PADASKOL na inalis ni Clay ang comforter na bumabalot sa sarili bago mabigat ang katawang bumangon sa malambot niyang higaan.
He feels grumpy early in the morning. Kahit anong buntong-hininga ang kaniyang gawin, he still feels irritated like an old man or a girl on his period. Marahas pa niyang ginulo ang buhok dahil sa iritasyon.
He has an early meeting today but he doesn't have the feels to be productive. Dahil sa kawalan ng tulog. Gusto na lang niyang humilata sa kama niya maghapon. But then, he wasn't trained just to lay down on his bed.
Kasabay ng paglapat ng mga paa sa malamig na sahig ng silid niya ay ang pagdampot niya ng cellphone na nasa right side table. He has to call his secretary to cancel all his appointment scheduled today.
Maaga pa ang alas sais para sa alas otsong pasok ng sekretarya, pero alam niyang gising na ito ng mga ganitong oras.
Hindi pa nga nagtatatlong ring, sinagot na nito ang tawag niya.
"Good morning, Sir Clay," nang-aakit ang bating bungad nito na hindi niya nagustuhan.
"Cancel all my meeting for today and let Alejandro bring all the files that needs my sign. I won't be there." He ended up the call without further ado. H'wag lang talagang gagawa ng maling hakbang ang secretary niyang iyon kung ayaw nitong mawalan agad-agad ng trabaho.
Ibinato niya ang tawagan sa higaan at hinayaang magtatalbog iyon doon. Wearing just a black boxer short, tinungo niya ang walk-in closet para kumuha ng maisusuot para sa morning routine. Inside are the three huge black door closet were his shoes, and clothes were fixed according to its kind, use and colors.
Dumiretso siya sa dulong bahagi ng walk-in closet kung nasaan ang isang puting lababo na yari sa marmol at may cabinet sa ilalim.
He brushed his teeth and washed his face, bago niya tinungo ang unang pinto na malapit sa sliding door ng mismong walk-in. He picked a white sando and gray jogging pants and his running shoes. Dressed up in his morning jog outfit and he's ready to go.
Pababa na siya sa hagdan nang marinig ang pagbukas ng katabing silid. Gano'n na lang ang pagtataka ni Clay sa maagang paggising ng bunsong kapatid. Clay isn't use on Ray's waking up this early. Lalo na kapag ganitong bakasyon.
"Kuya!" nakangising tawag ni Ray sa kaniya nang mag-angat ito ng mukha.
"What's up?"
"Jogging?" Tumango siya sa tanong nito.
Pinasadahan niya ito ng tingin at tulad niya mukhang gano'n din ang gagawin nito sa umagang iyon. At kapag ganoon ang bunsong kapatid, alam niyang may kailangan ito.
Tinalikuran na niya ito at nagpaumuna sa pagbaba. Nagdire-diretso siya sa kusina at nilapitan ang fridge para kumuha ng bottled water, nakalimutan niya kasing uminom ng tubig nang nasa silid pa siya.
He drink it up straight at kumuha pa ng isa para naman baunin. Pagtalikod niya ay naroon na rin ang kapatid at hinihintay siya.
"Sabay na ako."
Tinanguan lang ulit niya ito at kumuha ng isa pang tubig at ibinato rito na nasalo naman nito, atsaka sila magkaantabay na lumabas ng kabahayan.
"Good morning, Sir Clay, Sir Ray," bati ng gwardiya nila.
"Good morning, Mang Dondon!" ganting bati ni Ray habang siya'y tinanguan ito.
"What is it?" walang ligoy na tanong niya sa sadya ng kapatid.
"Ha?"
"Tsss, spill it. Hindi ka gigising nang ganito kaaga para sumabay sa pag-jog nang wala kang kailangan, Ray." They walked towards the east as their warm up.
Hinaplos ni Ray ang batok habang sinasabayan ang nakatatandang kapatid sa paglalakad. Bumubwelo pa nga lang siya, inunahan na.
