Four Seasons of Love

Kithin Naalimpungatan ako sa mahimbing na pagtulog dahil sa lakas ng tugtog ng music sa labas ng kwarto ko. I looked at the digital alarm clock placed on my bedside table. It's almost midnight. I took my glasses near the clock and wear them. Tumayo ako para lumabas ng kwarto nang makaramdam ako ng uhaw. Matapos kong tahakin ang pasilyo papunta sa hagdanan, bumungad sa aking paningin ang liwanag ng buong kabahayan. Dumadagundong ang lakas ng musikang naka-play sa stereo. Mukhang may party na nagaganap sa mga oras na ito. Pero kanina, bago ako natulog, ay tahimik naman sa buong kabahayan. Dahan-dahan akong bumaba sa hagdan. Kita ko ang mga taong nagi-inuman sa living room. Ang iba'y nakita ko pang nagkakasiyahan at nagtatawanan sa may pool area. I can see it from here because of the glass wall of this house. Oh. It's obviously a pool party. My brows raised. I know some of these people. May ilang beses ko na rin silang nakita noong may party rito sa bahay. These are my Kuya Apollo's friends. No one notices my attention when I reached the last step of the stairs. Dinadaanan lang ako ng mga bisita niya. I am wearing my terno pajamas and my hair's a little disheveled. Wala na akong makitang mga katulong. Maybe, Kuya didn't bother to wake them up. My eyes roamed to look for him. At nang tumapat ang paningin ko sa living room, there were a bunch of people drinking beers and smoking cigarettes. Ang mga babaeng naroon ay mga naka-bikini lang habang ang mga lalaki nama'y kung hindi naka-board shorts at topless, ay naka t-shirts at trunks lang. There I saw my Kuya Apollo. He's wearing a white board short and a v-neck shirt. Beside him is a tall, morena, sexy girl. Lumukot ang mukha ko sa aking nakita. He's whispering something to that chick while his hands traveled on her thighs, gently caressing it. She only giggled. She seems to enjoy the attention my brother is giving to her. I only mouthed 'yuck' at what I saw. What the hell am I seeing? These people. I know I'm only fifteen but I'm aware of these things. Hindi nahuhuli ang media sa pag-inform sa mura kong kaisipan. But seeing these things in front of me is something... Ugh. One of Kuya Apollo's friends noticed my presence. He caught my older brother's attention and pointed at me using his lips. When he glanced at my direction, agad siyang kumalas mula sa pagkaka-akbay niya sa babaeng iyon at mabilis na tumayo. He even scolded the guy who smokes in their group. Nang makita ako ng lalaking iyon, ibinaba niya ang sigarilyong hawak niya at inilagay sa ashtray. Kuya Apollo approached me quickly. I gave him an impassive look and he equaled it with his bothered reaction. "Baby." he said. Nilingon niya ang kanyang mga kaibigan nang marinig namin silang naghagikhikan. I craned my neck to check what happened but he only blocked my view from his friends. I frowned at him, he only smirked. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "I woke up to the loud music from your stereo." He chuckled. "I'm sorry, princess. I didn't mean to wake you up. Come, I'll take you to your room." Umiling ako. "I'm thirsty. Kukuha ako ng tubig sa kusina." "Ako na ang magdadala ng tubig sa kwarto mo. You shouldn't be here. This is an adult party." "Yeah, I can see it." at muli kong tiningnan ang kanyang mga kasama. He groaned and tried to block again my sight from his friends. Ginulo niya ng bahagya ang aking buhok, making it more look dishelved. Pati ang eyeglasses ko ay nawala sa tamang ayos. Bumaba ito ng bahagya at napunta ang bridge nito sa dulo ng aking ilong. Hinawi ko ang kanyang kamay at matalim siyang tiningnan. Now, I look like a nerd bruha with pajamas on. "Kuya!" saway ko sa kanya. He laughed a bit. "Let's go." Aniya. Inakbayan niya ako at iginiya paakyat para bumalik sa aking kwarto. Pero hindi ako agad tumalima sa kanya nang muling dumantay ang tingin ko sa kanilang grupo. Someone caught my attention. It was a man wearing a black button-up shirt paired with black slack and brown leather shoes. His long sleeves were lazily rolled up to his elbows. He was holding a beer habang nakaakbay sa babaeng naka yellow na bikini. This is a pool party, right? Why is he dressed like