My Bride, My Enemy: Iona. (RomCom)

TWO

“I can’t believe you abandoned me like that, Yvo. Kadugo ba talaga kita?” bungad ni Gil as soon as sagutin ni Yvo ang tawag niya, his elder twin brother. Matanda ito nang sampung minuto sa kanya. They were identical that even their parents can’t tell them apart sometimes. Subalit nang pumasok sa showbiz si Gil at makahiligan ni Yvo ang outdoor activities, nabawasan ang pagiging sobrang magkamukha nila. Gil became the pale twin and Yvo was the darker one. ‘Tingin nga niya, sinasadya nitong magbilad sa araw at ibahin ang anyo dahil naiinis ito tuwing mapagkakamalang siya. Nasasagasaan umano ang privacy nito, nakukuyog pa minsan.

Yvo chuckled on the other line. “’Sorry, Gil. You seemed fine.”

“Fine my ass! I barely made it out alive there! Kinailangan ko pang dumaan sa likod at mag-over the bakod para lang makatakas doon.” Hinayaan na lang niya ang kotse na inihimpil niya sa driveway. His car will be safe there.

Tumawa na si Yvo. Mukhang tuwang-tuwa sa kinahinatnan niya. “Why? Did Tonita molested you? Nasaan ka na ba?”

“Hiding. Hindi ko kabisado ang lugar, pero alam kong malapit lang ‘to sa Rosewood.” Nasa isang defeated-looking bar siya, ang nag-iisang bukas na establisyementong namataan niya. Wala siyang choice kundi pumasok doon at magtago nang makita niya ang pamilyar na kotse na papunta sa direksiyon niya kanina. It was his mother’s SUV. Malilintikan siya kapag nakita siya ng ina.

Ah, their mother. The Drama Queen. Kanina, nakatanggap si Gil ng tawag mula rito. Masamang-masama raw ang pakiramdam. Sisinghap-singhap na nga ito sa kabilang linya. Hula niya, inaatake na naman ng asthma. He rushed to their house in Rosewood Ville, worried sick. Only to be greeted by an unpleasant surprise in their living room.

Ang mag-iinang Rosenda, Tonita at Marina Buena ang naroon, kausap ang Mama Camry nila. Naroon na rin si Yvo, kalmadong nakaupo katabi ng ina, the vein on his temple ticking rapidly—a sign that he’s pissed. Napilitan si Gil na lumapit dahil nakita na siya ni Mama Camry. Mayamaya ay nag-excuse si Yvo, magbabanyo raw. Pero hindi na bumalik ang kakambal. And Gil knew he have to make an escape, too. Lalo’t puro kabulastugan na ang nagiging topic ng mga babaeng kasama. A double wedding next year—for the Del Castillo twins and the Buena sisters.

A wedding! With those…those witches! The Hag and her Spawns, iyon ang bansag nilang magkakapatid sa mag-iinang Buena. Gil hated them, lalo na si Rosenda na lantaran kung itulak sa kanila ni Yvo ang mga anak. Rosenda wanted to be part of the Del Castillo family. At sila ni Yvo ang gagawin nitong stepping ladder. He’d rather eat his own liver!

It wasn’t that the Buena sisters were unattractive. They were… fine. Decent hair, pleasant enough faces, even nice hands, if you wanted to be generous. Fine. Gil could live with fine.

What he couldn’t live with was their attitude. Rude. Blunt. Entitled. Feelingera, ‘ika nga ng bunso nilang kapatid na si Flyss. The Buena sisters had a habit of barging into their house as if they already owned the place—ordering the helpers around, nitpicking everything, and starting arguments just because they could.

Once, Gil caught Tonita inside his room, ripping the sheet off his bed. Hindi raw nito gusto ang kulay. Apparently, when they were married, they’d only be using white sheets.

Gil remembered storming to his mother, furious. He knew she was the one who had given Tonita a key to his room. That was also when he discovered her little arrangement with Rosenda, that if he and Yvo still hadn’t found brides before they turned thirty, they’d be married off to the Buena sisters.

“Tonita and Marina will save you from our family’s curse.”

Naggiritan ang mga ngipin niya nang maalala ang pahabol na iyon ng ina. That damn curse. Hanggang kailan ba n’on pasasakitin ang ulo nila?