"Aren't you in a relationship right now… after Katya? It's been a year since you two broke up, ah."
"That is not your business to meddle with, kid."
"Maka-kid," tumaas ang isang kilay ni Ray. "May I remind you, kuya. You are just two years older than me." Naglalakad siyang nasa likod ng ulo ang mga kamay. "I'm just wondering and thinking that you were really that inlove with her that you haven't move on yet," he spilled his curiousity.
Clay sighed as he answered, "I admit, it's not easy to move on. Katya and I have been a thing since high school. And being not her chosen one made me realize that feelings are not permanent like what it was the first time you felt it. Whatever I did for her didn't change her mind about leaving me. People change, feelings change, and so does the priority. Not being in a relationship doesn't mean I haven't moved on yet. It's not my priority anymore."
"Hays!" matunog na buntong-hininga ni Ray. "I can't relate. But I guess, I am getting there," he said.
They say that his age is the critical stage of being a young adult. Mapusok, padalos-dalos. May sarili ng pag-iisip, pero napangungunahan ng damdamin. Kumbaga, nasa experimental stage pa ang mga nasa edad na katulad niya.
He used to be in a relationship every now and then. Papalit-palit, walang stable na karelasyon. Mabilis na nagsasawa, kaya agad na umaayaw at magpapalit.
But his Kuya Clay is different. Sinalo yata nito ang pagiging responsable na ibinuhos ng Diyos.
Sa kanilang tatlong magkakapatid, napag-umpugan ito ng dalawang wala sa ayos. Ang Kuya Slay nila ang malala. Kung siya one girl at a time, ang nakatatandang kapatid nila puro flings— kadalasan pa sabay-sabay.
Kaugali niya ang Kuya Slay nila, pero ang Kuya Clay niya ang hinahangaan niya at higit na nirerespeto.
"It's understandable if you are just playing around with girls your age. Bata ka pa para magseryoso sa buhay."
"Ikaw, Kuya? You are too serious with your life. Simula nang mamatay si mama, naging responsable ka ng anak. It should be Kuya Slay responsibility but you have taken it over. Are you still enjoying your life?"
"Rebelde si kuya. Walang ibang aasahan si papa para alagaan ka kung pati ako magrerebelde. Isa pa walang may gustong mawala si mama. Papa admitted his wrong and he's sorry, but it couldn't bring back our mother's life."
"Hindi mo ba sinisisi si papa?" Napansin ni Ray ang pagbabago sa bilis ng lakad ng kuya niya. Nagsisimula na itong tumakbo nang mabagal, kaya naman ginaya na rin niya ito.
"I did. But it did nothing good to us. Muntik ka nang napahamak," sagot nito.
Ray remembered when he was just eleven. A year after their mother died. Nabisto ng Kuya Slay nila na buntis ang babae ng ama nila. Pero ang mas hindi katanggap-tanggap ay nang ibahay na ng kanilang ama ang kabit nito sa mismong tahanan nila.
His Kuya Slay was on raged. Nagrebelde ito. Palaging nasa gimikan, kadalasan umuuwi nang lasing na lasing, at kung minsan hindi na rin umuuwi. Silang dalawa ng Kuya Clay niya ang nahirapan.
Until their Kuya Slay got into a drag racing accident. Doon naubos ang pagtitimpi ng Kuya Clay niya. Galit na galit ito sa ama nila na humantong sa paglalayas. Iiwan siya dapat nito pero nagpumilit siyang sumama. Itinakas nila ang sasakyan na ginagamit dati ng kanilang ina.
His Kuya Clay was thirteen back then, and he is just eleven. Marunong na itong magmaneho. Actually, their father taught them to drive when they stepped in at ten.
But the weather back then wasn't good. The road has zero visibility due to heavy downpours with solid winds. And Clay's emotions that day were out of control. He couldn't control the steering wheel, and the car's brake was broken.
