Perfect Pieces

09

"Here are the papers, ma'am."

I smiled at abuelo's secretary when she handed me the documents that I needed to sign before I can go home and roam around the city. Nakabihis na rin ako ng damit na panggala para hindi na hasle iyong trousers ko.

Nakagat ko ang ballpen habang nag iisip ako. "Ang boring naman kung ako lang mag isa... tsk." umiling iling ako when I suddenly remember Luan.

Should I invite him?

"Ah, s**t!" naluwa ko ang ballpen nung nasobrahan ko iyon sa kagat at muntik ko nang malunok 'yung ink! "Shit... shit..." bulong ko habang pinupunasan ang mesa. Buti nalang at wala nang mga importanteng mga papeles dun kundi patay ako kay abuelo!

And then my phone rang. Luan, it read. He was calling on i********:.

"Hello!" mukha akong tumakbo ng ilang kilometro sa boses ko.

"Hi. Are you okay?" he asked. Nakita ko ang pagsilip niya sa screen kaya ay nilagay ko ang cellphone sa bag ko para hindi matumba at hinarap iyon sa akin. "What the... what happened?!"

I pursed my lip at tinuro iyong ink na kumalat sa may mesa and I hear him laugh. "Don't swallow the ink. Just spit it in the bathroom and brush your teeth thoroughly... please make sure that you don't swallow anything," he looked concerned now and I just nodded bago tumakbo sa cr dito sa loob.

"Are you busy?" I asked him pagka tapos kong lumabas sa cr. Nakaharap na ulit ako ngayon sa cellphone at inaayos ang mga gamit ko.

"No," he immediately said like he was waiting for this exact moment to answer that.

"Can you... ah, nevermind." umiling iling ako and continued on wiping the table at tinapon lahat ng tissue sa may basurahan at matapon ang ebidensya.

"What is it? You can tell me," he said.

I doubted at first pero sinabi ko na rin sa kaniya. "Can you accompany me to roam around the city?"

"Of course. Do you want me to pick you up?" lumaki ang ngiti ko sa sagot niya and I nodded agad. He bid his goodbyes and ended the call.

My god, I just asked him out. Ohmygod. Ohmygod! This is... this is so not me so I decided to text my brothers.

To Welcome Brothers and Sister:

I love you, kuyas. 'Solo flight? Dms.'

Napailing nalang ako sa naisip kong kalokohan and just went with it. After that, I also turned off my phone and decided to just sit outside the balcony of my room and admired the moon.

My week went on after that and the next thing I knew, nakaupo na ako sa eroplano pauwi ng Pilipinas and guess what? Katabi ko nanaman si Luan. He was busy drinking his coffee habang busy naman ako sa pagkain ng pasta kasi nagugutom na ako.

"Do you want?" turo ko sa pasta.

He shook his head. "I'm full, thanks," he declined and I nodded at kinain na iyon. "You should eat more. You look like you're starving," puna niya.

I frowned. "I'm not starving, I just didn't eat breakfast. Ang aga kaya nitong flight na to! Nakakabanas!" bulalas ko and then covered my mouth because I realized na sobrang ingay ko pala kasi ang tahimik sa loob.

Then I looked at Luan and he was grinning so much that he had to look away. Nakakahiya siguro akong kasama kasi ang ingay ko.

Pagdating namin sa Pilipinas, umuwi agad ako sa bahay dahil sa antok. Sa sasakyan palang ay tulog na ako at nagpabuhat nalang ako kay Giovanni pagdating sa bahay dahil any minute ay bibigay na talaga 'yung tuhod ko sa pagod. Pagka tapos non ay nakatulog na rin ako.

When I woke up, I noticed someone hugging me and when I turned around, si kuya Apollo pala iyon and noticed kuya Archer sleeping in front of me with his back facing me. Si kuya Kyler ay nandoon naman sa swivel chair at natutulog din.

I decided to take a video of them kaya ay kinuha ko ang cellphone kong nasa bulsa lang pala. Hinarap ko pa iyon una sa mukha ko pagka tapos ay sa mukha nila. I also put it on m story in i********: and captioned it, 'Sleepy heads.'

