Chapter 3
Early

"Mom, we're home!" masayang pagsigaw ni Ida nang makarating na kami at makapasok sa loob ng kanilang bahay.

Tita was half running when she came to us from their garden. She immediately kissed the cheek of her daughter before she gave me a hug.

"Our dinner will be served in the garden." Tita stated. "Mauna na kayo doong dalawa. Nandoon na rin ang daddy mo, Ida. I'll call your kuya sa room niya then we'll start our dinner."

Nilingon naman ako ni Tita at nginitian.

"As always, Blair... feel at home, okay?" she sweetly said.

I nodded and gave her a smile before she went upstairs.

Ida quicky grabbed my arm and led me to their garden where I saw Tito reading a magazine.

"Good evening, dad." bati ni Ida sa kaniyang daddy at hinalikan din ito sa pisngi.

"Good evening po, Tito." I smiled at him.

Tito smiled at me and Ida caught his attention when she peeked at what he's reading.

"What's this article about, dad?" curious na tanong ni Ida.

"It's about your brother's successful tour. Your mother told me to read it." Tito answered.

Ida snorted and rolled her eyes. She sat down and I immediately sat beside her which is my usual place every breakfast, lunch or dinner with her family.

"It'll be more interesting if it's a gossip about his secret girlfriend." she said.

I bit my lower lip and clasped both of my hands uncomfortable with the topic that Ida brought up.

"That's interesting too, Ida."

I immediately looked at Isaiah who's deep eyes were darted at his sister like his ready to start an argument with her.

"The only problem is that I don't have a girlfriend to have a secret one." he smirked.

"Okay! Sabi mo eh..." sabi nalang ni Ida but you can sense that she's not fully convinced.

Isaiah took a deep sigh before he direct his stare towards me and the sides of his lips raised to form a smile.

Trying not to be disrespectful, I answered his smile with a sly one before I looked away, uncomfortable with the exchange of smiles we did.

"Not so obvious..." I heard Ida sarcastically commented while staring at her phone.

Bahagya kong sinipa ang binti ni Ida upang manahimik siya't hindi nalang magsalita.

"Hey."

His husky talking voice trying to greet me casually almost gave me an eargasm.

"It's been a while." he said.

"Yes... two months?" I tried to count the months that he was gone because of his European tour.

He smiled widely. "Two months." he nodded. "So... how's school in those two months that I'm gone?" he asked.

"Buti pa si Blair tinatanong mo kung kamusta, samantalang ako... hay." Ida acted like she's hurt.

Tito laughed. "Hayaan mo na ang kuya mo, Ida." sabi nito kay Ida. "Ngayon na nga lang ulit makakaporma kay Blair after two months eh."

I can feel my cheeks heating up. I sure that I'm blushing pretty red now. This is why I'm slightly considering not to accept Tita's invitation for dinner lalo na't nakauwi na si Isaiah dahil paniguradong iinisin kaming dalawa dito.

Isaiah's courting me since I was in high school and he was in college. He's not yet in a band that time but he sang and jammed a lot in a local bar. He met me because of Ida, of course.

It was the time when Ida and I were partners for our music project. We were assigned to make a song about Christmas using a guitar and a beatbox.

I can still remember that moment. I was playing the guitar while singing some parts of the lyrics that we finished making when he suddenly barged in. His eyes straightly and directly looked at me and told me that my voice is beautiful and after that... he quickly closed the door.

He's the first boy who complimented my voice because he's also the first boy who got to listen to me singing.

"Sorry, tinawagan ako ng kumare ko. Magsho-shopping kami bukas." paumanhin ni Tita nang makarating siya sa hapagkainan.

Umupo siya sa tabi ni Isaiah at kinindatan niya ako nang makitang magkatapat kami ng panganay niya.

Napangiti nalang ako't napailing sa ginawa ni Tita. Nakakahiya.

We started the dinner with a prayer. I was about to get my food nang unahan ako ni Isaiah sa pagkuha. He got me all of the dishes that was served pero dinamihan niya ang paborito ko.

"Is that enough or you want more?" tanong niya sa akin.

I shook my head. "Okay na. Thank you."

"You're welcomed." he smiled and got food for himself.

Naramdaman ko naman ang paghilig sa akin ni Ida. "Hinay-hinay naman... nasasamid ako sa inyo ni Kuya." she whispered.

I glared at her. She just chuckled and continued eating.

I tried my best not to look at Isaiah while we're eating even though I can feel him staring at me almost the whole time. I actually did a pretty good job. I survived this dinner without looking at him.

"Thanks for the dinner po, Tita." nakangiti kong pasasalamat matapos naming kumain ng dinner. "Uuwi na po ako." paalam ko.

Nakita kong napatingin sa akin si Isaiah ng nagpaalam ako habang nag-uusap sila ng daddy niya.

"Oh... you're going home? You won't sleep here?" malungkot na sabi ni Tita habang tinutulungan ang mga katulong sa pagligpit ng mga pinagkainan.

"Hindi po eh... May pasok pa po kasi bukas." sabi ko.

"I thought you're going to spend a night here..." she said. "Did you bring a car?" she asked.

"Hindi po... Si Ida po kasi ang nagdala ng sasakyan sa pag-alis namin kanina." sagot ko. "Magtataxi nalang po ako. Marami naman pong dumadaan sa labas ng subdivision or I can just grab-a-car po. Magrereview pa po si Ida eh."

