Wala na akong sinabi nang ihatid niya ako kagabi sa bahay. Gladly, it was already midnight kaya wala nang gising pa para pagalitan ako sa ginawa kong pagwa-walk out.
But true to his words, Chester arranged a breakfast meeting for our family. Nagsisisi tuloy ako na nag-inom ako kagabi. Kaya kahit gaano kasakit ang ulo ko, wala akong magawa.
Fuck. He was with me last night. Dapat ginawa man lang niyang dinner ang meeting na ito.
āSo, youāre really accepting the marriage, huh?ā Fiona asked habang kaming dalawa pa lang ang nasa loob ng van.
I lifted my gaze and stopped putting on my lipstick. I really hate her. Sa bawat pagkakataon, wala akong ibang gustong gawin kung ang sabunutan siya. We barely even talk, and when she strikes a conversation, palaging para mang insulto.
āPaano mo naman nalaman agad? News slaps bitches that fast, huh?ā I laughed and closed my compact mirror. Like what I expected, her teeth gritted at namula ang kanyang mukha. Na parang kulang na lang ay may lumabas na usok dahil sa matinding galit.
āWhat else could be the reason why Chester arranged this and said that the two of you have an announcement to say?! Hindi ka ba nahihiya, Paris? Agreeing to this marriage? Sa iba ayaw mo pero dahil gwapo at mayaman, pumayag ka? Throwing yourself to him like a fucking sluā!ā
āDonāt get me started!ā I shouted at her. āWhy? Gusto mong ikaw ang magpakasal?ā
Natawa ako nang nanahimik siya bigla. Itās like she went out of words dahil tama ako! Dahil totoo iyon. She canāt fool me. I know that she likes Chester.
Nang dumating sina Dad sa loob ng van, wala kaming ibang nagawa kundi ang manahimik. Tita Faureen kept showing off her new whatevers for this meeting, but I was too damn lazy to catch up. My head hurts so badly.
Nang makarating kami sa resto, I was actually fascinated by the interior design and relaxing atmosphere. It looks so good, that I'm actually impressed.
āChesterās good at choosing places, huh?ā Tita Faureen said.
Nang igiya kami ng waiter sa may rooftoop, halos hindi ako makapaniwala sa nakikita ko. That part of the resto was obviously exclusive for us. The view was breathtaking, and the designs were almost perfect.
I immediately saw Chesterās family as they stood because of our presence. There was a long table just enough for us pero kakapagtakangā¦ wala pa rin ang kanyang ina.
Bakit kaya?
āAh, Philip! Faureen!ā Tito Chris greeted my parents.
Habang si Chester naman, dumalo sa akin nang may seryosong mga mata. And when he held my waist, I was too stunned to speak.
Akala ko ay igigiya niya ako sa bakanteng upuan na katabi ni Chancellor. But instead, he made me sit right between Tito Chris and him.
Hindi ko alam kung gaano kahaba ang pag-uusap nilang lahat. I'm too sleepy and damn hungry. Malas pang katapat ko si Dad habang nasa gitna naman si Tito Chris. Chester is on my left at katapat niya si Tita Faureen. Dapat sana si Fiona. I like to see the look on her face. Parang mas ginaganahan ako.
The conversation was endless pero pagkain lang ang inintindi ko. And if Dad didn't asked the million dollar question, muntik na akong makatulog.
āSo? Para saan nga ba ang breakfast na ito? Chester?ā Dad asked.
Hindi sana ako sasagot. Pero nangā¦ hawakan bigla ni Chester ang kamay ko. Parang bigla akong naupos.
My brows furrowed at it at kaagad kong binawi iyon. Mabuti na lang at nasa ilalim iyon ng lamesa! Damn it. This bastard really knows how to get my attention.
āWell, this is to formally ask Paris toā¦ā Nanlaki ang mata ko nang ilabas bigla ni Chester and isang large velvet box. What the hell was that?!
ā... to marry me,ā Chester continued as he opened the damn box.
Unlike other men with engagement rings, the box contained a stunning pearl necklace that made our jaws drop. Hindi ko sigurado kung paano niya nalaman, but pearls were actually sentimental to me. Just the sight of it made my heart go wild. So wild that it's giving me headaches.
