I still had an unresolved issue last August, and now, Raccoon and I were in a barangay office. Not sure kung ipagpapasalamat ko bang sa barangay lang kami umabot at hindi sa police station. But still, pinatawag ang immediate "emergency" contact person naming mga involved at nauna nang dumating ang lawyer ng mga Dardenne.

Hindi ko puwedeng tawagan si Daddy kasi sure na lilipad talaga 'yon from Japan pabalik sa Manila para lang sa problema ko, so I tried calling Gerry kahit pa nasa Canada siya. Wala lang. Just to tell these people na wala akong relative dito sa Pilipinas. LOL.

"Nakita sa CCTV footage na hindi nga siya pinatid ng kliyente ko," depensa ng attorney nina Raccoon. "Siya pa nga ang nag-amba kaya puwede namin siyang kasuhan!"

Nakapag-present agad ng kopya ng security footage ang hub na tinambayan namin para lang ma-settle ang dapat mai-settle sa barangay.

Basically, itong bobong nambintang sa amin, sumabit ang paa sa nakalatag na wire sa sahig ng hub. Sobrang imposibleng mapatid niya ang paa ni Raccoon. Kahit nga sa CCTV, kitang-kita na iniipit ni Raccoon ang mga binti ko sa ilalim ng mesa kasi nanghaharot na naman.

And besides, malaki ang wire na naka-tape pa nga sa sahig! Bobo na lang ang hindi makakakita n'on! And now, even the establishment was subject to penalties because of that.

Wala ang parents namin ni Raccoon. Sure akong hindi sila pupunta sa barangay hall just to expose themselves sa public.

After a few talk and settlement, pinahatak ang motor ni Raccoon para ibalik daw somewhere na hindi ko alam at sinundo kami ng coaster nilang napakabango sa loob. It looked like a campervan na puwede nang tirhan sa loob kasi halos kompleto sa gamit para sa simpleng bahay.

It was already midnight, and we were all tired. Ang tagal ng interview, ang tagal ng pagpasa ng footage, ang tagal ng settlement at pirmahan ng kung ano-anong document.

Draco was there, sitting on a comfy black couch. Raccoon sat across from him. I took a separate seat na pinaka-dining area ng van.

Wala dapat akong pakialam sa paligid until I noticed a girl na nakatago sa gilid ni Draco. Ang hirap niyang makita agad kasi ang liit niya! Akala ko nga, anino lang!

"And now you're wondering why I didn't want to go home?" Draco said, and I could sense his annoyance toward his brother.

"I didn't start it!" Raccoon retorted with his furious voice.

"I don't give a flying fuck about who started it!" Draco yelled back. "Hindi dapat 'yon mangyayari kung hindi ka pumunta sa hub!"

"Hindi dapat ako pupunta sa hub na 'yon kung umuwi ka last Wednesday!"

"I talked to my mom! You should've stayed where you fucking are! Hindi ka ba nahihiya? Palagi na lang sinasalo ni Daddy lahat ng issues mo?"

"Ah! Now it's my fault!"

"Kanino ba dapat? What trouble have you seen me get into, other than the one you caused last summer?" Draco retorted.

"I didn't mean to do that! Puro kasi mga drug pusher ang binabarkada mo!"

"Ah! Coming from you na ilang beses nang naging laman ng blotter reports! Yeah, right, Deacon Dardenne. Preach to me about being a good guy here."

"Draco," awat ng mahinhing boses sa gilid niya. Tapos biglang may lumabas na maliit na kamay sa may kaliwang braso niya!

Shocks!

Napasilip naman ako kasi ang liit talaga n'ong girl, parang may katabing Anabelle si Draco sa upuan!

May gist na ako ng nangyari last summer pero ang labo pa rin.

I need fucking details!

Ayokong kampihan si Raccoon, for now. Wala naman kasi talagang ginagawang masama ang kakambal niya. I mean . . . Draco was singing on the stage, and there was his twin na nakikipagsapakan sa isang guy na first time lang naming makita in our entire life.

