LOVE STRUCK (COMPLETED)

Enlightenment

Parang nagulat siya sa tanong ko at iniisip na may alam ako.

So, I said. "Cheska told me na naalala niya na sinabi sa kanya ni Trina na may iba ka months before her graduation from college."

Napailing siya. "Pati pala si Cheska ay nalaman."

"They are very close."

"I know. Pero hindi kami nag-break o naghiwalay ni Kat. I love that girl to death. There was some misunderstanding about another woman. But I proved her na wala iyon. That baby is our kiss and make up. I am the first and only man in her life. Kung iniisip ninyo ni Cheska na baka hindi ko anak ang bata at baka nagrebelde si Trina sa akin, please don't. That baby is mine. I don't want anyone to think bad of Katrina. Kung may gumawa man ng mali noon ay ako iyon at hindi ko alam kung kailan ako makakabawi."

Napapikit ako. This clears out everything kahit hindi ko na kailangan magtanong. God, I am happy! And I shouldn't feel this way because Gerome still looks troubled. The least that I could do was console him. "Do yourself a favor, pare, move on. Walang sumisisi sa iyo. Even Cheska and her family accepted the fate." At least that's how I feel.

Dumating ang kape at humigop siya bago inilapag iyon at tumingin sa akin. "Kumusta kayo ni Cheska? How did you know her? I heard na galing ka din dito sa Pilipinas at pinetisyon niya. I never knew na nagka-boyfriend siya."

"Classmate niya noong college ang bunso kong kapatid. Nagkakilala kami way back then. I just reached out to her again months ago."

He smiled. "I'm happy for her. You know, few months ago ay inisip kong kontakin si Cheska para ligawan."

Biglang parang may bumundol sa dibdib ko sa sinabi niya.

"I know she's older than me but she is the closest to Kat that I would ever have. Malaki ang pagkakahawig ng dalawa. Magkasing height at magkasing katawan. Darker lang si Kat at ubod ng puti ni Cheska. But then I backed out realizing that I wasn't fully healed yet and it would be unfair to Cheska. Until I learned that she got married."

I didn't know if I would feel proud o kung maiinis ako. Uunahan pa ako nito. I casted that off my head. Naisip ko na darker nga ang kasama ko sa Masquerade Ball at hindi siya kaboses ni Cheska. Although all in all, I was just glad that it wasn't Trina. "I just had one last question."

He looked at me from his coffee cup.

"The Masquerade ball before the accident. Sa'yo ba galing ang invitation?"

Parang nag-isip muna siya. "Masquerade Ball..."

Damn it! So ibang Katrina ang nakasama ko. That's better. At malamang ay ibang Valerio? Even better! Bakit ko ba itinatanong dito? Wrong question for a wrong person. "Let me explain this first because I believe alam mo ito."

He eyed me without blinking.

"Hindi ko matandaan ang eksaktong date. But, there was a Masquerade Ball and Auction that my mother company, Lucien Enterprise, hosted here in the Philippines five years ago. Attended by the employees around the world. Iyong mga kayang bumili ng ticket. Sister company employees were also invited to participate. One ticket per employee at kailangang puntahan ng empleyado or kung sino man na representative niya or else the employee will be penalized."

Biglang nagliwanag ang ekspresyon niya. "Oh, that event!"

"You knew it?"

"Yeah. Ang Daddy ko ang empleyado ng sister company ng Lucien. I gave the invitation to Kat. Sabi ko ay ibigay niya kahit kanino basta siguruhin niyang may dadalo dahil kapag wala, yari si daddy at yari ako kay daddy kasi pinaghanap niya ako ng gagamit ng ticket. I think that cost about five hundred dollars."