Isa paā¦ ang kwintas na 'yon. Probably around 300,000 worth. Why is he proposing with that?
Nakita ko ang panlalaki ng mata ni Daddy. Funny how he reacted. Parang hindi inaasahan, ah?
āI realized that what happened yesterday was actually not how it's supposed to be. So I'm giving her my formal proposal now,ā Chester said.
What is he? A suitor? A boyfriend? Yesterday was damn fine!
āSoā¦ Paris?ā Chester asked nang ilang saglit pa akong natulala. Nang mag-angat ako ng tingin sa kanya, his brows were raising, like he was expecting an answer after what we talked about last night.
My lips parted, and it answered automatically.
āY-Yes. Yes, I will,ā I whispered, which made him smirk.
āParis,ā Dad called happily na parang iyon ang pinakamagandang desisyong ginawa ko.
Narinig ko pa ang ilang palakpak. Surely, Tito Chris was one of them. Isa na rin si Tita Faureen at maging si Felix. Chase also clapped with them as well lalo na nang isuot sa akin ni Chester ang kwintas.
āThere, perfect,ā he whispered before he sat beside me.
āCongratulations! I'm looking forward to your marriage. It's about two weeks, right?ā tanong ni Tito Chris sa akin.
I smiled at him and nodded. I actually don't know the details. Si Chester na lang ang tanungin nila. Tutal ay siya naman itong nakakaalam ng mga detalye.
Dad and Tito Chris were very happy with the news. Ilang saglit pa ng pagkukwentuhan bago nagsimulang magpaalam ang lahat dahil sa meetings and agendas.
I was supposed to go to the spa right now, pero dahil sa bilin na sumama muna ako kay Chester, mukhang hindi ko na magagawa iyon. Or maybe I could. Baka nga siya pa ang magbayad, eh.
āParisā¦ Paris, hey!ā Napatigil ako sa paglalakad patungo ng comfort room nang bigla akong hilahin ni Chancellor para iharap sa kanya.
āAno ba?" I asked in annoyance.
Akala ko nakaalis na sila?
Nagpaalam lang ako kay Chester sandali. I didn't know that Chancellor was still here!
āWhat do you want?ā tanong ko sa kanya nang tuluyan ko siyang harapin.
He breathed heavily and tried to look around parang tinitingnan kung may makakarinig ba sa sasabihin niya. āI-It's about last night. Look, I'm sorry I gave you advances that would make you think that way. I'm sorry I lied. Itās just thatā!ā
āYou donāt have to explain to me anymore, Chancellor. Wala na akong pakialam,ā asik ko at akmang aalis na sa harapan niya.
āCome on, Paris, donāt be like this.ā Akma niya akong hahawakan pero bago niya pa nagawa iyon, I heard the deep and familiar voice that made me stop walking.
āShe said she doesnāt want to talk about it, Chancellor. Hindi ba talaga āyan maiproseso ng utak mo?ā Chester asked in a dark tone.
I sighed and looked at them dahil mukhang mag-aaway pa yata. I badly want to go to the comfort room right now, pero nang hapitin ako ni Chester sa baywang, alam kong hindi na ako makakaalis pa.
āChester, I just want to talk to Paris. This is between us, so āwag kang makialamā!ā
āMakikialam ako, Chancellor,ā Chester said. āShe already said that she doesnāt want to talk about it, kaya ayokongā¦ nakikita pang nilalapitan o hinahawakan mo siya.ā
Chancellor glared at his brother. Alam kong sasagot pa sana siya kung hindi lang dumating si Chase para awatin ang dalawa. Maybe it was instinct, pero kung paano niya man naramdamang nag-aaway ang dalawa, Iām glad that he came to stop them!
āReally? Right in front of a woman? Stop it, you morons. Tara na, Chancellor,ā Chase said.
Chancellor sighed. He then looked at me, pero hindi ko na siya pinansin. Of course I want his explanation, pero hindi ngayon. Dahilā¦ sa tuwing nakikita ko siya, para pa rin akong sinasaksak sa puso at nagpupuyos sa galit.
āLet's go,ā I whispered to Chester, which he gladly obeyed.
