Kabanata 3
MRS. FEBRE suffered from hypertension and mild attack. Tinakbo ito sa ospital at dahil sa nangyari sa counselor, hindi natuloy ang pagpapatawag sa mga magulang ni Evangeline at Linel.
The principal called for the both of them to ask what happened. Ngunit ang magaling na si Linel, ginamit ang charm nito sa principal. Ni hindi man lang siya hinayaang magsalita at dahil nga may shares ang Shaults sa eskwelahan, their case was waved in a blink of an eye.
Napabuntong hininga si Evangeline paglabas nila ng opisina ng principal. Poor Mrs. Febre. Naatake ito dahil sa kupal na si Linel na ngayon, ngingisi-ngisi sa kanyang gilid habang nakahalukipkip. Wala talagang konsensya ang tukmol!
"So, looks like you owe me a whole year of date night, hmm?" Hinagod nito ang balikat. "Grabe ma-appreciate mo dapat 'yon. Imagine the things I can do for you, huh?" He flexed his biceps then kissed it.
Napakurap siya. Date? Shit. Oo nga pala. Iyon ang pinang-uto niya kay Linel kanina para lang buhatin nito si Mrs. Febre patungo ng clinic. Ang lintik na ito? Akala ba ni Linel ay seryoso siya nang sabihin niya iyon?
"Linel, sinabi ko lang 'yon para kumilos ka kanina. You know? Considering how heartless you are towards other people?" She rolled her eyes at him.
Umismid ito at sinuklay ng mga daliri ang nagulong buhok dahil sa pagsabunot niya. "I am only heartless because you stole my heart." He winked while a devilish smirk was plastered on his thin lips. "If I don't feel grimace towards others, it's actually your fault since you took my heart away."
Agad na iniwas ni Evangeline ang tingin mula kay Linel. Bwiset talaga. Isisisi pa sa akin ang kakupalan niya.
"Gagamitin mo pa akong dahilan eh sadyang kupal ka lang talaga," asik niya rito bago siya nagsimulang magmartsa palayo ngunit ang magaling na si Linel, mabilis na humabol at biglang hinawakan ang kamay niya upang ipagsalikop ang kanilang mga palad.
Her lips parted in disbelief. "Bitiwan mo nga! May I remind you why Mrs. Febre called us?"
Bumuntong hininga ito at marahang pinisil ang kanyang kamay. He then started swinging their hands while his pair of naturally expressive aqua blue eyes are staring at her. Those are like the ocean. Deep and mysterious.
She never liked the ocean and she never will like him of course.
"Due to public display of affection." He smirked. "May record na. Why still bother hide about us?"
She hopelessly rolled her eyes. "Diyos ko naman, Linel. There is no us and there will never be!"
He pouted but his eyes twinkled as if he's liking what he's seeing. "The harder it is to get something, the more worth it it becomes. Pinapahirapan mo lang ako kasi alam mong kursunada talaga kita." Kinurot nito ang kanyang pisngi. "And you're so cute when you're throwing a pit. Feels like I'm already having a glimpse of your pregnant version. You know? Kung naglilihi na? Early training, baby huh?"
Uminit ang kanyang magkabilang pisngi at ang mga ngipin niya ay hindi niya napigilan sa pagngitngit. "Gago ka talaga! Ang bata ko pa para sa mga ganyang bagay kaya kilabutan ka nga!"
Linel pursed his lips together. Mayamaya'y inangat nito ang kanilang magkahawak na kamay saka ito bumuntong hininga. "You're right. Bata ka pa para sa mga gano'ng bagay." Binalik nito ang tingin sa kanyang mga mata saka nito hinawakan ang kanyang baba. "It's a good thing that I don't care, baby..."
"Tigilan mo ang kakatawag sa akin ng baby. Hindi ako baby."
"Baby ka pa, 'di ba?" He licked the corner of his lips while grinning. "Baby ko."
Napailing na lamang si Evangeline. There is really no use talking some senses out of Linel. Wala rin naman itong planong makinig sa kahit anong pangaral ninoman.
"I'M SORRY about my brother," halatang nahihiyang ani ni Linus nang magkita sila sa library.
Actually, she went there to see him. Ito kasi ang madalas tambayan ng binata kapag wala pa itong klase. Hindi katulad ng kakambal nitong kung hindi laman ng sports bar ay abalang magkalat ng upos ng sigarilyo sa likod ng building ng Seniors.
She smiled sweetly at Linus. "Don't mention it. Ang kapatid mo dapat ang nanghihingi ng sorry hindi ikaw. Never apologize for the things you're not responsible for, Linus."
Linus shyly fixed his eyeglasses and grabbed the books she's holding. Ito na ang nagbitbit ng mga iyon patungo sa mesang gagamitin nila upang mag-advance study.
