Love in the Hacienda [Completed]

Chapter 4

*****

Hindi na nga siya excited kanina pero mas lalong lumala ang mood niya ngayon for reasons she doesn't know. Her make up artist has just finished her old Hollywood glam look at suot-suot na niya ngayon ang mamahaling dress at heels niya.

And she also decided to wear the diamond necklace Alejandro gave as a gift. Wala namang ibig sabihin iyon. Bagay lang talaga ito sa suot niya ngayon. 

"My princess, you looked so damn gorgeous," puri ng Mama niya na kakapasok lang ngayon sa kwarto niya. "There are a lot of guests already. Tara na. Hinahanap ka na nila."

"Okay, Ma."

"What a nice necklace. I saw that just now. When did we buy that again?"

"Oh, it's a gift from Alejandro, Ma."

"Oh," her mother exclaimed and then, smiled a knowing smile. "He is a good man, isn't he?" 

"Ma," tutol niya dahil alam na niya kung saan papunta ang mga ngiti nito. Her parents are using him as bait para itali siya pabalik dito sa hacienda at probinsya nila. That's for sure.

"Anyway, sana makaabot pa siya sa kasiyahan."

"Bakit ba kasi inutusan 'nyo siyang umalis ngayon of all days? Siya na nga lang ang kakilala ko dito sa bayan at sa party na 'to."

"Hija, it's hard to explain... bukas ko na lang sasabihin pero it's something urgent."

"And who the heck is this Winnie?"

"Language, Clara Isabella!" puna ng Mama niya.

She stood up from her dresser chair and faced her mom. "I thought our relatives didn't want anything to do with this place. Bakit may pinsan akong pabalik dito sa Pilipinas."

"Hija, something happened. Something bad..."

"Then, tell me now. Para hindi ako magugulat," she pleaded. "Please, Ma."

"Okay, but don't tell your father that I already told you ahead. His cousin Arnaldo died on a car accident with his wife. And now, your second cousin Winnie is orphaned. Walang ibang kamag-anak natin ang gustong tumanggap sa kanya. She's barely eighteen at kawawa kaya naisipan ng ama mong kupkupin muna dito sa atin pansamantala."

"What?!" gulat na gulat na tanong niya. "And no one even bothered to ask me about this?"

"Bakit naman, hija? Kamag-anak at kadugo natin siya."

"But this is my house, too. And she's practically a stranger."

Natigilan ang Mama niya sa inasta niyang iyon. "You said you'll be leaving once you get a job in the city, Clara. We just thought na maluwag naman ang bahay at maraming kwarto na pwede muna nating ipahiram. At aalis ka rin naman... probably next week kung makakuha ka ng trabaho, hindi ba?"

She was stunned at her mother's explanation. Her mother was just telling the truth. But she didn't know why it stung.

So she just walked past her and outside the door into a party she never even wanted in the first place.

*****

It was past ten in the evening. Halos nabati na niya ang buong bayan nila sa dami ng mga inimbita ng mga magulang niya sa graduation party nila na 'yon. 

But these are people she barely even know and strangers she knew she won't ever see again in the next year or so kaya hindi na siya nag-effort pang alalahanin ang pangalan ng lahat ng mga ito.

She's eaten quite a bit at kaya naisipan na lang niyang pumanhik na sa kwarto para magpahinga. Hindi naman siguro magagalit ang mga bisita dahil nabati na niya ang lahat ng mga ito.