Walang imik at nagmamadali akong lumabas patungo sa sasakyan niya. I really want to go somewhere. But todayā¦ my schedule was tied with him.
āMissy, youāre very moody,ā he said. āItās our day today, yet youāre broken hearted because of that asshole.ā
I glared at him as I fastened my seatbelt. āTara na nga lang. Saan ba tayo pupunta?ā I asked in an annoyed tone.
āWe're going to buy a ring. An engagement, and wedding rings.ā
āRight. Why did you give me this, instead of a normal engagement ring in the first place?ā tanong ko sa kanya habang pinagmamasdan ang kwintas na ibinigay niya sa akin.
āPearl suits you. I couldnāt think of a ring dahilā¦ nadidistract ako sa ganda ng leeg mo. I donāt like others seeing that, so I just gave you a pearl necklace
I raised my brows at him pero hindi ko na iyon pinuna dahil mababara ko lang siya.
Nang makarating kami sa mall, I simply followed him towards the jewelry store that he went. True to his words, heās never good at choosing such things kaya sa halip na makigulo ay pinaupo ko na lang siya sa tabi ng mga baklang clerk at iba pang babaeng mukhang nahuhumaling naman sa kanya.
āI want to help,ā he said with damn puppy eyes.
āNo you donāt. You just kept on choosing the most expensive ones,ā inis kong bulong sa kanya habang ibinababa ko ang bag ko sa tabi niya.
āSo what? I can pay for thoseā!ā
āThatās not my point, Mister. Kaya maupo ka lang diyan atā¦ā I looked around and saw different people looking at him. āI donāt know, entertain?ā
āWhat?ā
Hindi ko na siya tinanong at nagpatuloy na lang ako sa pamimili ng singsing. I actually never thought Iād ever do this. Choosing a ring with the man Iām going to marry. Except that Iā¦ already expected that Iāll soon get married not for love, but for convenience.
Napabuntong hininga ako sa isiping iyon. I tried looking for a ring that would find my taste, pero siguro wala lang talaga ako sa mood. Nothing suits in my hands here.
I tried scanning over and over again, running here and there to their different shelves hanggang saā¦
āGusto niyo po ba siya, maāam? Mukhang bagay po sa inyo ni sir āyan,ā the sales lady said when I locked my eyes in a silver ring.
It was a wedding ring that I wished I have never seen. Napakaganda ng dainty twig na wedding rings na iyon. A simple round for the man, and a beautiful twig style for a woman. If this was a real weddingāno, I mean, a wedding between me and the man I love, I wouldāve appreciated it even more.
Nang ibigay sa akin iyon ng sales clerk, I canāt help but hold it. Napakaganda talaga na gusto kong maiyak.
āThat looks good on your hands,ā I heard Chesterās husky voice as he went near me. āTamang-tama, bagay āyan dito.ā
When I looked at what heās holding, nakita ko ang isang twig rin na engagement ring. Unlike what Iām holding, the ring he holds have a diamond. At talaga ngang napakaganda noon.
āGive me your hand,ā he whispered, pero kaagad niya ring kinuha ang kaliwa kong kamay.
To my surprise, he slid the ring that fitted my finger perfectly. It looked and felt so damn perfect. It's like Iā¦ fell in love with a goddamn ring.
āThere. Perfect,ā he said after he slid the wedding ring I'm holding into my finger.
I was too stunned to speak. Manghang mangha ako sa ganda ng singsing na parang ayaw ko na iyong hubarin pa. And I guess, Chester saw that look in my eyes.
āI'll buy these. Mukhang gustong gusto mo na, eh,ā he said and talked to the cashier.
My eyes widened. āH-Ha?ā
āRemove the wedding ring. Babayaran na natin.ā
āU-Umā¦ sige.ā I really love it. Sayang nga lang atā¦ ngayon ko iyon nakita kung kailan sa kanya ako magpapakasal.
Well, maybe I can still find something more beautiful than that, right?
Iyon ay kungā¦ makakatakas pa ako sa kanya pagkatapos ng kasal.
After he paid those, he kept the ring on a velvet box and slid it inside his coat's pocket. Pero ang engagement ring, hinayaan niya lang na suot ko.
