Secret Love ✔️

Twenty Four

Vienna Helyne Lee

It's been a week simula nung reunion ng magbabarkada, hindi pa rin nawawala sa isipan ko yung sinabi ni Yto.

"Helyne?" Ate Vera.

"Ha? May sinasabi ka ba?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"Nag-space out ka na naman, ano bang iniisip mo?" We were having our lunch together. Nandito kasi kami sa company ni Dad. He wants to train us para daw magwork na kami sa company nya.

"Ang weird lang kasi Sis. Nagkausap kami ni Yto last week. May sinabi sya about truth, hindi ko magets" Ako.

"Malamang hindi kita matutulungan dyan, alam mo namang kababalik ko lang din. We should ask Heedo, or confront Yto. Pero mas okay siguro kung kay Yves mo mismo malalaman. Kasi sure naman akong yung katotohanan na sinasabi ni Yto eh patungkol naman sa kapatid namin" Ate Vera.

"I don't know, hindi pa ko handa" Sabi ko. Hindi pa ko handang makausap sya ulit. 

"Speaking of the devils" Sabi ni Ate. Nilingon ko naman yung tinitignan nya, i saw Yves, Yto, Frost and Aron. Magkakasabay silang naglalakad, hindi nila kami mapapansin kasi nasa cafeteria kami. I wonder what are they doing here.

•••

"Ms. Lee, pinapatawag po kayo ng Daddy nyo sa office nya" It was Dad's secretary.

"Sure! Sana tinawagan mo na lang ako para ako na lang ang aakyat" sagot ko sa kanya, she just smiled and waited for me to come with her.

"Tungkol saan daw ba to?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"Wala po siyang sinabi, papunta na din po doon si Ms. Helena" Secretary. Tumango lang ako at hindi na muling nagtanong pa.

Pagpasok ko sa office ni Dad ay napansin ko agad yung mga taong kasama nya, so dito pala ang punta nilang apat? Tahimik lang si Ate Vera sa gilid, tumabi ako sa kanya.

"I called you both, kasi may ioopen kaming project sa Olongapo. Helyne anak, I want you do be the architect on this project. Yves will help you out" Dad. Nanlaki ang mata ko. Ano daw? Teka! Alam ba ni Daddy ang sinasabi nya? Tumango nalang ako. I don't want to disappoint him, I already did that five years ago. "Helena will also help, right anak?" tumango lang din si Ate.

Both Ate and I graduated BS Architecture. I just recently passed the boards bago ako bumalik ng Pinas. Yves and Frost are both Civil Engineers, Si Yto? Hindi ko alam, pero Engineer din sya.

"Napagusapan na namin kanina kung kailan ang simula, malaking project to dahil apat na kompanya ang magiinvest para dito. Ofcourse the majority is ours" sabi ni Dad samin ni Ate. Sa dami ng ipapartner ni Dad bakit sila pa? Why not Tito Stanley? They own big hotels and resorts all around the country. "I also asked Stanley if gusto nya, but the thing is hindi daw muna. Maybe pag nagresign na si Xharles bilang artist" Dad. It's as if nabasa nya yung iniisip ko.

"Thank you for this Tito, I suggest we visit the place tomorrow" sabi ni Yto.

"If that's okay with my Ladies then you may" sabi ni Dad at tinignan kami ni Ate.

"Sure Dad! There's no reason to delay the project" sagot ko. Dahil alam kong hindi magsasalita si Ate. The mere presence of Frost is killing her insides. Alam kong kanina nya pa gustong umalis dito.

"Good. Now if you may excuse me, I have an appointment at 2pm" tumayo kaming lahat to bow our heads at inantay si Dad makalabas ng office nya.

"Uy, long time no see Helena ah" Said Aron, with a smirk on his face. Sinamaan lang sya ni Ate ng tingin.

"Excuse me! I'll leave first" Ate. Hindi nya na inantay sumagot lahat at nagderederecho nang lumabas. Sinundan naman sya ni Frost. Susundan ko sana but Yto stopped me.

"Let them talk, they will just talk. Nothing will happen to our sister" Yto, tumango lang ako.

"Okay then, excuse me. I need to get back to my post" hindi ko na rin inantay yung sasabihin nila at lumabas na.

What's there to talk about right?

•••

Vera Helena Jung

Nagmadali akong lumakad, hindi ko talaga kaya ang presence ni Frost. Nanginginig ako. Mahal ko sya oo, mahal na mahal ko pa. I wasn't able to move on for the past five years.

"Wait!" habol nya sakin, hindi ko sya pinansin. Ayoko, hindi ko pa kaya. I was about to enter the elevator but he grabbed me on my arm. "Please, let's talk. Wag mo naman gawin sakin 'to" sabi nya.

"What? I didn't do anything to you" sagot ko sa kanya. I nearly shout. Buti nalang at walang tao sa hallway.

"You did! The night after we---" I cut him off. Alam ko na yung gabing sinasabi nya.

"That's just a night of mistake Frost, don't make a big deal about it" sabi ko sa kanya. Yumuko sya.

"I took you for granted, I'm sorry" malungkot niyang sabi.

"Let's just forget about that, it's been five years already. You're getting married to the woman you love. You should be happy" Ako. There's a hint of sadness in my voice.

"If you didn't leave that morning, you should've known what I felt. Tinanong kita sa mga kapatid mo pero kahit isa sa kanila walang may alam kung nasaan ka" Frost.

"Ayokong alamin at wala akong pakialam. We should go our separate ways, let's not talk about our personal relationship. Trabaho ang dahilan kung bakit kayo nandito. Let's just do our jobs please" Ako. He just nods in defeat. Tinalikuran ko na siya. He's just too much to handle. 

•••

"How was it?" tanong ni Helyne. 

"I couldn't tell him the truth. I was about to, but I couldn't. Umurong yata ang dila ko" sagot ko sa kanya.

She laughed. "You're so weak!" she said. Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. She hugged me "Seriously Ate, just tell him the truth" sabi niya. "If not now, when? Lyle is growing up. Ayaw mo naman sigurong lumaki siyang kinamumuhian ang Daddy nya?" dagdag nya. 

"Sasabihin ko naman eh, I just don't have the guts to say it right now. In time maybe" sagot ko sa kanya.

"Okay! Your call" sagot nya. 

"Ikaw? When do you plan to tell my brother that Heaven is his?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"What do you mean?" Parehas kaming nagulat ng makita namin kung sino ang nasa pinto. It's Daddy Irvin. 

Oh shoot. This tongue of mine. Hindi talaga mapigilan. Hays!