THOT 1
"I don't know what to do with you anymore, Ava. This has gone too far."
Pigil na pigil ang tawa ko habang nakataas ang isang paa ko sa upuan ng Audi R8 ng pinsan kong si Caleb. His eyebrows were almost in one line and his lips were matching it. I couldn't help but snicker and it made my cousin even angrier to my amusement. "What? You certainly are no fun these days, cous! Admit it. What I did to Franco is way beyond funny!"
"It is not funny to tie a man on his bed, take photos of him and leak it to the internet!" he looked at me sharply. "You are lucky I am able to persuade Mr. Hilario not to file a suit against you."
"That's just because he's afraid I'm going to spill the beans on him. That asslicker, cum-drinking bastard." pabulong na patutsada ko.
"What?!"
"Wala!" humalukipkip na lang ako. Ngunit sa kabilang banda, who would believe a sleazy party girl like me? Paniguradong pagtatawanan lang ako sa husgado kung sasabihin ko na ang straight at respetadong si Franco Hilario ay isa pa lang bakla. Not that there's anything wrong with being gay. Cause go ahead, be yourself, give blow jobs here and there, be a slut and all that jazz. I don't give a shit. But this Franco toe-sucking moron, just freaking stole my guy. Ha! I caught him fucking my boyfriend at nang pagbantaan ko siyang makakarating sa media ang ginawa nila sa akin ay nakuha pa niyang i-blackmail ako. Too bad I was smarter than him and I managed to turn the odds against the rich businessman.
But again, sinong maniniwala sa akin?
Magsama sila ng ex-boyfriend kong bugok! If only he told me beforehand that he likes c0cks better than a pussy, I wouldn't have bothered wasting my time on him. Fucking asshole.
"I swear--"
"Enough, cous," ikinumpas ko ang kamay ko. "kahit ano pang sabihin mo, tapos na. Nangyari na. Although thank you for coming in to my rescue. Alam kong kahit sobrang bruha ako, mahal mo parin ako."
I grinned as Caleb grumbled under his breath. I knew he was still pissed at me for calling him in the middle of the night to pick me up from the precinct. But I also knew I was right. My cousin loves me more than anything in this world--well, maybe not more than his fiance' Natalie and his Audi R8 but he loves me still. And for someone like me who doesn't have anyone else in this world besides Caleb and my lolo, having someone who has my back all the time is a huge fucking deal.
"Clean up your act, Ava." tila naubusan na ng lakas na sambit ng pinsan ko. "We both don't want Lolo to get involved in this. Pareho nating hindi magugustuhan whatever happens."
I shrugged. He's wrong. All I wanted was for me Lolo to see me. Hindi parating si Caleb na lang. Yeah, given that Cal was a legitimate grandson of the great Frederick Yung and I was a product of an affair by his black sheep of a nephew. May karapatan din naman siguro ako sa atensyon ng kinilala kong ama. Too bad, Fred doesn't really like me. He tolerated me most of the time, but he doesn't love me the way he loves Cal. Not that there was anything to hate about my perfect cousin. Palihim na napabuntong hininga na lamang ako. Maybe it was the alcohol that's making me all sentimental and shit.
"I expect you to not do this again, Ava,"
I smiled sweetly at Caleb. "You know I can't promise you that."
"Ava!" singhal ni Caleb habang nagpa-park sa tapat ng bahay ko. "You are not getting any younger! The play time's over! Noon, hinahayaan lang kita sa gusto mo because I know you're young and you needed to have fun. But now, you're twenty eight, you should be settling down and start taking things seriously."
I made a face at my cousin. "And what do you suggest, Caleb Damien Yung?"
"I need you to start working."
"In case you've forgotten, I'm working as a model!" may halong pagmamalaking sambit ko.
"Part time model, Ava."
"What are you trying to pull, Caleb? And where do you want me to work, aber? Sa hotel? I don't even know what you guys do in the hotel!" wala akong ka-ide ideya sa pagpapatakbo ng negosyo unlike Caleb. Oo. I graduated with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant management but I never really practiced it. Pumasa lang naman ako dahil sa impluwensya ng apelyido ko. At pagmomodelo ang ikinabubuhay ko sa ngayon and I love doing it.
