaya ako.
Ang gaan lang sa loob, never in my life naka-experience ako ng ganitong family bonding. Since childhood kasi busy ang mama at papa ko sa trabaho so they never have a time to do things like this.
Although pinaka-main bonding na namin ang sabay sabay na pag-kain sa gabi.
"the statue of liberty is actually a gift from France to America, kailan ko lang din to nalaman, so here go you" I smiled.
"True"
"True"
"False!"
Agad kaming napapikit ng mariin ni Jean. Sa palagay ko ay nananadya na talaga ang nga kuya nya...
"Kuya naman e! Alam mo yun, remember France gave it to America as a gift for 100th years of the declaration of Independence! Nananadya na e"
Lahat kami ay natawa sa naging reaction ni Jean. Well ganyan talaga ugali nya, sabi nya kapag daw may taong binobobo ang sarili pakiramdam nito tinatapakan nito ang kanyang talino. Like when someone is questioned and it answers wrong kahit alam naman talaga nito ang tamang sagot.
"Sorry na, naka-limotan ko haha" Kuya Hendrix replied.
"Moving on, Bangalore is the 'Silicon Valley of India' "
"True!" Everyone said in unison. Finally! May naisagot nang tama ang mag-kakapatid!
"Thank gosh!" Jean rolled her eyes. "Bangalore, India's third largest City, is the world famous as a center of information technology, finally mga kuya, bumalik mga utak nyo!" Then she snore.
Kasunod nang ang tawanan ng pamilya...
Napangiti na lang din ako at masaya silang pinag-mamasdan... They smile evidently, pure and sweet... Nakakaingit haha.
- Writer
