The Kissing Scandal (Filipino)

The sudden opening of my bedroom door ended the kisses I shared with Alexis. He fell on the floor as my hands pushed him out of panic. His eyebrows furrowed in pain as he rubbed his ass. My eyes widened in surprise upon seeing Mommy staring deadly at us. "You can go home now," she calmly told Alexis. Alexis grabbed his bag in panic and was about to take his leave but hesitated as my mother was blocking the way towards the door. Narinig ko pa ang daing niya mula sa ibaba. Lumapit sa akin ang aking ina at hinawakan nang mariin ang aking braso. "How many times do I have to tell you, no boyfriend until you find stable upkeep. Manloloko ang mga lalake, sagabal lang sila sa studies mo, at paiiyakin ka lamang!” singhal niya. "Alexis is different---" I tried to defend my first ever and only boyfriend. Still, I almost forgot that she is Wang Sunny, my mother, a woman of principle who never accepted and will never accept any of my explanations whenever I justify myself. Right, she never goes wrong. Well, di na ako umangal. Alexis belongs to my father’s zoo, after a few weeks, nakahanap siya ulit ng girlfriend sa school. I would have regretted defending such an obnoxious prick who pursued me for his girlfriend's collections. Obeying my mother somehow helped me refrain from shedding a tear after breaking up with my first boyfriend. My mother is my life coach, kahit bago kami iwan ng aking ama para sa isang babae noong sampong taong gulang pa lamang ako. I was just ten years old then. Her heart turned stone cold at once, which intimidated men to court her. Modesty. Her modesty has been forbidding me to feel comfortable with my every womanly gesture; Laughing out loud, wearing hotpants, revealing some skin, talking to strangers, especially men, roam the night, visiting a friend's house, drinking alcohol, and smoking cigarettes. Aniya’y dahil sa pagiging suwail niya sa kanyang ina at pagiging liberated noong kabataan niya, ay dahilan kung bakit siya nasaktan ngayon. Choosing dad over someone grandmother picked for her to marry has made her blame for such irreversible mistakes. She once said that if she could only turn back time, she would never let herself meet dad after all.  Dala-dala ko ang mga tinuro ni mama sa akin hanggang natapos ko ang kolehiyo at nakapagtrabaho sa isang Construction services. Many have tried to pursue me, but I was tremendously focused on achieving my goals that not even one guy caught my attention. I mean, I was still less than halfway towards my destination. Shifting my attention to something unnecessary was my least priority. All I could think about was the need to be successful for me to prove to anyone, including my mother, that I can rationally think and properly decide all by myself. Ngunit nang naging 29 ang edad ko, kung ano ang stado ko seven years ago ay ganoon pa rin ngayon. Hindi pa rin ako nakakawala mula sa rehas ng aking ina. Ang kaibahan lang ay na promote ako bilang isang manager sa isang architecture firms sa Los Angeles after taking up master’s degree, I have more responsibilities compared to my previous job. Mas lalong naging hectic ang schedule, kung sabagay, nasanay na ang katawan kong magbanat ng buto sa murang edad. During my middle school days, my homemade honey butter chips were popular among my fellow students. With its earned profit, I could buy myself a phone which my mother would confiscate whenever she caught me talking on the line with a friend at night. Reality hit harder before me as I recalled the past. Who I was fourteen years ago is still the same girl today. I have always been trying to free myself from my mother's railing of words but to no avail, like an enchantment cast on my reverie, my conscience would always forbid me from doing something that I would want to do in my life.  "A penny for your thoughts about Klift Johnson, Megan?" Mommy suddenly asked. She was silently devouring her food when she suddenly spoke. We are currently having our dinner facing each other. Naibagsak ko ang piraso ng steak sa plato habang ningunguya ang pagkain sa aking bibig. Kanina lamang nakipagkita kami ng kanyang kaibigang Klift family sa isang tea party. She introduced me to their one and only child, na isang successful Engineer.    "Balita ko hindi pa siya nagkaroon ng girlfriend. He’s handsome naman at mukhang mabait. And I guess his working experience must be outstanding since he worked in big companies abroad," she said. My mother would always propose to me any men with status in life the same as ours. Fairly speaking, I don't find someone like Klift Johnson to be interesting. Yes, he's good-looking, but his timidity and decency labeled him tedious. Insulting him was the least of my intentions; I just wanted a man who cannot be controlled by society's old-fashioned norms and prejudices, who isn't a coward to speak his mind, who can offer me abiding liberty. A man that will never be swayed by my mother's judgment, who is not someone like me... "He looks decent and humble," I commented. I could see her slight smile spread across her lips before she drank her wine. "He still wanted to get to know you better. Shall I set a schedule for your next date?" she asked. I heaved a sigh as I bowed down my head and not long enough I courageously lifted it up to meet her eyes. "Mommy, I know you want me to marry at this age, but I am not utterly prepared," I said. Ito ang unang pagkakataon na hindi ako sumang-ayon sa kanyang desisyon. Uminom ako ng tubig at napatingin sa kanya. Ang living room ay nakapatay ang ilaw, ang tanging lumiliwanag lang ay ang ilaw sa gitnang itaas namin. Kitang kita ko ang pag-igting ng kanyang panga nang marinig niya ang pagtanggi ko sa nireto niyang lalake sa akin. Tipid akong ngumiti at tumayo. “I’m sleepy. Good night.”  "Megan, the meal isn't over yet." She called. Her voice echoed in every corner of the quiet penthouse. "Megan Wang!" I did not flinch as I continued walking.