CHAPTER 3
1558 Words
ILANG menuto pa bago kami nakarating sa aming pupuntahan.
Tumingin ako sa labas at parang nanliit ako bigla. Sobrang laki at garbo ng bahay na ito. Hindi ko nga alam kung dapat ba itong tawaging bahay o palasyo. Naglalakihang bintana na halos makita mo ang ganda ng loob kung saan may ruong napakagandang chandelier, merong fountain sa labas at napakalawak ang na dedesenyuang hardin na nakapaligid sa bahay.
Nawili ako sa pag obserba na hindi ko namalayan na nakalabas na pala si Sir. Miller at pinagbuksan na ako ng Pinto.
"Just go with the flow. Sabayan mo lang sila and agree on everything that I'm going to say." sabi nito sa akin na nilagay ang aking kamay sa kanyang braso para alalayan ako papuntang pintuan ng kanilang bahay.
"Paano kung may tanungin sila na hindi ko alam?" kinakabahan kung sabi.
"Smile and change the topic. They'll know that you don't want to talk about it so they're not gonna push it and..." he stop walking and looked at me. "calm down, they don't bite." ngiti niyang maliit sa akin.
Wow. He smiled. Unang beses ko siyang nakitang nakangiti na malamitan. Parang hinihipnutismo ako ng maliit niyang ngiti. Nagising nalang ako ng mag patuloy na siyang maglakad.
"Pano kung di nila ako magustuhan?" hindi ko namanalayan na nasabi ko ang katagang yuon. Nakita ko ang gulat sa mga mata niya. "Nevermind" I said and just lower my gaze and continue walking, walking faster than him.
I WAS shocked when she said those words, it was like a deja vu. Why do I keep seeing her on this woman? They are clearly different from each other...and she's dead.
'Pano kung hindi niya ako magustuhan?' f**k.
I continue walking and guide her through the front door where I can see that my Mom is looking at us.
"Hijo you came!" my mother glee then she came to me and hug me after that she looked at Aaliyah then looked at me with teasing smile. "You must be my son's girlfriend, welcome to the family darling." She smiled sweetly and hugged Aaliyah.
That's shocking because she never liked the girls I brought before. That's why it's strange that she liked her at just first glance.
"Hello po, Good Evening po Ma'am." she smiled and continue talking. "Happy Anniversary po sa inyo Ma'am."Magalang niyang sabi.
"Oh darling don't call me Ma'am," Mom said while leading us to the dining area where all her amigas are and where other guests are gathering. "call me Mom or Mama Alice" She said that got me shocked.
What the hell? When did Mom let my girlfriends call her Mom? That's first time, even Rose didn't get to call her Mom.
"Hija just call me Auntie. Okay?"
I was about to talk when I heard my Dad.
"My son! You came home!" He shouted and hugged me. When he saw Aaliyah he quickly release me and talked to her. "You must be my daughter-in-law. Welcome to the family! When will I meet my grandchild?" he said.
"Dad! Stop it." I said and lead her to the seat.
"P-po? Ano po..." she looked at me and continue talking. "Wa-Wala pa po kasi kami sa ganun." She said and shyly nod her head.
"Sorry, darling if we scared you out." Mama said and ask us to join the meal already.
"Ma stop harrasing Aaliyah. Wala pa kami sa bagay na yun, Okay?" Humawak ako sa balikat ni Aaliyah at iginiya siya papuntang dinning table.
"Wag mo nalang pansinin yung sinabi ni Papa." I whispered at her and guide her to seat down.
Nakita ko naman siyang naiilang na tumango at dahan dahang umupo.
"Hello Everybody!" A shout that I can already recognize.
"f**k, my friends are here. If you feel uncomfortable to any of them call me. Do you understand?" I said while looking at her intently.
"Okay po Si- Axel." She said and looked around her as if looking if someone heard her call me sir.
"Good." I said then went to get my bunch of idiotic friends.
"HIJA, you can relax. Axel will just settle his friends." Mama Alice said while sitting beside me.
"Sorry po, hindi lang po talaga ako sanay sa mga gantong events. Specially all of you po are wealthy people." maliit kong ngiti sa kaniya.
Tinitigan niya ako ng malalim. "Do you have siblings ba anak?" she casually asked me while sipping at her red wine.
"I have po, she just graduated from senior high and planning to take business administration as her college course." I proudly said.
"You must be proud of her" ngiti netong sabi na nakatingin parin sa akin.
"I am po. She gives me motivation to work harder, so that I can give her a better future."
