Separated Love (Season 2)

Chapter 82

Separated Love

by larajeszz

Chapter 82

Jaycee’s POV

“Jaycee, my grandfather wants to meet you.” ‘Yon pa lamang ang nasasabi niya ay binalot na kaagad ng kaba ang dibdib ko. “He asked me to invite you over for tomorrow. Would that be fine with you?”

“Yeah, I’m free… anytime,” sagot ko at mahigpit na sinubukang hindi manginig ang boses ko. I’m finally meeting him! “Babe… Does he know it already? About… us?” Maingat ang tono ko sa pagtatanong niyon. Ayaw ko naman na i-pressure siya dahil alam ko naman na hindi siya close masiyado sa lolo niya para casual na pag-usapan ang bagay na ‘yon.

“Not yet. But don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll know it soon. We can’t keep it as a secret forever.”

Umupo ako sa single sofa bed na nasa kuwarto ko. “I miss you. Aren’t you coming over? Our friends are here.”

“Sorry, but I’m not free today. There are still some things I need to manage in here…” Saglit na katahimikan ang bumalot sa aming dalawa. Hindi ko naman magawang sabihin o ipahalata pero nalulungkot ako na parang nagkaroon ng harang sa pagitan naming dalawa. “Jaycee, are you still there?”

“Yeah… I’m still here.”

I heard him sighed, parang ayaw pa niyang ibaba ang tawag pero may narinig akong hindi pamilyar na boses ng lalaki ang tumawag sa kaniya, pero sigurado akong ang lolo niya iyon. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Sure, see you tomorrow.”

“I love you, Jay,” sambit pa niya bago ibaba ang tawag.

“I love you too.”

Nakakapanibago na si Asher ang unang nagbaba ng tawag namin. He was always a gentleman kaya parati niya akong pinauuna sa pagbababa ng tawag. Not exactly sure what’s happening, but I know there’s something going on with our relationship.

“Oh, ano’ng sabi ng asawa mo?” tanong ni Syrine nang makabalik ako sa dining.

Malungkot akong bumuntong-hininga. “He says he’s not available today.”

“Ha? Eh, bakit si Aizan ay papunta rito ngayon?” ani Cally.

Sinubukan kong hindi maapektuhan sa sinabi niya pero hindi ko rin napigilan. Hangga’t maaari ay ayaw kong kuwestiyunin si Asher. Bilang asawa niya, dapat iniintindi ko ang sitwasyon niya. I know he has his reasons.

“Gusto raw akong makilala ng lolo niya…” nakatungong sabi ko sa kanila. Bigla silang nanahimik at kahit na hindi ko nakikita ay alam kong napunta sa akin ang tingin nila.

“Kailan daw?” tanong ni Kuya.

“Bukas…”

“Nabanggit ba ni Asher kung pati ako ay kasama?” kabadong tanong ni Cally.

“Wala siyang nasabi, pero baka si Aizan ang magsasabi sa ‘yo?”

Maya-maya pa nga ay narinig na namin ang pag-doorbell sa labas. Wala kaming ibang bisita na inaasahan kaya alam kong si Aizan ‘yon.

Ako na ang nagprisinta na magbubukas ng gate dahil nag-CR si Cally.

“Hi, hipag!” masiglang bati niya nang makita ako.

Tumango ako sa kaniya. “Kamusta?”

“Okay naman. So, ito pala ang dahilan kung bakit gano’n ang mga kilos ni Mommy! I thought it was something serious…”

Isn’t this something serious already? Mukhang hindi naman niya dinidibdib na hindi siya sinabihan nina Mommy Mariel at Asher na dadating ang lolo nila.

“How about your brother? Maayos lang ba sila ng lolo mo?”

Napakamot siya ng sentido, “They’re… weirdly fine? I don’t know, it feels like there was no tension between them at all.”

Dapat ay matuwa ako sa narinig pero imbis na gano’n ang mangyari ay na-weirduhan pa ako. How could that be? Then it means Asher was scared for nothing?

Pinatuloy ko na siya at sabay kaming naglakad papunta sa dining.

“Aizan!” pagsalubong ni Cally sa kaniya. “Imi-meet ko rin ba ang lolo mo bukas?”

