RAY OF LIGHT

Chapter 16

After the event on the pool area, we went to the upper floor.

"Hindi pa ba tayo uuwi tita?" I asked while we are still on the elevator.

"Uuwi tayo para doon magcelebrate kasama si Lida. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, naghahanda na iyon ngayon."

"Po? Eh bakit hindi ko po siya nakita kanina sa bahay?" takang tanong ko.

"Naggrocery siya dahil naubusan tayo ng stocks," tita Felie said.

"Can't you let go of Hon's hand Glade?" singit bigla ni Gogi na nasa tabi ni Glade, nasa harap naman naminang mag-asawa.

"You're just jealous dude. Wanna help? I know someone who is so much available," pagbibiro naman ni Glade.

"I'm not interested."

"C'mon, you're not getting any younger dude, so better find your true love already."

"Baka mamaya bigla kang sunduin ni San Pedro," pakikisabay ko sa asaran ng dalawa.

"I can't believe this! Matapos kitang tulungan sa proposal mo, gaganyanin mo 'ko?" pagtukoy niya jay Glade na nagpipigil ng tawa. "Bakit ka nga ba sinagot ng pinsan ko, eh mukha ka namang paa!"

Ako naman ang sobrang lakas ng pagpipigil ng tawa dahil sa narinig ko. I even bit my lower lip just to not make any sound.

"Hey! That's not true!" nilingon niya ako at hindi pa rin binibitawan ang aking kamay. "Right love?"

Malakas na napaubo di Gogi at tumingin kay Glade na parang nasusuka.

"L-love? What?"

"I told you, if you're jealous, get yourself a girlfriend too," pang-aasar muli ni Glade.

"Bakit ako magseselos sa nakakakilabot na endearment mo sa pinsan ko!"

Natigil sa pagbabangayan ang dala ng bumukas ang elevator.

At hanggang sa makarating kami sa pinto ng office ni Gogi.

"Ano pong mayroon? Meeting po ba?"

"Just open the door, you'll see something inside. At sana magustuhan mo," tita said with glint in her eyes.

I looked at them and they only gave me smiles and they keep on telling me to open the door and so I did.

But before I even open it, I looked back to Glade once again and gave him 'what is it?' pero nagkibit-balikat lamang ito.

Kasabay ng pagbukas ko ng pinto ay ang pagpikit ko.

Ineexpect ko kasi na baka madaming tao, or biglang may ipapaputok, or may sisigaw but there's nothing like that.

Walang kung sino sa opisina ni Glade. Walang balloons, gifts or party poppers.

Wala naman nagbago sa office actually. Kaya nilingon ko sila pero halos mapaatras din nang deretso silang pumasok hangga sa marating ang table ni Glade.

'Ano na naman ang mayro'n dito. They're being weird."

"You'll never know if you're not going to move," Glade said before dragging me closer to the others.

Ipiniwesto ako ni Glade sa pinakaharap nila. And so, I gave them questioning look pero sinenyasahan lang nila akong magpatuloy. Saan?

Ano bang nangyayari?

Ano ba gagawin ko sa table ni Glade? Lilinisin? Wawasakin? O baka ako na ang magiging COO ng hotel?

But ofcourse that's possible. I'm not that competent to have that position.

Iginala ko ang paningin ko sa mesa.

Bunch of paperworks that was stack on Glade's table since, halos parati na siyang nawawala sa office niya. His laptop was there also and his name plate.

Kumunot ang noo ko. Since when did he got new name plate?

Ah so this is what they want me to see?.

"Wow! Congrats Gogi," I praised him and gave him clap.

Pero kumunot lang ang noo nila.

Mali ba ako?

"Stupid!" bagot na bagot na tugon ni Gogi saka lumapit na sa mesa at inabot sa'kin ang isang nameplate.

"What Am I supposed to..." I stopped when I finally realized about the nameplate.

I take a look aonce again and I'm so shock when I saw my complete name on it.

"This is... This is... m-my name," I stuttered.

Tumango si tita sa'kin na halos mangiyak na.

"Ano 'to tita? Bakit may pangalan ako dito? Ano po ibig sabihin nito?"

"Naalala mo ba 'yong branch na pinapatayo ko sa Pilipinas?" she asked so I nodded. "Any time soon, babalik na tayo ng Pilipinas and were leaving there for good."

"Po?" nagulantang na tugon ko.

"Yes. At kung bakit may pangalan ka sa hawak mong iyan ay dahil ikaw ang magiging CEO ng H.P Hotel and Resort sa Pilipinas," she explaines that made my eyes widen more.

Am I hearing it right? Ako ang magpapatakbo ng hotel sa Pilipinas?

i looked deep onto my tita's eyes. "I'm sorry tita, but I prefer staying here," nakayukong sambit ko.

"What?!" malutong na tugon ni Gogi. "Ofcourse not. You're not staying here. You will come with us. It's about time already to face everything that you've trying to escape.

Hindi ka naman titigilan ng nakaraan. Patuloy iyan sa pagsunod sa'yo. The only thing that you have to do is to accept what happened in the past and look out for the better happenings you are experiencing at the moment.

Hindi mo matatakasan kahit kailan ang katotohanan.

"Hindi naman sa gano'n Gogi. Its just that, I'm not yet ready to step on that land again," madamdaming tugon ko habang nakayuko.

