"Uncle?" Medyo nanginginig ako habang hawak ang phone sa tenga ko, "Are you busy?"
"Why, Medel?" he said on the other line. "Did you cause trouble again?"
I sighed. "Uncle..."
"Nasaan ka? Didiretso ako dyan," sabi nya, at nagpaalam na pagkatapos kong t kung nasaan ako.
Bumalik ako sa kinaroroonan ng mga kaibigan ko. There were some police cars and policemen around, negotiating with my friends. It's past 11 in the evening, tumakas pa naman ako sa bahay para lang makasama sa gala ngayon naming magkakaibigan, but while I was test driving Geron's car, nawalan ako ng preno at muntik na akong mahulog sa bangin kasama ng kotse niya. Buti na nga lang at binuksan ko agad ang pinto para makaalis ako. I've got the devil's luck maybe.
"I'm sorry," I told Geron who's heading my way after talking to the policemen, "I trashed your car so badly."
"No, it's fine," sabi niya, giving me a very reassuring smile, "Let's just be thankful na no one's hurt. We can always buy a new car, but we can't find a new Medel anywhere."
I laughed bitterly. I'm very sure na sirang-sira ang kotse nya ngayon dahil sa lalim ng pinaghulugan nito.
And my parents are going to be so angry at me for sneaking out and causing trouble again, leaving me no choice but to call Uncle Chrollo.
"Medellin," I heard a voice behind me at ang paghawak sa balikat ko. I saw Uncle Chrollo and I rushed to get to him.
After telling him the situation, iniwan nya muna ako kasama ng iba kong kaibigan at siya ang nakipag-usap sa mga pulis.
"Who's that, Medel? Your boyfriend?" tanong sa akin ni Mina. Lumapit rin sa akin si Penny na mukhang kanina pa ring kating-kating tanungin ako. "Oo nga, sino 'yun?"
"Baliw kayong dalawa, si Uncle Chrollo 'yan," I told them. "Didn't I tell you about him before?"
Nanlaki ang mata nilang dalawa pareho, "Really? He's that Uncle Chrollo you're talking about? Base sa mga descriptions mo sa kanya dati, I didn't expect na your Uncle looks like a whole fine meal! He's really handsome!"
I rolled my eyes. Uncle Chrollo just gained another fangirl.
"Ilang taon na siya? Anong work niya? Is he taken?"
I was about to answer nang biglang dumating si Uncle Chrollo kasama si Geron at lumapit sa akin. "Let's go home."
Nagtaka naman ako sa sinabi niya. Tumingin ako sa likuran niya at nakangiti lang si Geron. The policemen are still there, maybe they are still trying to figure out kung paano makukuha ang car.
Tumayo ako sa kinauupuan ko. Is it really okay to leave now?
Nagsalita si Geron, "Umuwi na muna tayong lahat."
After thanking Geron and telling him my apologies, sumakay na ako sa kotse ni Uncle Chrollo.
While he was driving, tingin ako nang tingin sa direksyon niya. Kating-kati na kasi akong magtanong sa kanya kung anong ginawa niya o kung anong sinabi niya sa mga pulis para hayaan akong umalis sa kabila ng aking reckless driving incident.
"Don't worry about it," he said.
"Pero 'yung kotse ni Geron, Uncle?" O asked. "Paano ko babayaran? I'm still in college. Wala pa akong pera para palitan iyon."
"Hayaan mo na muna 'yon," he told me nang hindi lumilingon sa direksyon ko. "Dadalhin muna kita sa inyo and we'll talk about this tomorrow."
"No, Uncle!" I said, raising my voice. "I don't want to go home! Doon na lang muna ako sa bahay mo."
"Medel, I'm sure that you sneaked out again. Umuwi ka na bago malaman ng parents mo ang nangyari ngayon."
Hindi ako nagsalita. Tumingin lang ako sa bintana.
"Why the hell are you pouting?" he asked. "I'm doing you a favor right now, troublemaker."
"Ayaw mo lang siguro akong dalhin sa bahay mo kasi may girlfriend ka na Uncle!"
Tumawa lang siya, "I don't have a girlfriend."
"Then give me money!" I said. "And take me to your house!"
"Bakit napasali sa usapan ang pera?" he asked.
"I need you to give me money para maibili ng bagong kotse si Geron. And I don't want to go home right now."
"Work for it," he said. "Anong sinasabi mong bigyan kita ng pera?"
"Give me money!" pag-uulit ko. "I need to buy him a new car! And I don't want to go home!"
"Brat," he said. "I'm going to call your parents at sasabihin kong nasa bahay kita. Please stop giving my sister a headache, you troublemaker."
Hindi na ako nagsalita pagkatapos noon at tumingin na lang sa bintana.
Pagdating namin sa bahay niya ay dumiretso agad ako sa kwarto niya habang ipinapark niya ang kotse. It's been a month simula noong humiwalay sa amin si Uncle Chrollo pagkatapos nyang bumili ng sariling bahay. Apparently, he has his biological parents' riches passed down to him. Pero sa tingin ko, kahit pa hindi niya natanggap ang mga iyon, he'd still be hella rich. I mean, he's really hardworking. And intelligent. And handsome. I was told na inampon nina Lolo si Uncle na anak ng very close friend niya (who's already dead) sa business. Uncle Chrollo is years older than me, though I don't remember his age pero hindi nagkakalayo ang edad naming dalawa. Akala ko pa nga dati, he's my older brother but apparently, he's my mother's younger brother pala.
"Are you hungry?" I heard his voice at nakita ko siyang pumasok sa kwarto. Hinubad niya ang jacket niya at isinampay iyon sa likod ng pinto.
"Uncle, give me money," I said.
Tinaasan niya ako ng kilay, "Hindi ka pa rin tapos dyan?"
"I told you to give me money."
"And I told you to work for it," he said. Work for it? Is he joking? Baka patay na ako, hindi ko pa rin nababayaran ang kotse ni Geron! I trashed a darn Mustang, for god's sake!
"And close your damn legs, lady," he told me kahit nakatalikod siya sa akin. "You're not a child anymore."
"Oops, sorry," I told him at itinikom ang binti ko. I'm wearing a very tight dress na above the knee kaya naman if I sit carelessly, the dress carelessly appears two times shorter too.
"Matulog ka na, I'm just going to take a shower," he said. "You can use any rooms."
Umalis siya sa kwarto with a towel on his shoulder, leaving me so dumbfounded and thinking what should I do to "work for it".