āLet's go,ā he said and held my hand, which honestly made me shocked.
āYou're holding my hand,ā puna ko habang naglalakad kami.
Nilingon niya ako bago siya sumulyap sa kamay kong hawak niya naman talaga. Parang hindi aware, ah?
Damn you, Chester Lancelot.
āOh, sorry, nagkusa,ā nagpipigil ng ngising aniya na inirapan ko naman kaagad.
Gago talaga.
Parang nagdududa na tuloy ako kung siya ba talaga si Chester. Damn, he's a ruthless businessman, and a damn rude person, pero ngayon ay para siyang bata.
āWe're getting married. Is there something wrong kung hahawakan ko ang kamay mo in public?ā he suddenly asked. āBesides, I want to give the paparazzi a great story.ā
I rolled my eyes again at his response. Sabi ko na nga ba, eh. He's just doing this for something.
Bakit, ano bang ineexpect ko?
Damn it, Paris!
āSaka mo na hawakan ang kamay ko kapag kasal na tayo. Kanina ka pang kung makahawak, eh. We barely even know each other,ā I whispered the last sentence and rolled my eyes.
Pero nagulat ako nang bigla siyang tumigil sa paglalakad at hinila ako para tumigil rin! Aba't talagang hindi nagpapatalo, ah?
Kapag ako ang nang-aasar, bawal? Tsk.
āBarely even know?ā he smirked. āAnd we did more than just holding hands kaya tigilan mo ako, Paris.ā
My jaw literally dropped at what he said. Wala akong pakialam kung may nakakakita man sa amin. I immediately pulled my hand away from him and was damn ready for a fight.
āTalagang binabalik balik mo pa rin iyon, ah? Again, Chester, nagpakilala kang si Chancellor!ā gigil ko sa kanya.
However, he just smirked at me and winked. āIsipin mo na lang naā¦ I am Chancellor,ā he said.
āI am Chancellor.ā
āI am Chancellor.ā
āI amā¦ Chancellor.ā
What the?
āArgh,ā I groaned in pain nang parang may martilyong ilang beses na pumukpok sa ulo ko.
Shit, shit!
āWhat's wrong?ā he asked in a panicking voice pero hindi ko siya masagot!
It felt like somethingā¦ something's hitting my head nonstop. I can hear an annoying noise that brought headaches like there was no tomorrow. Napakasakit. Napakasakit na parang hindi ko kayang humingaā¦
āH-Hey?ā Chester called when I lost balance. He held me and assisted me pero ni pagsasalita ay hindi ko magawa! It hurts that itās killing me.
Whatās happening? What the fuck is happening?
āI amā¦ Chancellor.ā
āI am Chancellor,ā
āParisā¦ Paris!ā Chesterās voice echoed in my ears before I completely lost track of everything.
āHow can I know? Hindi ka naman nagkukwento.āāYou donāt have to know. All you have to do is stare at meā¦ and remember that I am Chancellor. Alright? I am the only Chancellor, Paris. I am Chancellor.āWhen I opened my eyes, I immediately gasped for air. Para akong tumakbo nang napakahaba dahil sa matinding tibok ng puso ko. What the fuck happened? Where the hell am I?!āParisā¦ Paris, are you okay?ā Chester went inside the room and immediately attended to me.He pat my back as he called someone to attend to me pero hindi ko iyon kailangan ngayon. All I need is a damn space and time to think.Anong nangyari? Why was that so hard to swallow? At bakit may parang nagpapaulit ulit na panaginip sa akin. I couldnāt really picture it. All I can recall is that I had this conversation with someone. Was it Chancellor?Maybe. Paulit ulit niyang sinasabing siya si Chancellor. But Iā¦ I couldnāt recall why. I couldnāt recall when I had this conversation with him.After the nurse checked me, pumasok
