A Royal Disaster in Brooklyn

Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN | HIS DISASTER

Summer

AFTER DINNER Isaac walked me to home. Hindi naman literal na naglakad kami mula Crowne Plaza papuntang 75 Whitman Drive - our home. Sumakay muna kami at sa plaza malapit sa bahay na nag-umpisa maglakad. Hindi ako mahilig maglakad at sa katunayan nga kapag inaaya ako ni Daddy, tumatanggi ako agad. Magagalit iyon kapag nalaman na sumama ako maglakad kay Isaac tapos sa kanya hindi.

He's a little possessive, not only to my mother. Which, by the way, Brooklyn has inherited without a doubt. Ako, mana ako kay Mommy mula sa pula kong buhok hanggang sa kilos. But mom insisted that I was louder than her.

"Isaac, can I ask you questions?" tanong ko Isaac na sinagot lang niya ng tango. "What's the meaning of your sister's remark to me?"

"Ah... That's just a compliment, I think?"

Pati siya ay hindi rin sigurado kung ano nga ba ang ibig sabihin ng sinabi ni Princess Mary patungkol sa akin. I clearly remember, word by word what she said. I am a breathe of a fresh air.

Kung papakinggan maigi, tunog papuri nga iyon pero alam ko na may ibang kahulugan sa kanilang lahat na may dugong bughaw.

"Did you enjoy the dinner a while ago?" tanong ko sa halip na patuloy usisain ang tungkol sa mga sinabi ng kanyang kapatid.

"I must say that you made it more bearable for me to eat with them. We rarely do that, and to be honest, they just used you to jail me in a secluded place like that function room."

Ginamit lang ako? Maniniwala ba ako sa kanya?

Hindi na ako nasasaktan kapag kasama ko siya. Ngayon naman ay nagamit ako ng pamilya niya para lang magsama-sama silang kumain. In the Philippines, hindi na kailangan ng ganitong palabas. In my family, Dad knows how to summoned us his kids. Kahit nasaan pa 'man kami ni Brooklyn, may paraan ang tatay ko kung paano lilipunin dalawa.

"The steak and wine were Crowne Plaza's best sellers, Isaac. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy that?"

"It's overcooked, and the side dishes were soggy, Summer. But the wine is excellent and one of the best I have tasted."

"It's ours. That's why I know how to describe it," I giggled after saying that to him, which made him smile too. "Honestly, since you did it first a while ago, it feels stuffy. It's hard to pretend to be a prim and proper lady in front of a judge like people."

"You're quite a good actress, Summer,"

"Am I? Well, thank you and must say that's more of me." Pareho na kaming tumawa dalawa habang patuloy na naglalakad. "Why do you hate dinner?"

"I didn't hate dinner. You're right about one thing,"

"What is it?"

"It's stuffy." We both giggled again as we continued walking towards our home. "I prefer simple dinner, home-cooked food, a crazy... no disastrous companion."

"Is that me?"

"Yeah, my disaster," I smiled at him and agreed to meet again in our free time before going inside our home.

I am his disaster.

MATAPOS ang naiibang dinner na pinuntahan ko, balik trabaho na ako sa RJM. Kung minsan ay kasa-kasama ni Isaac sa mga volunteering duties niya kung saan-saan. I enjoyed some of it, resents the most. Tingin ko ang dahilan ng palagiang pagsunod sa akin ay ang pagsama-sama ko sa kanya. Gaya ngayon, may nakikita na naman akong grupo ng media sa labas ng maliit na apartment ni Lauren dati.

"Paano nila nalaman kung saan ako pupunta?" Kuryoso kong tanong pero sarili ko lang talaga ang aking kausap. Huminto ako sa paglakad at nag-isip paano magtatago sa mga media. Sanay ako sa mga camera pero hindi gaya nito. Nakaka-stress dahil alam nila kung saan ako hahanapin.