Stalker Mom
“HIJA, baka mahipan ka ng masamang hangin at hindi mo na maigalaw ‘yang leeg mo,” tudyo kay Monique ng kanyang Yaya Mercy.
Ngumiti lang siya. Ilang segundo na ring nawala sa paningin niya ang sasakyan ni Raffy subalit naroon pa rin siya sa labas ng bakuran nila at nakatanaw sa kalsada.
She refused his invitation. Alam niya namang pabalat-bunga lamang ang imbitasyong iyon. Perhaps he just felt the need to do that out of respect. Isa pa, kahit pa siguro sinsero ang pag anyaya nito sa kanya, hindi pa rin talaga siya sasama kasi walang papalit sa kanyang ina sa ospital. Mabuti na ring masolo nito si Eon. That would give Raffy the chance to bond with his son freely without her constant nagging.
“Mabuti naman at nagkakaigihan na kayo ni Rafael,” wika ng kanyang yaya habang papasok na sila sa loob ng bahay.
“No, no. Hindi kami nagkakaigihan, yaya. Walang gano’n,” nakangiwing tugon niya. “We’re just being civil towards each other for the sake of our son.”
Tumaas ang kilay ng kanyang yaya. “Sus, sa tanda kong ito, ako ba’y mapaglalalangan niyo pa, anak? Halata naman sa mga kilos ninyong dalawa na mahal niyo pa rin ang isa’t isa,” dagdag pa nito saka ngumiti ng makahulugan.
“Yaya!” She felt her cheeks flush.
“Naku, halika na’t mag-agahan, hija. Amy, handa na ba ang pagkain?” Baling nito sa kawaksi.
She silently ate her breakfast. Her mind’s still occupied by the thought of her only son.
PAGDATING ni Monique sa ospital ay ang maaliwalas na mukha ng kanyang ina ang sumalubong sa kanya. Her dad woke up and he’s recovering well. Masayang masaya ang kanyang ina sapagkat nakakapagsalita ang kanyang daddy ng maayos. Ayon sa doktor nito, mabuti at naagapan nila agad at ilang araw na lang umano itong mananatili sa ospital para maobserbahan.
She told her mom to go home. Ayaw pa sana nitong umuwi ngunit pinilit niya ito sapagkat kailangan nitong magpahinga. Natatakot siyang ito naman ang magkasakit dahil ilang araw na rin itong nagpupuyat.
“Call me when your dad wakes up. The doctor said he’s just sleeping because of his meds,” anito sabay halik sa kanyang pisngi.
“And by the way, where’s my grandson? I’m sure matutuwa si Manolo kapag makikita niya si Eon paggising niya,” dagdag pa nito.
“He’s with his dad. Raffy and I agreed on a shared custody and parenting plan for Eon,” sagot niya.
Tila namangha ang kanyang ina sa narinig. “That’s good to hear. Mabuti naman at nagkasundo kayo ni Rafael.
Tumango lang siya. Ayaw niya nang mag usisa pa ito kagaya ng ginawa ng kanyang yaya. Sa ngayon ay nababahala siya kung na ano na ang nangyayari kay Eon. Did Raffy even give him breakfast? Baka sa sobrang excitement ay dumiretso na ang dalawa sa Subic!
Nang makaalis ang kanyang mommy ay halos ngatngatin niya na ang kanyang mga kuko dahil sa labis pag-aalala. She knows she’s being paranoid. But what the heck, she can’t help herself. Ever since Eon was born, she was the only one who took care of him.
Magmula nang manirahan siya sa California ay naging dormant na ang lahat ng kanyang social media accounts. That was her personal choice. Nanatili lamang siyang konektado sa kanyang pamilya at kay Dra. Delgado sa pamamagitan ng Skype.
And all the while, she’s just been a lurker. She also decided to unfollow some people that reminded her of her past. Nangunguna roon si Raffy. She unfollowed him on Facebook. She never unfriended him because that would raise suspicion amongst their own circle of friends. Kaya in-unfollow niya lamang ito para hindi na siya makakita ng anumang update mula rito.
