"No! Ayoko" sabi ko with finality in my voice
"So you want me to tell you father about what I know?" sabi ni Rylee na mukhang nang aasar
"Hmm... I bet you won't like that"
Tinignan ko naman siya ng masama na parang gusto ko siyang patayin. There's something in this guy na lagi akong tinitrigger eh.
I took a deep breathe. I am the one who ask a favor so I need to be nice.
"Wala ka bang ibanh hiling? Wag lang un"
"Honey, do you want to know a secret?" he asked me that made me curious
"What is it?"
"Secret" he said and he laughed so hard that he's even throwing his head back. I rolled my eyes because of his childlish attitude.
"Fuck you" singhal ko sa kanya
"Fuck me?"
Lumapit ako sa kanya at pinaghahampas sya habang tumatawa.
"Joke lang. Ito na nga, seseryoso na" sabi nya at hinawakan ang dalawang kamay para pigilan ako. He made me sit beside him, so I did.
"Di ka ba nagtataka, bat di nila minamadali ang kasal?" he asked so I looked at him curiously. "You know, my father doesn't really like this idea of us or me" he said and dramatically pausing his sentence"—marrying someone we dont or I dont love, as long as he can he avoids this kind of situation. But the thing is, he owes your father because as I remember Uncle David gave a very useful information, well I dont know what is it but it's like that."
"So un my father thinks that he needs to repay that kindness your father gave. And this is what you father wants, marriage to secure his beloved company, my dad gave another options to save your company but Uncle only wants us to be married so..." he said and he shrugged like he's saying that we're stuck in this situation.
"So bakit nga di nila minamadali ang kasal" I asked. Daming kasing pasikot-sikot di eh alam ko din naman un.
"My father suggested na we need to get to know each other first before we marry, pero ikaw... lagi mo na lang akong di sinisipot sa date natin" sabi nya at dinuduro duro pa ang noo ko
"Eh sa ayokong makipagdate sa'yo" sabi ko at hinamapas ang kamay nya.
"Napakaplastik mo. Sa mga kapatid ko napakabait mo tapos sakin ang sama-sama ng ugali mo" Inirapan ko lang sya dahil totoo ang sinabi nya.
Napatayo ako sa kama nya ng may kumatok sa pintuan ng kwarto nya. Bat ba ako kinakabahan? Wala naman kaming ginagawang masama?
Lumapit naman si Rylee sa pinto at binuksan iyon. Pero hindi nya binuksan iyon ng malaki kaya di nya ako nakita
"Andito na si Ate Chance" sabi nung babaeng kumatok. Bakit ibang tao na naman? Ganun ba talaga sila karami?
"Sige. Baba na kami"
"Okay-okay. Babye" sabi nya at naglakad paalis
"Wait lang pala. Anong kami? Sinong kasama mo dyan? Ha?" sabi pa ulit nya at pilit na tinutulak ang pinto.
Napasinghap siya at napahawak pa sa dalawang pisngi nya. "OMG!" Nagpabalik-balik ang tingin nya samin ni Rylee. "Omamy! Kuya Neo needs to know this. Omamy! Kuya Neo!" sabi nya at tumakbo palabas
"Nala!" sigaw naman ni Rylee. "Hay, tara na nga bumaba na tayo" inis na inis na sabi nya at hinawakan ang braso ko at hinila ako pababa.
Pagbaba namin ay nakita ko si Ate Chance at maraming nakapalibot sa kanya at isa isa nya iyong niyayakap. Nakilala ko si Ate Chance nung time na nameet ko din si Rylee bilang fiance ko.
"Oh hi Celene. It's good that you're here" pagbati naman sakin ni Ate Chance at hinug din ako. Do they really love hugs?
"Hello po ate" I said at nginitian sya at nag-usap lang kami ng kaunti while her brother and sisters went into the dining table.
"That's Kuya Ry's fiance she's pretty right? Diba Kuya Neo? Like OMG! If I were a boy I would marry her immediately" narinig kong bulong nung babae na Nala ata ang pangalan
"You're right. She's pretty nga pero sabi ni Kuya lagi daw yan di sumisipot sa date nila. Bagay sila di rin nagpapakita si kuya pag nagpapalibre ako sa kanya ng dinner eh"
"Isang beses lang naman daw un tsaka may emergency, napakabad mo talaga"
Nilingon ko sila pareho kaya ngumiti naman sila at nagtulakan papunta sa dining table.
"Napakaingay mo kasi eh"
"Anong ako? Ikaw ang malaki bunganga satin eh"
"Hangal"
Natawa na lanh si ate Chance at humingi ng paumanhin dahil sa asal ng dalawa. I just said that it's fine with me. Umupo na din kami sa dining table para makapagdinner dahil sabi nila ay di daw ako papaalisin hangga't di ako kumakain.
Sobrang daming pagkain. May fiesta ba?
They already started eating and I was just staring at my plate until someone snapped his finger infront of me. I dont even know who he is but I bet it's one of Rylee's brothers so I was embarassed when he chuckled when I came back to my senses. Ate Chance was on my right side and Rylee on the other.
"You dont want to eat or you dont want the foods?" Rylee asked
"No. I'm fine natulala lang ako. I'm sorry" I said. I was just thinking na siguro ang saya magkaroon ng kapatid well I am an only child so I really dont know how does it feels when you do have a sibling. And seeing their big family I was kinda jealous.
I came back to my senses again when Rylee flick my forehead "Get the fuck back to your senses" he said and then he started to put foods on my plate.