Gulat na nanlaki ang mga mata ni Aizan. “Maybe… not tomorrow.” Hinawakan niya si Cally sa braso. “Bakit gusto mo na ba siyang makilala?”

“P-Pag-iisipan ko muna…”

Nakiupo na rin sa amin si Aizan at nag-umpisang kumain. Lahat kami ay pinapanuod siya habang kumakain, parang naghihintay na magkuwento siya.

Nang mapansin niya ang tingin naming lahat ay naubo siya at napasuntok sa dibdib ng isang beses. “What?” tanong niya. “Am I on a hot seat now, or something?”

“You look fine right now,” ani Kuya Jaywen habang nakahawak sa baba at naniningkit na tinitingnan si Aizan.

“What do you mean by that? Are you finally saying that I’m more handsome than you?”

Napairap si Kuya dahil sa kaniya. Sinamaan lang din siya ni Aizan ng tingin at nagpatuloy sa pagkain.

“Wala bang nagawa o nasabing masama sa iyo ang lolo mo?” tanong ni Byron. Lahat kami ay nagulat dahil sa pagiging straightforward niya! Napataas siya ng kamay nang makita ang reaksiyon namin sa kaniya. “What? Aren’t we all curious about it?” Siniko siya ni Matthew dahil sa ginawa niya.

Napaisip naman si Aizan, ipinatong niya ang siko sa lamesa at ipinantakip ng bibig ang kamay.

“Actually, it feels odd. He was smiling the whole time, which he wasn’t doing before. Wala naman siyang masiyadong nasabi sa akin, but he was always talking to Kuya Asher,” aniya. “He kept asking some things. Well, I’m not hurt that he wasn’t really talking to me, because I don’t think I could talk to him casually, but yeah… it was very strange of him.”

Kinagabihan, pagkatapos kong maligo at magpatuyo ng buhok ay nahiga na agada ko sa kama ko para matulog. Tumitig lang ako sa kisame at sinubukang intindihin ang mga sinabi ni Aizan kanina.

We all knew that Asher was the favorite of their grandfather ever since, but I don’t know how Aizan labeled it as odd, weird, and a strange thing. It might be different from the ones before.

Sa totoo lamang ay nahihirapan ako sa sitwasyong ito. Parang may kung ano’ng humihila sa amin papalayo. We shouldn’t be risking our relationship just because there was a family member who arrived.

Like what I’ve said, I’ll try and talk to him. If Asher doesn’t have the guts to tell him some things, well then maybe I do.

“Sasamahan ba kita?” tanong ni Mommy habang inaayusan ako ng buhok. I told her that it wasn't necessary, but she insisted.

Nginitian ko lamang siya. “Mom, kakain lang naman po kami at mag-uusap, eh. There’s no need to, and besides, Asher would be there too, for sure.”

“Base kasi sa mga kuwento ng kuya mo ay…” Hindi na niya natuloy ang sasabihin niya. Siguro’y ayaw niya na panghinaan ako ng loob.

“Kailangan kong lakasan ang loob ko, Mom. Dahil kahit na anong gawin ko ay parte na rin ako ng pamilya nila ngayon.” Pinagmasdan ko ang sarili sa salamin at bumuntong-hininga. Wala namang mawawala kung haharapin ko siya, ‘di ba? Wala naman siguro…

Asher texted me the address of the restaurant. It was a fine-dining one. He also described his grandfather's appearance. Why did he even need to send me that? Is he not here?

“Jayceelyn Buenaventura?”

Nilingon ko ang tumawag sa akin mula sa likuran. He has an Australian accent, so I already had a hint as to who it was. I slowly turned my back to face him, and I saw an old man smiling at me.

"You're Jaycee Buenaventura, right?" he asked.

I bowed my head. "Good morning, Sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you. "

“There’s no need to bow, Ms. Buenaventura,” pagtawa niya at inalalayan ako sa pagtayo. Hinanap ko sa likuran niya kung kasunod niya ba si Asher, pero wala akong nakita. He’s not coming? “Are you looking for Asher?” tanong niya kaya tumango naman ako. “My grandson is busy at the moment, so it will just be you and me today.”

