PAP37
Tahimik lang ako at kinakabahan habang pinapanood ko ang babaeng nasa harap ko na umiiikot ang mga mata sa paligid. She looks beautiful and regal. Sa unang tingin ay hindi mo aakalain na mayroon na siyang anak na kasing tanda ni Cell. Mukha kasi itong bata.
Eto ba ang mother-in-law ko? Jusko, kahit ako ay hindi ako makapaniwalang sinasabi ko ito.
"Wala pa po si Cell..." Subok kong pagsasalita. I doubt it that she's here for him. Unang kita ko pa lang alam ko nang ako ang sadya niya. Ni hindi niya nga hinahanap ang anak niya kanina. The silence is just too pressuring that I needed to speak.
She's radiating too much authority just by sitting down in front of me. I never felt more intimated by someone like this. It was like the moment you saw her, you will immediately feel that you were inferior to her.
"I know."
I gasped silently. Gosh! She knows! Well, surprise, Free! Duh?
"What's your parents' work?"
I gasped when she spoke. God! Mas lalo akong kinabahan! Feeling ko mas strikto pa siya sa pinaka strikto kong prof nung college!
Sinundan ko saglit ang tingin niya. Nakapako iyon sa family portrait namin. Huminga ako ng malalim. God, wag kang mauutal, Free! Nakakahiya!
Anyway... is she really asking that? I doubt if she didn't get me investigated. I think that's more likely what they'll do.
"My Dad was a director of a company... and we have some small businesses... when they were still alive."
Tumango siya. "How is it now?"
She didn't ask further about what happened. Nagpasalamat ako doon. It would totally be uneasy for me to talk about my family right now. Still, it doesn't mean that I can breathe easily already.
Shit! Nasaan na ba si Cell? Alam niya ba na nandito ang Mama niya?
"Well..." mahina kong sabi. Nararamdaman ko na din na mauutal na talaga ako sa susunod. Damn, anong sasabihin ko? Wala na po? Said na lahat! Bankrupt? Pinangbayad ng utang? Gusto ko mang magkaroon ng maayos na impression sa kanya ay parang hindi ako hahayaan ng tadhana!
"What's your work?" Pagbabago niya ng tanong habang naghahanda pa ako kung anong isasagot ko.
"Sa opisina po."
This feeling... mas malala pa 'to sa kaba ko noong nagdefense ako sa thesis o kaya noong ininterview ako! I never felt so unconfident about myself! Gusto ko na lang lumubog at magpakain sa lupa!
"You're Priya, right?"
Nanlaki ang mata ko noong marinig ko 'yon. Napatayo agad ako. Oh, shit! Ngayon ko lang na-realize na hindi pa pala ako nagpapakilala sa kanya! I just literally invited her in the inside house like it was the very first thing I need to do! May mas importante pa nga pala doon! Argh, ang utak mo naman, Free!
"Priya Azalea Ybañez, Ma'am..." I said as I offered my hand while being careful as I mention my name. Pinapakiramdaman ko kung dapat ko bang sundan ng Legrand iyong pangalan ko pero hindi ko rin nagawa sa huli dahil nahihiya ako sa kanya.
Tinanggap niya ang kamay ko. Nakatingin siya dito habang nakikipagkamay siya saakin. She looked up to me as she let go of my hand.
"You know me, right?"
I inhaled sharply. "Opo..."
She nodded. "How long has it been?"
"Po?"
She raised her eyebrow and gaze at my hand—or more specifically the ring in it. Bumibilis ang tibok ng puso ko. Ramdam ko kasi na parang may humaraharang saaming dalawa. It's like she already has an impression of me even before she met me and it's not good. Ayokong mag-overthink kung ano 'yon pero hindi ko rin maiwasan.
