RJ's POV
On my way home, I could not stop thinking about how easy it was to tell Celestine about the wedding and asked her to call me Daddy from now on. I am thinking how would it be when we finally live together under one roof. Malamang isa si Celestine sa pag-aawayan namin ni Mendoza Girl. It will be a battle of the spoiler and the disciplinarian, just the thought if it makes me feel too excited.
In the duration of my travel from Bulacan to our home, I never stops thinking about Celestine. Malamang first day pa lang after our wedding magiging busy na because we need to bring Celestine sa school and check on her when she gets home. Buti na lang online yung business ni Charm so she has most of her time to attend to Celestines needs. Siguradong maaga na rin akong uuwi because I don't want to miss the bedtime stories.
"Maaga ka RJ, this is very unusual." Lola Linda said.
"Hindi po ako pumasok Lola." I replied before akong mag-mano
"Hindi ba may ipinapagawa sa iyo ang Lolo at Daddy mo? Saan ka galing kung hindi ka pumasok?" She asked me.
"Nagpunta po ako sa Bulacan Lola, pinuntahan ko po ang mga Mendoza." I replied.
"Tutoo ba apo? Anong sabi nila? Anong sabi ng Daddy mo?" She asked continuously.
"Alam po ni Daddy na pumunta ako sa Bulacan. Mabait po ang mga Mendoza, Lola. Tinanggap naman po nila ang apology ko. Duon pa nga po ako kumain ng lunch, at nalibang po kasi akong makipaglaro kay Celestine kaya medyo hapon na rin po akong naka-alis sa Bulacan, inabot na po tuloy ako ng traffic sa EDSA." I said.
"Magandang balita yan apo, anong balak mo ngayon?" She asked.
"Nasaan po si Lolo? May gusto po akong sabihin sa kanya eh." I asked.
"What is it RJ?" I heard my Lolo asked. Nagmano muna ako sa kanya, though kinakausap nya ako pero nakikita kong upset pa rin sya sa akin. Siguradong hindi pa sinasabi ni Daddy na tuloy ang kasal namin ni Charm
"Nagkausap na po ba kayo ni Dad?" I asked him.
"Sabi ng Lola mo, he called earlier but I was sleeping, bakit may dapat ba siyang sabihin sa akin?" He asked.
"I went to Bulacan today to apologize to the Mendozas." I said.
"That's good to hear because that is the right thing to do." He replied
"Nag-usap na rin po kami ni Charm about the wedding." I said.
"Anong napag-usapan nyo?" He asked and I saw how his face lightens up upon hearing about the possibility na maituloy ang kasal namin ni Charm. Only now I realized how important this union is for my grandfather.
"I asked her kung pwedeng ituloy na namin ang kasal." I replied.
"Talaga ba apo? Gusto mo nang ituloy ang kasal?" He asked me again
"Opo Lolo, para po sa inyo at para na rin po kay Rizza." I replied.
"You don't know how you made us happy apo." Lola Linda said and again, I saw in her face the excitement which was there last night on our way going to Bulacan.
"But Charm has conditions and that includes a simple church wedding. She does not want it as grand as how we are preparing it now. Pumayag po ako and sinabi ko rin po kay Daddy. I hope ok lang po sa inyo Lolo to invite just those selected people we know in and out of the business." I said.
"If that's what she wants then we will give it to her. Sa kanila ang babae, sila ang masusunod. Iba talaga ang bunsong babae ni Teddy, she knows what she wants and she knows how to get it." Lolo said.
"Were you able to talk about Celestine?" Lola Linda asked.
"Yes po, Lola. Celestine will stay in Bulacan during weekdays for her school and will stay with us on weekends. Mahirap po kasing mag-transfer pa sya in the middle of school year." I said.
"Sigurado ka bang ok lang sa iyo na kasama ang anak ni Charm sa iisang bubong?" She asked.
"Celestine is a nice girl Lola, kagabi pa lang natutuwa na ako sa kanya." I replied.
"Kagabi, nung hindi mo pa alam na anak sya ni Charm." Lola Linda said.
"My outburst last night was not really about Celestine, but about all of you seems to know the truth but nobody dares to tell me. I was offended." I replied. "Pero tapos na po yun Lola, I don't have any issue with Celestine. Mas gusto ko nga na sa amin na sya tumira. Baka lang kasi mahirapan syang magbyahe every weekend dulo't-dulo pa naman." I said.
"Nursery school pa lang naman si Celestine, I think it's ok if she transfers in the middle of the school year and meet new friends." Lola Linda said.
"Pwede ba yun Lola?" I asked.
