Kabanata 5

"Why? Would you say where? No, right?" I sarcastically said while crossing my arms and look outside the window.

He just chuckled and didn't answer me. I lean on my seat and close my eyes and started humming my favorite song.

"Tanga, nandito na tayo. Sleeping beauty ka ba d'yan?"

I open my eyes and saw a park with no people. I unbuckle my seat belt and look at the mirror, I fix my above the waist brownish shiny hair of mine. I open the door and go out, leaving Light on the car alone.

I go straight to the lakeshore. As the wind shivers down on my body, I raise and extend both of my arms in the air and look up in the sky blue shady clouds. Good thing it's not sunny at this hour.

"Taray, parang gagawa lang ng music video, ah?" Light threw a laugh behind me, I put down my arms and look behind me.

"Pakielam mo ba? Gaya ka din, dito ka sa tabi ko, kunwari in a relationship tayo tapos masaya tayo, then break up sa huli," I said while smiling, I look at his hands and he's carrying a brown basket and... a guitar?

"Ay, ang bitter."

I walk towards him as he reaches below the tree. He put down the basket and the guitar he's holding. He knelt down in front of the basket and grabbed the big red cloth, and he laid it on the lawn.

"Is this a freaking picnic?" I suddenly ask while peeking through the contents of the basket. I saw some tupperware and I think it's different dishes.

"Oo, umupo ka dito sa tabi ko kung ayaw mong hilahin kita d'yan at itapon sa lawa'ng nakikita mo ngayon," he threatened as the tupperware was released inside from the basket.

"Yeah, right, whatever." I remove my shoes outside the red cloth before walking towards him and helped him arrange the foods.

"Let's eat?" He asked, I nodded.

He opens the container where I smell the scent of adobo as well as the rice, he spooned it and presented it to me with rice.

"Taste it," he said while smiling.

"Ayoko."

"What? Why?" His smile faded, it was replaced by dismay.

"Baka may gayuma 'yan, mahirap na..." I hesitated to answer and my eyes narrowed as I shifted my gaze at him and the spoon with food.

"Anak ng! Walang gayuma ito!" His eyes went wider and wider while glancing at me and to his spoon.

I did not speak anymore and swallowed the food he was offering. He smiled widely while looking at me, waiting for me to finish the food inside my mouth.

"How was it? Does it tastes bad?" He was excited to ask me. Tumango naman ako at ngumiti siya ng malapad, "I cooked that!" He looked like a child while saying that. Ngumuwi ko siyang tinignan at ang adobo niya.

"Hindi pala masarap kapag lutong Light," pigil tawa kong saad nang makita ko ang mukha nitong mukhang offend na offend.

"A-ano?!" Gulat nitong tanong, nanlalaki ulit ang mata. Sa susunod, itatanong ko si Tito at Tita pati na rin si Dimmer kung sa tarsier ba pinaglihi si Light at bakit ganito palagi manlaki ang mata na akala mo'y luluwa na kahit anong oras.

"Hindi pala masarap ang lutong Light," pag-uulit ko.

"Ano?!" Sigaw pa rin niya at gulat pa rin.

"Hindi pala masarap ang lutong Light."

"A-ano ba?!"

"Hindi pala masa--"

"Bakit ba paulit-ulit ka?!" Ani niya na inis na inis na.

"Bakit ba paulit-ulit ka rin?" Natatawang sinabi ko habang sumasandok ng kanin at ng adobo niya.

"Akala ko ba hindi masarap, ha, Mave?" Nagdududang tanong nito sa akin. Tumawa ako at hindi na siya sinagot. Ilang kwentuhan at tawanan pa ang ginawa namin habang kumakain.

Sa lahat ng kaibigan ni Kuya Veron at Von, kay Light pinaka-magaan ang loob ko. Dahil bukod sa nakaka-bwisit siyang mang-asar ay mapagkakatiwalaan ito at maaasahan sa lahat ng bagay.

"Bakit ba kasi may pa-picnic ka pang nalalaman? Pwede naman ako nalang mag-luto sa susunod," sabi ko habang umiinom ng juice, kakatapos lang namin kumain at magligpit ng pinagkainan namin.

"Ikaw, ah! Napaghahalataan kang gusto mo akong makasama sa susunod!" Tuwang-tuwa siya habang nakatingin sa akin.

"Tss. Eh, bakit ba tayo nandito?"

"Wala, gusto ko lang ng katahimikan," seryosong saad niya habang humiga sa pulang mantel at tumingin sa langit.

"May problema ka ba? Kung gusto mo ng katahimikan, doon ka sa building.. talon ka tapos mahahanap mo 'yung katahimikan ng gusto mo." Natatawa akong lumingon sa kaniya. Nagtaas naman ito ng ulo at dumungaw sa akin ng naka-kunot ang noo.

"Katahimikan ang gusto ko, hindi kamatayan!"

I chuckle a bit before looking up in the sky. I smile as I reminisce about the scenes when I, Kuya Veron, and Von were still kids.

The way Kuya Veron fetch me to school and he's always with Von when we were still all in elementary days. The way they fight if they saw my having wounds and scratches on my body because sometimes I stumble when I'm walking. The things when Mom taught me some self-defense, and I always try to have rumbles with my brothers causing Mom's very expensive favorite vase to be a break and shatter into pieces.

