Three Men And A Bibi

Five

"Ano? Andiyan na ba?" Jo looks over Mar's shoulder as the three brothers peek through the curtain, trying to see outside but not wanting to be seen by Meg when she arrives.

"Parang... May nag-park sa kabila. Mukhang bago ang kotse ni Pareng Wally."

Tito with the green box now topped with a bow, Mar with a bouquet of flowers and Jo holding a Welcome Home streamer are ready to welcome their daughter home.

"Ang tagal namang bumaba." Tito observes.

"Hayaan na muna natin, Kuya, baka nagkwentuhan pa." Mar says.

"Ayan na! May bumaba na ng sasakyan. Si Meg na! Nagmamadali." Jo narrates.

"Oo, Kuya, nakikita namin." Mar tells him.

"Teka. Bakit parang umiiyak. O! Kotse ni Lito yang dumating ah. Umiiyak nga si Meg!" He says.

The three race to the door.

Meanwhile,it takes a couple of seconds for Russell to recover from his shock. He could almost feel her lips on his again and the next thing he knew, she was gone.He immediately gets out of the car to follow her but stops when he sees another car park in front of her house.

"Meg!" Lito calls as he jumps out of the car.

She sees him then runs into his arms.

Russell watches the entire scene helplessly. Seeing her run to him and be engulfed in his arms as she cries on his chest is like being repeatedly stabbed in the heart with a dull knife.

He wants to beat away that pain in his chest at the same time beat his face down to a pulp but he knows that will only make things worse for him. His Megan already hates him so much, he doesn't want to lose all chances to talk to her again.

With a defeated sigh, his shoulders drop and his own tears fall in silence as that invisible knife in his heart twists and lodges itself inside him.He opens his car door, ready to get back inside. He will bleed but he will live to fight another day.

Just then, he sees three men run out from the gate and take Meg from Lito. They huddle around and hug her.

"Her dads." Richard, despite his pain, smiles at the love he is seeing.Then with renewed hope, an idea crosses his mind."If she won't talk to me, I'm sure they will."

He wipes his tears, takes a deep breath and straightens his back.He walks towards them with a determined smile.The group notices him and stops. Lito and Meg's three dads turn to Russell, squaring their shoulders, ready to confront him.

Russell, though terrified for his life, continues to approach them with a smile.

The look on their faces as they hide Meg behind them is that of anger, curiosity and confusion. They don't know him but they are sure that he caused their daughter her tears and they're going to make him pay for them.

He stops a few feet away. "Good  afternoon, Sirs." He says. "I'm Russell. Your daughter's husband."

"WHAAAT???!!!" All three dads exclaim in chorus then turn to their daughter at the same time."WHAAAT???!!!"

Meg doesn't answer, instead she starts crying again. "I'm sorry po. I'm sorry." She says repeatedly.

"Sirs, let me ex..." Russell begins.

"NO!" Meg yells. "YOU DON'T GET TO f*****g SAY ANYTHING!"She starts charging at Russell but her Dads stop her."DON'T YOU THINK YOU'VE DONE ENOUGH?!" She keeps yelling at him as they hold her back.She kicks her feet as Mar lifts her off the ground and carries her inside the gate.

"TANGINA! BAKIT DI KA NA LANG MAWALA NANG TULUYAN SA BUHAY KO?! LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE!" She  screams through the gate rails as her dads close it.

She meets Tito's stern gaze and stops. She looks back quietly and the anger suddenly doused by the warning in her Dad's eyes. "Anong bilin namin sa'yo?" He asks.

"Wag pong magmumura at wag pong makikipag-away." She answers in a small voice.

"Kaya kahit ano pang ginawa sa'yo ng gunggong na yan. Wag mong aawayin." He says.

"But, Dad..."

"Megan Dei." He calls her name in a warning tone.

"Yes, Dad." She pouts.

"Pero, Kuya, di mo ba narinig? Husband daw." Jo says to defend their daughter. "Exception na yun."

"Hindi, Jo. Rules are rules." He glares at Megan again. "No exceptions." He says. "Hindi mo siya pwedeng awayin. And we are going to talk about that language you just used. Understood?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Very good. That's my baby girl. Now stay here and behave." He smiles and cups her cheek then turns to Russell. "Dahil ako ang uupak sa hayop na to!" He then balls his fists and marches determinedly at the man who just claimed to be their daughter's husband.

