THE RETURN OF A CALDERON (COMPLETED)

#04

LATINA'S POV

I was stopped by what Nikko just said. Akoa syang gitan aw ug pareho mi nga shock sa iyang gi sulti.

Siguro we stand there for 10 minutes without doing anything. We just stare at each other.

Ginabasa nako iyang mata and I could tell nga nagmahay sya sa iyang gisulti.

Why would he say that though? Does he mean something or trip ra niya to isulti.

“Ahm-” he cough to get my attention.

Ug akoang gi hulat nga mostorya sya.

“Kuan.. kanang..” nangatol syas iyang ulo, “shit!” he silently cussed his self.

While ga huna huna sya sa iyang isulti, ako sad kay sig tan aw niya. Until I saw a familiar face on him.

At first di ko katuo pero the way mo lihok iyang lips kay pareho ra jud sa taw nga akong mahuna hunaan.

“It's you..” I utter

Nikko look at me with confusion.

“You.. you are that kid who proposed to me 15 years ago right?” pangutana nako.

Nisiga iyang mata. Human ato nahilom nasad mi. Wala man sad sya ni react ug wa sya nitubag nga dili siya to.

I know. Kahibaw ko dugay ra. I never forget about what happened atong first meet namo.

Nakayuko rako and I know Nikko was looking at me. Waiting for someone to talk first.

Nikko move,

“You're right.”

Gihangad nako sya kay finally ni storya na sya.

“I thought you won't remember that scene. Kay kung bot huna hunaon I was 9 and you we're just 7 that time.” he added.

Nitando rako. Speechless ko ug awkward kaayo sa akoa nga mag storyahanay pami about ato.

Pero Nikko manage to speak,

“I came from a family of businessmans. So naa na sa akong sistema ang pagka businessman. And at my young age, tito and dad taught me some business informations. Bata palang na engaged nako sa business. You won't believe this but I know every big time businessman and businesswoman all over the world. That's how interested I am to businesses at a very young ages.”

Nikunot akong agtang kay murag layo na kaayo sa topic ang iyang gina kwento. Pero naminaw gihapon ko niya bisan gilamok lamok nami diris gawas sa balay.

“Then one day I saw your father. Immediately na familiarize nako iyang nawng. He's a known businessman here in the Philippines and also a famous engineer sa western country.” padayon niya.

Wala nako na tingala pa kung nganong kahibaw sya.

“Then I have thought. What if makig negotiate ko niya? But that time I am just 9 years old. How can I negotiate with someone decades older than me?”

I nod. Naa syay point.

“That's when I saw you. Na remember nako ang gi sulti ni grandma sa akoa. She said that my mom and dad was a product of arranged marriage for business. Ipakasal sila for the sake of the families businesses but before that fixed marriage happen they fell in love. Wala na silay reason para mo dili sa marriage. And here I am, a perfect human being created by them.” he pointed to himself.

I just gave him a cringe-reaction-look.

He chuckle, “Anyway back to the topic.. I saw you with Mr. Luke Salvador so with all the confidence I have, giduol tamo and I ask your father if I can marry you.. That's my way para makig negotiate sa imong papa.“

Diretso nga sulti niya. Without any hesitations.

“Ay mali. I didn't ask him. That wasn't a question.. That was a command.” napa face palm nalang si Nikko pagka hinumdom sa iyang gibuhat atong panghitaboa.

He commanded me to marry him but I refused.

“Shit! Bagaa nakog nawng atong bata pako uy.” hunghong niya.

‘Maayo kay naka realize ka.’ sulti nako sa akong hunahuna.

Nakatawa nalang ko bisan naay something sa akong heart nga na bother sa akong nabal an.

So that time.. he just want to marry me para makig negotiate sa akong papa? Is that what he meant to say?

“So yah, that's what really happened.” Nikko utter.

May nalang pud diay wa nako to gidawat. Tsk! Himuon pakog dalan para makig trabaho sakong papa.

Sila diay mag minyo? Tsk! - Ambot nganong ga lagot ko.

‘Why are you affected my dear?’ my brain asked.

Atay! Dili uy! I'm not affected. Di lang ko ka dawat nga ing ato diay ang reason.

‘Di lang ka ka dawat nga wa syay gibati nimo?’ sultig usab sakong utok.

Aaaaaaccccckkkk! Nabuang nako.

—

“Latina?” Nikko wave his hand.

Namilok ko, “H-Huh?”

“I said, it's getting late. You might catch cold. Sulod na.” he softly said.

Char gentleman.

Nitando rako, “Yaks pa fall..” hunghong nako pagka talikod nako saiya.

May nalang jud wa sya kadungog.

“Maayo na! Maypag nabungol ka.” hunghong nakog usab ug nisulod na diretso sa gate.

Wa nako nilingi pag usab kay na bad mood kos nawng ni Nikko. Nawng kaayog business.

“Tsk!” nag dabog dabog ko pag sulod sa balay.

“He wants to say goodnight.”

Hapit ko na slide sa among tiles kay nikalit rag sulpot akong Kuya.

Utro sad ni, lami kaayo ipakog silang duha ni Nikko.

I roll my eyes, “The who?”

He wink at me, “Your crush darling.. Ayieee..” sungog ni Kuya.

Natulala ko.

Shit! Hapit pako nakalimot.

My kuya knows that Nikko is my ultimate crush sukad atong adlaw nga ga propose kuno sya.

Buwang na talaga. Yes I rejected him that time pero futa I had a crush on him after that.

Mao tong wa jud ko kalimot niya. My family knows too nga si Nikko ray akong na crush sukad pagka bata.

Pero karon murag need na nako mag change ug crush.

I'm afraid I might fall in love with Nikko tapos iyang mindset naa gihapon sa business.

Shuta!

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tobecontinued..
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