I couldnāt get a hold of our conversation. Somehow, ang pag-alis ni Claire noong sumunod na araw ay nagpaisip sa akin. I donāt know, maybe it was just because of her reactions, and knowing that Chester is also in Singapore. Isa paā¦ sheās a designer as well. But it might be just a coincidence, right? After all, Claire never mentioned a boyfriend. At hindi ako sigurado kung kilala niya ba si Chester. Even though itās possible, Claire would tell us if itās true, right?Thereās no reason for her to hide.As for Chesterā¦ thereās also no reason for him to contact me, but I felt stupid waiting for his message. How many days has it been? Three? That asshole. He said heāll message me from time to time. Fuck, and why am I waiting?! Why am I waiting for it?āThis one looks pretty on me. Iāll have it.ā Napaangat ako ng tingin nang marinig ang nakakairitang boses ni Fiona. When I looked at her, my brows furrowed in annoyance. It was a sweetheart top kind of tube. Itās fitted and long, covered i
Para akong masasamid sa sariling laway dahil sa sinabi niya. While I was too damn tensed, he looked so fucking calm, amused of my reaction!How can he like me? I meanā¦āIām in love with your brotherā¦ā I reminded him, yet he only laughed at me.āNo youāre not,ā he said with confidence. āI can prove it.ā My brows furrowed at his sudden movement. He put down the sandwich and leaned toward me in a swift move. Almost telling me that heās ready to kiss in a public place!āAnong g-ginagawa mo?ā Nauutal-utal pang sabi ko at bahagya siyang tinulak pero hindi naman nagpatinag ang loko.āNakatingin ang kabit mo,ā he said in a husky tone while he was too close to me. I know heās pertaining to Chancellor, yet I donāt know what to do. The way he looked at me put me in such a dilemma. In a dilemma that Iā¦ think I actually know how to respond.When I locked my eyes on him, it didnāt make me want to look at where he was gesturing. Instead, my eyes dropped to his lips. It was red and plump, it was ver
I can feel my throat getting dry at his remarks. Hindi ko alam pero ang mga simple niyang salita ay may kakaibang dulot sa akin. I could feel my heart pounding so loud that I could hear nothing but it. It's beating so hard that it feels like it's coming out of my ribcage.I've never felt such emotions. Kailanman, hindi ko pa naranasan ang ganitong klaseng sensasyon. Funny how heās the only one who can make me feel that way. Heās the only one that could stir my mind and make me question my own emotions. Do Iā¦ like him?āParis, Chester!ā Napatalon ako sa gulat nang marinig ang tawag ni Daddy. Because of his call, nagising ako at nawala sa mga iniisip. Naputol din ang titigan namin ni Chester at ang mga kalokohang gumugulo sa akin. āWhy donāt you socialize up there? May mga naghihintay pa naman sa inyong mga bisita,ā Dad said.I cleared my throat and immediately nodded. I think itās better for me to socialize a bit before I lose my mind and sanity at our conversation. Chester is stirri
āMag-ingat kayo sa pag-uwi, ah? Lumalalim na rin ang gabi at siguradong pagod na pagod na kayo pareho. Ingat kayo,ā Nanang said as she closed the car door for me.Nginitian ko siya at saka marahang tumango kahit aminado akong humupa man ang pag-aalala ay hindi pa rin iyon lubusang nawala.āKayo po ang mag-ingat, ah? Tatawag ako palagi at bibisita,ā asik ko. Hindi ko alam kung naexcite ba siya roon. Sa palagay ko ay hindi dahil nag-aalala lang siyang ngumiti sa akin. āMauuna na po kami. Maraming salamat sa pagpapaunlak,ā Chester said after he started the car's engine. Nilingon ko siya at nakita ang mabait na ngiting iginawad kay Nanang. Though he always looked dangerous and cunning, he smiled genuinely.āS-Salamat din. Oh, siya, sige na.āWala na akong nagawa nang paandarin ni Chester ang sasakyan paalis ng bahay ni Nanang. Actually, I felt a bit relaxed knowing that she arrived safe and unharmed. That's all that I wanted.āFeeling relaxed now?ā Chester asked as he continued driving.
