Three
856 Words
Meanwhile, at the airport upon landing.
"Meg!" Capt. Walter James calls her as they deplane.
"Yes, Captain?" She smiles.
"Eto naman. Naka-land na tayo. Wala na tayo sa flight, Tito na ulit."
"Tito?" Russell, who is behind them, asks.
"Oo. Kapitbahay namin ng Daddy mo sina Megan."
"Talaga? Small world." Russell grins and winks at Meg who rolls her eyes.
"Unfortunately." She murmurs.
"Lumipat kami sa village nila two years ago. Naalala mo yung kwento ng Daddy mo?"
"Yes, Tito. Lumipat kayo dun sa malapit sa office niya."
Katrabaho nga din ni Kuya Jose ang Daddy niya." Capt. James explains. "Isa sa mga daddy. Alam mo kasi..."
"She has three: Tatay Mar, Daddy Tito and Papa Jo." Russell tells his uncle but his gentle stare is on Meg who deliberately trying to ignore him.
He has heard the story of her three fathers from her but is yet to meet them.
"Alam mo?" Capt. James looks at him confusedly.
"I heard about them. I also heard they are very loving dads and that Meg loves them very much." He says softly.
"Oo. Sobra." His uncle agrees. "Sobrang bait na bata nitong si Meg at sobrang lambing din. Parang gusto ko na din magka-anak na babae. Kung pwede nga lang maging pang-apat na Daddy din ako eh." He chuckles.
"Pwede naman po. Dito nga po sa work parang kayo na din ang Daddy ko." Meg smiles.
"Gusto ko na ding maging Daddy. Daddy ng mga magiging anak mo." Russell mumbles under his breath.
"Ano yun, Russ?" Capt. James asks.
"Aaah... Eh... Ano po... Wala, Tito. I said uuwi na din ako." He stutters.
"Ah okay. Sige. Ano, Meg? Sabay na kita." Capt. James says. "Ako lang naman sa kotse. Si Russell may sariling sasakyan tsaka dun yan sa condo niya uuwi. Pa-independent daw. Sanay na kasing nabuhay mag-isa sa America. Nagtatampo na nga si Kuya eh."
Megan breathes a sigh of relief. She dreaded living next door to him after she learned that he is their neighbor's son earlier.
"Ganoon po ba?" She smiles at their captain, ignoring his nephew who is currently gawking at her. "Hindi na po. May susundo na po sa akin."
"Sino? Eh sabi ng Tatay mo, isabay kita."
"Oo nga. Sino?" Russell asks, his tone rougher and more bitter that he planned.
She throws him a stern glare that says, "none of your business" then turns sweetly to his uncle.
"Si Lito po." She tells him.
Russell's jaw tightens at her mentioning another man's name.
"Ah... Si Lito." Capt. James smiles. "Okay. Sabihin ko na lang kina pare pag-uwi ko."
"What? Okay? Okay na yun? Ganoon lang?" Russell blurts out his protest before he can stop himself.
"Bakit, Russell? May problema?" His uncle asks.
"Oo nga. Bakit po, Captain?" She glares.
She looks into his eyes, squinting and daring him to answer.
How can he tell her how he feels when he lost every right to be jealous when he walked out on her in New York three years ago?
If looks could kill, he knows he could've dropped dead two minutes ago. "At least she's not ignoring you now. Kanina ka pa invisible sa kaniya flight pa lang eh." He thinks as he very unsuccessfully consoles himself.
"Nothing." He sighs.
"Meg! Andiyan na sundo mo," Lulu says, pointing at someone a few feet away from them.
Megan's murderous gaze instantly shifts into a bright sunshiny expression when she turns her back to him and faces the man Lulu is pointing to.
Russell feels the pang he felt in his heart earlier explode into thousands of shrapnels piercing his chest.
"Meg!" Lito calls and waves at her. She waves back with a sweet smile.
The pain that burst in his chest now seem to be concentrating back into a big lump of contempt like a bomb ready to explode at the slightest trigger.
He looks at the other guy. Sure. He's tall, good-looking with mestizo features like him, good built, deep-set eyes, great smile, everything Meg said she liked about his looks but—
"Tangina naman! Mas gwapo pa din ako diyan." Russell thinks bitterly.
"Sige, Tito. I'll go ahead." Meg tells his uncle and smiles.
As soon as she takes that first step away from him and towards the other guy, Russell snaps.
Without a second thought, he snatches her wrist and starts walking to the opposite direction with her.
She gasps as her eyes widen and looks at his face. His expression dead serious and his eyes are full of purpose.
"Huh! Russell, ano ba? Let me go." She protests in a hushed but firm tone and twists her hand in an attempt to escape his grasp but he only holds her tighter.
Meg wants to yell at him and kick him for what he's doing but she doesn't want to make a scene.
She tries to keep up with his long strides to avoid getting dragged. The others, though confused, watch quietly.
"Russell, saan kayo pupunta?" Capt. James asks after them.
"Uuwi," is his only response as he briefly looks over his shoulder, locking her eyes with his sternly.
- Writer