Nasa may window side ako ng van, and I had no fucking idea where this van was taking us until I spotted the familiar gate of a subdivision.

Kinalabit ko si Raccoon na kanina pa tahimik. Paglingon niya sa 'kin, tumabi agad ako sa kanya sa mahabang upuan ng van.

"What?" he asked.

"Where are we going?"

"House?"

"House where?"

"Our house? Why?"

"My dad lives here." I pointed to the road.

His eyes glowed in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah!"

We were passing along a road full of trees, and after a few streets, itinuro ko agad ang mataas na bakod na may mga nakasabit na mga halaman sa itaas. Sinakal-sakal ko si Raccoon para ituro ang bahay ni Daddy. "This is my dad's house!"

"Wait! You're killing me!" Raccoon yelled.

"HAHAHA!"

Akala ko, lalayo pa kami, but the van took a left turn, entering a wide gate. Harap lang talaga ng bahay ni Daddy!

Kahit hatinggabi na, or I think madaling-araw na, ang liwanag sa loob ng lote nila. The van stopped at the huge façade of the mansion. May two steps na mahabang hagdan paakyat sa malawak na tiled space. I think kasya ang buong room namin ni Meerah sa space sa harap ng mansion. The place was U-shaped, and I could see the balconies on the second floor around us.

I was supposed to check on Draco's girl, but the place grabbed all my attention. I told myself I'd check up on her later.

Para kaming papasok sa museum. Ang daming spotlights sa mga bush around the huge house.

Pagpasok namin sa loob, sa wakas, may AC na rin! Sa sobrang init sa barangay office, mas na-appreciate ko ngayon ang AC kina Raccoon.

The hallway was full of paintings at ang daming pinto bago makarating sa malaking lobby. There was a grand staircase paakyat sa second floor at sa ilalim ng hagdan lumabas ang mommy ni Raccoon na namamaywang.

"Ano na namang nangyari?" bungad na bungad niya sa 'min.

"Deacon keeps on messing things up. You should keep him in a cellar," Draco said, and I couldn't agree more.

Mrs. Dardenne gave his eldest a disappointed look and crossed her arms.

"I didn't start it," Raccoon defended, and I would agree with him because it was true. "The attorney also agreed to support my defense."

Draco walked out without leaving a word, and I remembered the girl he was with.

Likod na lang ang nakita ko pero para talaga siyang manika!

She was dressed in a pink and white dress na isinusuot sa mga scary vintage doll. Her black hair was wavy and had thick volume. May malaking pink ribbon pang tali.

Ang liit niya! I mean . . . maybe because Draco was a fucking tower? She was like . . . four feet tall or something?

Draco was all dark and demon-looking, and there she was, looking like an innocent doll.

"Bukas pa uuwi ang daddy mo. Bukas na tayo mag-usap," paalala ni Mrs. Dardenne kay Raccoon. Itinuro niya ang second floor. "Okay na yung guest rooms. Bahala na kayong mamili kung saan kayo matutulog."

I could feel Raccoon's disappointment. Gusto ko na ngang itanong kung paano na ang mga dinala naming damit ko since nasa motor niya 'yon na pinahatak galing QC. Pero hindi na lang ako sumabay sa stress niya, knowing na nasa tapat lang ang bahay ng daddy ko.

"Raccoon."

"Hmm?"

"Uwi muna ako diyan kay Daddy. Kuha lang ako ng damit," paalam ko.

"Do you want me to come?"

Saglit pa kaming nagkatitigan bago ako sumuko. Kawawa naman kasi siya kung gagatungan ko pa.

"Sure." I was tall enough to reach his shoulder kaya inakbay ko sa kanang balikat niya ang kaliwang kamay ko. "Shit happens, okay? Hayaan mo na 'yan. Ang importante naman, hindi ka yung bobong pumatid ng wire sa sahig."

♥♥♥