Fundamentals of Marriage | Suarez I

Chapter 4

"You want us to talk?"

He's facing his desktop computer with headphones on. Kuya shut down the computer to face me.

"Where did you go this late hour? I'm sure you did not eat for an hour chewing cabbage." His right foot rests on his left knee.

"We went to the night market."

"You lost a lot of weight. Is she controlling your food again?" He asked me after surveying my body.

My feet are starting to hurt from standing, so I sat at the edge of his bed. "Yeah. But I'm a hardheaded daughter. I ate a lot outside and Ciana is spoiling me." I managed to bring her up in the conversation.

"What happened while I'm not around?"

He's always like this. He will leave for work. Days, weeks, a month or two he won't come home. Then, out of nowhere, he will appear like a mushroom.

He will act like he didn't care about me or this family but is always worried that he'll miss an important thing. More on like he's worried about me. I can tell. Hindi naman siya uuwi kung wala na ako rito.

"Nothing much happened, nothing new. Mom and the Suarezes finally settled upon an agreement. I don't even know what is her plan. What I need to do is to keep an eye on my future husband and see if I can get something from him that will help Mom succeed."

"Did you meet him already?"

This is exactly how our conversation flows every time. Inabot ko ang unan niya at niyakap, lying on my stomach on his bed.

"I met him. Next week, I'll be living with that sulky man." My eyes involuntary rolled. "Naayos na namin ang unit. Almost all my stuff are already there too. I leave the rest here."

"I-Is he good?"

I watched him stutter coldly, probably afraid that I will feel the concern he was feeling. He can try, but his eyes speak so let's pretend I don't see it.

"No. He's always mad. With glaring eyes like yours. Mukha siyang taong palaging seryoso. Someone who doesn't know how to have fun--"

"Pinagbuhatan ka ng kamay?" Tumaas ang boses ni Kuya.

"Well, no. He doesn't look like the type of person who will hurt me physically. He's just sulky." Then, I remembered what happened last time. When my spinal cord shattered into pieces.

"What's his name again?"

"Franco Miguel Suarez."

"Oh, the second born Suarez of his generation," si Kuya na animo'y kilala niya ang buong angkan ng mga Suarez.

Interested in their family, I sat properly. Still hugging his pillow, I rest my chin on it. "He's the firstborn Suarez. That's why he runs the Dolce Casa with his father."

"Is that so? Did I remember it wrong? I thought he was not. He was my batchmate but I don't know him personally. If he is good, then you are fine. Let me know if he does something bad."

"You'll take me away from him?" My lips formed a curve.

"Why take you away if I can kill him?" He threw me the neck pillow. "Go to your room. I'm gonna take a rest."

"Can I sleep here?"

"No." He started pushing me out of the bed.

"You used to make me stop crying when Mom scolded me back then."

"Were you scolded? No. Are you still a five-year-old crybaby? No. Now, go to your room. I need to sleep."

I stayed in his bed, not planning to go anytime soon. "I also want to know what happened. Bakit hindi ka umuwi for a month?"