RIDING MY FATHER-IN-LAW

5

Nakahaplos ang kamay ko sa hubad na parte ng dibdib ni daddy Raphael, at ang kabilang kamay ko naman ay nakapatong sa bandang tiyan niya. Ramdam na ramdam ko ang umbok ng abs nito mula sa malambot na tela ng suot niyang button-up. Alam kong dapat ay inalis ko na ang mga kamay ko at tumayo, pero parang may sariling buhay ito at hinaplos ang bawat matigas na umbok sa tiyan ni daddy Raphael, na parang binibilang ang abs nito. Grabe, ilang oras kaya siya nag-ggym to maintain his well built body?

"What are you doing, Yvonne?" I gasped loudly when I heard his voice, it was low and rough, laced with the weight of sleep, at mababakas mo talagang nakainom ito. Napatingin ako rito, he's now awake and caught me in this embarrassing situation.

"S-Sorry po! Gigisingin sana kita para kumain ng dinner, kaso natisod po ako sa paa ng center table. Masakit yung mga tuhod ko, daddy Raphael, hindi po ako makatayo." Hindi naman iyon pagdadahilan dahil totoong masakit gawa ng pagkakaluhod ko nang matumba.

"Let me see." Tinulungan niya akong tumayo, at bahagya niyang itinaas ang suot kong pencil skirt and checked my knees. "You should be more careful... What if you skinned your knees?" It made my stomach flutter hearing his husky, deep, and unintentionally intimate worried voice.

"Mag-iingat na po ako sa susunod, daddy Raphael. Pasensya na po ulit at naistorbo ko ang pagtulog mo. But dinner's ready na po." Pag-ulit ko sa totoong intensyon ng pagpunta ko rito sa wine cellar.

"I'll be there in a bit." Pagkasabi niya nun ay agad na akong nagpaalam at lumabas ng wine cellar.

Dumiretso ako sa kwarto namin ni Jonathan at agad na nanglambot ang mga tuhod ko at napaupo sa sahig.

"My goodness, ano ba yun? Nakakahiya!" Baka anong isipin ng Father-in-law ko. "At ikaw kung san-san ka dumadapo!" Parang baliw na kinakausap ang sarili ko habang pinalo ang kamay kong nag-landing sa dibdib ni daddy Raphael kanina.

Nagpalit lang ako ng damit at pagkatapos ay bumaba na rin. Pagdating ko sa dining room ay nauna na roon si daddy Raphael, and the maid just served the last dish on the table.

"Is Jonathan not home yet?" Medyo kinabahan ako ng magtanong ito tungkol sa anak niya.

Pasimple kong tiningnan ang suot kong relo, and it's already 7:50PM. Maya-maya ay nandito na iyon.

"He'll be here in a—"

"Good evening, dad." Hindi ko pa natatapos ang sinasabi ko ay biglang dumating na nga ang taong pinag-uusapan namin ni daddy Raphael. "Good evening, hon." Binati din niya ako, at hinalikan sa pisngi tulad ng parati nitong ginagawa kapag umuuwi. Akala ko ay hindi niya gagawin dahil nga sa hindi namin pagkakaunawaan kagabi. "Where's mom?" Nagtataka itong napatingin sa bakanteng pwesto ni mama Amanda.

"Ang sabi ng maid ay umalis na ito for her flight to Romania." Sagot ko sa tanong nito.

"That's today?" Napatingin siya sa dad niya.

"I heard your grandfather's in a hurry for that business expansion in Romania." Sagot ni daddy Raphael.

"I see. If I had known, umuwi sana ako ng mas maaga." Palitan nilang dalawa.

We started eating, exchanged some pleasantries like how's our day, then daddy Raphael and Jonathan talked about the company. A usual topic during meals.

Pinapakinggan ko lang ang pag-uusap nila since hindi naman ako expert when it comes to security firms, ang main business ng Father-in-law ko. And my mother-in-law's family is also involved in real estate kaya nga sila nagkasundo ng family ko. Tumatango-tango lang ako sa pinag-uusapan nila kahit na ang totoo ay wala akong gaanong naiintindahan.

I thought everything was back to normal again since kinakausap naman din ako ng asawa ko and the meal was nice, but after eating at nakabalik na kami sa kwarto naming mag-asawa, he grabbed his pillow after taking a shower, a few of his work clothes and his attaché case.

"San ka pupunta?" Hinarangan ko itong lumabas ng silid namin.

"You'll make a fuss if dad knew you slept in the guest room again. So I'll sleep in my study, and you sleep here in our room." Sagot nya.

"Hindi pa din ba tapos to, Jonathan? I thought we were okay now? Don't tell me it's still about the open marriage you mentioned last night?" Namumuo nanaman ang inis ko.

"You don't understand, Yvonne."

"Ano ang hindi ko maintindihan? That you're ruining our marriage? Oh, yes! Talagang hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit gusto mong masira itong relasyon natin!"

"Hindi naman masisira ang relasyon natin if you'll just try to understand the situation. Ikaw pa din naman ang asawa ko, sayo pa din ako uuwi, ikaw pa din ang babaeng makakasama ko habang buhay, at sayo ko pa din gustong bumuo ng pamilya." Ang sarap pakinggan ng mga sinabi niyang iyon kung hindi lang sana itong open marriage ang hinihingi niya.

"Umamin ka nga sa akin, Jonathan! May ibang babae ka bang nagugustuhan kaya ka nagkakaganyan? May babae kang gustong makakuha ano, so you're convincing me to open our marriage to lessen your guilt that you want to cheat on me!" Bulyaw ko.

"Then what about you, Yvonne? Wala bang ibang lalaki aside from me that you find desirable?" Balik niyang tanong sa akin.

Words that struck my heart like a knife. Pinatunayan lang ng mga tanong niya na may babae na sa isipan niya kaya gusto niyang gawin to. There's a woman he is attracted to, but not attracted enough to let go of our marriage.

"Meron." Diretsong sagot ko. "You know that my business is doing well, and I've worked with a few male celebrities and models..." Last year I started making collections for male customers, and thanks to some help, I was able to get some most sought after male celebrities and young male models as endorsers. "I find them handsome and attractive, nag-iinit pa nga ang pisgi ko at malakas ang kabog ng puso kapag nakikita at nakakausap sila, some models even flirted with me, but never pumasok sa isipan ko to cross the line with them!"

"I'm not talking about celebrities here, because even I have actresses and models I admire. I'm talking about random people around us. Are you not curious?" He argued back.

I want to tell him that I find his dad attractive and handsome, but would I hook up with him? No. Curious? No. Ang babaw ng rason ni Jonathan. Can't we just admire people genuinely and not to s*xualized it?

"No, I'm not curious at all! So stop this nonsense. It will not happen!" Mariin ko pa ring tinanggihan ang suhestiyon niyang gawin namin.

"I can't with you!" Maktol nito at tuluyan na akong nilampasan at lumabas ng kwarto namin.

I'm too exhausted to even stop him. I never thought that this would happen in our marriage, and I don't think it's something we can ever recover from.