The day when we found out that we're going to live under the same roof without our parents, maids, and drivers. The way they both almost fire up the whole kitchen when I left them when I'm teaching them how to cook. The way they start having flings with some random girls on our campus. The scenes where I'm fighting with someone in our village, and they're always there to watch out for me.

As I met Alondra and Sebastian, Avianna and Veronica in high school days. The way when Sebastian always got disgusted with some fights when I'm always with him, and he doesn't know that I can beat them.

And when I saw the 4 unknown handsome boys in front of our house whom it's Light, Dark, Axon, and Valentin. The scenes where Light and Axon are always tripping and bullying me. The way Dark helps me with my assignments. And Valentin's heavy glances at me that I don't know why but we're not talking with each other.

I chuckle as I remember those things when we were still kids. Reminiscing the past makes me happy, hurt, sad, scared, and warm at ease heart.

"Anong tinatawa-tawa mo d'yan, 'oy! Ang creepy mo, ah!" Light said suddenly he's still in his position.

I turned to him and his face was serious as he's closing his eyes. I can see it clearly in his face that he's facing problems and difficulty. I looked at the guitar next to him and took it, it's my first time exposing to someone my talent in the instrument and my voice.

I sat and face sideways on him as I close my eyes as I strum the guitar to the song "Heaven Knows by Rick Price".

"She's always on my mind"

As I sang the first lyrics, I felt that he moves. I use my sad with a beautiful melody voice. Para damang-dama niya kung broken-hearted man siya.

"From the time I wake up 'til I close my eyes

She's everywhere I go

She's all I know

And though she's so far away

It just keeps gettin' stronger, every day

And even now she's gone

I'm still holding on

So tell me where do I start

'Cause it's breakin' my heart

Don't want to let her go..."

his was my song for him years ago. I liked Light before, but I didn't say it to anyone. Not even Sebastian and my friends as well as my brothers.

"Maybe my love will come back someday

Only heaven knows

And maybe our hearts will find a way

Only heaven knows

And all I can do is hope and pray

'Cause heaven knows.."

Light is a good friend, he is not difficult to like so I liked him for a moment. But it wasn't long because we were just friends, it was just there and it wouldn't change. I let my feelings grow, and I also let it go.

I continue singing the song and he's just there, maybe listening or sleeping. Tss. As I finished the song, I look down on the grass and I look up at the sky. It's almost getting late. I can clearly see the stars in the sky.

"I didn't know you know how to play the guitar?" He suddenly asks, almost a whisper. I look at him and he's holding his phone it rested on his left knee.

"Why? Did you ask?" I sarcastically said, I stood up, "It's getting late, I think we should head back."

He also stands up, I walk towards the edge of the red cloth and wear my shoes and hold the edge of the red cloth to fix it while he's putting his shoes on. He crosses his arms on his chest while watching me, as I finished doing it, I placed it at the top on the basket.

He opens the passenger's seat and helps me to go inside, he even put his hand on the top of the car so I would not bump on it. I just smile and he turned toward the driver's seat, I buckle my seat belt.

He's just driving silently. I reach for the radio and luckily, my favorite Tadhana is the song. I sang while I was just looking outside and the traffic approaches us.

"Ang pangit ng boses mo, manahimik ka," he broke up in my moment. My face got suddenly wrinkled.

"Alam mo, ikaw..." I look at him, crossing my arms and raise my left eyebrow, he's already looking at me, "Lalagyan ko rin ng super glue 'yang bibig mo, magsama kayo ni Balentino," I'm pissed off telling him.

"Anak ng! Galit ka na n'yan? Ang pangit mo talaga kapag napipikon, sa susunod vivideo-han na kita para makita mo kung gaano ka pinagsukdulan ng langit at lupa," He said, trying to hold back his laugh. But he didn't succeed, his laughter echoed inside the car.

He used his senseless rage against me until we reach Manila, I just realized that he brought me to Laguna. I didn't even realize we were here at the front of the house, the big black gate automatically opened and Light entered his car and parked it beside Kuya Veron's car.

He turned off the engine and walk towards the passenger's seat and opened the door for me.

"Ang laki-laki mo na, nagpapabukas ka pa ng pintuan, taray! Prinsesa ka ba?"

"Duh, that's what boys do," I answered as I put my bag on my shoulder and walked forward, he followed and walk beside me.

I glance at Light beside me and he looked at me when he noticed that I'm staring at him, his eyebrow raised and I just shook my head. I reach for the door keys before looking for the right key. It has my room door lock as well as my brothers.

"Don't tell anyone," I said, no one doesn't know about this but Mom. We both have lots of secrets had taught each other. My talents and skills were our secret, as well as the defenses she taught.

My Grandfather from my mother's side taught her to learn everything and relay what she has learned, and promise not to tell others what I learned, when, and with whom.

And in case of emergency, I put all the spare keys of the locks in the whole house. And the CCTV's located in each corner and places in the house are all because of me, my brothers usually don't know about that. It's connected to my phone, laptop, computer, and TV.

see you in my next one, :))!