Pero ngayon, wala siyang ibang paraan para malaman kung ano na nga ba ang nangyayari sa kanyang anak. She got her phone from her purse and checked his feed. She ticked the ‘Follow’ button and set it to ‘See First’ so she’ll readily see his updates on her newsfeed. Maging sa Instagram ay naging alerto siya.
Ah, yes, she just went from being ‘Monique the Super Mom’ to becoming ‘Monique the Stalker Mom’, real quick.
Napakagat-labi siya. Wala naman sigurong masama sa ginagawa niya.
Ilang sandali pa ay nagbunga rin ang stalking skills niya. She received a Facebook notification saying that “Rafael Ephraim Gamboa is live now”. It’s as if all the blood from her extremities surged up to her brain. Sa nanginginig na mga kamay ay pinindot niya ang naturang notification.
Base sa naturang video ay si Eon ang may hawak ng cellphone nito. Maraming comments na gumagalaw sa screen pero hindi siya nakatutok roon. Pinakikinggan niyang maigi ang pinagsasabi ng mag-ama.
“Dad, look!” Bulalas ni Eon mula sa video.
“Eon, buddy, enough of that. You should eat first,” sagot naman ni Raffy.
“Hello everyone, hello dad’s friends! Let’s eat!” Bibong turan ni Eon habang nakatutok ang camera sa mukha nito. He even has brown stains on the sides of his mouth which, she gathers, he got from drinking hot chocolate.
“Oh, hey! Mommy’s watching! Hi there, mommy! Dad took me to a superb breakfast buffet!”
Huh? Paano nito nalaman na nanunuod siya sa live video ng mga ito?
“Shit,” she cursed. She was about to exit from the said video but she caught a glimpse of a familiar face.
“Eon, dear, tama na ‘yan. Eat your breakfast na,” nakangiting wika ng babae sa tabi nito. Pinunasan pa nito ang chococate stains sa paligid ng bibig ni Eon.
“Thank you, Tita Becc!” Her son said before the live video ended.
Tila nanlamig ang buong katawan niya sa nakita. She tried to watch the video again but Facebook says it cannot be accessed anymore.
Hindi niya maapuhap kung ano ang emosyong namumuo sa kanyang dibdib. She just can’t process the fact that her son is out there having fun with Raffy’s woman, Rebecca.
“M-Monique…” ang mahinang boses ng kanyang ama ang pumukaw sa kanya.
“Dad!” Tili niya. Agad siyang tumabi rito at niyakap ito.
“I’m glad you’ve finally come home, sweetheart,” anito sabay ganti ng yakap.
“Dad…” namalisbis ang mga luha sa kanyang pisngi. She’s so happy yet she’s mad at the same time.
“You scared us to death, daddy!” Aniya. “Don’t you ever do that again!” Nagtatampong bulalas niya.
“Kung hindi pa ako inatake sa puso, hindi uuwi ang aking unica hija,” nahihimigan niya rin ang pagtatampo sa boses nito.
“Dad, I’m sorry…” aniya.
Ginagap nito ang kanyang kamay.
“Where’s my grandson?” Tanong nito. Sabik na makita ang kaisa-isang apo.
“Eon’s with… with Raffy,” aniya. Nagmistulang bulong ang pagkakasabi niya ng mga naturang kataga.
Her dad eyed her intently. Tila sinusukat nito ang mga sinabi niya, ang reaksyon niya, ang buo niyang pagkatao.
“Consuelo and I suffered from great pain and anguish when our only daughter, our princess, left us without telling us what really happened,” simula nito. Nakatanaw sa bintana.
“It was such a mystery that our daughter, our perfect daughter, is suddenly leaving…” dagdag pa nito.
Perfect daughter…Umalingawngaw ang mga salitang iyon sa kanyang isipan.
“You’ve never been a problem child. You graduated with latin honors, you were sweet and loving. You’re kind to people, even to our household help. But then you dropped everything and decided to go to the States. Gabi-gabing umiiyak ang mama mo, asking me what happened, what went wrong. Bakit bigla ka nalang umalis,” napapailing ang kanyang ama.
“You’re mom didn’t have the courage to ask you what happened. She’s just constantly bugging herself about the possible reasons why you left. Umabot sa puntong naglalagi na siya sa dating kuwarto mo at doon magdamag na umiiyak. Ni hindi na siya kumakain…”
“Dad…” aniya sabay hikbi. Hindi niya sukat-akalain na nasaktan niya pala ng labis ang kanyang mga magulang sa pag-alis niya.
