RAY OF LIGHT

CHAPTER 11

People will automatically keep silent when they are hurt.

Just like tita Felie.

Nasa hapag kainan kaming lahat. Lahat tahimik. Tanging tunog mula sa mga kubyertos lamang ang naririnig mo.

Ang bigat ng atmosphere dito sa dining, ang hirap buhatin.

Magmula kagabi naging tahimik na talaga ang lahat dahil sa pagtatalo nila.

Siguro gan'on na lamang kabigat 'yong bagay na 'yon para ganito sila kung umasta. Dahil kung mga maliliit na bagay lang ang pagtatalunan nila hindi sila ganito katahimik.

Lihim akong napabuntong-hininga. I wish I have the power to lighten up the mood.

"Hello everybody!" A loud voice echoed to the house, it's Glade.

"Good morning! Good morning! What do we have here?" he said as he walks towards the table.

Nang mapansin niyang walang tumugon sa kanya, umangat ang paningin niya sa lahat nang may nagtatanong na ekspresyon.

Hindi siya tinapunan ng tingin ng kahit isa maliban sa'kin.

"What's the matter?" tanong niya ng walang tunog.

Nagkibit-balikat na lamang ako sa kanya at napatango naman siya.

He cleared his throat. "Ninang!" pagtawag niya kay tita kaya siya nito nilingon. "I heard, it's Hon's first day on your hotel, I'll give her a ride ninang," nakangiti nitong tanong.

"Okay." Walang ganang sagot ni tita.

Napakamot na lamang sa kanyang ulo si Glade dahil sa inasal ni tita marahil ay hindi ito sanay na ga'non siya.

"No. Ako na, sabay kaming pupunta d'on dahil ililibot ko siya sa buong hotel," George said after finishing his food.

"Then I'll join you. Good thing I don't have work today."

"If that's the case, you should visit our restaubar, new set of wines just arrived this morning. Go and inspect them," kuya George said before he leaved the kitchen.

"You better prepare now Honeyleigh," rinig ko pang dagdag ni kuy George kaya tinapos ko na ang pagkain ko at nagpaalam na kina tita na mag-aayos na.

Sinundan naman ako ni Glade papunta sa taas.

"Hey! Good morning," bati niya sa'kin.

"Likewise."

"Is there anything wrong with the people here? They seem on bad bad mood today," puno ng pagtataka ang boses niya.

"Nothing," sagot ko dahil wala akong ibang masabi.

"Why are you still so mean to me? After everything that happened between us?"

Huminto ako sa gitna ng hagdan at nilingon siya ng nakakunot ang noo.

"What are talking about? Feeling mo close na tayo dahil lang niligtas mo ako?"

"Ouch. I'm hurt!" he said and acted like he was really hurt. "You didn't even changed a bit. Why can't you be kind to me. Why?" dagdag niya at nag-aktong parang bata na naagawan ng lollipop.

Napatampal ako sa noo at napailing sa inasal niya. Parang tanga ang isang to.

Actually may progress naman na ang pakikitungo ko sa kanya hindi katulad n'ong una na ayaw ko talaga sa presensya niya. Ngayon kasi nasasanay na ako sa kakulitan niya at nagiging natural nalang ang lahat ng iyon para sa'kin para bang naging parte na rin ng araw ko ang panggugulo niya sa'kin araw-araw. I will not call it a day if he'll not irritates me.

Nilagpasan ko na lamang siya at dumeretso sa kwarto para maghanda.

Okay! This is your first day Honey. Do well, be at your best, tugon ko sa isip ko nang makita ko ang sarili ko sa salamin.

I'm wearing a white turtleneck sweater, with a beige coat on top of it, paired with plain beige pants and black boots. I also wear my crescent moon gold necklace that has diamond engraved on it, this was actually a gift from my mama. So, hinayaan ko lang na nakalugay ang buhok ko na hanggang bewang ko dahil hindi ko alam mag-ayos ng buhok.

Nang makalabas ako ng kuwarto, agad akong napahawak sa dibdib ko dahil sa gulat.

"What are you doing there!" asik ko kay Glade dahil nakasandal siya sa pader sa gilid ng pintuan ko.

He chuckled. "Cute. Well, isn't obvious? I'm waiting for you," he said with a glint in his eyes.

"Did you not hear what kiya George said earlier?" tanong ko habang pumapanhik paibaba ng hagdan.

"Yeah, but the manager can handle it so I'm coming wi-"

"You're not coming with us," biglang tugon nang taong nasa likuran ko. It's kuya George.

"Bro, I want to be with Hon."

"Honeyleigh. Call her Honeyleigh, people might mistook you as couples."

"Then that would be great. Man will back off easily."

"You're not her partner and will never be her partner."

"What the!" Napapailing nalang si Glade sa mga pinagsasabi ni kuya George. "You are all really having a bad day."

And I agree with him.

Nang makalapit na kami sa sasakyan ni kuya George ay lumingon ito sa'min o mas safe sabihin na, kay Glade lang, nang may matalim na tingin.

"W-what again?!" nabibiglang tugon ni Glade.

"Kapag sinabi kong hindi ka sasama, hindi ka sasama!" pinal na tugon ni kuya George.

