Knight in Shining Suit and Tie

IKA-LABINWALONG kaarawan ni Marjorie at punung puno siya nang kalungkotan. Sa halos labindalawang trabahador na nagsisilbi sa magarang mansiyon nila ay wala man lang ni isang bumati sa kanya habang ang kanyang ama ay hindi na naman mahagilap. Ngunit sa katotohanan ay takot siya’t nangangamba tuwing umuuwi ito, hindi niya alam kung darating itong maganda at maaliwalas ang lagay ng loob o kaya’y masama ang timpla at lasing. Ang huli ang pinakaayaw niyang lagay ng ama sa tuwing umuuwi ito sapagkat puro latay, masasakit na salita at walang hanggang palo ang inaabot niya mula rito. Ngayong kaarawan niya ay umaasa siyang maayos ang magiging pakikitungo ng ama sa kanya kahit walang magarbong selebrasyon o regalo. Pero sa katunayan palagi namang walang selebrasyon at mga regalo sa tuwing kaarawan niya kaya nasanay na siguro siya at itinuring na lamang itong isang ordinaryong araw ng buhay niya. Maituturing din na isa sa pinakamayamang angkan ang pinagmulan niya, salamat sa banyagang ama. Kahit ganoon man ay hindi niya naranasang maituring na prinsesa maliban na lamang noong bagong silang siya hanggang sa maglimang taong gulang siya, noong mga panahong buhay pa ang kanyang lolo’t lola na nag-aruga sa kanya. Sa kasamaang palad namatay sa plane crash ang mga ito noong magbabakasyon sana sa America. Ang kanyang ina naman ay hindi niya nasilayan buong buhay niya dahil namatay ito sa pagsilang sa kanya. Sa tingin ng iba masaya siya dahil maraming pera ang pamilya niya, nakatira siya sa mansiyon at mamahalin lahat ng suot at gamit niya pero ang lahat ng ito’y balewala sa kanya kung hindi naman siya masaya at hindi man lang naramdaman at mararamdaman pa ang salitang pag-aaruga at pagmamahal. “Marjorie!” rinig niya ang malakas na boses ng ama at bugkaw pa nito ang pangalan niya. Linukob siya ng takot dahil ramdam niyang nakainom ito at mukhang hindi maganda ang mood. Agad niyang sinalubong ang pagdating nito at baka mas lalong sumama ang timpla nito at magalit niya ng todo. “Ano po iyon, Papa?” malumanay at mahina ang boses niyang tanong dito ng mapagbuksan niya ng pintuan. Tinulak siya nito dahilan upang mapaupo siya sa sahig, napadaing siya sa sakit na naramdaman sa sama nang bagsak ng kanyang puwet. Pumasok ang ama niya sa sala at hindi man lang pinansin ang ginawa nito. Naupo ito ng pasalampak sa sofa at tumingin sa kanyang gawi. “Kumuha ka ng alak sa mini bar ko. Ngayon na!”utos nito atsaka bumaling sa ibang direksiyon ang mga mata. Nagmadali siyang tumayo at naglakad papuntang mini bar ng ama at kumuha sa rack ng paborito nitong alak. Bumalik siya sa sala at nadatnan ang ama na lumuluha habang nakatingin sa larawan ng kanyang ina mula sa hawak nitong lumang picture frame. Pati siya ay nanubig ang mga mata ngunit pinigil niyang tuloyan itong tumulo dahil tiyak na magagalit ang ama niya. Lumapit siya dito at marahang inilapag sa mesita sa harap nito ang dalang alak. Doon lamang nito napansin ang kanyang presensiya. Nagulat siya nang marahang haplusin nito ang kanyang mukha at patuloy na lumuluha’t hawak pa rin ang larawan ng kanyang yumaong ina. “Kamukhang kamukha mo talaga si Sonia,” tukoy nito sa pangalan ng ina niya. “Ngunit hindi ko alam kung bakit masakit pa rin sa akin na tanggapin ka. Mas pinili ka niyang buhayin kaysa ang sarili niyang buhay,” dagdag pa nito bago unti unting humagulhol. “Umalis ka na sa harapan ko kung ayaw mong makatikim ng latay mula sa’kin,” saad ng ama na nag-alarma sa katawan niya’t lumayo siya agad dito. Dali-dali siyang tumakbo sa hagdan at umakyat sa kanyang silid. Halo halo ang nararamdaman niyang mga emosyon ngayon, hindi na lamang kalungkotan pero may halong kaba, takot at galit. Galit siya hindi sa ama ngunit sa sarili, sana siya na lang ang namatay at hindi ang kanyang ina baka sakaling masaya ngayon ang kanyang ama at hindi ganito kamiserable. Wala siyang nagawa kung hindi ang umiyak na lamang hanggang sa siya’y