All Over Again

Chapter 7: Family Affair

Venice's POV

Haayyy.. It's just one thing after another. Is it "shock-Venice-out-of- her-mind" day today? -__-

I looked over at Jerwin, na tahimik na nag-ddrive sa tabi ko. Parang kanina lang, akala ko matatahimik na ang buhay ko kahit hanggang mamayang gabi na lang. Pero hindeeee, kailangan talagang hanggang sa kadulu- duluhan ng araw ko, maki-extra tohng taong toh.. T-T

Anyway, tulad ng napag-usapan kanina, after ng engagement ring shopping, binaba ako sa school ni Mrs. Santos -- ay, TITA Merryl na raw pala ang itawag ko sa kanya..

So, naka-attend pa ko ng dalawang klase ko at paglabas ko ng last class ko, nahagilap ko pa ang dalawa sa support systematics ko: ang long-time best friend kong si Sheena, at ang malanding baklang breast friend ko na si Kenny..

Tumingin uhlet ako kay Jerwin, who's still silently driving.. Although hinde naman masyadong tensed ung atmosphere, tensed pa rin..

Haayyy.. I guess, I can't blame my friends for reacting the way they did nung nakita nila si Jerwin...

----- Fashback -----

Sheena: Ano 'yan?? Nakaw mo??

Kenny: Pwet ng baso?

Nilapit nila ung mga mukha nila dun sa singsing ko as I tried to explain na it's the real thing -- real diamond sya.. As in sparkly shimmering diamonds.. Pero syempre, knowing me at ang kawawang wallet ko, hindi naniwala ung dalawa..

Ako: Anoh ba?!? Diamond ring nga yan.. At hindi niyo ba nakikita kung nasaang finger sya nakasuot!??

Sheena: Oh, ano, you're engaged?

-___-

Brrrrr!!! Nakakakilabot talaga marinig ung term na "engaged"!! Ever!

Napansin yata nung dalawa ung sudden silence ko at bigla silang napatigil sa paglalakad, with their faces like this ? OoO

Ako: *sigh* Yes, it's true.

Sheena: Oh my golay!!! Kelan pa?!? Saan?!? KANINO?!?!?

Kenny: Naunahan mo pa ko?!?!

Sheena: (tingin kay Kenny) Bakla, kahit sino naman, mauuna pa talaga syo 'no.. Pero! AKO?!?! (biglang tingin sa'kin) Naunahan mo pa AKO?!?!

Kenny: At sino naman yang lalaking 'yan na bigla-bigla na lang nag- aappear!??!

We stepped out of the school gates just as I was summing up all my courage to blurt out Jerwin's name. Pero bago pa ko makasagot, biglang lumipad ung atensyon nung dalawa dun sa shiny, black expensive-looking pick-up truck na naka-park sa may tabi at lalo pang nawala ang atensyon nila sa'kin nung nag-step out ang driver nung mamahaling sasakyan..

I know.. may ADD ang mga kaibigan ko. Though I can't blame them for getting distracted. Kahit na natatakpan ng mala-langaw nyang sunglasses yung mukha ni kuya, pagtayo pa lang, nakakalaglag underwear na si kuya driver.

"Venice, where have you been? Kanina pa ko naghihintay dito."

Ay! Kinakausap ako nung langaw?!?!?

Naramdaman kong bumalik sa'kin ung tingin nung dalawa, as I watch kuya driver walk towards me..

Sino ba toh at feeling close? Kanina nya pa raw ako hinihintay.. -___-

Nung sobrang lapit na ni kuya, dun ko lang na-realize na malamang lang talaga, may kung sinong engkanto dyan na gustong makita kung gano ako katagal bago atakihin ng panic attack.. O.O

Kenny: Sino yan?? O_O

Tumigil sa harap namin si Kuya, looking at me, and then at Kenny and Sheena..

He smiled, na parang nanunukso na:

"Sige naa~ Pakilala mo na ko~ "

Bubwit. -__-

Ako: Uh, Sheena, Kenny... This is my.. m-my.. (T-T) fiancé... Jerwin..

Jerwin: Hi!

