Walang ideya si Antonio Birada sa mayayamang pamilyang nakapalibot sa Pilipinas. He's just a simple man, living his dreams of being a restaurant owner. Maatos ang buhay ni Toto pero hindi niya akalaing magbabago ang lahat ng iyon dahil sa pagsabog n...
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Pan Alejandrina Vejar's
It's been three days since I came home and I realized how big the change had come to my family. Dione was nowhere to be found, I want to know where she is but I can't because she told me and she made me promise to not find her. I don't go out of the house. 'cause I'm natatakot that Papa might get sick, as of noe kasi, everyone is galit to him because he hid Ate Amal's baby girl. I had no idea about her early pregnancy, so everything right now, for me, is a shock!
Mama isn't talking to Papa. Ate Amal moved out of the house, she took all her stuffs and made takwil her sarili, like what the fuck?! I think she's only making me gaya because I was the first one to takwil myself but I really feel sorry for Papa.
That morning, I woke up late. When I got to the dining area, there was no one there except for Papa who was eating breakfast alone. I readied my smile and greeted him.
"Hello, Papa! I missed you!" I said. I kissed his cheeks and he looked at me.
"Good morning, Alejandrina. Eat. Please, come eat with me." And I did. I made sabay kain to him. I wanted us to talk but I couldn't think of anything to say. He seemed sad. He seemed to be thinking about a lot of things. I have no idea what going inside of his mind but I guess that it has something to do with Ate, Waldo and Nilo plus our niece, Annabeth.
"Papa, where is Mama?"
"Mama is with Ate Amal. She's staying with her right now. Nag-away kasi kami kagabi." He said to me. Na-sad ako, like four huhuhuhu. In the years that they are together, now lang sila nag-away like that. I guess that this is just a storm that they will get through. I just hope that they make it.
"Papa... did you really?" I asked him. He sighed.
"Anak, I may have done a lot of things in the past, hindi lahat iyon maipagmamalaki ko pero hindi ko kayang ipamigay ang sarili kong dugo at laman."
I stared at Papa. I believe him. I can see the tenderness in his eyes. Sincere siya at kahit na palaging si Dione ang paborito niya, alam kong hindi naman siya gagawa ng ikaka-hurt ng family namin. He's very loving pa naman. He loves like a love song baby.
I made abot his hand and smiled at him.
"I believe you, Papa. I can feel it in my heart." I said. I said that because I really do believe him. I'm not lying. I know that he's telling the truth. But does that mean, iyong Annabeth na iyon, hindi siya daughter ni Ate Amal? Like why naman is she like that? Ibig sabihin, she's pretending?! If she is, then she is luka – luka!
"O M G! So, there's a malaking possibility that woman is making loko ate!" I exclaimed. Papa nodded. "Then why don't you make sabi?"
"They don't want to listen to me, Pan. Kita mo lahat sila, pati ang mama mo, na kay Amal. I can't question your mother's decision. Ina ninyo siya, alam kong nasaktan siya. Mali rin naman ako na kinuha ko kay Amal ang pagkakataong maging ina sa anak niya but I assure you, anak, hindi si Annabeth ang anak ng Ate mo. I will never let my first grandchild suffer. I made sure that she got everything that she needs, I made sure that she enjoys everything my name has to offer. Hindi si Annabeth iyon." He sounded so sure. And I believe him more. I bit my lower lip. I will make gawa a paraan to talk to them. They need to hear Papa's side.
That afternoon, I left the house and went to Ate Amal's unit. I was a bit shocked to find Mariake, Mary Jane and Clarita inside. There's more, Mama was there too, and that Annabeth, the fake daughter of my Ate.
"Pan!" Mama exclaimed. "I missed you, anak. Come here." I also noticed Waldo – the mananabas. But the thing that caught my attention more is Ate's tummy. It's kind of big.
"O M G! Like seven fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! That's all I can say! You're buntis!"
"Yes, I am, Pan." She smiled and kissed me. I looked at Waldo.