I don’t understand. It looks like he wasn’t the same person that Asher and Aizan were referring to. His smile hasn’t vanished from his face yet since the moment he arrived here.

He escorted me to our table and even helped me settle into my chair.

"Thank you, sir," I said politely.

"There's no need to be polite here; we're a family. Asher already told me that you and him got married, huh?"

Napaawang ang bibig ko sa sinabi niya. Sinabi na ni Asher sa kaniya? Bakit hindi niya ako sinabihan?! And he seems fine with it! So, ibig sabihin ba… wala na kaming magiging problema?

"Too surprised, are we?" he asked, laughing. "I'm not opposed to it, and he'll be graduating shortly, so I'm confident the two of you will get along fine. Could I trust him with you, Jaycee?"

Nakailang kurap ako dahil sa tanong niya. I’m confident na hindi ko naman talaga iiwan si Asher, but hearing these words from him feels so surreal. Ibig sabihin ba nito ay maayos na talaga ang relasyon namin sa kaniya kahit pa ang sabi ni Asher ay hindi papayag ang lolo niya rito?

“Trust him with me, sir. I promise to take care of him for the rest of my life,” I said.

Tinawag niya ang waiter para mag-serve sa amin ng wine.

“Cheers?” he asked when our glasses had filled.

Ngumiti ako sa kaniya, “Cheers.”

Honestly, I don’t feel too uncomfortable with him like I thought I’d be. Maybe Aizan was right, maybe he did change.

“And I also heard that you’ve known each other ever since you were little.” nakangiting tanong niya habang nagpupunas ng napkin sa bibig. Kanina pa kaming nagsimula sa pagkain at sa pagkukuwentuhan. He told me how Asher was as his grandson.

“Ah, yes, sir. But we didn’t see each other when they moved to Australia. It was in Grade 12 when we met for the first time after a long time.”

“So, it’s been years since you’ve seen each other. How come that both of you have never forgotten each other? I perhaps know that a three-year-old’s memory is not that strong," he said while taking a sip of his wine.

“Our parents were friends. So, back then, they would refer to Asher as the son of their friend, and that’s where I’d remember that I once knew him. Some memories of us weren’t that clear to me anymore, but I never forgot him.”

“Asher has always been obeying all the things I told him to do.” Tumigil siya at mahinang tumawa. “He might’ve told that I was hard and strict to him, but I was doing those things for his own sake too. Not only because he’s the one I want to inherit my company, I care for him because he is my grandson.”

May parte sa akin ang nakakaintindi, pero hinahanap ko sa mga salita niya si Aizan. Paano naman si Aizan? I’ve never heard him mention his name for once.

“Have you met my friend Cally?” I asked him with a wide smile. “She’s Aizan’s girlfriend.”

Bahagya pa siyang nagulat. “Aizan already has a girlfriend?” Napatakip siya ng bibig at tumawa. "How come he never told me that?" He just laughed as if it wasn't a big deal. “But, anyway, I'll go straight to the point. I wanted to see you to get to know you better and to ask you for a favor.” He shifted our conversation just like that…

Tumuwid ako ng pagkakaupo. “Sure. What is it, sir?”

He placed his elbows above the table and leaned closer to me. "Can you convince your husband to go to Paris?"

Paris? For what? A vacation? If it is, then I don't think I should be the one to tell him. Can't he just tell him that himself?

“Should I be the one to tell him? I mean, you can ask him yourself, sir, right?”

Tumawa siya sa sinabi ko. “Yeah, yeah, you're right. But you're his wife now, and I think he'd rather listen to you than to me.”

Saglit akong napaisip at napabuntong-hininga. He’s right, mukhang mas makikinig nga si Asher sa akin ngayon kaysa sa kaniya.

“Okay, I'll go talk to him. It won't be a big deal because it will just be a vacation, right?” I asked with a smile. “He's busy with studies, but I'm sure he'll make time if he knows that you want him to have a break-”

“No, Jaycee. You don’t understand.” My smile faded when he cut off what I was saying. Kinahaban ako nang makitang diretso ang tingin niya sa akin. “I want him… to stay there. For a year.”

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-larajeszz