“That was when your Yaya Mercedita came to the scene, ibinunyag niya ang nangyari. Ang lahat-lahat. I wanted to kill those men. I wanted to kill Rafael for hurting you. And God knows how furious and driven I am to kill that bastard who… who…” hindi na nito naituloy ang sasabihin. Napahawak ito sa dibdib nito.
“Dad! Daddy, please!” Huminahon ang kanyang ama. Binigyan niya ito ng basong tubig kapagkuwan ay tinawag ang nurse. They took her dad’s vital signs and urged him to rest. Nakiusap din siya ritong huwag na muna itong mag-isip ng mga bagay na magiging sanhi ng alta presyon nito.
Nanlulumong nanatili siya sa tabi nito. Humihingi ng tawad sa ginawang pag iwan sa mga ito nang walang sinasabing rason.
Mag-aalas sais ng gabi nang dumating ang kanyang ina. Habang abala ito sa paghahanda ng mga dalang pagkain ay binalikan niya naman ang kanyang cellphone. Wala nang iba pang update si Raffy kundi ang isang picture na kanina pa nito in-upload. Kasama sa naturang larawan si Rebecca. Yakap-yakap nito si Eon.
Sa mga mata marahil ng ibang tao ay magmimistulang larawan ng isang masayang pamilya sina Rebecca, Eon at Raffy. A lot of people are congratulating them on the said post.
Since Rebecca was tagged on that picture, she decided to inflict some more pain on herself and visited her profile. There’s nothing much on Rebecca’s feed. Masyadong pribado ang account nito. What shook her though is the fact that her relationship status is listed as ‘married’.
She’s married to a certain Michael Vincent del Valle. And upon checking the linked account, the guy’s profile picture shook her to her core.
CHAPTER 22
Rationalization
“OUCH! Ah! Ouchy! Aaawww!” Napapangiwi si Raffy sa tuwing dumadaing ang kanyang anak.
“Anak, just stay still!” Bulalas niya habang pinapahiran ng cooling ointment ang magkabilang balikat at braso ni Eon. His skin’s roasted. Araw ng Biyernes at maghapon silang nag-surfing sa San Felipe. Sigurado siya na hindi na nila maitutuloy ang planong wakeboarding bukas. Pulang pula na kasi ang balat nito. Para nga silang pinagbiyak na bunga ni Eon pero hindi naman maitatangging ang kutis nito ay namana nito kay Monique.
“Patay talaga tayo sa mommy mo nito,” napapailing at napapalatak na wika niya.
Wala na siyang magagawa. Nakalimutan niya talagang pahiran ito ng sunblock bago pa man sila lumusong sa dagat. Hindi rin naman kasi siya gumagamit niyon. Nag-isip na siya ng pwedeng gawing palusot kay Monique. Sasabihin niya nalang na wala siyang dalang sunblock. Binasa niya rin ang email nito. Nakalagay nga roon na kung sakaling maglalalagi sila sa dagat, dapat tuwing tatlumpong minuto ay magpapahid ng sunblock.
“Dad,” anito saka nakapikit na inilapit ang mukha sa kanya.
“Jesus Christ!” He uttered in shock. Pulang pula ang pisngi at ilong nito. Tiyak na sa pagbalik nila ng Maynila sa Linggo ay iitim na ang kanyang anak.
“Daddy! Hurry! It’s so painful!”
“Teka, teka… I’m not sure if we can apply this to your face, buddy. Shit!” Natatarantang wika niya.
He grabbed his phone and dialed Monique’s number. Sa unang ring pa lang ay sinagot na nito agad ang tawag.
“What happened? Is Eon okay?” Bungad kaagad nito. She sounded frantic.
“Ah, y-yeah…” sagot na lamang niya. Hindi pa nga niya nasasabi kung ano ang problema, medyo beast mode na ito. Paano nalang kung malaman nito ang nangyari kay Eon.
“‘You sure?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you call up?”
“Aaahhhhh!” Bigla siyang napalingon kay Eon. Tinakpan niya ng kanyang palad ang bibig nito.
