When we got to the dinning room, Alex went to set another place at the
table... that I figured was the honest mistake Jericho was trying to
explain... they only set five plates in the table, discounting me...
Francis was seated at the edge of the table… Jericho on his right…
I, on left… next to me was Paul, then Alex at the other end… and to Alex other
side was Adam…
Jericho was attentive to Francis… putting food on his plate, telling
him that he knows that that was his favorite food or that he should have more
vegetables… And Francis seemed to be enjoying it… Not that I mind…
Jericho and him have not only been once upon a time an item but also were long
time friends, he knows him well… more than I do and that I’m not the kind
of person who does that… if you want something, tell me… or just get it on
your own…
They talked about old times… past trips they took… Goofy stuffs one
or the other have done… A certain Jerry whom Paul was so in love with that
left for the States—not because of him—and they believe why Paul still
can’t commit himself to anyone, not even to Alex… who I understand have
been harboring feeling for him since ever… Paul denies it but even I could
say it was so…
“So what do you do?” Paul asked.
“He have this website you should all check out,” Francis answered
before I could, “Lex is one talented artist and writer…”
“Really… what sort of art do you do?” Jericho asked.
“He writes and design websites…” again, Francis answered, “So
are we drinking after this…?” he asked, changing the subject.
Again, I didn’t mind.
After dinner, I went to start cleaning up as the group went inside the
bedroom, the only spot in the house with airconditioning… Francis said to
leave it and we’ll just do it later… He didn’t insist and just went to
join his friends… Not that I mind, again but…
After doing the dishes, I remembered the things I shopped… there were
things that needed to be refrigerated… and I figured I don’t want to take
any of it home… so I started to stack them… that was when Jericho came out
of the room…
“You came to cook for him,” he said.
I nodded.
“So, you plan to move in here?” he asked.
“No, I have no plans whatsoever…” shaking my head.
“Come on now…” he said, “I can see through you… I know you
want to… this is one nice pad…”
I just looked at him with pity.
“Don’t take me wrong… I think we really could be good friends you
know…” he said.
I doubt it.
“I actually think of you as a friend now…” he said.
He wasn’t fooling me.
“And as a friend, I have one advise to you…” he said, “Francis
is an ego tripper…”
I just looked at him.
“He have this thing… he likes to make people all madly in love with
him… he would do anything just to make you happy… give you pleasure…
make you fall in love for him… until you would no longer want him gone…
until you could no longer live without him… until he knows he have you
wrapped around his fingers… that’s when he drops you like a hot potato…
just like that…” he said snapping his finger.
“Is that what he did to you?” I asked, nonchalantly.
He looked away.
“You have nothing to worry about,” not assuming that he really was
worried about me getting hurt in the end, I was actually pertaining of him
worried about me completely stealing Francis away from him, “I’m not one
to stay…” I left him to step out of the house to smoke.
Paul found me looking at the pool as if watching someone swimming on
it.
“Hey, what you doing here, why don’t you join us inside?” he
asked.
I raised my smoke for him to see.
“Oh, okay… could I bum one?”
I hand him my pack of cigarette and lighter.
“I didn’t have the chance to thank you…” I said smiling at him.
“What for…”
“Last Saturday, you were really good to me…”
“It was nothing… who wouldn’t be nice to you?”
“Jericho, Adam and Alex?” I asked back.
He just smiled, nodding.
“So you and Alex?” I said.
“What about us?” he asked back.
“Nothing…” I said thinking twice, “it’s just that… I know
it’s none of my business but… man, he is in love with you…”
“I didn’t ask him to and that he knows…” he said in monotone.
“I understand… but… I did tell you that I’m in love with
someone else… and that someone doesn’t want me…”
He nodded…
“It the hardest thing to go through… so much hurt… and you know
it’s stupid yet… but you couldn’t help it and that you have no choice but to
hope one day… you hope even if you know that that day won’t ever come… and
that the more you hope the more you’d hurt…”
“I tried…” he just said.
“I understand…” I said then smiled. “So… tell me more about
Jerry… your Jerry…” I teased.
“Well, Jerry is no longer my Jerry,” he said smiling, “he was
mine long ago but not anymore!”
Just in time for Francis to hear emerging from the house and put his
arms around me. Paul looked away. And we, with Francis head resting on my
shoulder, watch the invisible swimmer the pool silently. Moment pass, Paul
excused himself.
“Paul, we should do this often,” I suggested before he could turn
to leave.
He smiled, liking the idea, and nodded.
“You two seemed to be getting along well,” Francis said turning me
to face him.
“Well, he was nice to me…” I said resting my head to his
shoulder.
“See, not all my friends are that bad…” he said.
“I didn’t say they were all bad, I didn’t even say they are
bad…” I answered, “They just don’t like me…”
“Jericho said his sorry na…” he said.
“Well, he should be but I don’t like him either…” I said.
“Lex…” he pleaded.
“Are you requiring me to like your friends?” I asked.
“Hindi naman sa ganun, kaya lang they are my friends…” he said,
“one way or another you're bound to come across each other…”
I kept quiet…
