Chapter Three

"Hey." A voice said behind me. 

I looked over my shoulder and saw my sister. "Ate Zaf." I gave her a small smile.

"I'm sorry about earlier, sissy." She said softly. 

I just nodded. Wala lang naman talaga 'yon sa 'kin. She was just stating the fact. And it's a good thing that she did not tolerated my behavior earlier.

My sister sat down beside me. Nasa terrace kasi ako ng bahay nila Jam, pinapanood ang paglubog ng araw. This has been a habit of mine ever since bata ako. I love to watch the sunset. 

"You never watched the sunset with me before. Ngayon lang." I smiled bitterly while remembering our childhood days. Naalala ko na umiyak ako ng umiyak noon dahil ayaw niya akong samahan sa seashore para manood ng sunset. Mas maganda kasi panoorin ang sunset kapag nasa tabing-dagat ka. Nagtampo ako sa kanya ng ilang araw no'n. I was really upset that time.

"I'm sorry. It's just that... I am not a fan of sunsets." She uttered.

"It's alright. We have our own reasons why we like and dislike sunsets." I told her. 

"Enough with the drama, girls." Napalingon kami kay Jam na kararating lang. "I baked some cookies. You should try this! It's my first time baking cookies, hindi ko alam if anong lasa nito." She placed the tray full of cookies on the table.

"Thank you, Jam!" Ate Zaf and I said in chorus that made Jam cackle. Sabay naming tinikman ni Ate ang gawa ni Jam na cookies. 

"How was it?" Jam asked excitedly, waiting for our reaction. 

"It's tasty!" I said after taking a bite of the cookie. "Sure ka bang first time mo mag-bake ng cookies? Ang sarap kaya." 

"Ako pa ba." She crossed her arms and smiled widely. She's so adorable! 

"Jam, you never disappoint me! Every time you'll bake something, laging may something sa taste that makes it different sa previous delicacies mo." Ate Zaf complimented Jam's baking skills. Not gonna lie, she bakes really well. 

"Yep! You should also bake some cupcakes tomorrow." I told her. 

"Wow, desisyon ka ah." At nagtatawanan lamang kami buong hapon habang papalubog na ang araw. Dinalhan din kami ni Nana ng juice. She also mentioned that she cooked my favorite adobo for dinner so I got really excited.

"Ang sarap ng adobo na luto ni Nana!"

"I know right! Na-miss ko kaya 'to. Wala talagang makakatalo sa mga luto ni Nana." Saad ni Ate Zaf.

"The view even made this dinner more memorable." I uttered while staring at the night view of the city of Cebu. The city lights look so wonderful. Everything is mesmerizing. I already did took a lot of pictures of the night view and posted some of my shots on I*******m.

"Ilang taon ko na kayong hindi naipagluto kaya bumawi ako. Tsaka para naman hindi n'yo masyadong ma-miss ang Manila." Nana said while grilling the pork we bought kanina sa supermarket. 

"Oo nga eh lalo na 'tong si Erin." Napalingon ako kay Jam. Lagi na lang niya akong pinupuntirya. 

"Bakit ako na naman topic n'yo?" Kunot-noo kong tanong. 

"Baka kasi miss mo na si.. ano eh." Nagkatinginan silang tatlo. 

"Who?" My forehead creased. 

"No other than the one and only Jake of your life."

Hindi talaga ako titigilan ni Jam. Oh my god. Lagi na lang niyang sinisingit sa usapan si Jake. Naalala ko na naman ang pinangako  ko sa kanya the day before we flew to Cebu. I shook my head para kalimutan muna 'yon kahit ngayon lang. 

"Shut up." I rolled my eyes, getting annoyed now. "I just wanna have a peaceful dinner." I added and ate a spoonful of rice clearly forgetting that I'm on a diet. Whatever. 

"Galit na 'yan? Bakit, totoo bang miss mo na si Jake?" Jam will never stop teasing me, I swear. 

"No!" I hissed.

"Talaga ba?" 

"Oo nga! Stop it already." Napasapo na lang akong sa noo ko. I'm surrounded by loud and chaotic extroverts.

"Naiinis na 'yan." Ate Zaf said while chewing her food. 

"Buti alam mo." Masungit kong tugon. But they just keep on laughing at me! Grabe talaga sila sa 'kin. 

"If I know, you're excited to see your long-time crush." I teased my sister. It's payback time! 

Ate Zaf was taken aback before rolling her eyes. "I don't have a crush!" Namumula niyang tanggi. 

"She's blushing!" Jam laughed her heart out. Grabe, ang lakas talaga ng tawa niya. 

"I'm not blushing kaya!" Hinarangan ni Ate ng kamay ang mukha niya. 

"Defensive ka masyado, 'te!" Pang-aasar ko kaya binato niya ako ng table napkin. Natawa lalo sina Jam at Nana. 

"Hindi ah. Wala nga kasi akong crush!" 