Ang mokong, hindi pa natuwa sa shocked expressions ng mga kaibigan ko, talagang tinanggal nya pa ung sunglasses nya at dinazzle pa ng mukha nya ung dalawa!

Syempre, starstruck to the bone cells sina Sheena at Kenny, nag- hyperventilate nung nakita nilang si Jerwin Santos -- THE Jerwin Santos -- ang nakatayo sa harap nila.

Hanggang sa nag-bye bye na kame ni Jerwin, tulala at hindi pa rin nakapag-construct ng buong sentence sina Sheena at Kenny.. Feeling ko lang, bobombahin nila ng tawag ang telepono ko mamaya..

-___-

----- End of Flashback -----

Haaayyyy...

Napatingin ako sa labas and dun ko lang na-realize (alam ko, may pagka-slow ako), hindi nag-ddrive si Jerwin papunta sa bahay ko. O_O

On the contrary, malayo kami sa kalsada papunta sa bahay ko...

Ako: San tayo pupunta?

Jerwin: We're going to my house.

Ako: WEH?!? AT BAKIT?!??!

Jerwin: But of course, my fiancée should meet my manager and my sister.

Ako: Feel na feel mo talaga 'tong gulo na 'toh 'no?!?

Jerwin: Relax ka lang dyan. Kung masyado kang stressed, you really won't see the irony and amusement of this situation.

Hindi na ko nagsalita dahil natakot ako na pag nag-react pa ko, baka makapatay ako ng tao nang wala sa oras.

Abah! Hindi bagay ang beauty ko sa kulungan 'no! At pano na lang ako mabubuhay kung papatayin ko si Jerwin habang nag-ddrive?!? Hinde naman ako marunong mag-drive!

After ilang minutes, we eventually ended up in the house I woke up in that morning...

Kasumpa-sumpa dahil dito nagsimula ang lahat! T-T

Jerwin parked in front of the main door, and I saw a middle aged man immediatey running towards him. Bumaba kaming dalawa ni Jerwin, and he gave the car keys to the man.

Ako: Sino un?

Jerwin: That's the family driver, Mang Ponce. He's gonna put my truck in the back.. Now c'mon.. Let's go inside..

Ako: Do I have to? Hintayin na lang kita dito.. T_T

Jerwin: Sira ka ba? Eh ikaw nga ang hinihintay ng mga tao..

Ako: But I don't want tooooo~ T-T

He suddenly grabbed my hand and practically dragged me papasok nung bahay. At, trying hard not to scream and yell, talagang with all my might, kinokontra ko ung paghila nya..

Jerwin: (hila sa'kin) Seriously! How can someone with your size have so much strength!??!

Ako: (hila pabalik) It's called adrenaline rush!

Jerwin: Well, tell your adrenaline to cut it out coz we have to go inside!

Ako: Ayokooooo~!!!

"Aren't you two a picture of energy?"

Sa pagkagulantang ko nung may biglang nag-appear sa doorway, napatigil ako bigla sa pag-oppose ko kay Jerwin..

Syempre, nung nawala ung opposing pull, paghila ni Jerwin sa'kin -- and talagang hinila nya ko with force! -- lumipad kaming dalawa!

Ako: Aw Aw Aw.. >__<

O.O

Jerwin fell on his rear, and I landed. RIGHT.ON.TOP.OF.HIM. At parang daga na nahuli ng pusang naglalaro sa living room, lightning

speed din ang pag-rolyo ko away from Jerwin. =__=

PAK!

Jerwin: AW! What did you do that for?!?!?!

Ako: What in the world were you thinking?!?!

Jerwin: You were the one who suddenly stopped pulling!

Ako: Eh bakit ka pa nanghila?!?

Jerwin: How was I supposed to know you were gonna stop resisting!??!

"Hahahahahaha!! "

Oh geez.. I completely forgot about the girl standing dun sa doorway -- and she's now hysterically laughing at us. -__-

Lalo tuloy akong napapahiya.

Ano ba namang araw 'toh?!?

I slowly helped myself up, the same time na tumayo si Jerwin at pinagpag ung pantalon nya. I couldn't resist lang naman, so, when he looked up to look at me, I stuck out my tongue.

