Divagate (ICS #2)

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Friend

Lumalalim na ang gabi pero patuloy pa rin ang masayang pag-uusap ng mga matatanda sa hapag. Tahimik lang akong kumakain, ganoon din si Kuya Liandel sa tabi ko. Nasa gitna niya at ni Mommy ako nakaupo. Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa tapat ko kung nasaan si Jae.

Tapos na siyang kumain. Nagtama ang paningin namin nang naramdaman ko ang titig niya sa akin. Like usual, I saw curiosity in his eyes. I smiled softly at him.

"Hindi mo gusto?" He mouthed, referring to my food.

Umiling ako. I took a bite and smiled at him to assure that I was fine with my dish. Dahan-dahan siyang tumango nang makitang inuubos ko na ang pagkain ko. He did not look away, though. Tahimik lang din siyang nakatingin sa akin habang kumakain ako kaya mahina akong natawa.

Narinig ata iyon ni Kuya Liandel kaya natigil siya sa pagsubo. Nagapalipat-lipat ang tingin niya sa amin ni Jae habang nakataas ang isang kilay. Sa huli ay nagkibit-balikat na lamang siya at nagpatuloy sa pagkain.

Iilang subo na lang ang tira sa plato ko nang bumaling ako ay Jae. Nakakunot-noo siyang lumingon sa akin nang maramdaman ang titig ko sa kanya. Tiningnan niya ang plato ko sandali at ngumiti sa akin. Saglit kong naalala kung paano kami pormal na nagkakilala noong bata pa kami.

Dito rin iyon, sa hapag ng mga Valmonte. Noong gabing iyon, naririnig ko na na pupunta ulit sina Mommy at Daddy sa bahay nila dahil inimbitahan sila para sa hapunan. Madalas iyong mangyari dahil malapit ang mga pamilya namin. Lagi ko ring naririnig, galing sa mga magulang ko at ibang kasamabahay rito, na mabait ang malaking pamilyang Valmonte. Hindi lang halata dahil sa istrikto at sopistikadong istura nila, pero mabait talaga sila.

When I was little, say maybe between four to five years old, I remember a couple coming to our house. Nasa study ako ng bahay namin nang marinig ko ang tungkol sa pagdating nila. I have a blurry memory of that day but my first impression of them was so strong that they were clear in that hazy memory. Ang unang bumati sa akin noon ay ang matandang babae, maybe the same age as my mother. She kissed me on the cheeks and smiled widely. After, her husband greeted me as well. I greeted them back faintly. I was not sure if it was because I was just sick or because I was so nervous and happy at the same time.

Being in the house everyday for my entire childhood was very tiring. Kaya naman ang makakita ng bagong mukha sa loob ng bahay ay talagang nakapagpasaya sa akin. Iyon nga lang, mukha silang nakakatakot. Sobrang linis tingnan, walang gusot sa mga suot at mababango. Even their posture were straight and the way they carry themselves was scarily neat. Later on, they were introduced to me properly by my mother. Iyon ang kauna-unahang alaala ko tungkol kay Tita Janice at Tito Theodore Valmonte.

Because of that brief encounter, an impression of the Valmontes was etched on my young mind. Hindi talaga nagkamali ang mga katulong namin tungkol sa descriptions ng mga Valmonte. They looked terrifyingly strict. But I remembered how light I felt when I saw how Tita Janice smiled at me. Meeting them definitely made me feel a roller coaster of emotions.

That was the aura of the Valmontes, clean, strict, and calculated. And to think that they're a big family? And I heard they live near us, too! Kinakabahan ako sa pag-iisip pa lamang. I imagined myself standing stiffly when I meet them. Oh, the nervousness!

Madalas pang pumunta doon sina Mommy. I wonder if I'll ever get the chance to meet the other members of their family. I rarely go out dahil sakitin ako. Kaonting kibot lang ay uubohin at lalagnatin na ako. When I go out, it's usually a trip to the doctor. Even if the arrangement was like that, I'll feel grateful enough that I could leave the house and go to another place.