“Mama’s getting desperate, Gil,” sabi ni Yvo, pulling him from his thoughts. “Hindi ko gusto na napapadalas ang pag-aligid ng mga Buena sa kanya. For all we know, nilalason na nila ang isip ni Mama.”

“Ano ba’ng magagawa natin? Ayaw niyang lumayo sa mga Buena. Kahit kay Dad, hindi siya susunod.”

Hindi naman sa under ang daddy nila pero…parang gano’n na nga. Isa pa, may “utang na loob” daw ang ina nila kay Rosenda Buena. The woman was the reason how their mother met their dad. Ipinakilala umano ang dalawa ni Rosenda sa isang party. But there’s a different side to the story. According to their dad, Rosenda wanted him for herself but Anton Del Castillo doesn’t want anything to do with Rosenda. Hindi nga lang nito kayang prangkahin si Rosenda. Noong ipakilala rito ang Mama Camry nila, he decided to flirt with her. Para ma-turn off si Rosenda. The thing was, nagustuhan daw ng dad nila ang kunwaring pakikipag-flirt sa ina nila. Sa sobrang gusto, nagpakasal ang dalawa three months later. Rosenda was furious ofcourse. Ilang taon nitong hindi kinausap si Mama Camry. Rosenda got married eventually, to an elderly businessman named Josefino Buena. Gumanda ang buhay ni Rosenda pero dala pa rin pala nito ang sama ng loob kay Mama Camry. Guilty ang ina nila, aminadong hindi tama na pinatulan ang dad nila lalo’t alam nitong gusto ito ni Rosenda.

That damn guilt. Iyon talaga ang dahilan kaya hindi nito malayuan ang mga Buena, kaya pumayag ito sa kalokohan ni Rosenda. The hag was using that guilt against their mother. And now she was using her daughters para matupad na ang dating goal nito. Ang maging bahagi ng mga Del Castillo.

“There’s only one way to make that mother and her daughters stop,” Yvo said dryly.

“What? Kidnap them and toss them onto another planet?”

Not that it would help. Even if someone did banish that family to another world, they’d still find a way back. They were filthy rich, probably rich enough to buy their own spaceship. Which made it even more baffling why they kept inserting themselves into the twins’ lives. It wasn’t like they were after the family fortune.

Then what? Katawan nila? Gil cringed with the thought.

“Get ourselves a girlfriend, marry them and live happily ever after.”

Gil snorted. “You know I can’t do that. May kontrata ako.”

“Kontrata,” tuya ni Yvo. “You’d rather die, then, and wound our parents for the rest of their lives?”

The thought of causing pain to their parents made him uneasy. That’ll be the last thing Gil wanted.

“Talaga bang mamamatay tayo next year? Talagang naniniwala kang isinumpa tayo?”

“I don’t know, bro. Ang alam ko lang, hindi tayo puwedeng mamatay. Not yet. Ayokong mag-take ng risk.” Bumuga ito ng hangin. “I was thinking…’tingin mo, dapat ba nating gayahin nag ginawa ni Tim?”

Tim was their first cousin, two years older, and the first to cave in. He’d gotten married two years ago… to a hired bride. Paid her just so he wouldn’t fall victim to the Del Castillo curse.

Ah, that damn curse. The ghost that haunted their family for generations, a parasite feeding on their sanity, their ethics, their logic. Kahit mga resonableng Del Castillo, binabaluktot ng sumpang iyon ang mga paniniwala.

The curse went like this: any member of the Del castillo who remained unmarried at the age of thirty will die on their sleep. Walang konkretong basis ang sumpa, kung saan ito nagmula, kung sino ang nagbigay sa kanila. The elderlies based that on a pattern. Napansin ng mga nakakatanda na ilang beses nang may namatay na Del Castillo habang tulog ang mga ito. And all of them were thirty years old and unmarried.

Doctors called it Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death Syndrome, a genetic condition inherited through the bloodline. But the elders refused to listen. But the elders, with their ancient beliefs and stubborn natures, firmly believed it was a curse. And eventually, even the younger ones came to believe it too.

And though Gil would never admit it out loud, he was afraid too—afraid to die, afraid to lose everything he’d worked for, afraid to leave the people he loved.

Fear is powerful. It can break anyone’s reason.