that? His outfit didn't fit the party. He looked like someone who just came off from work. Nagtama ang mga paningin namin. His cold dark stares bore on me. I gulped. There is something in his eyes that made me confuse. Is he angry? His eyes speak so. He looked at me mockingly bago sumilay ang nakakalokong ngisi sa kanyang labi. My brows met in irritation. Who is this man? Based on his looks, he's way older than me. Baka kasing edad lang ni Kuya Apollo ito, o mas matanda pa ng ilang taon. He looked away and poured his attention now on the girl beside him. Why is he looking at me like that? Nakakaloko. Nanadya yata ito. Nangaasar. I don't know. Basta ang siguradong nararamdaman ko nang mga oras na iyon ay walang iba kundi iritasyon lamang. "Kith..." Kuya Apollo called me. I heard him but my attention is still on that man. Nakatitig lamang ako sa kanya habang kinakausap niya 'yong babaeng katabi niya. The girl's hand landed on his chest. I sneered at her hand sharply when I saw how it marveled around his chest. And this man doesn't even care about it. In fact, I saw his enjoyment while the girl is flirting with him. "Kithin!" I jumped out of shock when Kuya Apollo called me again. Kahit ang ilang mga kasama niya ay napalingon sa banda namin. Natanggal ang atensyon ko sa lalaking out of place ang suot at bumaling sa kanya. "Sorry, Kuya..." I said in a small voice. He accompanied me up to my room. He turned on the lights and guides me to my bed. Nang makaupo ako sa kama ay narinig ko siyang bumuntong-hininga. "I'll get your water, baby." he said. I nodded. Lumabas si Kuya sa kwarto ko. Hindi rin nagtagal ay bumalik siya at may hawak na isang pitsel na may lamang tubig at isang baso. He poured the water on the glass water and handed it to me. Nang maubos ko ang laman no'n, ibinalik ko sa kanya ang baso. He placed the pitcher and the glass water on a small round table near the french door of my room. "Thank you, Kuya." I smiled. Naupo siya sa aking tabi at ngumiti pabalik sa akin. "I'm sorry. It's an unplanned party. My friends insisted to have it here instead of going to a resort." "It's okay." I pouted. He only smiled at me. Tumayo siya. "Go to sleep now." "Uhh, wait! I got a question." Tumaas ang kilay niya habang hinihintay akong magsalita muli. "Who's the guy wearing a black long-sleeved?" I asked. He looked at me suspiciously. "Why?" Nagkibit-balikat ako. "Stop crushing on my friends. They're assholes!" Natawa ako sa kanyang tinuran. "So you're an asshole, too 'coz you're friends with them!" at muli akong humalakhak. Humalukipkip siya. "You're crushing on Andrew?" My right brow arched. "Andrew?" "The one you're asking. Andrew is his name." I gave him an inverted smile before I shook my head. "Stop crushing on him. Matanda na 'yon para sa' yo." ulit niya. "I'm not crushing on him!" I defended. He sneeringly looked at me. "I caught you looking at him." "It's because of his clothes! Hindi bagay sa party niyo." "That's why it caught your attention?" naningkit lalo ang kanyang mga mata. I took off my eyeglasses and placed them on the bedside table. Nahiga na ako at ibinalot ang sarili sa kumot. "Ang kulit mo, Kuya. I'll sleep now." masungit na sabi ko. He chuckled and kissed me on my head. "Alright. Good night, baby. Don't go outside anymore." Hindi ko na siya sinagot. He turned off the lights before he went outside my room. Pinilit kong matulog ulit pero naging mailap ang antok sa akin. I tried everything I could think just to fell asleep pero wala talaga. Not until I remembered again the guy. Andrew. That's his name. I admit he's handsome but mature. Ilang beses nagpaulit-ulit sa utak ko ang mga titig niya sa akin. Does he know me? Probably, not. I just came here to Manila. I grew up in the States while Kuya Apollo went home here when he studied in college. Umuuwi rin naman kami rito sa Pilipinas noon pero hindi madalas. Kapag may kailangan lang. O kaya ay kung naisipan ni Mama ang magbakasyon. Kaya hindi ko rin kilala ang mga kaibigan ni Kuya, noong nakaraan ko lang sila huling nakita. Andrew. That man. His cold dark stares towards me gave me irritation. Ang arogante. Nakakaasar. Nakakairita. I don't like him. I will never like him.