Unromantic Romance

Chapter 12

"Pardon?"

"I said I have a fcking arrhythmia," I said with gritted teeth and walked out of the garden. I didn't bother to wait for his reaction because I might stay. Walking out is a good decision. 

I didn't bother to wait for our driver to come fetch me and just rode a tricycle. If I stay longer, I cannot gather my thoughts. It'll mess me up and it's not good lalo na't may pupuntahan pa kaming party mamaya. I have to condition myself.

"Talaga Nancy? Sige, tatanungin ko kapag nakauwi na-" 

My mama paused when she saw me enter our living house. She covered the speaker on the phone and smiled at me. 

"May binigay ba si Owen sa'yo, Pauline?" 

I got the invitation card out of my bag and gave it to Mama. 

"Yeah, an invitation for the Gomez's party later," I answered before kissing her cheek. "I'll go to my room, Ma." She nodded and gestured me to go upstairs and continued her call. 

"Hindi namin pipilitin kung ayaw niyang sumama," I heard Mama said on the call before I reached my room. 

Kakalabas ko pa lamang sa banyo nang narinig kong kumakatok si Mama. 

"Pauline? Can you open the door?" 

I tied the ribbon of my white bathrobe before opening my door's room. 

"You're going to the party?" Nanghuhulang tanong niya. 

I nodded.

 My Mama's lips parted, which seems she didn't expect my answer. "You've been skipping parties lately. Are you sure?" 

Nagpunta ako sa kama ko para kunin ang tuwalyang hinanda ko kanina at pinatuyo ang buhok ko. 

I heard Mama's footsteps towards my direction. "Yeah, sasama ako. Owen expected me to come." 

Nakita kong tumaas ang isang kilay ni Mama bago naupo sa kama ko. 

Nagtungo ako sa upuan sa harap ng tukador and blow-dried my hair. Medyo basa pa siya kahit pinunasan ko na gamit ang tuwalya. 

"Are you and Owen still on?" Mama asked.

"No. Break na kami, Ma." She then smirked, probably amused by my answer. She stood up and went behind me. Kinuha niya ang hair blower sa pagkakahawak ko at siya na ang nagpatuyo sa buhok ko. I just sat there like a very behave kid, looking at the mirror while Mama is drying my hair. 

"Are you still exploring? Did no one piqued your interest, Pauline?" Tanong niya habang inaabangan ang magiging reaksyon ko sa salamin. 

I didn't let her see something unusual from me and channeled my usual facade. "Wala, Ma. I think not in this lifetime." I answered and let out a laugh. I saw how her forehead creased. 

"Don't say that, Pauline. Tatanda kang mag-isa, okay ka lang ba do'n? We don't want that. If that will be the situation, we'll marry you off with a competent guy after you finish college!" She dramatically said. 

I laughed harder at that. "You're such a drama queen. I'm still 18, you know."

She placed the hair blower back at the table and held both of my shoulders from the back and lowered her head so we would level. We stared at each other in the mirror. 

"Seriously, it's lonely to grow old alone. I cannot imagine my daughter grow her gray hairs without someone by her side. Marrying you to a competent guy is a solution," she said while staring at our reflection. 

I sighed. "It's ludicrous but fine. You can marry me off if I still cannot find someone who can make me stop exploring." 

She then smiled sweetly. She stood properly and patted the top of my head. 

"Aren't you too old for that? Wala pa rin bang nakakapagbago sa isip mo? Someone who can confuse your peaceful mind?" Mama probed and tapped her cheek lightly with her fingertips. 

I shook my head at her question.

 "Someone who can tame your wild heart?" 

My heart is pounding erratically again. The manner of my heart's beating was the same as earlier. Nang nag-angat ako ng tingin kay Mama ay nakataas na ang isang kilay niya habang nakangisi. It seems like she found something amusing out of my reaction. 

I shook my head and looked back at my reflection in the mirror. "No. There's no one," I answered with integrity. 

She smiled widely at me and laughed a bit. "Okay, if you say so." 

"Prepare yourself. Pupunta na ako sa kwarto ko at maghahanda na rin," she said before going out of my room. 