"Aww... mahal mo talaga ako, bestfriend." malambing niyang sabi at saka ako niyakap.

Natawa naman si Tita pero halata sa kaniyang nag-aalala pa rin siya para sa akin.

"I'll drive her home."

This time, I wasn't able to control my self and I looked at him instantly when I heard him volunteered to drive me home.

Tumayo siya sa kaniyang kinauupuan. "Let me just get my keys." he stated bago siya pumasok sa loob ng bahay.

"Problem solved!" masayang sabi ni Tita't pumalakpak pa.

Sabay-sabay na kaming pumasok sa loob ng bahay at sakto namang pababa na si Isaiah sa hagdan with the keys on his right hand.

"Kuya, paki-ingatan ang bestfriend ko okay? Mag-aaral na ako." mabilis na tinalikuran ni Ida si Isaiah.

Ida kissed me on my cheek as a farewell bago siya umakyat papunta sa kwarto niya.

Muli naman akong nagpaalam kila Tito't Tita na ininis pa ako ng ilan pang beses bago ako pinakawalan. Tahimik lang kaming dalawa ni Isaiah palabas ng bahay nila. He opened the door in the passenger seat for me bago siya umikot papunta sa driver's seat.

He started to drive at ni isa ay walang nagsasalita sa aming dalawa. Kahit nakalabas na kami ng subdivision ay wala paring umiimik.

"You became more beautiful." sabi niya na nagpabasag sa katahimikan naming dalawa. "How unfair... two months lang akong nawala pero ganiyan na ang ginanda mo."

Napayuko naman ako't bahagyang nahiya sa kaniyang sinabi. "What a Casanova move, Isaiah." pabirong sabi ko nalang upang maibsan ang kahihiyan na nararamdaman.

He chuckled. "You know me, Blair..." sabi niya. "I never played around with my words. Specially, when it's for you."

"And you also know me, Isaiah..." sabi ko. "You know that I don't just accept compliments. Specially, when it comes from you."

He pouted. "That's bad then..." iling niya. "Ibig sabihin, kapag sa iba'y mas may chance na tatanggapin mo? Hindi ata ako makakapayag nun, Ms. Alcoberes."

"Problema mo na 'yon." sabi ko nalang at tumingin sa labas ng bintana sa aking gilid upang pakawalan ang pinapakawalan kong ngiti.

He turned on the radio and their song was playing. I know that it's their song... alam na alam ko ang boses niya lalo na kapag kumakanta siya. It's so warm and at the same time cold that makes me shiver all the time.

"We're going to have an encore concert here." bigla niyang sabi't muli akong napatingin sa kaniya. "That's the last concert of our first tour. It will happen next, next week. I'll be busy the day after tomorrow for the preparation."

Tumango-tango naman ako. "Then use the whole day tomorrow to rest." sabi ko.

"I will." he nodded. "But can I fetch you from school... or pwede ring ihatid kita sa school niyo?"

Mabilis naman akong tumanggi sa kaniyang alok. "Baka may makakita pa sa atin, Isaiah. Lalo na sa'yo." sabi ko.

He's not just an ordinary person. He's an artist; a showbiz personality; a star. He can't be seen with someone like me. It'll cause a chaos.

"I won't get out of my car. I'll stay inside and be a good boy waiting for you." sabi niya.

"If you're really a good boy then do me a favor." sabi ko't natanaw na ang bahay namin. "Stay inside your room or your house. I'll just try to visit you some time. Okay?"

He stopped his Mustang in front of our house and looked at me.

"Promise?" he raised his pinky finger.

I chuckled and swore to our pinky promise. "I promise."

He smiled at bahagyang ginulo ang aking buhok. "Goodnight. I'll text you when I got home." sabi niya.

Tumango naman ako't ngumiti bago tuluyang lumabas nang kaniyang Mustang. Kinawayan ko siya hanggang sa tuluyan siyang makaalis at mawala sa aking tingin.

Bahagyang bumagal ang paglalakad ko papasok ng aming because of some kind of commotion that I'm hearing inside. Maingay sa loob ng bahay ngayon.

Naningkit ang aking mga mata at napantig ang aking tenga when I heard a familiar voice kaya naman para akong tangang nagmamadaling pumasok sa loob ng aming bahay.

Napatigil ako't bahagyang napaawang ang aking bibig nang makita ko si mommy't daddy sa sala na kausap ang mga katulong.

"Mom... Dad..." I trailed off.

My mom looked at me and smiled. She walked towards me and gave me a tight hug.

"How's my daughter?" malambing niyang tanong sa akin at saka inayos ang nakalugay kong buhok na nagulo dahil sa pagkakayakap niya. "I missed you."

"I-I'm fine po..." nauutal kong sagot.

Hindi ako makapaniwalang nandito sila ngayon ni Daddy. Ang akala ko'y a day before ng death anniversary sila ni Lolo dadating pero nandito na sila and it's still a week before Lolo's death anniversary.

"Blair Nicole." daddy called me.

Nilingon ko naman si Daddy't lumapit sa kaniya upang yumakap at humalik sa kaniyang pisngi.

What's with my parents? Why are they home so early?