"Can I go alone in that trip?"It was a day after my graduation. I asked my parents if I can go alone on that after graduation trip alone. That was their gift to me – a weeklong trip to Paris. Matagal ko na kasing inuungot iyon kay Papa at ngayon na graduate na ako ng K-12, ibinigay ni Papa iyon sa akin kasabay na rin sa aking debut ang regalo na iyon.Papa put down his utensils. Kumakain kasi kami noon ng dinner. Ako lang at si Mama pati si Percy ang nasa bahay. Si Kuya Achill ay nasa hotel tapos si Kuya Apollo ay bumalik na sa ilalim ng lupa – where he really belongs."Why, Eleithiya?" Bahagya akong nagulat nang si Mama ang magsalita. She was seated beside my father. Even my father looked at her with a surprised looked. Si Percy naman ay napapito. May kakaiba na kasi sa tono ni Mama."I just want to experience travelling alone, I guess." Nagkibit-balikat ako."You wanna be independent?" Si Percy naman ang humirit sa akin. "So, hindi ka na rin hihingi ng pera kay Pa at Ma?""Percy! H

"Tia, because you'll be staying here in the Philippines, you will have a new bodyguard."I am trying my best not to roll my eyes in front of my parents. We were eating breakfast that morning. Katatapos lang kahapon ng kasal ni Kuya Achilles. And because of this, I have decided to stay in the Philippines. I have spent the last five and half years of my life na pabalik-balik ng Pilipinas at New York. I dunno. It was maybe my way of coping up with the painful memory of the man who broke me."Pa, ayoko ng bodyguard." Binalingan ko si Mama. "Ma, kahit si Percy na lang ang kasama ko panay. I can deal with him." Tumawa si Mama."Anak, alis ka nang alis sa kadahilanang hindi ko alam. Si Percy hindi ka mapipigilan noon. Before your brother got married, alis ka nang alis, layas ka nang layas. Ayoko nang ganoon, nag-aalala ako."Hindi na ako nakakibo. That was last year. Well, I was just trying to take a glimpse of him pero kabobohan ang ginawa ko. He's not with that Lualhati woman anymore, pero

"Are you sure about that, Apollo?"I overheard mom and Kuya Pol talking one day. I have no idea what they were talking about but when I heard CLPH, I realized that they have another business thing going. Nagtuloy ako sa silid ni Mama at Papa. I saw Kuya Apollo in their sitting on the side of our parent's bed. He was wearing a tailored suit and tie. Mukha din siyang bagong paligo. I smirked."To what do I owe the miracle of you taking a bath, dear Kuya Pol?" I mocked him. Sumampa agad ako sa kama ni Mama. Napansin kong hawak na naman niya ang notebook niya."Oh, Tia, tigilan mo ako, baka samain ka sa akin." Sumimangot ako. Mama just shook her head and stopped us."Apollo, are you sure about this?""Yes, Ma. I asked Uncle about it, he said it's okay and he's putting his bet on this. Maayos namang kausap si Eos Demitri. Besides the fact that he's a real jerk to the Demitri clan, he is a good business man."My mouth literally parted hearing that from my brother. Nakayakap ako kay Mama. I

I left the house. I don't know where else to go or who else to call. I have no friends. I have no one else. Kung sa mga pinsan ko naman ay pauuwiin lang nila ako sa bahay. I don't want to see my mom. I just want to be alone and I wanna think for a while.Hindi ako makapaniwala na ginawa ni Mama iyon sa akin. All the while I thought Eos just left me to be with Lualhati. Now, I can't think. What if he was in love with me like what Adonis have said? Now, paano ko pa maibabalik ang chance na nawala sa aming dalawa?I sighed. I kept on walking. I was inside a mall. Nakapambahay lang ako. The only cash I have was a thousand peso. Saan ako dadalhin ng pera ko. I paid the taxi earlier with my Cartier bracelet. I have nowhere to go.I sat on a bench near the fountain. I was looking at the people walking around. Buti pa sila may patutunghan sila. Buti pa sila may kasama sila. Buti pa sila... paano naman ako?Bahagya akong nagulat nang maramdaman kong may naupo sa tabi ko. I looked at my right a

"Alejandros!!! O to the M to the G!"Nanlaki ang nga mata ni Elisha nang pumasok sa silid naming dalawa ni Sabino nang umagang iyon. She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes because we were about to make love and then she just barged in."I'll be taking a bath." Sabi na lang ni Sabino. He chuckled and turned around. Tinitigan ko naman si Elisha. Her eyes were still closed. Nakatitig ako sa kanya. I put my robe on and sat on my bed and still looked at her."Tapos na ba? O to the M to the G!"Elisha Marie Lamico sounded so much like my mother when they were the same age. She was my mom's goddaughter, Pan's best friend and my business partner. Halos kasabay ko na siyang lumaki. Pan and her would always have sleepovers when they were growing up. Isa din siya sa mga unang taong nakaalam kung ano talaga ang kasarian ako and she was okay with it."Eli, its fine. Sabino is inside the bathroom now. What are you even doing here? Hindi ka pa marunong kumatok?" Inis na tanong ko. She made a face