“Nothing. I just wanna tell you that we’re having a great time. B-Bye,” aniya sabay kansela ng tawag. Kapagkuwan ay tinawagan niya si Rebecca.
“Becc, ano’ng gagawin ko? Mahapding mahapdi raw ang balat ni Eon. His skin’s severely sunburnt,” litanya niya nang sagutin nito ang tawag.
Humikab muna ito bago nagsalita.
“Didn’t you apply sunblock before you went surfing?”
“What do you think?!”
“Chill out, dadzilla!” Anito sabay tawa.
“Should I bring him to the hospital?”
Humalakhak naman ito sa kabilang linya.
“I never thought that fatherhood could turn you into this…” humalakhak na naman ito.
“Becca!” Bulyaw niya.
“Okay, chill, just ice it and he’ll be fine,” anito.
“Thank you,” he said and ended the call.
Kumuha siya ng ice cubes sa mini fridge ng tinutuluyan nilang hotel. It’s actually one of the hotels where he has some sizable share.
Sinimulan niya nang lagyan ng ice ang pisngi at ilong ni Eon. Mukhang gumagaan na rin ang pakiramdam nito. He could see Eon’s lips twitch into a smile.
“We’ll try the jetski tomorrow, right? Right, dad?” He sounded so excited.
“No, buddy. Look at your skin. Your mom will kill me if I return you this way,” paliwanag niya.
Eon pouted and turned his back on him.
“Eon,” untag niya.
Ngunit hindi siya nito pinansin. Bagkus ay kinuha nito ay bowl ng ice cubes at mag-isang pinapaikot ikot ang yelo sa mukha nito.
He sighed.
“Okay, okay… We’ll try the jetski tomorrow,” aniya.
“Yehey! I love you, daddy!”
STABLE na ang kondisyon ng ama ni Monique kaya napagpasyahan niyang dumalaw sa kanyang therapist na si Dra. Delgado. Malaki ang utang na loob niya rito. During the darkest moments of her life, the therapy sessions she had with her, coupled with her faith, kept her sane.
Pinaghintay muna siya ng receptionist sa receiving area ng clinic nito sapagkat may kliyente pa diumano si Dra. Delgado. She didn’t mind waiting. Besides, she did not book an appointment.
Makalipas ng mahigit labinlimang minuto ay may lumabas na mga kliyente mula sa private office kung saan ito nagco-conduct ng therapy. The clients seemed to be a couple. Namumukhaan niya ang babae. She was the famous British-Filipina Victoria’s Secret model who was once involved in a murder case. Masayang lumabas ng naturang clinic ang dalawa.
“Ms. Velez, pwede na po kayong pumasok,” untag sa kanya ng receptionist.
Nginitian niya ito at naglakad na siya papasok sa opisina ng doktora.
“Monique, what a pleasant surprise!” Anito.
Hindi niya napigilang sugurin ito ng yakap. She’s aware that the nature of the relationship they have is strictly professional. But over the years, she considered Dra. Delgado as a second mother.
“When did you arrive from the States?” Tanong nito.
“Mahigit isang linggo na po,” aniya.
The elegant psychiatrist eyed her intently. Humiga naman siya sa sofa nito kagaya ng nakagawian niya na noon.
“Did you bring Gideon with you?”
She nodded. Binalot sila ng katahimikan. Bumuntong hininga siya. The woman is just extraordinary. Kahit hindi ito magsalita ay parang may puwersang tumutulak sa kanya upang kusang ibahagi ang mga bumabagabag sa kanyang isipan. Perhaps it’s because of the solid rapport that they’ve built over the years.
“Eon’s spending some time with his dad,” aniya.
“Have you processed how you feel about him spending time with his dad?” She asked in a soothing voice.
“I’m okay… I’m okay with it,” wika niya. “It’s just that…”
“It’s just that everything from the past haunts me again,” pag-amin niya.
“The abuse… the cheating… it’s all coming back, doc.” Tears pooled in her eyes.
“We never really discussed this before because my assessment on your emotional state prompted me to device a subtle appoach on your crisis,” anito. “Like I’ve said before, therapy is a long and careful process. And I am happy to tell you that you’ve adjusted well, Monique.”