He pulls his fist back, ready to punch his supposedly son-in-law's face when Mar stops him.

"Hep! Hep! Kuya, wag!"

"Bakit wag? Eh tinarantado ng tisoy na yan ang anak natin. Nakita mo kanina? Sigurado ako, ito ang may kinalaman sa nangyari kay Meg three years ago. Kung bakit pag-uwi niya galing New York ay ibang Megan na siya. Kung bakit siya na-depress at kung bakit muntik na siyang mawala sa atin." Tito tells his brother furiously.

Russell is shocked by the revelation, he didn't realize back then that his decision caused all that to her.

"I'm sorry. Hindi ko po sinadyang mangyari yun kay Meg." He takes a step forward to try to explain when Jo raises his hand to stop him.

"Diyan ka na lang muna, pogi, kung ayaw mong masayang yang mukha mo."

"Kuya, andun na ako pero magugusot yang polo mo." Mar says. "Ako na susuntok." Mar tells him and steps in front of his older brother, aiming a punch to Russells's face but Jo holds his arm back.

"Mar, tigil!"

"Kuya, ano ba? Bakit?"

"Ang lakas ng loob mong sapakin yang mestisong bangus na yan eh mas malaki pa ang braso niyan sa hita mo."

"Ako na." Jo proclaims then cracks his knuckles as he walks towards Russell.

Tito stops him. "Bakit ikaw? Ako dapat."

"Hindi. Ako." Mar tells them.

"Ano ba? Ako na nga eh." Jo says.

Russell watches as the three men argue on who gets to punch him. Megan's dads start raising their voices and are now engaged in a heated fight.

Russell takes a deep breath and loudly clears his throat to remind them of his presence. The three men stop fighting and turn to their common enemy.

"Kahit kayo pa pong lahat. Isa-isa. Kahit sabay-sabay pa. Hindi po ako lalaban."

The three men quietly stare at him curiously.

"Ang gusto ko lang po. Maipaliwanag sa inyo at lalo na kay Meg ang side ko pagkatapos." He tells them sincerely. "Kaya kahit bugbugin niyo po ako, okay lang. Magkaroon lang po sana ulit ako ng pagkakataon na makausap ang asawa ko."

The three brothers look at each other.

"Ikaw na mauna, Kuya. Panganay ka eh." Mar says.

"Hindi. Ikaw dapat. Mula sanggol pa lang si Meg, ikaw ang nakatutok sa pag-aalaga sa kaniya." Tito answers.

Jo shakes his head. "Ang rurupok. Ako na. Ako na susuntok."

"Hoy!" A man shouts. "Bakit mo susuntukin ang anak ko?!"

It's their neighbor Jose who comes to his son's rescue.

"What?!" Mar exclaims. "Ibig mong sabihin anak mo tong poging to? Paano?" He asks.

"Anong paano? Hindi ba halata? Sa gwapo kong to. Kita mo? O! Pinamanahan ko pa ng isang dimple yan para pumantay sa akin ng konti."

"Uy wow! Sana dinagdagan mo pa ng isa. Ang dami mo pa diyan  sa mukha oh." Mar counters.

"Aba!" Jose marches forward and confronts Mar. "Bakit ha? May problema ka sa mukha ko ha? Ano ha?!"

"Marami. Marami kaming problema. Dahil kahit kailan bwiset ka." Jo says.

"Ayan! Sige. Magkampihan kayo. Suntukan na lang oh." Jose raises his fists to his face and does some fancy boxing foot work while throwing punches in the air. "Kahit sabay-sabay pa kayo o! Ha! Ano?!"

"Dad, please stop." Russell sighs.

"Ay! O! Dad nga!" Mar cringes.

"Amerikana po ang mom ko." Russell tells them.

"Aaah... Kaya..." The brothers nod.

"Siguradong dun namana ang itsura ni Tisoy." Tito says. "Pero alam mo may namana din naman ito sa'yo Jose."

"Ano yun?" Jose asks.

"Pareho kayong bwiset sa buhay namin." Tito states then starts charging at Jose but his brothers hold him back.

Jose on the other hand continues throwing punches at Tito's direction but fails to land any as his son stops him.

It's utter chaos.