CHAPTER FOUR:

“Have you eaten?” he suddenly asked me.

I scolded myself because my heart fluttered at his simple question.

“Opo, tapos na,"

“Aling Belinda’s cooking is good, but yours is different,” sinabi niya iyon sa napaka nonchalant na mukha.

"Mas masarap kasi magluto si Nanay kumpara kay Tiyang Belinda," sagot ko.

Mukhang naguluhan siya sa sinabi ko.

"Kasi po Sir, si Nanay ang nagturo sa'kin magluto. So, since mas masarap magluto si Nanay kumpara kay Tiyang Belinda, sa'kin niya napasa ang pamana niya pagdating sa pagluluto," Proud kong sabi.

“Does your Tiyang Belinda know you’re talking about her behind her back,” I turned pale at his response.

Bakit ko nga ba nakalimutan na kakampi ni Tiyang belinda si Sir Axel, eh, siya nga nagpalaki rito. Sigurado ako kapag nagsumbong siya kay Tiyang makakatanggap ako ng kurot sa singit.

"Omg! Pero baka chamba ko lang din iyan sir." sabay bawi ko.

He didn’t say anything, silence fell between us, but he broke it.

“Sit down,”

I bit my lip to stop the smile escaping. What was that? We were just having a simple conversation, and he was so brief with his words, so why was I feeling strange?

Hindi kaya na-e-engkanto ako? Unti unti akong umupo sa sofa.

“Good thing the black eye from you punching me is gone. I can’t believe my employee punched me - me, the owner of this mansion.”

Dumulas ako mula sa pagkakaupo sa sofa.

Umayos ako ng tayo saka pinalansya ng palad ko ang palda kong nagusot. Tumikhim ako at umupo.

"Ano po iyon Sir may sinasabi ka?" pagpapatay malisya ko.

“Do you want me to repeat what I said?”

Hindi ko talaga makapa ang ugali ni Sir kasi bawat salita niya parang kailangan mong salahin kung galit ba siya, nagbabanta, o normal na boses niya lang talaga ang ganiyan.

"Kahit huwag na po pala sir mukhang hindi naman importante ata iyon sinabi mo, hehe," pero hindi na siya umimik.

Na badtrip ko ata?

"Ah, ano. May ipag uutos ka pa ba Sir?  may trabaho pa kasi akong naiwan," sabi ko na lang.

“Playing dumb, are you?”

I was a little surprised to see his sly grin. I wasn’t sure because it seemed so quick, and now his face was serious again.

“Alright, you can leave.” I bowed and hurried out.

My heart was pounding so hard. I really thought he was going to continue talking about what happened then.

I shook my head because memories were flooding back into my mind.

“Sissy,”

"Ay, mahabang talong!" Sigaw ko sa gulat.

Tinignan ko si Lara na tumatawa,

"Mahabang talong? hanggang ngayon ba hindi ka pa rin maka-get over diyan? sabihin mo nga sa'kin hindi basta lang mahabang talong iyan 'no?" may pang aasar sa tono niya.

Umiwas ako ng tingin sa sinabi niya. "Wala!" sabi ko.

"Kung gano'n bakit ka umiyak ng dahil sa talong?" pang uusisa pa rin niya.

Nakita kong nahihirapan siya sa bitbit niyang comforters, kaya kinuha ko ang iba.

"Lara hindi maganda para sa isang babae ang masyadong chismossa," mas lumakas ang tawa niya.

"Anong chismossa doon? para nagtatanong lang eh. Saka hindi naman ibang tao pinag uusapan natin kundi ikaw,"

"Ayon na nga ang nakakainis doon, kausap mo lang ang pinag chi-chissmisan mo." Naglakad na ako kaya sumabay siya, sinisilip pa nito ang mukha ko.

“Why do I feel like you’re hiding something from me?”

may'ron nga pero hindi naman talaga pwedeng i-share. Kung si Sir nga hindi niya pinagsabi ako pa kaya!

"Feeling mo lang iyon." Binilisan ko pa ang paglalakad pero talagang hindi ako tinitigilan ni Lara sa tanong.

Ano ba kasing may'ron sa talong na iyan at hindi pa ako lubayan ng babae na 'to!

"Ikaw sissy ah, aminin mo nga sa'kin nakakita ka na ng totoong mahabang talong 'no?"

My cheeks flushed at her question. “No!” I said and ran away.

“You’re lying, you’re blushing.” She shouted.

I stopped running when I bumped into Mae and Sara. They both glared at me.

"Kapag talaga galing sa probinsya walang manner's," parinig ni Mae.

"Kaya ayoko sa mga probinsyana kasi halatang tanga at walang pinag aralan." Tumatawang sabi ni Sara.

I faced them with my head held high. “FYI, people from the province aren’t dumb. Maybe we seem dumb to you because a lot of things are new to us, and we’re seeing them for the first time. We’re not like you who grew up in big cities, buildings, and technology. But even so, it doesn’t mean we’re dumb or ignorant. We just appreciate things that we’re experiencing for the first time.” They were speechless at what I said. Dapat lang ang haba kaya ng english ko!

Pero hindi pa ako tapos,  “And by the way, I was valedictorian in high school. I’m proof that people from the province aren’t dumb, I exist.”

I felt the moment when someone clapped.

“Your dialogue is great, you’re feisty.” I turned around.

May lalaking nakasandal habang naka-krus ang dalawang kamay nito sa dibdib niya. Mabilis na umalis ang dalawa, kaya naglakad na rin ako pero napahinto ako ng harangan niya ang daan ko.

“So the feisty provincial girl is also a snob,”

I didn’t recognize the guy because I’d never seen him before. He wasn’t doing anything bad to me, but I didn’t like his vibes.

“Boyfriend, you’re here!”

Lara hugged him. The guy seemed surprised by her sudden appearance.

“G-get off of me!”

His previous smirk was replaced by irritation.

"Nobyo mo Lara?" tanong ko saka tinuro pa ang lalaki.

“Yes sissy, this is Rence, Sir Axel’s cousin. He’s handsome, right? We’re a good match!” she said excitedly.

"Sigurado ka na ba sa kaniya Lara? baka nabibigla ka lang,"

"Ano ba iyan pinagsasabi mo?" kunot noo niyang sabi.

“She’s not my girlfriend, stop being jealous,” Rence’s teasing nature returned, but I ignored his last statement.

Umalis siya sa pagkakayakap ni Lara at umalis. Naiwan kami ni Lara na may kakaibang tingin sa'kin.

“Do you like Rence?” she asked seriously, which surprised me.

“No! I wouldn’t like someone like him,”

“Then why did you react like that?”

“Because I don’t want him for you. He seems like he’ll just hurt you.” We started walking.

"Don't worry mukha lang loko-loko ang lalaki na iyon pero mabait naman siya." nakangiti niyang sabi.

“Tatay said, if you like a guy, don’t show it. Because he’ll use it as a reason to take advantage of you.” She laughed and put her arm around me.

Hindi ko naintindihan kung ano ang sinabi niya kaya nagkibit balikat na lang ako. Sana lang talaga hindi dumating iyon araw na masasaktan siya, baka kasi kapag nagkataon ipakulam ko si Rence.

“Too bad. I wish you had come earlier than me, so you could tell me that, and maybe I would have thought things through better. But right now, there’s nothing left. I mean, everything, I have nothing left,”

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