mahimbing. “HIJA! Marjorie! Nakikiusap kami huwag kang aalis, alam mong magwawala sa galit si Sir Benedict kapag nalaman niyang naglayas ka,” pangungumbinsi sa kanya ni Manang Florr, ang mayordoma ng mansiyon. Hindi niya pinansin ang pakiusap ang ginang at patuloy lamang siya sa pag-eempake. She already made her decision. Once and for all, she’s going to do something selfish for herself. Alam niyang sa pag-alis niya ay marami siyang maiiwan, una ang kanyang pag-aaral sa kolehiyo, ikalawa ang pamamahala sa kanilang mansiyon at ikatlo ang kanyang mapangabusong ama. But she already think about it and doing this is for her own sake. “Walang kahit na sino ang pwedeng pumigil sa akin ngayon, manang. Halos araw araw palaging lasing kung umuwi si Papa at lagi akong may pasang nakukuha sa kamao niya. Manang, para sa akin din ito, dalawampung taon ang tiniis ko mula sa pagmamalupit ni Papa at ngayon na siguro ang panahon na gumawa naman ako ng paraan para sa ikabubuti ko,” she explained herself. Hindi nakaimik ang ginang at pinanuod na lamang ang kanyang pag-eempake. Matapos niyang mailagay lahat ng kanyang gamit sa dalawang maleta at isang bagpack walang paalam na lumabas siya ng kanyang silid at bumaba sa sala kung saan laking gulat niya’t nadatnan niyang nakaupo sa sofa ang kanyang ama habang mukhang malalim ang iniisip. He looks not drunk today and he’s in his right mind not to hit his own daughter. “So? You’re leaving?” he asked not even looking at her. “Yes and no one can stop me right now. And I know that you know my reason for leaving, Papa,” she answered with her chin up and body relaxed. She’s relax because she knows very well he won’t hit or hurt her today. “Okay, do as you pleased. But do not expect anything from me from now on,” he stated like she’s just somebody and she doesn’t came from his own flesh and blood. “I already know about that and thank you for not hitting me for the last chance that you have,” huling mga katagang lumabas sa labi niya bago siya tuloyang lumabas ng mansiyon at ipasok ang mga dala niya sa nakapark niyang kotse sa labas ng gate. Sa huling pagkakataon sinipat niya ang magarang mansiyon kung saan wala siyang maalalang maganda o masayang karanasan na babaonin sa kanyang pag-alis. She wiped away the tears that fell down on her cheeks as she wiped out the bad memories she’s about to reminisce on her head. She started her car’s engine and stared for another second on the hellish mansion before she drove off. CALUM was busy reading his secretary’s report for the monthly financial expenditures of the Carrick estate. He didn’t even notice his mother entering the room carrying a tray of snack. “Darling, please take a break so you could rest for a while. You’ve been working since five in the morning. Aren’t you tired of all the chores?” his mother asked with so much concern. “Mom, I’m sorry I can’t. Malapit ko nang matapos ang pagbabasa ng financial report ni Jamie. Then after this I will have to check the horses at my farm.” Yes, he can speak Filipino not just as fluent as his Fil-Am mother but still he persuaded his mom before to teach him until he learned the language and use it to talk with her or to some Filipino foreign employees and strangers he met. Aside from Filipino, he knows English, French, Scottish and a little of Latin as well. “Kahit kaunting minutong pahinga lang anak,” pakiusap nito sa kanya at marahang inilapag sa ibabaw ng kanyang mesa sa tabi ng mga binabasa niyang papeles ang dala nitong tray. His mom brought him a vegan sandwich and brewed coffee. He lifted his head and saw his mom smiled sweetly at him, he return the favor. He then drop the paperworks from his hand and took the cup from the tray then he sip from the best brewed coffee ever, made by his mom. He really has to say or admit perhaps that nothing tastes better and delicious than his mom’s cooking. “I am already twenty-five and instead of me taking care of you from now on but it’s still you who