Boundaries #1: Crossing Boundaries ??

CHAPTER 9

"Nags-school na rin?" Saglit kong nilingon si Alcinous. Seryoso lang siyang nakatingin sa daan at mahigpit ang pagkakahawak doon sa handle ng payong.

"Iyong kapatid kong lalaki, four years old; hindi pa nag-aaral. Iyong isa nag-aaral; grade 6 na."

"I have siblings too." Usal ko naman kahit na hindi siya nagtanong.

And when I mentioned it, natahimik ako. Bigla kong namiss sina Kuya at Ate. Kahit na lagi silang busy sa kanilang work. Hindi nila nakakalimutan na magmessage sa akin. Si Kuya Thales, lagi niya akong tinatanong kapag may kailangan ako o gustong bilhin. Minsan tinatanong niya ako kung saan ko gustong magtravel. Si Ate Theano naman, binibilhan ako ng mga clothes and my skin care products. Maraming pera ang mga kapatid ko dahil maaga silang nagsi-trabaho. At siguro hindi nila alam kung saan nila iwawaldas ang pera nila, kaya sa akin nila binubuhos.

I thought my life would always stay the same as it was back then. I believed that as long as I had my Kuya and Ate, everything would be fine. I was complacent and overly confident about my circumstances-until my mother put an end to all my whims and turned my situation around.

Dahil sa sobrang atensyon, sobrang pagmamahal at pag-aalaga nila sa akin. Naging spoiled ako at akala ko, mabuti iyon at maganda iyon. I was so self-centered that I forgot to consider the feelings of the people around me. I thought their world revolved around me too. That was so naïve of me.

Too much of anything isn't good, and too little isn't good either. Balance is the key to life, but it's difficult to maintain. Between good and evil, right and wrong, and easy and hard, we often choose what we think is better-only to realize it leads us to the edge of life.

"Malayo sila sa'yo?"

Parang binuhat ng malalim na boses ni Alcinous ang mabigat kong pag-iisip.

Tumingala ako sa kanya at naabutan ko siyang nakatingin sa akin. He was always serious and looked so cold. But despite those traits, there was something in his voice that sounded so soft and gentle to my ears. Am I crazy?

"Oo. They're in Manila, they're working."

Busy na sila Ate at Kuya because they already earned high position in the company. And that's because of their hard work. Imagine they started as janitor and janitress, hanggang naging front desk sa hotels, then managers to supervisors. Even though they have my parents at their back, they earned their rightful positions for themselves.

"They must have been so fond... of you."

"They are." Mahina kong untag. Medyo na lungkot na tuloy ako.

Nang malapit na kami sa bahay ni Alcinous, doon ko napansin na gawa sa semento ang half ng kanilang bahay at ang half naman ay kahoy. At kahit kahoy, ang bintana naman ay jalousie. Katamtaman lang din ang laki ng bahay nila.

"Alcinous!" It was Elvin nang makarating na kami.

Sobrang linis ng paligid!! May malaking puno ng mangga sa isang tabi at nando'n ang mga ka-groupmates namin nakisilong. May parang malaking sofa rin kasi doon na gawa sa kahoy at kawayan. Para siyang higaan na inilagay sa bakuran.

Kahit na mataas pa ang araw, hindi ko iyon naramdaman dahil sa mayabong na dahon ng mangga. Tumutuyo na rin ang pawis ko dahil sa preskong hangin.

"Halika ka na." Aya ni Alcinous sa akin at tiniklop ang payong.

Nilagay niya sa balkonahe ang paper bag at ang payong bago kami lumapit kina Elvin.

"Sinundo mo siya Alcinous?" tunog inis na saad ni Rizie nang makalapit kami ni Alcinous sa kanila.

Nagpagpag ng pwesto sa sofa si Alcinous at saka niya ako giniya paupo sa pwesto na kanyang pinagpagan.

"Hindi niya alam ang tungo rito sa bahay kaya sinundo ko." Pormal na sagot ni Alcinous.