“I guess, now is the right time to take on another approach. This may never be as optimistic as the ones we’ve already tried, but this surely addresses your issues from the past.”
Kinabahan siya sa sinabi nito. Masaya siya sa mga naging therapy sessions nila ni Dra. Delgado sapagkat kailanman ay hindi nito inungkat at mga pagkakamali niya. Nag-focus lamang ito sa mga therapy modules na makakatulong upang maibsan ang anxiety attacks niya.
“We have to get to the root cause of everything, Monique. Because, if not, this therapist-client realtionship we have will not end. And that would only mean that I am not an effective therapist.”
“Now, take me back to what happened five years ago…”
As painful and gruesome as it is, she managed to walk her through the details of that Davao business trip. It all started there. Kung sana hindi na siya sumama pa kay Raffy, marahil ay namumuhay na sila ng masaya ngayon at kapiling ang isa’t isa.
Those memories were like snippets of video clips playing through her head all over again. Nagdudulot pa rin iyon ng sakit. But oddly enough, it’s not as painful as it has been five years ago. Hindi kasing sakit noong mga panahong wala na siyang gana pang mabuhay, noong mga panahong hindi lang emosyonal kun’di pati na rin pisikal na sakit ang ipinapadanas sa kanya ng taong pinakamamahal niya.
“Maybe hindi ko talaga siya minahal, ‘no? Perhaps I was just so consumed with the idea of having a perfect fiance, a perfect life ahead of us, to the point that it was instilled in my mind that he’s my one true love. Pero baka nagkamali ako. Baka nga hindi ko siya mahal. Because logic dictates that if you truly love a person, there’d be no betrayal, no cheating…” Tila wala sa sariling bulalas niya. For the first time, the tears that she’d expected to fall, never came.
“Monique, as your therapist, I am here to help you come up with rational decisions and help you process your realizations. Here’s the thing though, it is beyond my duty to provide justifications for your mistakes. But I want you to understand is that what you’re doing right now, you’re over rationalizing. And that’s the reason why you can’t truly move on.”
Napakunot-noo siya. Not fully comprehending what Dra. Delgado is saying.
“To put it simply, over rationalization is a form of defense mechanism wherein negative behaviors or feelings or those which are not in line with societal norms are justified and explained in a seemingly rational or logical manner so as to avoid its true explanation…
“In your case, you tend to justify your act of cheating by saying that perhaps you never really loved Raffy. Na baka nga hindi mo talaga siya minahal kaya mo nagawa iyon. But that is not it, Monique. That is just your defense mechanism talking. You know, deep within you, why you cheated. Now, let me ask you this, why did you cheat?”
“I… uhm, I guess I never really loved him…” sagot niya.
“Why did you cheat?” Ulit ni Dra. Delgado.
“Perhaps… I just thought I love him—”
“Why did you cheat?” She repeated in a fiercer voice.
“Because I was weak! I am weak!” Sigaw niya. She just found herself crying. “I’m weak…” her screams turned into muffled sobs.
Napaangat ang tingin niya kay Dra. Delgado nang hawakan nito ang kanyang mga balikat.
“I am truly proud of your progress, Monique. What we did is just a prelude to the new approach that I’m planning to develop for you. We’ll move past your psychoanalytic therapy sessions and we’ll take on Glasser’s Reality/Choice Therapy. I’ll design a new module for you and we’ll utilize it on our next session. Sa ngayon, take some time for yourself and ponder on what just transpired here.” Anito sabay gagap sa kamay niya.
PINAGMASDAN ni Raffy ang natutulog na si Eon. And it hit him, a shared custody and parenting plan isn’t enough for him. He wants his son to grow up recognizing his presence and acknowledging his name.
“Becc,” he said as he called Rebecca. “Make the necessary arrangements. I want Eon to carry my surname.”
CHAPTER 23
Perfect
THE calming scent of lavender and chamomile bubble bath soothed Monique’s tired body. Nilalaro ng kanyang mga palad ang mga pinong bula na nakalutang sa kabuuan ng bath tub. This scene felt so familiar to her. It was like a deja vu.
“‘Di ka pa ba matutulog, babe?”
“Hmmmm?” Napangiti si Monique sabay yakap kay Raffy, ang kanyang fiance.