takes care of me. Thanks for taking care of me Mom,” he again lifted his eyes on her and found her teary-eyed but still managed to smile. “It’s my duty since your father died six years ago. I had to see to it that you and Reginald are in good health and happy,” she replied. Speaking of which, his younger brother Reginald Martin Scott never wants to manage the Carrick estate with him but chose to live in the city and became a tennis star-player. They let him do what he wants leaving him behind and sacrificing his own dream. And after a month or so Reginald will be tying the knot with some countryside woman who happens to be Reginald’s assistant. “And I can’t believe that brother of mine will be marrying soon. He’s just twenty-three Mom but you still let him,” he brought up the topic so he can convince his mother to at least talk to his brother to wait until he’s fully ready to start a family. “I know son, but I can see and I can feel that the couple are truly in love with each other so why not? They can still learn and grow even if they are already married,” she reasoned out. He only gave a sigh as a reply. After some time of talking to her with some other matters he finally rested his body for a bit and decided to dismiss his mom and continue working. He still has so much to do after this that’s why he needs to hurry up. He will have to check the horses, check the vegetables and fruits on the southern part of his estate and to see to it that his businesses are running well. THE SUN’S rays are glowing bright and it’s making it too hot already even before the afternoon came. But still Calum didn’t stop from ploughing the land while he let his farmers to rest and shed theirselves off from the heat. He got used to it even his employees, him treating them very well and sometimes spoiling them whenever he had the chance and them receiving such a blessing when they were rejecting it before but he insist. “Calum! Stop working under the sun and eat with us. Now!” he heard his mother’s authority and he withdraw himself from ploughing and jump off the tractor. He confidently paraded his already tanned skin because he always work with his shirts off. His mom handed him a towel and a new shirt. “Take some shirts on so you won’t damage your skin, please darling,” she pleaded with much concern on her tone. “Okay, fine. I will Mom,” he agreed wiping all his sweats and after he finally dried himself he then put on the shirt. “Come on and let’s eat. We brought luncheon meal.” He followed his mother walking near the farmers who are setting the table with the maids whom his mom with. “You’re working very hard, Your Grace. Maybe that’s the reason why you haven’t think of looking for a lady who’s suitable to be your wife,” one of the farmers suddenly opened the topic. He looked at him and laughed, “That’s just a waste of time. Look!” he pointed out the wide farm which is just an inch part of his estate. “There are so much work and flourishing to do, my estate should come first before anything else,” he retorted. “But, Darling…” his mom handed him a bottle of water before she continue talking, “Devan is right. You should look for a wife now, aside from I am already getting old and needs to pass the throne as Countess I am also wishing to have a grandchild soon.” “Then wait for Reginald and his wife’s offspring, Mom. They’ll produce one soon, maybe their long honeymoon will do give you what you wish for,” he replied and drink up all the water before giving the empty bottle back to his mom. He can see disappointment from her eyes but he ignored it. This is not the only time this topic was brought up and he manage to escape the talk again. He is not planning on getting married for now. Not until he finally searched the woman he is looking for. He knows that she’s just somewhere over the rainbow and is waiting to be found. And he wants that woman to be very special to him before deciding to make her his wife.