Fuck. Damn it, shit!I groaned so much when I felt like something was pounding my head so badly. Nanunuyo ang lalamunan at parang anumang oras ay masusuka. God, I badly need some water or I might pass out kahit kagigising ko lang!I held my throbbing head, trying to figure out if the laugh I heard was from my damn imagination. āThatās what you get for drinking so much. Here, drink some.āWith my eyes half-open, I tried to pull myself up para lang mailapat ang labi ko sa basong lumapit sa akin. Drinking the cold water felt like heaven! Gosh, kailan ba ang huling beses na uminom ako ng tubig at bakit ganito?āWake up, sleepy head. I can almost see those perfect and round sights up from here. Care to hide them properly, please?āMy brows furrowed when he started talking gibberish. Perfect and roundāwhat?!Mabilis kong iminulat ang mata ko nang marealize ko kung anong sinabi ni Chester. And I almost cursed when I saw my chest almost popping out of the damn silk robe!āDamn it.ā I quickly
It's been a weekāno. Two maybe? No. It's less than two weeks, pero sa tingin ko mababaliw na ako rito! Although I had my phone, I never even got the chance to touch it or even look at it.Chester's been bugging my whole system, at pakiramdam ko kaunting kaunti na lang talaga ay sasabog na ang ulo ko sa dami ng nangyayari. More so, my mind will explode completely because Chester's been stirring it up.Pilit kong sinasaksak sa utak ko na kailan lang, patay na patay ako at halos ibigay ko na ang sarili ko sa kapatid niya. In fact, I was so into him for years! Pero bakit kay Chesterā¦ ilang araw langā¦āAre you awake?āMy heart pounds so wildly every time he knocks on the door and asks that softly. His voice was hoarse, probably because he has just woken up. At pagkakagising niya mula sa kabilang kwarto, he'll go straight to my door and knock to see if I woke up. Itās been kinda like his habit.Kaya hindi na ako nagulat nang pagbukas ko ng pinto, bumungad sa akin ang magulo niyang pigura. H
When a little ray of sunshine hit my face, I couldnāt help but groan a little as my brows furrowed as well. Gusto ko pa sanang matulog dahil sa pinaghalong puyat, pagod, at sakit ng katawan, but the light and heat from the sun slightly annoyed me.I opened my eyes to peek at the blinds, but there were all closed properly. May isa nga lang na hindi sumagad sa dulo. Hmm, maybe Iāll just go tuck into Chester or whatever. His body is huge enough to cover the sunlight. Iām damn sure of it.āChesā¦ā I tried to open my eyes again to look at him pero napakunot ang noo ko nang makitang wala na siya roon.Huh? Nasaan siya?Parang biglang nawala ang antok ko nang tuluyang maiproseso na wala nga talaga siya sa tabi ko. I used to read this in different novels, and I think itās reasonable to feel a bit empty after waking up without him beside you after sharing a memorable night. And no matter how much I try to deny it, I know Iām about close to feel that way.I know Iām about to feel so worthless un
āYouāre stupid,ā umiiling kong sambit. āYouāre stupid, Chester.ā Halos matawa ako sa narinig mula sakaniya.āParisā!āāSa tingin mo talaga papayag ako?ā I asked. āNang ganon-ganon lang? Do you think Iām that stupid and narrow-minded that I would just divorce you while youāre in the middle ofā¦ while weāre in the middle of something that I do not understand?!ā I exclaimed as my tears started to fall. Hindi ko na napigilan ang pagtaas ng aking boses. Kung iniisip niyang ganoon ako kababaw at tatanggapin na lang ang hinahamon niyang divorce, nagkakamali siya!Unlessā¦āD-Did I do something wrong?ā My voice broke. āDid she tell you something about me k-kaya gusto mo akong hiwalayan?āI saw how his eyes widened and his lips parted. Parang tinakasan ng dugo ang kaniyang mukha dahil sa sinabi ko.Stupid stupid boy.Kahit sinabi niyang gusto niya ng divorce, halatang halata ko sa reaksyon niya na hindi niya gustong ganoon ang naiisip ko. See? He still doesnāt want me to believe that Iām in th
