Bedroom Negotiations - Gold (Self-published)

17

I didn't want to be rude towards Dustin's mother and I would be the first one to understand how someone like Anita could easily manipulate her son; my mother wasn't exactly the paragon of maternal love. But, at least my mother wasn't always present in my life and her absence, although I sometimes missed, gave me a lot of breathing space. Unlike Anita.

Jusko, ako na ang nasakal para sa anak n'ya, I lamented to myself as I made my way out of the restaurant. Imagine buong buhay mo, you have that demonyita breathing down your neck? Mabuti at hindi lumaking sabog si Montemayor?

I was furious that Anita would rather see her son with a married woman like Lauren because she wanted to prove a point.

'Yun yata ang pinakaungas na nanay na nakilala ko. Mas ungas pa yata s'ya kaysa nanay ko.

Hindi ulirang ina si Mama. In fact, akala n'ya yata ay isa akong damo na pagkatapos n'yang iire ay basta na lang lalago nang walang pag-aaruga n'ya. Pero, kahit gan'un ang nanay ko ay hindi ako n'un ipinagtulakan sa iba.

She had a phase when she thought that I should marry Alexander Sandoval because he's rich and she wanted to get back at Alexa's mother through him but I put my foot down and told her that I would rather marry a dildo than a Sandoval.

"Mayaman sina Alex at Nick, ayaw mo n'un, hindi na tayo aasa pa sa Daddy mo?" my mother had argued.

"Ma, pakialaman mo na ang lahat h'wag lang kung sino ang pakakasalan ko. Pakialaman n'yo na 'yung damit ko, 'yung buhok ko, pati ang buhay ko. Pero, h'wag na h'wag kayong manghihimasok pagdating sa kung sino ang mamahalin ko."

"Mamahalin? Ang tanga mo talaga! Sa tingin mo ay totoo 'yang pagmamahal na 'yan? Ako na mismo ang magsasabi sa'yong hindi! Pakana lang 'yan ng mga taong walang magawa sa buhay! Hindi ka ba kinikilabutan d'yan sa mga sinasabi mo? Sa tingin mo ay may lalaki talagang magmamahal sa'yo?"

"Bakit, Ma, sa tingin n'yo po ba ay wala?"

"Wala! Dahil hindi marunong magmahal ang mga lalaking 'yan! Ang alam ng mga 'yan ay manggamit lang!"

I sighed as I waited for the lift. Lakas ng loob ng nanay kong magsabing nanggagamit lang ang mga lalaki, eh, s'ya nga itong maya't maya ay nagkakajowa. Gamit na gamit ka na n'yan, Mudrabels?

I gave myself a mental shake because I didn't want to think about my mother who was acting like a rebellious teenager.

"Tatawagan kita, Lia!" was Carissa Valderrama's famous last words before she hopped into a motorcycle driven by a man who was about a year or two younger than me.

"At sa awa ng Diyos, magdadalawang taon na lang ang nakararaan ay hindi pa rin tumatawag ang nanay ko..." I murmured to myself.

When the elevator doors dinged open, I stepped inside and pressed 45 on the panel. My gaze dropped to the engagement ring that I was wearing in my hand and I was reminded again of how furious Anita had become earlier when she saw it.

Hindi ako makakapayag na makasal sa'yo si Dustin!

"Like, sinong gustong magpakasal, Auntie?" I asked myself out loud. "Nakakaloka, ang advance mag-isip ng babaeng 'yun. Kasal talaga? Mukha ba akong marrying-type sa paningin n'ya?"

I couldn't see myself getting married and it was a subject that I planned to broach with Dustin later on because he seemed the kind who'd excitedly say I do.

Pero kung ayaw mong magpakasal at gusto n'yang magpakasal...kaya mo ba s'yang bitiwan para matupad 'yung mga gusto n'ya—

"Tangna, self, kung anu-ano na naman ang mga iniisip mo d'yan. 'Yung nanay kasi ni Montemayor nakakabwisit, eh, kung anu-ano tuloy pumapasok sa utak ko. Dapat 'di ko na lang binaba 'yung bruhildang 'yun!"