Halos lahat naman ng kapatid nya ay umubo.
"Ang sweet naman. Ehem. Sana ol."
"Ang harot. Ehem. Napakaharot"
"Ehem. Tita nakikita mo ba ang ehem kaharutan ni Rylee ngayon?"
Sinamaan lang sila ng tingin ni Rylee kaya kumain na ako.
"Oh Celene, you're here pala. I didn't even notice that you're here" his father said
"Hello po uncle" I said and smiled awkwardly at him. We just talk for a few asking me how my father is doing, our business, and my life.
"You're so polite. I would love if you visit here again" Uncle Lucy–short for Lucian, said
Rylee chuckled silently "Polite, my ass" he said mockingly
"Sige po uncle I'll try to find some time to visit here again" sabi ko habang kinukurot si Rylee sa tagiliran nya he was trying hard not to scream because of pain while his mouth is wide open and twitching weirdly that made his sibling burst into laughing.
"Why are you so noisy?" their father asked. The laughter didn't die down but they were trying to hold back their laughs until the boy infront of Rylee spat the water in my fiancee's face. Lumakas naman ang tawa nila kaya napaface palm na lang ang tatay nila.
"Sorry kuya Ry" the boy apologized following it with a laugh and Rylee just rolled his eyes and wiped his face using his shirt.
"Hay nako naman Ethan. Umayos ka nga"
"Sorry mom" Ethan said but still smiling. Rylee just went upstairs maybe to change his clothes and clean his self.
"Alam mo ba ate Celene. Sinisiraan ka ni kuya Ry samin" sumbong ni Ethan
"Sira ulo. Hindi un paninira, nagkekwento lang si kuya Ry" pagtatanggol naman ni Dwight.
Tangina naman Ry anong kinwento mo sa kapatid mo.
Umiling-iling naman si Ethan habang ngumunguya. "Hindi! Sabi nya hindi ka daw nagpapakita tuwing date nyo tapos napakasungit mo daw tas lagi mo daw sya iniirapan." sabi nya sakin tapos tumingin sya kay Dwight "Paninira un kasi hindi ganun si ate Celene" sabi pa nya kaya natawa na lang ako. Napatingin naman sakin ung mommy ni Ry at tumawa ng kaunti kaya kinabahan ako. Save me lord, magpapakabait na po ako Ry.
Umirap naman si Dwight sa kapatid nya at nginitian lang ako.
"Are you all finished?" tanong ng tatay nila na nakacross arms at nakasandal sa upuan.
Tumango ang iba at uminom na lang ng tubig habang ang iba naman lalo na ang mga lalaki ay dali-daling sumubo ng maraming pagkain at tumango.
Pagkatayo ng ama nila ay sabay-sabay din sila tumayo pero hindi pa din nakakabalik si Rylee.
"Ano ba yan, hindi pa ako busog. Kakain na nga lang ako ulit mamaya." angal ng isa
"Kain ka ng kain, kita mo ang taba mo na" sigaw naman nung babae
"Pogi naman"
"Kapal mo"
"Pagpasensyahan mo na yang mga yan. Ganyan lang talaga sila" sabi naman ni ate Chance ng papunta kami sa living room. Nang sa wakas ay makababa na si Rylee, naabutan nyang naglilinis na ng lamesa ang mga kasambahay nila kaya uminom na lang sya ng tubig sa kusina.
Naguusap kami ni ate Chance ng lumapit sya sa amin. "Uwi ka na ba? Gusto mo hatid na kita?" tanong nya sakin
"Pinapaalis mo na ba ako?"
"Oo. Tsupe. Shoo. Go away"
"Aba't ang kapal ng mukha"
"Ry, isasabay ko na lang sya iisa lang naman ang building ng condo namin" sabat naman ni ate Chance ng makita nyang inambahan ko ng suntok si Rylee
"Sige, hatid ko na lang kayo sa labas"
Tumayo na kami pero nauna na kami ni Rylee sa labas dahil may kinuha si ate sa kwarto nya.
Tahimik lang kami habang palabas ng bahay nila. Dinala nya ako sa may fountain nila at doon naghintay.
"May ipapakita ako sayo" sabi nya at humarap sa fountain kaya tinaasan ko naman sya ng kilay.
"Magic"
Nilagay nya ang kamay nya sa tapat nf fountain at nakita kong parang nagbabago ang direksyon niyon ayon sa galaw ng kamay nya. He gathered a water in his right hand and made it a circle. I was amzed by what I saw not until he splashed it in my faced.
Napatili naman ako sa inis at pinag hahampas sya habang tumatawa. Naabutan kami ni ate na ganun ang sitwasyon kaya piningot nya sa Rylee sa tenga.
"Ikaw talaga ang hilig mo"
"Sorry na. Aray. Tama na. Masakit"
"Tara na Celene hayaan mo yang isang yan, may topak na naman yan" sumunod naman ako patungo sa kotse nya at sumakay na. Nakita kong sumunod samin si Rylee kaya ibinababa ko ang window sa may kotse.
"Rylee"
"Yes? Gusto mo kiss?" pang-aasar nya
"Pakyu. Wag na nga lang" he chuckled
"Bakit ano ba kasi ung sasabihin mo?" he said at yumuko ng kaunti para magpantay ang mukha namin.
"Pumapayag na ako" I said and then he smiled cheekily and I did not expect the next thing he did.
He kissed me.
♓