Always You

42

Olly and I are here at a coffee shop after we just had our spa and nails done. Kahit okay na sila ng kuya niya, medyo hindi pa rin ito lubusang tanggap si Martin. Zeke and their close friends advised kuya Paolo to understand them. Matatanda na rin kasi sila. Though, hindi pa naman nagkausap ang dalawang magkaibigan, medyo humupa na rin ang tensyon.

As we were chatting and having such a relaxing moment, I saw two very familiar women from afar. I gripped the salad fork, the uneasiness was there and I didn’t know what to do.

I saw Joanne Lopez, with her usual cheerful face together with the classy and stylish tita Stella as they paved their way inside the coffee shop. I brushed off the thought of being nervous right now. Ayokong makita nila ako, so I pretended not seeing them and continued talking to Olly.

And even if I avoid them a million times, darating at darating ang panahon na magkakaharap kami. Hindi nga ako nagkamali. Nakita agad ako ni Joanne and she even acknowledged me infront of her while they were looking for a vacant spot---which is just near our table.

“Oh hi Andrea!”, she exclaimed. “What a coincidence!”

I glanced at her, but I didn’t looked at the woman standing beside her. She must have noticed the uncomfortable mood, so she decided to lighten it up. But her intentions only added up to a more awkward situation.

“Alam mo tita, Andrea’s doing well in the company. You should applaud her proposals. She's working so hard to help her stepbrother. 'Diba Andrea?”

And there was a hint of sarcasm in her voice when she pronounced the word 'stepbrother'.

I glared at her. What the f*ck!  And I also saw tita Stella arched her eyebrow and looked at me with disgust.

“I’m so excited for the dinner mamaya. Thank you at napapilit mo po si Zeke sa dinner date”, she giggled.

Hindi ko na naitago ang pagkadisgusto sa sinabi niya.

Dinner date? Is this for real? Bakit walang sinabi sa akin si Zeke? Alam ba niya ang tungkol sa amin? Well I’ll inform her, anyway.

“Joanne, Zeke is not my stepbrother. He’s my boyfriend.”

There I said it! Sa tingin pa lang ni Joanne sa akin ay parang papatayin niya ako dahil sa sinabi ko, even tita Stella widened her eyes in disbelief.

Ayoko nang tumagal pa dito kaya naisipan kong umalis na kami ni Olly. But I was stopped by tita Stella’s voice.

“Do you really think that you’ll end up with my son?”, she uttered. “I will never allow that to happen.”

Nagsukatan kami ng tingin sa isa’t isa. I decided not to answer back. Seeing her face to face again just bring back all those painful memories.

“And even if you’ll have him, you’ll never be happy. I will make sure of that.”

Her words just hit me hard this time. I’m suddenly feeling a burst of anger.

“You’re good at ruining other people’s happiness. And I make sure you won’t get the happiness you’ve yearned for all these years, either”, I answered her.

Sisiguraduhin ko rin na hindi sila ikakasal ni dad.

Her face shifted to a sarcastic one.

“Hindi ka lang kamukha ng mommy mo, kaugali mo rin siya”, she chuckled. “You can’t do anything right now. Ikakasal na kami ng daddy mo.”

“Oh really? I heard dad cancelled your engagement”, I mockingly said.

Nakita ko ang pagtaas-baba ng hininga niya. I pissed her off, and I don’t care.

“Anton chose me over you and your family. Why can't you accept that?”

“He may have chosen you over us, but you can’t change the fact that you were just his mistress.”

Hinarap ko siya ng malapitan.

“That means you are that pesky married woman who would wantonly spread her legs to a married man.”

Akmang sasampalin niya ako pero mabilis kong napigilan ang kamay niya. And I forcefully brushed it off. I could see tears welled up her eyes.

“You shouldn’t talk to her like that, Andrea”, saway ni Joanne sa akin. “I’ll tell Zeke about this!”, banta pa niya.

Binaling ko ang tingin ko sa kanya. Even Joanne's eyes were full of anger.

“It’s okay, Joanne”, tita Stella wiped her tears. “I bet your mom didn’t teach you some good manners, Andrea. Halos kulang na lang ay tumira ka sa bahay ng anak ko. Hindi ka ba nahihiya? Naaawa lang ako kay Anton. You are such a disgrace to your dad.”

“Maybe your definition of a good manner is screwing up your friend’s husband”, I sarcastically said. “You may be glamorous and clean on the outside, but deep inside, you are just as filthy as a rotten garbage.”

“Gagawin ko ang lahat para lang hiwalayan ka ng anak ko. Tandaan mo ‘yan”, sabay diin ng hintuturio sa akin.

Umalis na kami ni Olly at inihatid niya ako sa condo. Sinubukan niyang pasayahin ako, pero mas minabuti kong mapag-isa. Hindi maganda ang inasal ko kanina, pero hindi ko na kayang itago ang nararamdaman kong galit. I felt victorious on beating her down with insults, but why am I feeling this guilt and sadness?