Three days. It has been three days since we got back from Tagaytay. Biglaan kasing nag-aya si Chester noong gabing iyon na umuwi na kami kaya wala na rin akong nagawa. At mula noong gabing iyon, hindi na kami nag-uusap.Well, we had dry conversations, but thatās about it. Heās dry when he talks to me. Kahit pa pilitin niyang magpanggap na walang problema, sana aware din siya na alam kong may problema.Pero kahit naā¦Hindi ko magawang kulitin siya tungkol doon. I sighed. Hay, hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko.āThe Lorenteās are back in business,ā Dad said out of nowhere habang nagbbrowse siya ng balita sa kanyang Ipad. āDo you know them?ā he asked me.I pursed my lips and slowly nodded. Lorente. Apilyedo ngayon ng Mommy ni Chester.So they already settled things? She really got what she wanted.Kung ganoon, ano pang problema? Bakit ganoon si Chester?āYouāre silent,ā puna ni Dad. āAre you sure ayaw mong sumama kina Faureen sa Okada? Youād be bored here.āNilaro ko ng tinidor ang s
āLove,ā I called him nang makarating kami sa bahay. Kanina pa siyang tahimik at walang kibo sa biyahe dahil sa nangyari. He look tensed, frustrated, angry in fact, dahil sa nangyari kanina. Hindi ko na tuloy naintindi ang maraming bulaklak sa likod ng pickup niya.Instead, I tried to follow him inside the bedroom kung saan alam kong didiretso siya.āIs that any way to greet your mother?ā the woman asked.My lips parted. I was about to look at Chester gamit ang matang mapagtanong, nang bigla niya akong hilahin papunta sa kanyang likuran. And that alone answered my questions. She really is his motherPero bakit siya nandito?After all that Chester said kanina, hindi ko alam kung anong mararamdaman ko. Hindi ko rin alam kung anong dapat kong gawin dahil sa paraan pa lang ng paghawak niya sa akin ay ramdam ko na kung gaano niya kaayaw sa presensya ng kaniyang ina.Damn, why is she here? I mean, I donāt mean anything bad, pero gusto ko sanang mag-relax kaming mag-asawa ngayon. My husbandās
āWhatās wrong?ā maagap kong tanong nang makitang i-decline niya ang call. āMay problema na naman ba?āI parted my lips and wanted to ask more, pero kaagad niya naman akong pinigilan sa pamamagitan ng isang matamis na ngiti. āItās just work. Sigurado ako roon. Huwag na lang nating sagutinā!āāChester,ā mahinang tawag ko dahil hindi ko talaga gusto ang nararamdaman. I know, I may just be being too paranoid, but can you blame me?I have to ask it.āYouāre not hiding something from me again, are you?ā I asked. Itās not that I donāt trust him peroā¦ I donāt knowā¦ itās just my gut.Kung may problema naman kasi ang company ay surely, naroon ang kaniyang ama at mga kapatid. I.. I donāt know, iba lang talaga ang pakiramdam ko. I feel like Iāve known him too much, and I know the way he acts when heās hiding something.And Iām not madā¦ Iām just worried that maybeā¦ heās doing this again to protect me from something. Ayaw ko ng ganoon. Ayaw ko na poproblemahin niya lahat nang siya lang.He has me.
āKanina mo pa akong hindi kinakausap,ā he stated as a matter of factly nang maibaba ang mga gamit namin sa couch ng kanyang bahay. Yet again, weāre here at Tagaytay to stay for a couple of days, at umpisa pa lang ay hindi na ako agad nag-eenjoy!āInaantok lang,ā sagot ko at agad tinanggal ang jacket. Akma kong kukunin ang maleta ko at aakyat na papunta sa kwarto. Gusto kong magshower at umidlip muna bago siya kausapin. Pakiramdam ko wala na rin akong ganang kumain dahil sa pagod at sama ng loob. Maybe when I wake up in the middle of the night due to some sort of miracle, just maybe I will talk to him.Pero sino bang niloko ko? Hindi ko āyata matatakasan ang isang āto. āHey,ā kaagad niyang hinawakan ang maleta ko at pagod na tumayo mula sa couch. I glared at him at hinila pabalik ang maleta ko pero hindi niya naman iyon binitawan.āBitaw. Inaantok na ko, Chester.ā Pero sa halip na sumunod, tumayo lang siya at hinarap ako. Ako tuloy itong nanlilisik ang matang nakatingala sa kanya!āWh