Ray sighed. Ayaw na niyang balikan ang nangyari noon. Pangyayari na naging dahilan ng paglayo ng loob niya sa ama, at ang dahilan kung bakit mas may tiwala siya sa Kuya Clay niya kaysa sa Kuya Slay nila, at lalo na sa kanilang ama.
Ray didn't talk to his Kuya Clay for a while. They jogged around the park's circle inside the exclusive village where they were living.
May mangilan-ngilan na silang kakilalang nakasasalubong. Mayroong humihinto para saglit na makipagbatian sa kanilang magkapatid, tapos ay magpapatuloy sila sa mahinang pagtakbo.
Pareho nang hinihingal ang magkapatid nang huminto ang mga ito sa pagtakbo, matapos ang ilang ulit na pag-jo-jogging sa paligid ng playground.
Inubos ni Ray ang natitirang tubig sa bottled water na ibinigay sa kaniya ng Kuya Clay niya kanina. He was standing tall, legs were apart and his both hands on his waist, breathing in and out.
He looked around the park; the sun was already up, but only a few people were there. Mas maraming bata sa playground pagdating ng hapon.
He looked on his big brother. Kumpara sa kaniya, normal ang paghinga nito. Iyong natitirang tubig sa dala nito, ibinuhos lang nito sa ulo para ibsan ang init at hinayaan iyong tumulo sa pawisan nitong damit.
"Kuya," Ray called him.
Nag-angat ng ulo si Clay para tingnan ang kapatid. Hindi ito sumagot at hinintay lang ang susunod nitong sasabihin.
It took time before Ray had the guts to speak up his mind. He sighed, "Kuya, can you give me a job?" he asked hesitantly.
Clay brushing up his not that long hair to wipe out the mixture of water and sweat got surprised by what his younger brother had said.
Dumbfounded by what he had just heard from Ray, he raised an eyebrow at him. "Your college will start in no time, Ray," Clay reminded his brother.
"I still have days. And besides, I want to work while studying, like what you were doing."
"I am graduating while you were just starting your college. What I'm doing now is my training to manage our business. Papa doesn't want to handle it anymore, and we can not rely on Kuya Slay."
"Then, I can be an extra hand for you."
Naghahamon ang mga tingin na ipinukol ni Clay sa nakababatang kapatid. Tumayo pa ito nang tuwid at inihalukipkip ang mga braso sa dibdib habang tinatantiya ang gustong mangyari nito.
"Is the allowance I give you insufficient?" he asked.
"It's not like that, Kuya." Humugot nang malalim na buntong-hininga si Ray. "It's just that, I can't do anything about my allowance. I wanted to help Tisay, but she was refusing any help from me. I mean…" Hindi alam ni Ray kung paano ipaliliwanag ang sitwasyon niya sa dalagita. Hindi naman kasi ito tulad ng ibang babae na kapag nalalaman ang tunay niyang estado sa buhay, para bang nagmimina ng ginto ang pangalang nakakabit sa kaniya.
Para kay Tisay, lahat ng bagay na nanaising makuha ng isang tao, dapat pinaghihirapang abutin. Tisay would not accept any help from him, lalo na't sa paningin nito katulad lang siya nitong isa palang estudyante.
Marahas at malalim na napabuntong-hininga si Clay. Naiiling na lamang siya na hindi mawari. Tisay. Wala na siyang ibang narinig na bukambibig ng kapatid kundi Tisay, simula nang makilala nito ang batang iyon.
"I was invited to a Business Summit conference in Japan. It will be a good opportunity to find investors there. But unfortunately, I have some errands in school, and it is important for my graduation. Alejandro will represent me, but it would be much better if you would accompany him."
"How much will I get, Kuya?" Ray asked with a smirk on his lips.
Another sighed from Clay, "A month of my salary? Would that be enough?" he asked.
"Oh, cool! Then deal, Kuya!" he exclaimed.