"That is so nice anak. Seeing how you talk about her I know that your sacrifices will be worth it." sabi neto na nagpabasa sa aking mga mata.
Bago pa ako mapaluha ng tuluyan ay sinabihan niya na akong kumain at umalis papunta sa kaniyang asawa.
NOISY ass people. "Seriously Ethan? Do you really have to shout." I annoyingly said while approaching them.
"What? We're attending a joyous event." He said while smirking.
"Jackass, stop it." Devin said while heading toward my father. "Congratulations Uncle. 35 years huh." Greeting my father.
"Of course. I am a Man, whose only goal is to keep his wife's happy." My father said proudly.
"Is that the secret of marriage?" Phoenix ask him after greeting him.
"Yes, my boy. In order for you to have an amazing marriage life you need to keep your wife happy no matter what. If she wants you to support her, then support her. If she wants you take time off for her, do it. A happy wife is a Happy life, and in order for that to happen you need to make sacrifices."
"Sacrifices huh" Zane said while looking intently.
"Come on let's go to my wife." My father said dragging Phoenix and Zane with him.
"Dude, I saw how you look at Nix when he asked your father a question. I know that it still pains you about what happen, but it wasn't his fault." Ethan said.
"I know, I just can't help sometimes to get angry at him." I said
"I know dude. Just" he paused. "be easy on him. I feel like he's killing himself nowadays." He said seriously.
"I will." I said while roaming my eyes towards the crowd.
"What is he f*****g doing?"
"GOOD Evening Miss" rinig kung sabi sa akin ng lalaking umupo sa tabi ko.
"Good evening too." Sabi kung pabalik.
"I am Phoenix Martinez, Axel's friend. You are?" Sabi nito na nilalahad ang kamay.
"Aaliyah Scott, Nice to meet you." Sabay abot ng kaniyang kamay.
"And how are you related to Axel?" Kyuryosong tanong neto.
"Ahm, I am his girlfriend." Mahina kong sabi. Tama lang na sabihin ko na girlfriend niya ako dahil baka may makarinig na hindi ay malalagot pa ako.
"Huh. Interesting." Seryoso nitong sabi. "He has a type. Nice. Or was he also reminded of someone else."
Nag taka naman ako sa sinabi neto. Reminded of someone else? Ako? Naaalala nino?
Bago pa ako makatanong ay biglang may humigit sa bewang ko upang mapatayo ako. Pag katingin ko ay si Axel lang pala.
Mukha itong seryosong seryoso at handa nang bumuga ng apoy. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Malalim netong tanong kay Phoenix
"What? I'm just talking to your girlfriend." Sabi neto na seryoso na ding nakatingin kay Axel.
"What ever you're thinking stop it already. She's not her." Sabi ni Axel na nag bigay tanong muli sa isipan ko.
Sinong her? Ano bang nangyayari at puro her sila. Sino ba yang her na yan.
"I wasn't though. Were you?" Nang hahamong tanong neto pabalik.
"You." Aamba na sana si Axel ng pigilan ko siya.
"Axel tama na. Marami ng tumitingin sa gawi natin." Bulong ko dito.
"Oh well, I'm going to enjoy your bar now." Sabi bigla ni Pheonix na nagpabaling ng tingin ko muli sakaniya. "See you around Aaliyah." Ngiti nitong sabi at umalis.
"Don't talk to him. Not when I'm not around, do you understand?" Seryoso netong tanong sa akin at hinigpitan ang hawak sa bewang ko.
Sasagot na sana ako ng marinig ko ang boses ni Mama Alice "Anak is everything okay?" She said while looking at both us.
Hindi naman sumagot si Axel at nanatiling nakatingin sa akin kaya ako nalang ang sumagot. "Yes po Ma'am, I mean Mama." Ngiti kung sabi.
"We're just about to tell you that we're going ahead." Rinig kong sabi neto na nakatingin na rin sa mama niya.
"Oh, that's okay anak. You take care okay?" Sabi neto na binebeso si Axel. Pagkatapos ay hinila naman niya ako para mayakap.
"I know that you're not really my son's girlfriend but, please take care of him." Bulong neto sa akin habang hinahagod ang aking likod. "I entrust my son on you." Sabi nitong nakangiti at humiwalay ng yakap.
Alam niyang nag papanggap lang kami ni Axel na may relasyon? At ipinagkatiwala niya parin sa akin ang anak niya?
Axel was leading me out of the house when I took a last look at his mother. There I saw her with her husband they nod at me and smile.
- Writer