Nakakahawa ang pagiging studyholic ni Linus kaya pati siya ay natututong mag-advance readings. Minsan tuloy napapaisip si Evangeline kung sa parehong matres talaga nabuo ang magkakambal. Bakit kaya hindi mahawaan ni Linus ng kagandahang asal at sipag sa pag-aaral ang lintik niyang kapatid?
She sighed. Sometimes she just comes up with weird conclusions like Linel was just picked up from the trash. Basura kasi ang ugali ng hinayupak.
"Linus, saan mo pala balak mag-college?"
"I'm thinking of sending an application letter to the aviation school." He flipped the thick book open. "I'm planning to be a pilot."
"Woah!" Mabilis niyang natakpan ang kanyang bibig nang mapalakas ang pagkakasabi niya.
They both chuckled in a low tone before she cleared her throat. Nakaka-amaze naman kasi talaga si Linus. He knows exactly what he wanted to be and he seems to know how to get there. Sana all, crush. Sana all din ay crush hehe.
"Bakit pilot? Don't you wanna be a businessman, too like your dad?"
"Actually, hindi naman talaga full-time businessman ang daddy namin, Eline." He called her by the nickname he chose for her. Kinikilig na naman tuloy ang pantog niya.
"Eh ano pala?"
"My parents just buy stocks and from companies. Tsaka may sarili silang financial advisors. Kung tutuusin halos hindi naman sila nagtatrabaho para sa pera. They invest and pay someone else to handle the money."
Napatango-tango siya. "Ang cool naman ng parents mo. So you mean to say those trips outside the country, hindi talaga for business purposes?"
"Some are, but majority ay dahil gusto lang nila magtravel. Daddy just bought a private plane. I wanted to fly that someday and hopefully kapag may license na ako, I can be a commercial flight pilot ng sarili naming airline."
She sighed. "Ang layo mo talaga sa kapatid mo, 'no? You think of your future thoroughly habang ang isang 'yon ay..." She pursed her lips together. Iniisip naman ni Linel ang future. Kaso ang future na kasama siya! Eww. No freaking way!
"Two months na lang graduate na kami ng Senior high but..." he exhaled heavily. "Looks like Linel is failing his grades purposely. Matalino 'yon. He's even smarter than me to be honest. Ewan ko ba kung bakit ganito ang nangyayari sa kanya ngayon."
Kumunot ang noo ni Evangeline. "Smarter?" She laughed softly. "Sarcasm ba 'yan?"
"No." He shook his head and furrowed his brows. "Haven't you heard? He completed sixth grade as top of our class. And 'yong model ng model ng Pesse Canoe na naka-display sa office ng principal, that was Linel's project in our art class on eighth grade."
Nanlaki ang kanyang mga mata. "A—Ano?!"
"Shh!" sita ng librarian.
Nag-peace sign kaagad si Evangeline sa librarian bago binalik ang tingin kay Linus. "He made that? For real?"
Linus nodded. "Sometimes I wish I have his mind, you know? Linel can sleep like a baby the night before the test while I gotta stay up all night studying yet he can still get the higher scores." Bumagsak ang mga balikat nito. "My brother is truly gifted...yet he's wasting it all now. I still don't know why, though."
"Bakit hindi mo siya tanungin? Wala naman bang problema sa family ninyo?"
Nakita niyang may gumuhit na pangamba sa mga mata ni Linus. Agad itong umiwas ng tingin saka tumikhim. "W—Wala naman. Maybe... Maybe because for the first time, he found a girl who's not going to beg on her knees for his attention."
Namula ang mukha ni Evangeline. Siya ba iyong tinutukoy ni Linus? Ito ang ayaw niya eh. May posibilidad na hindi na talaga siya magustuhan ni Linus oras na malaman nitong totoo ngang type siya ni Linel. They are brothers. Twins to be exact at kahit pagbalik-baliktarin ni Evangeline ang mundo, blood will always be thicker than water.
She cleared her throat. "Pinagti-tripan lang ako no'n ni Linel. He's a playboy, remember? Wala lang iyong magawa sa buhay, Linus. Tsaka..." Pinagsalikop niya ang kanyang mga palad saka humugot ng malalim na hininga. "I... I like someone else."
Napansin niyang namula ang tainga ni Linus habang nakayuko ang ulo nito. His hands seem trembling and his face seemed uncomfortable all of a sudden.
Lumunok ito at pilit ngumiti ngunit hindi siya tinignan. "Si Linel ba hindi mo tatanungin kung anong gustong kunin pagka-graduate?"
Hindi siya interesado ngunit kung sa ganoong paraan magiging komportableng muli si Linus ay pagbibigyan niya.
"Bakit? Hindi ba kayo pareho ng gusto?"
Umiling ito. "He's uhm... He's going back to Sweden, Eline."
Her brows furrowed. "Sweden? Bakit?"
"He's planning to join Sweden's air force just like what our grandfather wants for him after we graduate senior high. That's why I don't really understand why he's letting his grades fail..."