“Bukas nalang yan, babe. Leave it to me,” he sheepishly smiled. Napailing nalang siya.
She’s unpacking his suitcase. Nasa Davao sila ngayon para sa isang business trip. Her fiance is trying to oversee the ongoing construction of his high rise condominium units. Hands-on ito sa pagpapatakbo ng negosyo. Even if naka-base sa Davao ang business partner nitong si Micheal, nakakahanap pa rin ito ng panahon para i-check ang progress ng construction. Right now, they’re at the Marco Polo Hotel. Inaayos niya ang mga gamit nito sapagkat kung hindi, tiyak na hahayaan lang nito na magulo ang mga gamit.
“Are you sure, you’re not gonna stay here?” Nagpapa-cute na tanong nito sa kanya habang dahan-dahang hinahawakan ang kanyang baywang.
“You know I can’t be here. No, strike that. You know I shouldn’t be here,” sagot niya. And she gave him a quick peck on the lips.
“I’ll go to my room now. Good night, Raffy baby.” She hugged him tight. He hugged her back and kissed her.
“‘Lika na.”
“What?”
“‘Lika na. Hatid na kita sa room mo.”
“No way. What am I? A four-year-old?” Natawa nalang siya.
He made face and pulled her out of the room.
“Seriously, babe, you don’t need to walk me to my room. Hello, we’re like two rooms apart,” aniya sabay tawa.
He just grunted. Ginawaran siya nito ng masuyong halik nang marating na nila ang kanyang suite room.
“‘Love you. Sleep tight, babe.”
“‘Love you too. ‘Night!”
She locked the door and headed straight to the bathroom to prepare her hot tub. Dahan dahan niyang ibinuhos ang bath salts sa tub. Babalikan niya nalang ito pagkatapos mag unpack ng mga gamit sa kanyang suitcase. Pagkatapos ayusin ang kanyang mga gamit ay lumublob na siya sa tub.
She was completely naked as she stepped into the tub. She let out a long sigh. Ngayon lang siya nakaramdam ng pagod. The feel of the warm bubble bath against her skin feels like a soothing balm. She reached for the loofah and started rubbing all over her body. As she squeezed it, she noticed that she’s still wearing her rings. Nakalimutan niya palang hubarin at ilagay sa dresser.
A sudden rush of happiness filled her heart while she’s staring at her two precious rings. Ang isa ay ang kanyang engagement ring. It’s a 4 karat Cartier princess cut diamond ring given to her by her fiance. Ang isa naman ay ang kanyang Tiffany & Co. platinum band chastity ring. Mahalaga ang singsing na iyon para sa kanya. Binigay ito ng kanyang mommy noong fifteen years old pa lang siya. It’s symbolic of her purity. She made a promise to God, to her mom, as well as to her own self that she will remain pure until marriage. And that she will only give herself to her husband and no one else.
Napangiti siya. She’s very thankful that she found the right man for her. Raffy is an epitome of a perfect boyfriend. Mabait, matalino, walang bisyo, at hands-on sa negosyo. And the best bonus is that he’s handsome and he perfectly understands her vow of chastity. He says that he loves her even more because of it. At sabi rin nito na mas nakaka-heighten daw ng kanilang sexual tension ang “waiting game” lalo pa’t papalapit na ang kanilang kasal.
MONIQUE woke up feeling refreshed. Ginising siya ni Raffy at sinabihang kailangan niya nang maghanda para sa kanilang early breakfast. She told him to wait up. She’ll just take a quick shower and bababa na sila. Matapos magshower, tinungo niya ang walk-in closet. She’s contemplating on what to wear. Alam niyang pupunta sila sa construction site kaya kailangang komportable ang suot niya.
“No stillettos and pumps huh,” she said while carefully checking each and every clothing she just unpacked last night.
Pinili niya ang isang mustard yellow Lacoste mid-thigh tennis dress. Since petite naman siya, hindi ito magmumukhang malaswa sa kanya. Plus, the color compliments her beyond-fair porcelain skin. She’ll pair it up with her white Nike sneakers. After dressing up, she blow-dried her hair so she could tie it up into a high pony. She grabbed her oversized Abercrombie canvas bag.