"I'm not exactly saying na magtrabaho ka sa hotel," hinugot ni Cal ang seatbelt at hinarap ako. "I just want you to take life more seriously, cous. Find something you feel passionate about--"
"I. Love. Modelling." I countered, stressing each word.
"I mean a career--"
"Modelling is a career!"
Now, I'm infuriated. Hindi maintindihan ng pinsan ko na gusto ko naman ang ginagawa ko.
"Modeling is what you do when you are bored, Ava." halos maging isang linya na ang labi ni Caleb. "You only show up when you feel like doing it. You are a model only because you know you are beautiful and it was convenient. I couldn't see how you are passionate in that."
That sort of hit a nerve.
Napagisip isip tuloy ako kung mayroon nga bang bagay sa buhay ko that I feel passionate about. I gritted my teeth because I could only think of none. I did everything in my life half-assed. Kita mo nga't pati ang mga naging boyfriend ko ay hindi ko naman talaga minahal. Sure, I cared about most of them. But truth to be told, ginamit ko lang sila bilang substitute dahil hindi ako kayang bigyan ng atensyon ng lolo ko.
"Natahimik ka?" puna ni Caleb.
"Nothing," mabilis na sagot ko sabay tanggal ng seat belt. "I need to go, Cal, it's getting late and I need to wash off the stink of the police headquarters from my skin."
Pababa na sana ako nang pigilan ako ni Caleb sa braso. I wanted to weep like a baby then. Naaawa ako sa sarili ko because there's obviously something wrong with me. Why am I like this? Why, all of a sudden, do I feel like simply existing and not living at all? After all the adventures I've been in.
"Ava, look..I'm sorry, okay?" how can I stay mad at him when he's doing that sad puppy look? "I didn't mean to upset you like that."
I plastered a big fake smile on my lips. "Like I'll ever be upset with you." I leaned over my cousin and pressed a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for putting up with me. Love you, Cal, bye bye."
Dali dali akong umibis sa sasakyan ng pinsan ko. Bago pa ako tuluyang makapasok sa entrada ng aking maliit na bungalow house ay napansin ko ang kapitbahay ko na si Irina na nakasilip sa bintana nito sa katapat ng street namin. Napaingos tuloy ako ng bongga.
"It's just my hot cousin, girl, no scoop over here!" kinawayan ko siya bilang pang-iinis.
Maiksi akong napatawa nang sumara ang kurtina sa bintana nito. "Fucking idiot." may halong inis na bulong ko. Muli ay nilingon ko ang sasakyan ni Cal at sumenyas na umalis na ito.
Caleb waved back as if telling me that I should go in first. As if naman may mangyayaring masama sa akin sa suburban community na tinitirhan ko. Tinanguan ko na lamang siya dahil alam kong hindi siya maglulubay hanggat hindi ako pumapasok. It's getting late and Natalie must be worried by now.
I stole one last glance towards the R8 when I noticed the lights are on inside the house infront of mine. It formerly belonged to Mrs. Kim, and after the woman died a year ago, wala nang tumao pa sa bahay na iyon.
It kind of piqued my curiosity dahil sa pagkakaalam ko ay nasa ibang bansa na nakatira ang nag-iisang anak ng masungit na matanda. Hmmm.. Hindi kaya nakauwi na ng bansa si Casey?
Caleb honked his horn once which made me jump. Pinandilatan ko siya bago tuluyang pumasok na sa bahay at ipinagpabukas na lang ang pagtuklas sa kung sino mang inhabitant ng bahay sa tapat.
My earlier thoughts were quickly forgotten when I opened the lights and was greeted by my cold and empty house. I sighed. I suddenly wished I invited Caleb in, and asked him to stay the night. But I knew I couldn't do that. May iba nang buhay ang pinsan ko, at kailangan ko nang harapin at ayusin din ang akin.