"You buntis my ate. Like fuck, is it masarap than the unan?!"
"Pan!" Ate made bawal to me. I heard Mary Jane snorted. I looked at her.
"Not because you're wearing plaid and boots makes you maganda na no. Don't be maarte. You're not maputi." I told her. Nanlaki ang eyes niya.
"Pan!" Mama exclaimed. "Be nice to the Sihuranos."
"They're not nice to me and Dione before! Plus, they want to make demanda Uncle Popoy! They want to make ganti to the family for what Ate have done to them, they're not nag-iisip naman. Like, Papa has a point when he made pakulong Nilo Sihurano! Ate was young then, he's a cradle snatcher! And these people, they want us to make bayad for that!"
"Pan, nag-usap na kami." Ate Amal said. "Okay na kami."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm not naniniwala! I know these leeches! Like that girl Clarita, she hates the fuck that she's fucking Paolo Arandia, pero kung makapintas siya to me, because I'm like dating Towhtowh Birada, feeling high and mighty siya!"
Mariake's eyes widened. They all looked at Clarita who was very namumula. I rolled my eyes again.
"Mama, can we like talk now..." I said to her. "Like both of us lang and Ate?"
"Fine. Doon tayo sa kwarto and please Pan, iayos mo iyang pagsasalita mo."
"What's wrong with the way I talk?" I asked while making sunod to them. We ended up in Ate's room. Mama sat in the bed and I stood before them.
"Ma, Ate. Papa—"
"Pan, please. Ayokong makipag-usap kay Papa. Look at what he done to Annabeth..." Ate said.
"Papa said that he maybe a lot of things but he's not a monster. He will never let his first grandchild to suffer like that. You should know that, Mama, you're his wife. You know him more than we do. You have to give him the benefit of the doubt." I started talking.
"Sinabi rin ba ng Papa mo na hindi si Annabeth ang anak ko?" Ate Amal asked. I nodded. She shook her head. "Match sila ni Nilo sa DNA."
"Bakit, ate? Nagpa-DNA ka na ba kasama si Annabeth?" I asked her back. Doon siya natigilan. "Mama said na ayusin ko ang pagsasalita ko, fine, nag-DNA na ba kayo ni Annabeth? Pwede match siya kay Nilo, Ate, pero match na siya sa'yo? Kasi alam ninyo, kahit palagi kong nararamdaman na hindi ako mahal ni Papa, alam kong hindi niya kayang gumawa ng isang bagay na ikasasakit ng sobra ng pamilya natin. He loves our family and he will never do such thing – tulad ng ginawa kay Annabeth. Alam ni Papa ang ginagawa niya, at naniniwala ako sa kanya."
Mama and Ate didn't say anything. That's my cue to make alis na. I didn't say goodbye. I just left and when I saw the Sihurano sisters, I gave them my middle finger, lalo na iyong Mary Jane na mahilig mag-boots na iyon. I made laki ng eyes and I left the condo unit na already.
I made it through my car and drove. I wanna go home, I wanna be with Papa. While I am driving, I was also thinking. I don't know what to do, I want our family to be okay. Just like before, we can be anything when we're together. I sighed, things are less complicated when we were younger. I sighed again.
Dati, even if we're nag-aaway ni Dione, we make ends meet. I was so inggit because Papa adores her so much while ako... Hindi niya ako masyadong nigi-give ng attention.
I made a u-turn... I was tapping my fingers on the manibela... when suddenly, a realization hit me.
"O M G!" My tears fell. I don't know why di ko naisip agad, but fuck! Fuck and fuck! What the fuck?! What if... what if...
I reached the bahay and run towards Papa's room. I saw him talking to Uncle Hades. He looked at me. I am crying.
"Pan, what's wrong?" He asked me.
"You don't love me enough, you treat me differently, you never gave me the attention I needed. You never told me that you were happy to be with me... Papa... am I Ate Amal's daughter?" I asked sobbing while waiting for that answer.
Papa looked at Uncle Hades and then to my surprise... Papa broke down to his knees and he cried.