Inabot ko ang hairbrush ko at sinuklayan na ang buhok ko. 

My heart is now slowly returning back to its normal pace. My heart's always been wild but I can tame it. I can control its pace. In the first place, there is no need of controlling because it never goes wild beyond my control.

 I get excited by my past boyfriends' actions and it makes my heart skip a beat but it never pounded like this. I swore to myself that I will let my heart rule me if there's someone who can move my heart out of the usual. I swore to let my heart decide and my mind won't interfere. That was what I swore to myself but things have now changed.

I am the owner of my heart. I swore to let it be... to let it run wild but with everything that's confusing my once peaceful and unbothered mind right now, I decided to protect it. Shield it. Guard it. 

I must own my heart before anyone else takes my place.

I shove away my thoughts in mind and reminded myself that I have a party to attend to. I must not entertain these thoughts for now or else it will mess me up. There's no room for confusing thoughts. 

I walked towards my bed and picked the red, silky, long gown. The gown's slit reached my thighs which revealed my legs. Its thin straps cascaded smoothly on my shoulder blades and revealed my collar bones. I then matched it with black stilettos. 

I've chosen this because it makes me look demure... the image of a typical lady Montemayor but completely opposite from the true me, yet I don't want to hide my true self. 

Red because Le' Pauline has been wild... and will always be. 

I picked a b****y red lipstick for my lips to match the gown I am wearing. I stared at myself on the full-length body mirror. My hair's pushed back and I've decided not to tie it but to just let it fall. 

I'm with my parents so I didn't bother to bring any purse with me. I can just hold my phone until the party's over. Well, that's if we stay until the end. 

Lumabas na ako sa kwarto ko and made my way down the stairs. I saw Mama talking with Dad who's facing the door. I saw how Mama pointed my way which made Dad turn to me. 

"You're so elegant, Pauline!" Mama exclaimed with glimmering eyes. 

Dad went to me when I reached the last staircase. He placed his arm in the air, gesturing me to hold on to him which I immediately did. 

"Guys will drool at the sight of you, Pau. Wala ka bang ibang damit?" Dad hissed which made Mama chuckle. 

"Let the guys drool, Limuel. It's always been like that since your daughter reached 15!" 

Dad snorted at what Mama said. "Hindi ka ganyan noong kabataan mo, Ysa. Hindi ko alam kung saan nagmana ang anak natin," Dad whispered. 

"I can hear you." Mariin kong sabi na tinawanan lamang ni Mama. Dad then held Mama's arm. 

"Maiiwan ko na muna ang bahay sa'yo, Aryela." Paalam ni Dad kay Manang Aryela nang hinatid kami ni Manang Aryela sa labas. 

Nauna na akong pumasok sa sasakyan habang kinakausap pa ni Mama at Dad si Manang Aryela. Nang nakapasok na silang dalawa ay kinawayan ko si Manang bago umandar ang sasakyan. 

Habang nasa kalagitnaan ng byahe ay nag-uusap ang mga magulang ko tungkol sa negosyo kaya tahimik lamang ako sa loob ng sasakyan habang nakatanaw sa labas. 

"Wala si Papa ngayon. May binisitang kaibigan sa bayan," narinig kong sambit ni Papa. I celebrated silently. I can't really enjoy the party if Lolo is around so it's a good news for me. I don't plan to behave at the party like a typical Montemayor, it'll just bore me to death. 

"Pupunta ba si Ramil Cuevas sa party?" I heard Mama asked. I leaned a little closer to hear Dad's answer.  

"Hindi, ayon sa pagkakaalam ko." I sighed at Dad's answer. It's a relief that the Cuevas family won't be there.

"Eh ang anak niya?" Mama asked again. Para akong ninakawan ng kaligayahan sa tanong na iyon ni Mama. I silently prayed that he won't come. 

"Are you serious? Ramil's son is not fond of parties," Dad answered like the answer to Mama's question is already obvious. 

"Thank God!" I exclaimed happily which made my parents turn to me. 

Help me escape their stares, dear God!

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