"I-I know! I was just seeing you off to work! What's really you're problem G!" hindi na nakapagtimpi na taasan ang boses ni Glade sa huling tanong niya.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni kuya George dahil d'on pero bumontong hininga at kumalma rin agad siya. "Get in the car now Hon." Agad ko siyang sinunod sa takot na mapagbuntunan ako ng pagkawala niya sa mood ngayong araw.

Naiwan naman si Glade na hindi pa rin makapaniwala sa inasal ni kuya.

We were both silent the whole ride pero hindi ako makatiis na walang matanong tungkol sa nangyayari.

"Are you... Are you okay kuya?"

He took glance at me then back to the road. "I'm okay. Marami lang iniisip, don't mind me."

"Pero hindi ako sanay na lahat kayo tahimik, is this about last night?" humina ang boses ko sa huling kataga dahil bigla kong naalala ang sinabi niya rin kagabi sa'kin na wag ng isipin ang nangyari.

"I'm fine Hon, it's just that, I couldn't accept easily what mom did."

"What exactly did she do?" kuryosong tanong ko.

"N-nothing. Let's not talk about it. We're here already." Napalingon ako sa labas sa sinabi niya at nasa parking lot na pala kami.

"We'll have lunch after this, okay?" tugon niya habang naglalakad kami.

Napatango na lamang ako dahil parang bigla akong tinamad magsalita.

Muli siyang bumuntong hininga ng malakas at inakbayan ako.

"Don't think about it Hon. It'll just give us problem. Okay?"

Nanlaki ang mata ko sa sinabi niya dahil hindi naman iyon ang nasa isip ko. Ang totoo tinamad akong magsalita dahil nakaramdam na ako ng kaba because I am going to face my reality now and that is to be on my new environment.

"Hindi naman 'yon ang iniisip ko kuya. Kinabahan kasi ako bigla ng sinabi mong nandito na tayo."

Napatawa siya sa sinabi ko. "I thought questions like you asked earlier are bombarding your mind," he said smiling, atlast. "You don't have to worry, I'll just tour you around then, tomorrow will be your first day on your work. And I'll assigned you as my secretary."

"Agad-agad? What about your secretary as of the moment? Mawawalan siya ng trabaho? No way kuya! Pwede naman ako sa mababang posisyon since aaralin ko palang naman 'yong process dito," kinakabahang sambit ko.

Napatawa siya pero lingid sa kaalaman niya na maliban sa kaba ay natuwa din ako ngayon-ngayon lang dahil bumalik na ang pagiging ligalig ng pinsan ko.

"I don't have secretary dahil mas nagmumukha akong secretary everytime na nandyan sina mama."

Pinaauna ako ni kuya na lumabas ng elevator, nasa pinakataas kaming floor dahil naroroon daw ang mga opisina nilang tatlo nina tita.

"Eh ano gagawin ko bilang secretary mo?" tanong ko sa kanya habang pabalik-balik ang tingin ko sakanya at sa dinadaanan namin.

"You will record my meetings with the investors, checked my daily schedules like that," he said before opening the doble doors of his office.

"Ang laki ng office mo kuya," manghang tugon ko sa kanya.

Kagaya sa opisina nila tita sa bahay, mayroon rin siya set na sofa sa center. May tig-isa rin na pinto sa magkabilang side ng office niya. At syempre ang kanyang table, may glass name plate din siya at nakaengrave ang pangalan niya doon, 'Mr. George Malli P. Mendoza COO'

"Compared to mama and papa's office? This was just nothing," he said and faced me with scrunched eyebrows. "Why dou you always keep on saying kuya to me? Our age gap was just a year, so please stop making me feel like, I'm too old already."

I chuckled softly. "You are really our kuya."

"No! Just call me by my name," he said crossing his arms then walks towards his chair.

Tumaas ang isang sulok ng labi ko. "You mean, George Malli?"

He lifted up his fore finger, giving me a signal to stop but I laughed with his reaction. "You don't call me by my two names Hon! George can do," tugon niya at tinarayan pa ako na parang babae siya.

"I want it to be a unique one." I held my chin to think some names suited for him. "Since George is way too common, let's just use your second name... Malli?" nangingiti kong pagtawag sa kanya at isang matalim na tingin ang nakuha ko.

"And when Filipinos will hear you calling me that, they'll ask you, where is tama?" iritable nitong tugon.

Natawa naman ako sa sinabi niya. "Was that a joke?"

"HA-HA-HA, you happy now?" he said and rolled his eyes.

I nodded while still trying to stop myself from laughing. Nakakatawa naman talaga kasi.

I suddenly clap when I remembered something. "Gogi! That's it! Do you remember that nickname I gave you when we're still young?" masayang tugon ko sa kanya na ngayon ay nakakunot na ang noo, maybe he's trying to recall it.

I gave him that nickname from his two names. From his first name George, I got the GOG. And the 'I', was from his second name. Yeah that's what I remember.

GOGI-(Jo-Gi)

He then suddenly smile. "Yeah I think I remembered it. So, from now on, instead of calling me kuya George, you should call me Gogi."

Masaya niya akong nilapitan at inakbayan, saka inakay palabas ng opisina niya.

"I'm now in the mood to tour you around our hotel Hon."

Our?

Napangiti ako dahil... masaya ako. Dahil sa sinabi niya parang sinabi na rin niyang parte na talaga ako ng pamilya nila.

So this is it. The real start of the new chapter in my life. Having such great family.