Pagkatapos ay hinay hinay pa akong bumaba sa kusina and decided to cook pasta para paggising nila ay may kakainin sila. For sure they want to eat kasi iyon ang napansin ko sa kanilang tatlo pati si papa eh. After they wake up, they immediately find something to eat kaya ay nakagisnan na namin ni mama na kapag tulog sila ay maghahanda kami ng food for them to eat.

"Smells good," unang pumasok si kuya Archer sa kusina at kasunod nito si kuya Apollo na humihikab pa at kinukusot ang mata.

"Ouch!" daing ni kuya Kyler nung tumama siya sa may lamesa because he was still too sleepy to open his eyes.

"Sit down, please. This will be ready soon," sabi ko sa kanila while mixing the sauce. I cooked the creamy shrimp pasta recipe since iyon lang angnakita kong ingredients sa kusina namin.

"Smells good," kuya Apollo said nung ihain ko na iyong pasta sa harap nila. Nilagay ko na iyong pasta don with the sauce on top of it because personally, ayaw namin na nakahalo iyong sauce sa pasta talaga. Dapat nasa ibabaw lang.

"And tastes good," kuya Kyler complimented when he started eating it.

Pagka tapos naming kumain, umalis din iyong tatlo dahil may aaralin pa 'yung dalawa at 'yung isa naman, may trabaho pa. Naghugas nalang din ako ng pinggan pagka tapos para wala ng hugasin iyong mga katulong mamaya or konti nalang.

Tahimik lang akong nakaupo sa may couch at nakatingin sa tv nung nanonood ako ng movie when I heard a gunshot. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko when the big glass window shattered. I took a peak outside at nakita kong nagkakagulo ang mga guards sa labas ng bahay tryng to fight off whoever the hell is targetting the house.

"Ohmygosh... iyong vase ni mama," natakpa ko ang aking bibig nung makita kong natamaan ang malaking vase ni mama. "Not the vase..." everybody in the house knows how important this ancient vase!

Magpapanick na sana ako when I felt a little sting on my cheek. Nung kinapa ko iyon ay nadaplisan pala ng bala and one step lang pala kanina ay matatamaan iyong ulo ko. My eyes widened when I saw guys that were wearing masks were fighting with our guards.

Kinuha ko nalang ang cellphone ko at tinakbo iyong secret room dito sa loob ng bahay. Sa likod iyon ng malaking family portrait namin and I locked myself in. But then I suddenly remember that this room was very small. Hindi ito nabubuksan sa labas at mas lalong hindi sa loob and it was either papa or mama lang ang makakabukas nito!

"Breath... inhale... exhale..." I tried to calm myself but nothing is working. Mas nagpanic pa ako sa maliit na kwartong ito kaysa sa mga taong binabaril ang bahay.

I really don't know what they are trying to get from here! Wala naman perang nakastock dito sa bahay at nasa bangko lahat if they're trying to rob. Gusto ba nilang makuha iyong mga painting dito?

I tried to think of things para lang mawala ang isip ko sa maliit na kwartong ito at isang tao lang ang pumasok sa aking isipan.

"Luan... please, please pick up the phone," I silently pleaded and shouted when I heard someone na binabaril iyong pintuan... or 'yung portrait sa labas nito.

"Hello?" I heard his hard voice.

"I... I'm sorry for waking you up but... help me- ah!" I shouted again nugn palakas ng palakas iyong mga tunog ng baril sa labas ng pintuan.

"Lani?! Why am I hearing gunshots?! Are you okay?! I'm going there!" he shouted from the other line and I can only cover my mouth kasi parang mabubutas na talaga iyong pinto!

"Luan... I'm scared..." nanginginig na ang buong katawan ko dahil dito. This was my first time experiencing this kind of behavior!

Pero 'yung vase talaga ni mama.

"Stay where you are, okay? I'm going to get to you!" I heard a rambling on the other line.

"No! Don't come here! You'll get hurt!" I shouted at him. Parang nakalimutan ko tuloy iyong bumabari sa pintuan dahil sa pagsasalita ko kay Luan. Ano bang nakain nitong taong to?!

"No," he sternly said. "I'm sorry if you'll get mad at me for going there Lani, but I'll deal with your madness after I know you're safe."