"We can look for a nursery school within the vicinity. Then let's ask kung tatanggap sila ng transferee." She said.
"Basta siguraduhin mo sa sarili mo na hindi magiging problema si Celestine sa pag-sasama nyo ni Charm." Lolo said.
"Sigurado po akong walang magiging problema na tumira si Celestine sa amin, Lolo. Banggitin ko na lang po kay Charm yung suggestion ni Lola na i-transfer na lang si Celestine sa school na malapit dito para hindi na mahirapan yung bata." I said.
"O sya, magpahinga ka na and let your Lola help you scout on a good nursery school for Celestine. Maraming kilala si Lola mo na mommies sa home owners association, let her handle that. You need to report for work tomorrow RJ, rush yung ipinapagawa ko sa iyo." Lolo said.
"Yes Lolo, I will be reporting for work early tomorrow. I already sent an email to Mike para they could start checking on the project." I said. "Akyat na po muna ako." I said before I went straight to my room.
After I changed, I busied myself attending to the emails I missed today. But in the middle of working I found myself scouting in the internet a possible nursery school where we could transfer Celestine once they move to Laguna after the wedding. I am in that state when I heard Dad knocks at my door.
He was widely smiling when I opened the door for him then asked me, "Can we talk?". I open the door widely so he could enter and talk.
"Nakausap ko na si Teddy, I am very grateful at hindi sila nagalit sa iyo." Daddy said.
"They were disappointed according to Tita Mary, but they were kind enough to accept my apology Dad. Mababait talaga silang tao." I said.
"Are you sure about Celestine RJ?" He asked.
"Yes Dad, Celestine is a nice girl, obviously the Mendozas have raised her pretty well." I said.
"Hindi ko na nga pala dapat itanong yan, you are obviously smitten to that little girl according to your Lola, at napatunayan ko yan ngayon." Daddy said.
"What do you mean Dad?" I asked.
"You only waste your time in the internet for things that interests you. What are those nursery school sites for?" He asked.
"I am looking for a good school for Celestine. Lola said na ok lang naman if she transfers to another school after the wedding, she is not into a formal school yet naman po." I said.
"I am glad to know na hindi naman pala tayo magkakaproblema kay Celestine." My Dad commented.
"We get along well kanina, nakakatuwa lang po na ang magaang ang loob ko sa batang yun. Daddy na nga po ang tawag sa akin" I said.
"Daddy na ang tawag sa iyo ni Celestine at magaang ang loob mo sa kanya?" He asked.
"Opo Dad, may problema po ba?" I asked.
"Curious lang ako anak, have you asked Charm about the father of her child?" He asked.
"No po, nakakahiya namang tanungin si Charm about that sensitive issue this early. Besides, kailangan ko pa bang alamin kung sino ang father ni Celestine?" I asked.
"Ikaw lang ang makakasagot kung kailangan mo pang malaman o hindi kung sino ang daddy ni Celestine, but when you said about magaang ang loob mo sa bata, hindi kaya ikaw ang tatay ng batang yun?" Daddy said and I almost choked when he said that.
"Susmaryosep naman ang imagination mo Dad, what made you say that? Not because magaang ang loob ko sa bata eh ako na ang tutoong Daddy nya." I said.
"But the possibility is there, not only once that you told me that you had a one night stand RJ, to someone na hindi mo kilala. Hindi kaya isa si Charm sa mga yon?" My Daddy asked.
"Ano ba ang sinasabi mo Dad? Impossible yun kasi hindi naman pamilyar si Charm when I first saw her. Also i don't thinks she'll go for a one night stand." I replied.
"Most of those girls that you had a one night stand, hindi mo rin natatandaan ang itsura. Remember one time in a party that we both attended, may sumampal sa iyo kasi hindi mo nakilala, yun pala you had a one night stand with her several months ago. Several months ago pa lang yun, hindi mo na matandaan, paano pa yung years ago na? Celestine is four right?" He said.
"What are you trying to say Dad?" I asked.
"Nothing, just a wild imagination, five years ago kasi yung project natin sa Calatagan Batangas where you had so much fun, with so many girls. That was my worst nightmare of you. Mabuti na lang hindi ka nagkasakit. Anyway, excited lang ako kasi matutuloy na ang kasal mo. O bumaba ka na for dinner." He said then abruptly leaves me in my room thinking of what he just said.
But I doubt it, wala sa tipo ni Charm ang makikipag one night stand. She is too decent for that kind of fun
Could it be? Pwede ba na ang impossible maging possible na rin? Nagkita na nga kaya talaga kami nuon ni Charm?