Six
1109 Words
"Ano na bang nangyayari?" Meg stands on tiptoe as she worriedly tries to look over Lito's shoulder who took it upon himself to be her designated guard and keep her inside the house. They now stand by the window with Lito blocking her view.
"Bakit? Nag-aalala ka ba sa Tisoy mong ex?" He asks.
"Ako?" Meg immediately steps back and acts like she doesn't care. "Hindi ah!"
"Talaga ba? Eh pa-giraffe na yang leeg mo kanina." Lito smirks.
"Naku! Tigil-tigilan mo ako, Paolito! Gutom lang yan." She rolls her eyes.
She marches to the dining room where she sees the feast that her Tatay prepared, her Daddy's gift and the flowers from her Papa."Kawawa naman sina Tatay. Naghanda pa talaga sila tapos nasayang lang." She sighs. "Kasalanan talaga to lahat ng walang hiya kong..."
She stops herself before she can say it.
"Walang hiya mong ano?"
"Wala!"
"Asawa. Walang hiya mong asawa. Yun ang sasabihin mo ano? Dahil asawa pa rin siya para sa'yo." Lito prods.
"Hindi! Hindi na!" She glares and gets a plate.
She starts filling the plate with food, repeatedly stabbing the roasted chicken with her fork a little too harshly that necessary.
Lito swallows nervously as he watches the chicken meat be torn to shreds. "S-sabi ko nga. Kain na lang tayo. Sarap nito!"
The men's voices outside grew louder as the scuffle becomes more intense with the insults. Each parent, ready to defend his child tooth and nail.The neighbors start to notice the commotion. Some have come out of their gates and peeked through their windows to see what's happening, others have called security.
It's at this chaotic moment that Capt. Walter James arrives just before the guards did.
"Kuya, mga pare, baka pwede nating pag-usapan na lang nang maayos ito sa loob." He says, standing between the two sides of the fight. "Nadaanan ko yung mga guards, papunta na dito. May tumawag na siguro sa kanila." He explains.
"Sige." Tito is the first to stand down. "Dito tayo sa bahay."
"Anong sa bahay? Kuya, nandiyan si Meg. Eh di na-bwiset na naman yun nitong lalakeng coupon bond." Mar says.
"Hoy! Hindi bwiset ang anak ko ah! Kung ayaw niyo diyan, dito tayo sa amin." Jose suggests.
"Ayaw ko nga! Baka mahawaan pa kami ng pagka-asungot niyong mag-ama." Jo tells them. "Dito na lang sa bahay. Paakyatin na lang natin si Megan sa kwarto."
"O siya! Bilisan na natin kung ayaw nating sa loob ng security office mag-usap." Wally says.
Paolito sits beside his best friend with his own plate of food, waiting for her to finish saying her prayer before speaking.
"Pero, bakit nga Sobrang affected ka pa?" He asks.
"Ikaw—" She picks up her fork and glares at him. "Tantanan mo yan!"
Paolito holds his arms up to cover his face. "Ops! Kaka-pray mo lang. Magagalit si Papa Jesus."
"Oo nga ano?" Meg says and lowers her fork. "Mamaya na lang kita susugatan."
"Uy! Grabe ka."
She grins at him. "Joke lang."He exhales slowly in relief.
She giggles at his reaction. "Siyempre joke lang yun." She leans her head on his shoulder and looks up to his face with a sweet smile. "You know I love you. Hindi ko kakayanin kung wala ka." She says, suddenly emotional.
He puts an arm over her shoulders and pulls her to him. He kisses her forehead. "I love you. Andito lang ako lagi para sa'yo, Meg. Pangako ko sa'yo di ba? Hindi kita iiwan." He tells her softly.
It's at that sweet moment that Russell and the others walk in to the dining room.Her dads sniffle as they watch them hug, grateful for Paolito and his friendship.
The two hear them and realize they have company. She looks up and meets Russell's eyes. She is slightly taken aback with the pain she sees in them. But only for a fleeting moment, she shrugs it off as just her imagination then stands up angrily. "Dad, Tay, Pa, ano pong ginagawa niya dito?"
"Mag-uusap lang kami, anak. Umakyat ka na muna sa kwarto." Tito explains.
"But, Dad..."
"Sige na, Megan. Wag nang matigas ang ulo. Dalhin mo na lang yang pagkain mo doon. Lito, pakisamahan na lang si Meg." Mar says.
"Opo, Tay." He answers.
"Tay?" Russell mumbles.
Meg catches his reaction which confuses her. He touches his nose and has that forced smile that doesn't reach his eyes, trying not to show any emotion but the hurt and anger still sears through.She knows that reaction. He's jealous. But why?He doesn't care about her.
She watches him quietly for a while, searching for something that will explain his odd behavior to her.
"He left you." She thinks. "Ayaw na niya sa'yo. You're just seeing things, Megan. He's probably just here to say he wants a divorce and end things legally."
She snaps out of her thoughts when Jo picks up her plate and puts it on her hand. "Sige na, anak. Akyat na." He tells her. He smiles at her meaningfully after seeing her expression while watching him.
"Opo, Pa." She answers then looks at Jose and Wally. She smiles shyly at them. "Tito..." She nods.
They smile back. "Welcome home, iha."
"Salamat po." She says.
"Sandali po. Sasama talaga siya sa taas?!" Russell protests as Meg and Lito walk to the stairs.
"Russell, maayos namin kayong pinatuloy dito sa bahay namin. Buo pa rin yang mukha mo at walang galos even after you boldly came here claiming to be our daughter's husband." Tito looks at Russell in the eyes. "I don't know how but you got Megan to turn her back on everything we told her before she left for New York and then broke her heart." He clenches his fists and shakes his head. "You don't get to tell us how to parent our daughter."
"I'm sorry po, Sir. I didn't mean to..." Russell starts to explain but Jose steps in.
"Hindi,anak. Tama na to."
"But, Dad... I have to tell them what happened in New York."
"Hindi! Tama na! Hindi ko na kaya to!" He shakes his head & sighs. "Hindi ko na kaya ang Englishan niyo. Pwede mag-Tagalog na lang tayo?"
"Kuya naman eh. Akala ko kung ano na." Wally chuckles.
"Mabuti pa maupo na tayo sa sala at mag-usap nang maayos." Mar suggests and they all agree.
They all go to the bigger room and settle in the couches. Russell sits between his uncle and father in the biggest one with the three dads in front.
"Sabi mo ikukwento mo ang lahat ng nangyari sa inyo sa New York ng anak namin." Tito says.
"Opo." He answers determinedly.
"Okay. Kwento."
- Writer