Jerwin: Wha-!? What are you?!? Six?!?

Ako: BEHHH!!!

Jerwin: Aishh.. (turned to the young girl) Jean! When will you stop laughing!?

Jean: Hahahahaha!!! Sorry, Kuya.. It's just... You two looked so ridiculous!

-__-

Ako: Who is she and why is she still laughing at me?

-__-

Jean: Oh! Sorry..

The girl stopped laughing, pero malaki pa rin ung ngiti sa mukha nya. She walked over to where me and Jerwin were standing.

Jean: I'm your future sister-in-law, ate. My name is Jeanette but you can call me Jean.

Ako: Oh, hi, Jean.

"Sister-in-law"?!?!?

Jean immediately linked her arm around mine, and walked me papasok nung bahay nila. Jerwin followed us with an unmistakable amused look on his face. We walked straight to the dining room where I saw Tita Merryl setting out what looks like expensive plates and on the counter, nakaupo ang isang middle-aged man na aura pa lang, nakaka-intimidate na.. He seems busy looking at his laptop, hanggang sa narinig nya nang pumasok kame..

Jean: Hey, dad, look! She's here!

"Dad"!?! Wait!!! Akala ko ba "manager and sister" ang makikilala ko tonight?!

The middle-aged man turned to look at us, and kahit anong gentle nung features nya, ayy my gulay, panakot pa rin kasi ang stern nung expression nya nung tinignan nya ko!

Ako: (bulong kay Jerwin) I thought you said I was meeting your manager??!

Jerwin: Yea. Didn't you know?? My manager is my father.

I knew this can still get worse. T-T

Mr. Santos: I see. So you're the girl my wife decided to marry my son off.

Tita Merryl: Ay, ano ka ba naman, Ray. Don't scare her off like that. Ngumiti ka naman. Oo nga! Wag ka naman manakot!

Mr. Santos: I'm not scaring her off.

He looked at me up and down examining my every feature--at hindi raw sya nananakot... T^T

Teka lang!!! If -- IF --hindi ako magustuhan ni father, hindi ba ibig sabihin nun, ma-bbreak ang engagement na ito?!? I looked at Mr. Santos again. Mukha syang strict businessman, walang

nonsense-nonsense. He might actually come to my advantage!

Jean: What do you think, dad? Doesn't Venice look perfect for kuya?

Manahimik kang bata ka. Wag mong kontrahin ang dasal ko!

Mr. Santos: I see. So you've won over Jean..

Ako: Eh?

And then.. And then.. he SMILED!!!

He actually smiled! Na-feel kong biglang nag-c***k ang light of hope ko!

Mr. Santos: I'm actually grateful to you. After more pictures came out from that night, I can't think of any better way to cover Jerwin's

reputation from the harsh speculation of the media..

I knew it!!! There it goes, ang kaisa-isang ilaw ng pag-asa ko.. namatay dahil lang dun sa sinabi na un ni Mr. Santos.. T-T.

Wait.. more pictures?!?

Ako: More pictures po?

Mr. Santos: You haven't seen them yet?

He faced the laptop towards me and Jerwin. Kami naman, napatakbo to look kung ano pa bang skandalo ang lumabas naman ngayon and yep, there.. Pictures.. More pictures from the night before, this time, nasa parking lot na..

OoO

Ako: (pointed at one photo) What were you doing?!?!?

In one of the picture, from the angle nung camera, it looks like... it looks like Jerwin and I were kissing..

Jerwin: Hey! It's not what it looks like, okay?!? This was probably when I was trying to open the door.... Although, it really does look like I'm

kissing you... ha..

Ako: "Ha"?!? Anong "ha"?!? Do you understand what people will think when they see this?!

Jerwin: Yea, sure.. Jerwin Santos, kissing mystery lady or something like that.

Adik ba sya?!? Bakit ang calmado nya pa rin!?

Tita Merryl: Di ba, Ray? I told you they get along well.

Mr. Santos: Yes, I can see that.

Jean: (talon sa tabi ko) So, ate, are you going to sleep here again tonight?

O_O

Baliw ba lahat ng tao sa pamilyang 'toh?!?!