Narinig kong bumuntong hininga si tita saka lumapit sa'kin at hinawakan ang magkabilang pisngi ko.

"If you are not yet ready then it's okay. But still, you are the CEO of H.P hotel. Kung hindi ka pa handa, fine. The position can wait. Kami nalang muna ang mamamahala habang wala ka pa."

"Pero tita, you can just give it to Gogi or Hillary," I suggested.

"Well, I 'm not available dahil magpapatayo rin kami ng restaubar malapit sa location ng hotel so hindi ako pwede," sagot naman ni Gogi.

Kumalas si tita sa kanyang pagkakayakap sa'kin saka hinarap ang mga kasama namin at binalik sa'kin.

"If that's the case then how long are you going to spend here?" tanong ni tita.

"Two year? Three? I don't know tita. No one knows."

Glade cleared his throat. "Is it okay if sa bahay nalang po natin pag-usapan 'yan? My girlfriend needs to eat on time I do not want her to be on hospital bed again," malamabing niyang tugon saka ako nilapitan at hinagkan gamit ang isang kamay ang aking bewang.

Napalingon ako sa kanya at gano'n din siya kaya niya ako nginitian ng sobrang tamis at dinampian ng halik sa aking noo sa harap ng pamilya ko.

Nakagat ko ang aking labi sa hiya. Paano niya nagagawang gawin 'yon sa harap nilang lahat.

This is so embarrassing!

"Urgh! I'm done with both of you! You're giving me goosebumps! Iww," reklamo ni Gogi saka naunang lumabas ng opisina.

"And that happens when a bitter single man is with us, right ninang?" mapang-asar na sambit ji Glade kahit wala naman na si Gogi.

Natatawang umiling si tita saka sumunod na din sila kay Gogi.

Ngayon kaming dalawa nalang ang naiwan.

Inalis niya ang kamay niyang nasa bewang ko saka marahang hinawakan ang aking kamay at dinapian iyon ng halik.

I suddenly felt the hot! Pakipalakasan nga 'yong AC! Bakit ang init naman yata bigla!

He smile and looked at me with full of love and admiration.

"Let's go?" he softly asked that made me swallow hard like there's a lump in my throat.

"O-okay," I answered stuttering because of the sudden rush of emotions.

And so we drove back to the house. We walk towards the garden with our hands intertwined.

Nang makarating kami doon ay nakaupo na sina tito, tita at Glade. When they saw us, tito and tita stand up immediately then gave both of us a cheek to cheek but ofcourse tito patted Glade's shoulder. Gano'n naman dito, natural na lamang iyon hindi gaya sa Pilipinas.

Since hindi tumayo si Gogi, ako na ang lumapit sa kanya, good thing napansin niya ako kaya agad din siya tumayo para bigyan ako ng halik sa noo dahil iyon ang nakasanayan niyang gawin sa'min ni Hills.

And speaking of Hills, bakit kanina pa siya wala. Huling kita ko sa kanya ay nang makita ko silang magkasamo ni Hiro.

Saka ano nga palang ginagawa ng engot na iyon dito? At bakit magkasama sila ni Hills?

Did they know each other?

Since when?

Alam kaya nila tita?

"Tita, where's Hillary?"

"Don't wait for her," Gogi answered instead. "She's busy entertaining our guest. What's his name again mom?"

"Ron Marquez," tita said. "You met him already Honey. Remember the son of Dra. Marquez? It's him. I couldn't just remember his real name but it's him," she added.

So Mr. Ron and Hiro the 'engot' was the same? Bakit Ron? Kailan pa siya nagbago ng name? Tss.

"So you're friends with him?" biglang tanong ni Glade na ikinatuwa naman ni Gogi.

"Why? Jealous?" he teased.

Pero nakatitig lang sa'kin si Glade. Wala na ang mga ngiti niya na kanina'y sobrang liwanag.

"No, I just met him by... coincidence," I lied.

Hindi ko na kailangang sabihin pa kung paano kami nagkakilala dahil ang alam lang rin naman ni tita ay nagkakilala lang kami ni engot dahil naliligaw sila no'n.

Kaming tatlo lang naman ng kaibigan niya ang nakakaalam no'n kaya siguro mas magandang gano'n nalang rin ang ipaalam ko sa kanila.

"So, you're not friends? Not even close with each other?" he asked once again.

"Yes," I said then tried to give him a convincing smile.

"When she said coincidence, it is really just a coincidence. Nagkita lang sila nang minsang bumisita sila sa lamay ng pamilya ni Honey. Anak iyon ng mag-asawang sinubukang tulungan ang magulang at kapatid niya," dugtong na paliwanag ni tita.

"Hay naku! He was just afraid that there might be some friend of yours that might wanted to take you away from him. Right dude? Natakot ka 'no? Akala mo may kakompetensya ka na?" patuloy na pang-aasar ni Gogi kay Glade kaya naman umabot na sa batukan ang dalawa na hinayaan nalang din namin. Minsan kasi nagmimistula silang mga bata pa rin.

Sa kalagitnaan ng panonood ko sa dalawang nag-uupakan, naagaw ng atensyon ko ang boses ni Hillary na palapit sa garden.

"Hi everyone! I bring one person that will join us for tonight's event," Hills proudly announced and my heart beats literally stops when I saw him. "Ron Marquez."

What is he doing here!