TAMED SERIES 1: RIGHAEL SAMANIEGO

Kabanata 16

Margarette

"Mommy, bakit ang dami pong plato?" hindi ko napigilang itanong nang mapansin ko ang setup ng dining table namin ngayong gabi.

Mommy Emma smiled. "We have guests, sweetie. Umuwi galing ng Spain ang kaibigan namin ng Daddy Robert mo kasama ang pamilya niya."

Tiningnan ko ang aking itsura. "Magpapalit po ba ako?"

She scanned me and gave me a nod. Ngumiti naman ako't nagpaalam na magbibihis ng mas maayos na damit. I fixed my hair, too and made sure I look presentable. Alam kong sopistikada ang mga kaibigan nila. Ayaw ko naman silang mapahiya dahil lang hindi maayos ang pananamit at itsura kong haharap.

Nang bumaba akong muli matapos makapagbihis ay naroon na ang mga bisita. Daddy Robert introduced me to the couple, but after hearing my name, I noticed that our guests looked at each other as if my name was enough to erase the smiles on their faces.

"P-Pardon?" anang ginang na tingin ko ay kaedaran lamang ni Mommy Emma.

I glanced at Rig. Napansin kong gumuhit ang iritasyon at kaunting kaba sa kanyang mukha na tila hindi niya gustong naroroon ang mag-asawa.

Mommy Emma cleared her throat as she held me by my shoulders. "This si Margarette. We adopted her a few years ago."

"Anak ba ito ni Alan . . . Fernandez?" The woman scanned me. "She has a lot of the features seen on the female Fernandezes. Pati ang hugis ng mukha. Totoo ba ang chismis?"

Kumunot ang aking noo. "Ano hong . . . chismis?"

The woman looked at me with a hint of dismay. Kung bakit ay hindi ko alam. Nakita ko pa ang pag-irap niya sa akin bago bumaling Mommy.

"Emma, I hope the rumors are not true. Dahil kung sakali man, I will be very disappointed." Mataray niya akong pinasadahan ng tingin. "I'm sorry but I think we need to go. I cannot eat at the same table with a potential convict."

"Cynthia, walang kinalaman si Margarette sa nangyari. Will you stop?" halatang nagtitimping suway ni Mommy.

The woman gave me a side eye before she took in a sharp breath. "Sana nga totoo rin ang kabutihang ipinakikita mo ngayon, Emma. We know how what happened had destroyed you. If this is all for a show, then I'm gonna be more disappointed. After all, sa'yo na nanggaling. Wala naman siyang kinalaman." Umismid ito. "Kawawa naman pala kung sa kanya kayo gagan--"

"Shut up." Daddy Robert's jaw clenched. "I expected more from you, but if you will ruin the peace in our home, I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

Naiyuko ko na lamang ang aking ulo dahil sa nangyayari kahit na naguguluhan ako nang husto sa mga narinig. Ano ba ang ibig sabihin ng ginang? Why did her mood change with the simple mention of my name? Ano ang sinasabi ni Mommy Emma na hindi ko kasalanan? At bakit ako sinabihang potential convict?

Mommy Emma rubbed my back. "Are you alright?"

I lifted my head to meet her worried eyes. Narinig ko naman ang pagbuntonghininga ni Rig bago umalis nang walang paalam. Dumiretso siya sa main door kaya alam kong aalis ng mansyon, ngunit sa mga sandaling ito ay tila wala akong lakas para intindihin siya.

Pilit akong ngumiti kay Mommy Emma. "Opo." I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. "Ano ho ang . . . ibig nilang sabihin? May nagawa po ba ang Daddy ko sa inyo?"

She smiled as she tucked my hair behind my ear. "Don't mind her. Akala ko ay nagbago na si Cynthia. Looks like some people are hopeless cases."

Tumikhim si Daddy Robert. "Huwag mo nang intindihin ang nangyari, Margarette. Wala kang dapat ikabahala."

Malungkot ko siyang tiningnan. "N-Nasira po ba ng presensya ko ang pagkakaibigan ninyo?"

He shook his head. His eyes were still sharp as if he was so angry but he's trying to compose himself. "No, Marga. We gave them a chance to prove that they'd changed. Kaya lang hanggang ngayon ay nakikialam pa rin sila sa buhay nang may buhay at nag-iisip nang hindi maganda sa kapwa." He sighed. "Sit down and eat. Don't mind Rig either. He probably got pissed with them as well."

Hindi na lamang ako kumibo pa kahit napakaraming tanong na naglalaro sa isip ko. My mind suggests something but I'm too scared to believe it's possible. Kasi baka kung totoo iyon, hindi ko kayanin.

We had our dinner but all of us barely touched our food. Nang natapos kaming kumain ay nagpaalam na akong papanhik na ng kwarto. Hindi naman nila ako pinigilan ngunit napansin kong nagbulungan sila matapos makitang umaakyat na ako ng hagdan.

I sighed and just tried to get what happened out of my head. Sinubukan ko na lamang abalahin ang sarili sa pagre-review nang mapigilan ko rin ang isip kong i-entertain iyong posibleng dahilan na naisip ko kanina.

Nilingon ko ang pinto nang makita ko iyong bumukas. I watched Rig locked it after getting in. Nakapamulsa naman siyang lumapit sa akin matapos makitang nakadapa ako sa kama habang kaharap ang laptop ko't makakapal na medical books.

"Where did you go earlier? Kakauwi mo lang?" hindi ko napigilang itanong. Siguro ay dahil sa mga nakalipas na araw na madalas sa kwarto ko siya natutulog at nakakapagkwentuhan kami ng mga bagay-bagay ay naging kumportable na rin ako sa kanya kahit papaano.

"Yeah. I never liked those people but I didn't want to say something rude to Mom and Dad earlier kaya nagpalamig muna ko." The bed slightly moved when he sat next to me. "It's already a quarter after eleven and you're still sticking your nose in those books?"

I sighed as I flipped the page. "Wala akong choice. May assessment kami sa Friday. Kapag mababa ang score ko, baka hindi ako magmartsa."

"So no s*x tonight, huh?" He started rubbing his palm on my back. Ngunit kung noon ay halatang inaakit ako, ngayon ay . . . tila minamasahe niya ang aking likod.

"Huwag muna." I looked at him. "Kailan ka babalik sa Europe?"

He shook his head before he started pulling the drawer of my bedside table. "I won't. I shifted to remote learning. Do you have some essential oil?"

Kumunot ang aking noo. "Bakit ka nag-remote learning?"

"Because I want to. Where's your oil?"

"In the bathroom. Why?" nagtataka kong tanong ngunit hindi niya ako sinagot.

He went to my bathroom, grabbed the bottle of lavender oil and then went back inside my room. Nang makaupo siya ay itinaas niya ang aking silk top at nilagyan ng oil ang likod ko.

God, I nearly moaned when his warm palms started massaging my back. Napadukdok pa ako sa kama at napapikit sa sarap ng hagod ng kanyang mga palad. I didn't realize I needed massage this much. Kung alam ko lang na marunong siya ay baka noon pa ako nagpamasahe.

"Rig?" I called after a few minutes of us being silent.

"What?" he asked in a bored way.

Sandali kong nilunok ang sarili kong laway. "Was my real Dad a bad person?"

Nadama kong sandali siyang natigilan. Maya-maya ay nagpakawala siya ng malalim na hininga't sinagot ako.

"He was a gentle guy with a good heart, Margarette. Sadly . . . God made the devil, too."

Natigilan ako. What the hell does that suppose to mean?