DV Series: decoding the boys (under revision) ??

58 | promise

And besides, we're family.

Kahit anong mangyari ay sa isa't isa kami tatakbo when things take turn for the worse. I had to trust the De Villa bond our parents instilled in us.

No more sulking.

Yeah, I couldn't continue to sulk. I needed to go back and rearrange my life again.

#

Summer came so fast. I was ecstatic mostly because my parents returned home from the States and Kuya Travis and Kuya Chris were already back from Ilocos. Ang downside nga lang, napilitan ding umuwi si Kuya Jacob. He'd been staying over at Kuya Onyx's flat pala. My cousin was more than happy to kick him out and send him back here.

Medyo okay naman na kami, kind of. He was no longer treating me harshly. Paunti-unti ay kinakausap na niya ako. But nothing too long, nothing too important. All inconsequential kasi alam kong ginagawa niya 'yon para wag kaming mapagalitan. Like, kapag kakain. He would occasionally nod. Minsan ay nakakalimot siyang galit pala siya at bigla-bigla akong papansinin. But then he would remember and start scowling. He stopped walking out days ago pero nando'n pa rin yung awkward silence.

Natuloy din pala kami sa Paris kasama ang pamilya ng kambal. Kahit na hindi ako kinikibo ni Mathev, medyo pinapansin naman ako ni Kuya Paul. Buti na lang hindi napansin nina Tita Pauline at Tito Matthew ang alitan sa pagitan namin.

The only good side to all of these, I guess, was I finally got to introduce Racel to my parents as my official boyfriend. I hadn't planned it, not really. Ayoko nga kasi siyang dalhin sa bahay dahil baka magkagulo. Mom brought it up over lunch after I got home from Paris nung nag-uusap kami tungkol sa family dinner namin with the rest of the De Villa. I played with the idea but turned her down in the end.

Hassle, e. Baka lalong mainis yung boys. It was too soon.

That was, until Dad himself asked me to bring him. I couldn't say no to him.

So come the second week of summer vacation, the whole De Villa family met my boyfriend. Racel was courteous and my aunts and uncles loved him right away. Masaya din siyang maipakilala nang matino sa pamilya. It took heavy loads from his shoulders, sabi niya. Though yeah, ayun nga. My cousins were being flat out rude by completely ignoring his presence. And my brother, Kuya Jacob, he was stiff and broody the whole night. There were brief nods to acknowledge each other, but he was mostly glaring at the two of us. Like he was silently threatening Racel na 'wag niya akong lolokohin.

That cheered me up. Kasi kahit na hindi kami maayos, he was still looking out for me. Tama sina Angelo, Kael, at Lhyle. He was mad but he's still my brother.

Not everyone was an asshole though. Kuya Andrei engaged him in a rather long conversation about cars and adventures. Sina Kuya Travis at Kuya Chris naman ay kinausap din siya, pero mostly tungkol sa career at academic path na gusto niyang kunin after graduation.

It was worth it. Seeing him with my family, I couldn't help but form this tiny hope na magkakaayos din ang lahat. Na someday, matatanggap din siya ng boys kagaya ng pagtanggap ko sa kanya.

#

Another good side to going out in the open was we got permission to date anytime. Well, actually, not anytime. Dad imposed a curfew on me. Bawal daw akong umuwi ng past ten kapag si Racel ang kasama ko. Just like what any ordinary Dad would say.

Racel kept to the curfew all the time. Minsan nakakatawa na nga dahil he fretted over it much more than me. Minsan kahit eight pa lang, hinahatid na niya ako kahit na late naman kami nagkita talaga. It was endearing.

Since Dad saw how genuine he was, we were finally allowed to have a midnight roadtrip. Biglaan lang 'yon. Racel suddenly showed up at my place around eleven, bringing take-outs. My favorite. Burger and sundae. He just got home from a basketball match with his team kaya ginabi na siya. Dapat ay sa tapat lang ng bahay kami mag-uusap but Dad saw us and gave permission to go somewhere, provided we would be prudent in our decisions.