Chapter 33

"Ingat kayo!" huling sabi ni Maximus bago sumakay sa kotse niya. Kinawayan ko lang siya bago binuksan ang pintuan ng kotse ko para papasukin si Soleil.

Sinara ko na ang pintuan at umikot para makapunta sa driver seat. I drove my way to Soleil's house.

I was driving when a phone rang. Hindi yun ringtone ko kaya alam kong si kay Soleil yun.

"Hey." rinig kong sabi niya. "I'm on my way home.. Yeah.. I know, I'm trying my best.. Okay, wait for me.. Bye." I saw in my peripheral vision how she put her hand in her head.

"Everything's okay?" I ask still eyes on the road.

"Kuya's stressing me out." sabi niya at di pa rin inaalis ang kamay niya sa sentido nito.

Hininto ko naman ang kotse sa tapat ng gate ng bahay niya pagtapos ay nilingon siya.

"What did he say?" I asked giving her my full attention.

"He said he wanted to talk to me about things." sabi niya at nag-iba ng tingin.

I reached for her cheeks and hold it with my both hands. "What things?" I ask looking through her eyes.

She change her gaze before answering. "Company things." sagot niya nang hindi nakatingin sakin at binalik yun pagtapos nang ilang segundo.

I know that's kinda sketchy but I shouldn't doubt her if I trust her, right?

"Just give me a call when you need someone to talk, okay?" I said while caressing her face.

She nodded.

I smiled then kissed her forehead.

"Go and talk to him now." sabi ko at nginitian siya bago ko bitawan ang mukha niya. Ngumiti din siya sakin at hinawakan ang kamay ko.

"Thank you." sambit niya sabay halik sa pisnge ko at lumabas na ng kotse ko. Agad siyang naglakad patungong gate ng bahay niya tsaka ako kinawayan.

Even though she can't see me since my car is tinted, nagawa ko pa ding kawayan siya pabalik bago umalis sa tapat ng bahay niya para umuwi.

* * *

"Good morning, Sir Leo." tinanguan ko lang ang bumati sakin bago ako pumasok sa opisina ko.

Nilapag ko sa sofa ang bag ko at kinuha doon ang laptop ko bago dumiretso sa lamesa ko na may mga nakapatong nang mga papers.

It's been 3 years and ganito pa din ang ganap ko, you just have to get used to it in order to embrace it.

I'm in the middle of what I am usually doing when my phone vibrated.

Kinuha ko yun sa bulsa ko at tinignan kung sinong tumatawag.

Incoming call...

Go, Diego, Go

Agad ko namang sinagot ang tawag.

"Hey, Amigo!" masaya niyang bati, tunog may kailangan.

"Hey" malamya kong sagot at niloud speaker yun bago nilapag sa gilid ng laptop.
"Aww! Don't give me that tone." sabi niya na parang bata ang kausap niya.

"What do you need?" diretsahang tanong ko dahil andami niyang pasikot sikot.

"Can I drop Dylan at your place?" tanong niya.

"No." agad kong sabi.

And yes, 3 years ago, he looks like his not going to marry Kyla. But look at them now, happily married, I guess? And also, Dylan is their kid.

"Tito Leo!" sigaw ni Dylan, alam kong binigay niya ang cellphone niya kay Dylan para mapapayag ako.

This fucker.

"Hey, kiddo." bati ko sa bata. I don't want to sound rude.

"Can I drop by po at your place po?" he asked, trying hard to pronounce the letter 'r' and misplacing the word 'po'.

"Sure, just bring some toys with you because we can't go out to buy some new toys today." sabi ko sakanya kasi everytime na nasa bahay siya wala siyang dalang laruan at mabilis siyang mabored.

There is this one time I accidentally forgot to put the knife on the sink and left it on the counter table and he crawled himself at one of the stool and got the knife. And yeah, I didn't tell Diego nor Kyla about that. Diego will be proud of his son but Kyla would freak out.

"Yes po, Tito! See you po!" he cheerfully answered.

"So I'm going to drop him by 7." masayang sabi ng ama ni Dylan. I pity Dylan for having Diego as his father.

"Fuck you." sabi ko sakanya bago binaba ang tawag.

He always does that. Always dropping his son off my house and have his best time with his wife. Di ko alam pero san niyang pinupundar pera niya? Can't he hire a Nanny? How kuripot.

* * *

"OMG! Pupunta si Dylan sa condo mo?!" excited na sabi ni Jane.

"Yeah, gusto mo sa inyo tumuloy?" pag-aalok ko.

"Diego won't want that." sabi ni Jane at sumimangot.

"Lol." tanging nasabi ko nalang dahil totoo naman.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit ayaw niya pabantay kay Jane. Kilala naman niya si Jane kasi sinasama ni Jin si Jane sa halos lahat ng gatherings.

"Jin, punta tayo saglit kila Leo." Jane said with her puppy eyes, which is Jin's weakness.

"Okay, pero saglit lang ah? Your Ate would be furious if I return you not exactly 8" sabi ni Jin at kumakamot pa sa batok niya.

"Yay!" Jane beamed.

Napailing nalang ako sakanilang dalawa. I checked the time and saw it's already 7, so I think nasa tapat na sila ng condo ko.

* * *

"Tito Leo!" Dylan ran towards me when he heard our footsteps.

He spread his little arms asking me to carry him so I did carry him.

"Hi, Tita Jane ans Tito Jin!" masaya niyang bati at kumaway pa kila Jane.

Naglakad naman kami palapit sa magulang ng batang to.

"Thanks, Amigo." sabi ni Diego. And I want to rip his face off because of the way he smiled to me.

"Pasensya ka na, Sir Leo. Ito kasing si Diego ayaw pa rin magpakuha ng Nanny ni Dylan." sabi ni Kyla sakin.

"Drop the Sir, you don't work in the company anymore." sabi ko sakanya.

"I don't need a Nanny, Mommy! I'm already a big boy!" Dylan protest then pouted his lips.

Kyla pinched his cheeks then smiled to him. "I know big boy. Now, behave yourself in your Tito's household, okay?" malambing na sabi ni Kyla sakanya at agad namng ngumiti si Dylan at tumango sa nanay niya.

"Una na kami." sabi ni Diego sabay hapit sa bewang ni Kyla at tumingin kay Jin at tinanguan ito at nginitian si Jane bago sila umalis.

Binuksan ko ang pintuan ng condo ko at nilapag si Dylan nang makapasok kami.

Binuksan ko ang TV at binuksan ang Netflix at pinindot ang isang account na may pangalang Dylan. Yes, I gave Dylan his space.

Puro pangbata yun kaya nagplay ako ng favorite ni Dylan na spongebob.

"Spongebob!" masayang sabi niya bago tumakbo patungong sofa katabi si Jane at tumutok sa panonood sa TV.

I was about to walk when Dylan suddenly speak.

"Tito, vamos a jugar más tarde?" he innocently looked at me waiting for my answer so I smiled at him and showed him my fist he smiled and hit it so we can have fist bump.

Ginula ko ang buhok niya at nagpatuloy nang maglakad patungo sa kwarto ko para makapagbihis.