Turning Tables

01

"Hindi pa kita nadadakip."

Natawa na ako at naghintay ng sasabihin pa niya.

"Very well, fine. If this au pair stint of yours flops again, you're going straight to Mikhail nang magamit mo naman yang tinapusan mo. He and his partner are extending their services to government entities on various continents and you'd be a great asset to them, that's if you don't associate yourself to those former scammers crowd of yours."

I gave Papa a thumbs up.

"Deal."

I then lunged at him to give him a tight hug.

"'Wag na sungit. Itoshi teru, papa."

"And you just know which buttons to push."

......

"Ambassador Satsuki."

I was on full alert when I heard that. I felt a bit embarrassed when my father was acknowledged that way. I hated nepotism.Okay lang na idetain nila ako dito ng sapat na araw at magbigay sila ng karampatang sanction. Kaya ko namang panindigan.

Kaagad na nagtama ang mga mata namin ni Papa, sa tingin ko lang medyo malabo kasi dahil naiwala ko ang salamin ko.

"Otou-san..." I gave him a peace sign then finally let my grab bag sit on my lap. Naniguro lang ako na hindi makukuha sa akin ang passport ko.

It was the only thing that I managed to get after the host family that I worked for literally kicked me out of their mansion...and their country.

"Zip your mouth, Aya." Kulang na lang ay sumabog ang litid sa leeg ni Papa sa pagpipigil na sigawan ako sa loob ng detaining room ng embahada ng Switzerland.

I nodded at him at ni-zipper ang bibig katulad ng sabi niya. Hinintay ko na matapos ang pakikipag-usap niya sa mga officers na nagdetain sa akin. Hindi nagtagal ay kinalabit na rin ako ni Papa na tumayo na at sumunod sa kanya.

Tahimik ang paglalakad namin hanggang sa marating na ang airbus. Ilang segundo pa ang lumipas ay nagsimula ng humagalpak ang malulutong na tawa ni Papa.

"Oh my child..." He was still chuckling, close to tears even. "Hindi ko alam kung madidisappoint ako o matatawa na lang dito sa bagong pasabog mo, Aya-chan..."

That made me giggle too.

"You said pasabog..."

Pareho na kaming napahalakhak.

"Why, only my beloved Aya-chan can almost burn an entire manor to the ground with parts of it exploding as it progressed and be kicked out of the country the same day. You should have seen your Mama's reaction when I told her the news, she was crying in hilarity."

Napasimangot ako ng maalala ang naranasan sa host family ko.

"Hindi ko naman sinasadya talaga papa. Ang dami kasing pinaplantsa sa akin halos pang tatlong buwan na mga damit ng mga bata, kaya nakatulog ako at napabayaan yung plantsa, hence the fire starting. Tapos nakalimutan ko pang i-adjust yung heating system which caused the boiler to explode. Samantalang noong unang buwan ko ay may laundry at HVAC service silang contact eh. Ginawa na akong all around na katulong and that was illegal, Papa. Kinukuha rin nila at tinatago ang eyeglasses ko kapag nagrreklamo ako. Pero tiniis ko dahil may usapan tayo." I showed him my hands that gained bruises and burns from manually washing and pressing clothes.

I was clearly duped by the program that I applied for to be an au pair and I think that the host family had been doing that to other people for such a long time. Gradual lang kasi ang pagdagdag ng mga pinapagawa nila sa akin hanggang sa naging semi mechanic na ako, I even tried learning about HVAC kakafigure out kung paano i-maintain ang heating system ng mansion nila.

I had no day offs and I never got to roam around Switzerland for they demanded more of my time cleaning everything and doing ridiculous tasks like massaging my host mother.

I was so tired all the time and had become sexually frustrated for the past months for I cannot even pleasure myself kakaplantsa! Half blind na nga ako kapag kinukumpiska ang salamin ko dahil sa mga hindi natapos na tasks, sobrang tigang ko pa kaya nakakafrustrate talaga and I think I would easily get off by slight friction any time now. Also it makes me passive aggressive.

Well...that was the least of my problems.

I knew that I could always bail at our wager pero alam kong hindi na ako titigilan ni Papa tungkol sa pagsesettle down kaya tiniis ko.

Napahilamos ng mukha si Papa matapos makita at suriin ang mga peklat sa kamay ko.

"That is unforgiveable, bakit hindi mo sa akin sinsabi kanina sa embassy? I will sue all of them."

"Sabi mo kasi 'wag akong magsalita."

He huffed in a huge breath. In and out...he is calming himself. Probably because his impulse is to scold me, pero naawa na lang yata sa akin.

"Very well. Tell me everything that you can and I'll see to it that your host family, the program that you applied at and the people who processed your deportation will be punished to the full extent of the law."

Umiling ako.

"It's fine papa, mamaya niyan nasa balita nanaman ko, eh 'di tuwang-tuwa nanaman ang wicked sisters mo niyan. I'll...I'll just go straight to kuya Mik as agreed."

Papa did not respond and when I looked at him, he looked surprised. Akala niya siguro ay magpapalusot ako ulit this time.

During my stint at Switzerland, and I sort of got disconnected with the everything that was superficial, (though I was not really into material things or someone who's always in the internet) it helped me realize and appreciate a lot of new and simple things, like how HVACs came to be, how useful the iron is...mga simpleng bagay na nakakagaan ng buhay. Somehow I had a clear head at iyon lang siguro ang magandang bagay na nakuha ko doon.

I came to terms with a bit of the things that I am continually running away from and instilled in mind that my Papa and Mama are not getting any younger.

Hindi ko na rin gusto na paulanan sila palagi ng empty promises and for once, what's ahead had not yet been tampered by my usual pre-planning. Kaya hindi ako kokontra sa wager namin. Wala rin naman sa usapan na kailangan kong tumagal sa pagtatrabaho kay Kuya Mik. I just have to drag the time spent there and play it by ear.

Firm pa rin naman ako sa creed ko. I am still very much allergic to permanence, or rather...keeping still. I knew that I just needed to get creative when it comes to my struggles with it and not give my Papa and Mama more headaches and frustrations whenever it came to my plans, or lack thereof in life.

Bumuntonghininga si Papa at tumango sa akin.

"Sige. Let's get you a new pair of glasses first...though I know you use contacts I will buy you a dozen of each. Magpahinga ka muna sa bahay ng isang linggo bago puntahan ang kuya mo. Your mother misses you."

.....