Serendipity

Chapter 7.

Ibinaba ko ang dalawang mugs ng kape sa gitna ng coffee table sa living room ng condo ko.

Yes, I'm finally home.

The unit still belongs to me and my bank accounts are already unfrozen. Attorney Beatrice also finalized the transfer of my lolo's properties and assets under my name. I'm all good until I'm old and gray.

"What's your plan now, Alex?" Ninang Bea asked after taking a sip from her coffee. Pinuntahan niya agad ako sa condo nang makarating sa kanya na umalis na ako sa mga Pangilinan.

No one was able to stop me. I didn't let them.

"Just... back to normal, Ninang. Single, but not hurting," sagot ko. "I will focus on learning how to handle my lolo's assets and properties. I want to handle everything by myself."

"I thought that's not your thing?"

"Well, it can be," I replied. "Kailangan ko 'to, Ninang. To keep my mind off things, you know?"

"What changed?" curious na tanong niya.

"I want to take care of my lolo's investments. That's all," kibit-balikat kong sagot at tinaasan niya naman ako ng kilay habang naghihintay. It's obvious that she didn't believe a word I said. "Ninang, I love you but please don't dig deeper. I can't lie to you."

"You're not okay," she pointed out. "You don't need to lie to me, you can tell me things... rant if you like, I won't mind."

"I'm okay, Ninang. This is just a trivial thing, I'll get over this soon," I assured her in a pleading tone. "Let's not talk about it, please?"

"I won't judge." She was pushing me to tell the truth. "Tell me, what really happened between the two of you? Sinaktan ka ba ni Timothy?"

"Physically? No," tanggi ko.

"Emotionally?" tanong niya at tumango ako.

"My husband is in love with someone else. He thinks that I'm not deserving of his heart," malungkot kong sabi sabay yakap sa maliit na unan na hawak ko, remembering how I've thrown a few before leaving.

"Come here..."

Tinapik niya ang espasyo sa tabi niya pagkatapos niyang ibaba ang kape na hawak. Lumipat ako sa tabi niya at isinandal niya ang ulo ko sa balikat niya.

"Dahil ba ro'n kaya ka umalis?" tanong niya at tumango ulit ako.

"I can't keep up with this charade. I can't keep pretending that it's not hurting me," mahina kong sabi. Ipinagdikit ko ang mga tuhod kong nakataas sa upuan at niyakap ko 'yon. "We're like my parents. We're repeating history."

"You have a different fate, Alex. What made you think that way?" tanong niya sa akin.

"I'm becoming just like my mom, Ninang. My feelings for him, it's becoming a burden," nakatungong sagot ko. "I'm scared to become another version of my parents' tragedy."

"You grew up under your mom's side, not your dad's. You only heard one side of the story," Ninang Bea reminded me.

Itinago ako ni Lolo Sid sa mga relatives ko sa father's side mula nang pumanaw ang mga magulang ko. Gusto akong dalhin sa Amerika ng lola't lolo ko, my dad's parents. Lolo Sid won't let them, so he took me away.

"Ninang, you're my mom's best friend, right? But you're dad's friend too. So... can I ask you a favor?" tanong ko at tumango naman siya. "Please tell me the other side of the story that I don't know?"

Huminga siya nang malalim bago niya ako hinarap. Marahan niyang pinisil ang mga kamay ko bago siya muling tumingin sa akin.

"Alex, your dad loved your mom too. That's the truth," pag-ku-kuwento niya. "But it was the kind of love that hurt because it was not the love that your mom wanted. It was only friendship for you dad. Kaya palagi silang nag-a-away."