As she stepped out of her suite, she saw Raffy approaching towards her. He looks so dashing in an ash blue polo shirt tucked in his tailored jeans.
“So, are we heading to the golf course?” Biro niya rito while giving him a smack on the lips.
“You look so beautiful, babe.”
“And you’re equally handsome, Mr. Big Shot Business Tycoon.”
“You just simply know which buttons to push, ‘no?”
She just chuckled and they headed straight to the lobby to have their breakfast. He pulled up a chair for her. As she sat down, a familiar man approached their table.
“Michael, pare, it’s good to see you!” Halata ang fondness sa boses ni Raffy.
“Babe, you remember Michael? He’s my close friend from business school.”
She just nodded and smiled.
“We’re classmates in AdMU. Since then, we’ve been best friends,” singit ni Michael.
Again, she just smiled. Presko kasi ito. It actually kind of ruined her morning. And since she doesn’t want to upset her fiance, she just opted to be civil towards his business partner.
“Sit, have breakfast with us, pare.”
“Certainly, I wouldn’t pass on that offer, ‘tol.”
And so they had their breakfast. She had to painstakingly endure Michael’s braggy attitude for the entire duration of their meal.
“Hey, is that Xander?” Tanong ng kanyang fiance.
“It is! Huh, that bastard. What is he doing here?” sagot ni Michael.
“I’ll talk to him for a bit, babe, excuse me for a while.”
“Babe,” aniya sabay hawak sa kamay nito. “Don’t you think it’s inappropriate? I mean, are you gonna discuss business prospects with him? At this hour?”
“Yeah, but I’m just gonna ease into it slowly naman, babe. I’ll ask if he’s interested in putting up condo units in CDO.”
“But, you’re practically trying to ambush his peaceful breakfast with his wife, babe.”
“C’mon, Monique, it’s just some harmless business chitchat,” singit ni Michael.
“Besides, we’re not even sure if that’s really his wife,” dagdag pa nito sabay ngisi at nag fist bump pa kay Raffy.
She gave him a disgusted look before turning to her fiance.
“But don’t forget, we’re heading to the construction site, babe.”
He held her hand and kissed her cheek.
“So, Monique, how’s your restaurant?” tanong ni Michael nang makaalis na si Raffy.
He’s talking about her gourmet restaurant in Bonifacio Global City.
“It’s doing great.”
“But you’re also an interior designer, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Perhaps we can head to the construction site now? Alam ko tapos na ang showroom sa first floor. I think you can help with its interior design.”
“Sure. Raffy and I will go there later.”
“How about we go there now? Sigurado ako matatagalan pa si Raffy sa pakikipag usap kina Xander.”
“But…”
“Wait here, I’ll talk to him.”
Naglakad ito patungo kina Raffy. They talked for a bit and then she saw him heading towards her.
“Alright, Raffy told me to take you there. Let’s go?”
“What? P-pero…”
“Let’s go. Susunod nalang si Raffy.”
She looked at her fiance. Tumango ito at ngumiti sa kanila.
But she never stood up. Bakit naman siya sasama kay Michael?
“Come on, Monique.” Ani Michael sabay hawak sa braso niya.
She forcibly yanked her arm from his clutch. She smells trouble. Everything about Raffy’s business partner just screams bad news.
Nagkibit balikat lamang si Michael nang mapagtanto nitong wala talaga siyang planong sumama ritong mag isa. Ignoring him, she continued having her breakfast. Ilang minuto lang ay bumalik na sa kanilang mesa si Raffy. Tumabi ito sa kanya at pinunasan ang kanyang bibig. Kinuha niya naman ang kanyang bag at sabay na silang umalis papunta sa construction site…
NAPANGITI si Monique. It’s funny how a simple act of immersing yourself in a bath tub could take you in a trance… a certain hypnotic spell.
But like a fragile glass, a trance could easily be broken. And a hypnotic spell won’t last as long as you wish. Babalik at babalik ka pa rin sa realidad. The light that’s brought by your flaming hope will soon be consumed by darkness. And when that happens, reality will bite you in the ass and you’re left miserable.
Gaya nga ng sabi ni Dra. Delgado, mahilig siyang mag rationalize. Marahil ay sadista rin siya sapagkat paulit ulit na sumasa…