"Talaga lang, ha?" I was scrolling on my phone's gallery. Hinahanap ko kasi 'yong pictures namin no'ng huling punta namin dito sa Cebu. Sa pagkakatanda ko, may picture si Ate kasama ang crush niya noon sa isang basketball court. Nanood kami ng liga noon tapos sabi ni Ate crush nya daw 'yong captain ng isang team. Kaya tinulak-tulak ko pa siya noon para makapagpa-picture sa lalaki. That happened years ago. 

"'Diba siya 'yong crush mo, Ate?" I raised my brow while looking at my sister. Pinakita ko sa kanya ang pictures niya with the guy I'm talking about. 

"Omg! Ang pogi." Jam giggled at tiningnan pa ng maayos ang mukha no'ng lalaki. Guwapo nga naman talaga. 

"Crush ko rin siya, Ate Zaf. Paano 'yan?" Dagdag pa niya kaya lalo kaming natawa. Konti na lang talaga, susugurin na kami ng mga kapitbahay nila sa sobrang ingay naming apat dito sa terrace.

"He's not my crush anymore! Dati pa 'yon eh, noong huli kong punta dito." Namumula pa rin si Ate Zaf, she can't hide her emotions. "Delete that pics, Erin!" She hissed but I just laughed at her. 

"Ilakad mo na lang ako diyan, Ate." Pagbibiro ni Jam kaya natigilan kami ni Ate except kay Nana nq  busy sa pag-iihaw ng isda.

"Why?" Jam looked at me and Ate Zaf.

"Anong sinasabi mong ilakad ka sa crush ni Ate Zaf eh may boyfriend ka rin?" Sabi ko at siya naman itong napatigil.

"Oh, hindi n'yo pa ba alam?" Nagsalita si Nana. 

"Ang alin po?" I curiously asked kasi wala naman talaga akong alam. 

"Ako na magsasabi, Ma." Mahinang sabi ni Jam sa nanay niya bago kami hinarap. "It's been a year since we broke up." 

"What?!" 

"For real?!" 

We didn't know about it! We last visited Jam and Nana two years ago. Bago kami umuwi no'n ni Ate Zaf sa Manila, pinakilala sa amin ni Jam ang boyfriend, or should I say ex-boyfriend niya.

"And you didn't even bother to tell us?!" I hissed. I can't believe she hid it from us but I know she has her own reasons. 

"Sorry na nga. I don't want to bother the two of you." Yumuko si Jam. 

"Come on, Jam. We're a family here. Kung alam lang namin na ganoon kaseryoso ang pinagdaanan mo noon, edi sana dinamayan ka namin." 

She hugged me. "Thank you, Zeph." I just tapped her back because I seriously don't know what to say. I haven't experienced any heartbreaks yet. I can only comfort someone by staying with them. 

"It's okay, Jam. That's life. But don't worry, you'll find someone better din... someday." Ate Zaf tried to cheer her up. 

"So... tell us what exactly happened." 

Jam smiled weakly. "Long story short. We were doing fine naman, we often went out to go for a date. I was so attached to him. I thought our relationship will work out but he said he fell out of love. It was just his alibi tho. The truth is he just used me to forget his ex. Pero bumalik 'yong ex niya so he left me. Pampalipas oras lang pala ako no'n." Jam laughed but I can still sense the bitterness in her laughter. What her ex-boyfriend did to her wasn't right!

"Oh ano, iiyak ka na naman? Ilang linggo ka ring iyak ng iyak sa loob ng kwarto mo noon. Hindi deserve ng lalaking 'yon ang luha mo. Tumigil ka na, Jam." Sita ni Nana kay Jam na nakanguso ngayon. 

"What? You cried for weeks?" I looked at her. It must be really hard for her. Lalo na'tfirst boyfriend niya. 

"Isang buwan nga ata 'yon eh." Dagdag pa ni Nana. 

"Mama naman eh!" Pagdadabog ni Jam. Tinawanan lang siya ni Nana bago nagpaalam na bumaba. 

"Kukuha muna ako ng juice." Sabi ni Nana. 

"Sige po." Sabay naming sagot sa kanya. 

Tumingin ulit ako kay Jam. "You were really in love with him, Jam." I chuckled while imagining the scenario where Jam was crying inside her room while cussing her ex-boyfriend nonstop. 

"Shut up, Zeph. Kapag ikaw nagka-boyfriend tapos nag-break kayo, tatawanan din kita." Pikon niyang saad. 

"Well, let's just see." I smirked. I have an unpleasant point of view about men. And I have no plans to fall in love or involve myself in a romantic relationship. 

"Hindi 'yan magkakaroon ng boyfriend unless it's Jake. Sobrang choosy kaya nyan!" Sabi ni Ate Zaf kaya inirapan ko siya. 

"Really?" 

"I don't want to fall in love. I don't want to be in a romantic relationship." Just by thinking about falling in love, kinikilabutan na ako. 

"You never know, Zeph. I was once like that yet I broke my own rules." Jam gave me a meaningful smile.