I was taken aback by the words he uttered. Like what I said, I understood why he did those back then. Pero ngayong humihingi siya ng tawad sa akin, hindi ko alam ang isasagot.āDadā¦āHe smiled weakly and tried to look at me. āI know what I did back then was unforgivable, but I was just protecting you, andā¦āāDad, Dadā¦ā kaagad ko siyang pinutol. I held his hand and smiled at him. I know that I hated him so much back then. I was stupid. I was reckless and damn stupid. Ngayon, kahit hindi ko pa rin maintindihan kung bakit niya pinakasalan si Tita Faureen, I donāt care anymore.Heās all that I have. Heās the only parent I have.And this grudge has been here too long already. Pagod na pagod na akong magalit.āI understandā¦ā pagpapatuloy ko ngunit suno-sunod siyang umiling sa akin.āNo, I didnāt give you a proper explanation back then,ā aniya. āYour Tita Faureen, she and I have been good friends even before I met your mother. When your mom left, Iā¦ I didnāt know what to do. I wanted you to
Whatā¦Everything fell silent after he uttered those words. Pakiramdam ko, pinagsakluban ako ng langit at lupa at hindi ko alam kung anong paniniwalaan.I felt numb. I-I couldnāt even think properly or say something properly. Gusto kong tumakboā¦ gusto kong magwalaā¦ gusto kongā¦.Oh God, what is this?āChancellor pushed her causing her death. M-Magkasama kami noon at naglalaro nang makita niya ang Mommy mo. Back then, weā¦ we really hated your Mom because we know whatās up between her and dad,ā pagpapatuloy ni Chester sa mga bagay na hindi niya nasabi sa akin noon.āShe approached us, and it was really an accident. My brother didnāt mean itā¦ we wereā¦ā parang dinudurog ang puso ko sa bawat salitang binibigkas niya. His voice was hoarse and breaking. Parang paulit-ulit siyang sinasaksak sa bawat salitang binibitawan, and it breaks my heart hearing him that way. ā... we were just childrenā¦āNag-angat ako ng tingin sa kaniya at halos madurog ako nang makita siyang umiiyak. He was doing his b
Masama ang loob ko at walang imik hanggang makabalik kami sa resthouse nila Chester. Maging siya tuloy ay tahimik at hindi ako kinikibo kaya mas lalo lang akong naiinis.Well, Iām not totally mad at him. Naiinis ako sa nalaman ko! And the fact that theyāre still friends made me dislike the idea even more. Dumagdag pang parang hindi niya napapansing masama ang loob ko.Eh ādi doān siya kay Claire!Wait, no. Ugh!āWhatās wrong? Are you mad at me?ā tanong niya nang hilahin ako para maupo sa lap niya sa couch dahil tataas na sana ako sa kuwarto.I rolled my eyes. āNo,ā I simply answered and was about to leave him pero siyempre, hindi niya ako hinayaan. Si Chester āyan, eh!āSinungaling,ā mahina at mapanuyang asik niya bago ako ginawaran ng halik sa pisngi. āTell me, Love. Whatās bothering you? Kakaunti lang ang napamili mo dahil kanina ka pang ganiyan.āI rolled my eyes. āOo nga at kanina ka pa rin walang pake,ā asik ko.He groaned as he buried his face on my neck. āIāve been trying to ca
I saw my whole world fall apart right before my eyes when he uttered those words. Howā¦ how is that possible?āWhat are you saying? T-That canāt beā¦ my father wouldāve killed youā!āāHe almost did. Remember?ā he asked with a ghost of a smile, cutting me off and making me remember that he was right.Galit na galit sa kanya si Daddy noon, and I could vividly remember the night when he was almost killed by my Dad. Hindi ko magawang maintindihan noon ang aking ama, pero ngayong narinig ko ang mga salitang āyon mula kay Chester, parang naninikip ang dibdib ko.āAre you sure you want to talk about it already? Paris you seem unwell. Iā!āāNo,ā I said. āKeep talking. But pleaseā¦ nagmamakaawa ako saāyo. Do not lie this time.āMy words were straight and blank. But his eyes tell me that to him, they were like bullets fired into his chest for a reason that I could not name.But after a few blinks, nawala iyon at matamis siyang ngumiti sa akin. āI promise.āChester and I have been great the next fe