Gil was skeptical about the curse but like Yvo, he didn’t want to take the risk. Paano nga kasi kung totoo? Hindi pa handa si Gil na iwan ang lahat. Ngayon pa ba kung kailan nakamit na niya isa-isa ang mga pangarap niya? He wanted to savor it, ang mga pinaghirapan niya. At gusto pa niyang tumanda, gusto pa niyang makita ang lahi niya.

Pero hindi pa nga puwede sa ngayon. Hindi siya puwedeng magka-anak o magka-girlfriend man lang. Ni hindi isya puwedeng makipag-flirt sa iba. Bawal.

Ah, the downside of being a celebrity.

Limitado sa ngayon ang kalayaan niya pagdating sa usapang-pag-ibig. Gil was one of the hottest actor in the Philippines, the pride and treasure of his station, the saving grace of his talent agency. Isa siya sa most bankable stars ng AMG Network, top celebrity endorser sa Asya at other half ng sikat na loveteam—ang GilMira. Iyon ang pinakarason kaya hindi siya puwedeng magka-girlfriend. Si Mira soriano lang ang dapat na pagtuunan niya ng atensiyon. Si Mira Soriano lang ang dapat niyang landiin.

Bumalik kay Yvo ang atensiyon ni Gil. “Bakit ba magbabayad ka pa ng magpapakasal sa’yo? Unlike me, may freedom ka para pakasalan ang kahit na sino.” Hindi taga-showbiz si Yvo. Corporate world ang pinili nitong pasukin. Ito ang katu-katulong ng dad nila sa pagpapatakbo ng hotel chains ng angkan nila.

“Ayokong pakasalan ang kahit na sino lang,” seryosong saad nito.

Of course. His twin and his unwavering principles.

“That Marina will never let me go, I swear to you,” dugtong pa ni Yvo.

“No s**t, she won’t,” usal niya. Kung si Tonita ay pakialamera, may sa dikya naman ang kapatid nito. “So now, what? Gagayahin natin si Tim?”

“Pag-iisipan ko pa ulit. Look, I’ve to go. My flight will be in two hours.”

“Flight? Saan na naman ang punta mo?”

“Somewhere. Mag-iingat ka diyan, wherever you are.” Iyon lang at tinapos na nito ang tawag.

Bumuntong-hininga si Gil at ipinatong sa mesa ang aparato. His mind was reeling. Should they really do it? Ang sundan ang yapak ni Timothy? That, o ang ikasal sa babaeng pakialamera.

After a few minutes of thinking, Gil looked around him. The bar was still empty, the music playing over the speakers sounded depressing. Hindi nakapagtataka na walang pumapasok sa lugar. Gil was a bit grateful though, na solo niya ang lugar. May privacy siya kahit paano.

Hinanap niya ang nakitang matandang lalaki kanina. Nasa likod ito ng bar counter, nanonood ng teleserye ng kalabang istasyon nila. Mukhang solid na viewer ng istasyon ang matanda. Maybe that’s the reason why he merely looked at him when he entered his place. Hindi siya nito nakikilala. Good. Because he didn’t want any kind of attention that night. Gusto niyang uminom nang mapayapa. May mini-bar siya sa unit niya pero ayaw niyang umuwi roon. His mother might be there, lalo’t alam nito ang code ng unit niya.

Tinawag niya ang atensiyon ng lalaki para um-order ng maiinom. Isang bote ng whisky, sisig ang pulutan. Naihain na iyon sa kaniya nang maalala niyang hindi niya dala ang wallet niya.

“s**t,” usal niya, luminga sa paligid. Walang ATM. Tinanong niya ang lalaki kung may QR code ito para makatanggap ng digital money. Umiling ito at pinakita sa kanya ang de-keypad na cellphone.

Dinampot uli niya ang cellphone, tinawagan ang personal assistant at pinakiusapang puntahan siya roon.

Nagsimula siyang uminom. Makalipas ang ilang sandali, may pumasok sa pinto. Gil looked up expectantly and thought it was Armie already. Pero dalawang babae ang pumasok at pumuwesto sa mesang nasa likod niya. Gaya ng bar owner, mukhang hindi rin siya nakilala ng mga ito.

Kampanteng sumandal sa kinauupuan si Gil, sipped his drink calmly. One thing he liked about his career was the attention he’s receiving from people. Pero may mga pagkakataon na hinahanap-hanap niya ang katahimikan, ang privacy, ang solitude. Gil was having it that moment inside that bar and he wanted to savor it for now.