Best for Us (GU #3)

thirty-two

"Ate, bakit parang sobra?" tanong ko kay Ate Teriz habang pababa kami sa hagdan.

Hinayaan niya munang maabot naming pareho 'yung pinakababa bago siya sumagot. "The other one's from Mom."

"Si Mommy?" gulat kong ulit. "She bought Dad and his fiancée a gift?"

Ate Teri nodded.

"Pero bakit hindi siya nagpakita kung pumunta pala siya dito?"

She laughed then. "Silly. Because I was the one who also bought the gift. Nagsabi lang si Mommy ng bibilhin. But you know Mom, if it wouldn't just cause an issue, aattend din 'yun ngayon."

Mahina din akong napatawa. Tama si Ate Teriz doon. That really can so happen. Si Mommy pa.

"Mom's such a cool mother," I commented.

Napangiti naman si ate sa akin. "That's the way she is. I'm just hoping she meets someone who can make her happy too."

Hindi na lang ako sumagot doon. Until now I didn't think about it really. But if that happens someday, that's fine with me.

Kailangan din naman ni Mommy na maging masaya.

*

It was already past seven when we arrived at the venue—an event hall of some hotel. Party's gonna start at eight. Pero pwede nang magsimulang kumain ang mga bisita.

The hall can accommodate three hundred guests at maximum. But since Dad and his fiancée decided that it should be an intimate one, guests were cut down to a hundred. Ang alam ko ay yung mga colleagues lang ni Dad, some friends from college, and some of our relatives.

While from Tita Julie, that's the name of Dad's fiancée. Or rather, the name she told us to call her. Got a chance for us to meet two nights ago, in a dinner. Nandoon si Ate Teriz, ako, si Dad tapos 'yung fiancée niya which is Tita Julie and her son.

Both of them were okay. At kahit pa hindi ko naman ganoon pa sila kilala, in this one, I know I had to trust Dad. Since he happened to know Tita Juls three years ago. Met her once in his vacation abroad through a common friend. Then after that, they somewhat became friends too. And it was only last year Dad realized he already fell for tita. Some months after his relationship with that girl that caused our fight.

At pagkatapos nga ng ilang buwang pakikipagdate, nagdecide si Dad na magpropose na. He told us next year pa 'yung balak nilang magpakasal para magkaroon sila ng medyo mahabang panahon para makapagprepare.

I was surveying the hall, looking for Dad when Ate Teriz talked beside me. "Tyos, I'll just bring the kids dun sa designated table natin. They are already hungry. Ikaw muna ang magdala kina Dad nitong gifts. Baka nandoon sila sa VIP room. Puntahan mo na lang.."

I looked at her then nodded. "Sure, ate."

Nang magtungo na sina Ate Teriz doon sa kinaroroonan ng mga table ay naglakad na rin ako papuntang VIP room.

As expected, Dad and Tita Julie were there, talking and laughing at something. I knocked on the now opened door to catch their attention. Nang makita ako'y agad namang tumayo si Dad.

"Tyler," he called.

"Hi Dad," I greeted him as he patted my back. Tapos ay tumungo ako para bumeso kay Tita Julie. "Hi, Tita."

"Nasaan ang ate mo?" tanong ni Dad nang makalayo ako.

"Sinamahan lang po 'yung dalawang bata na kumuha ng pagkain."

"Oh those two are already hungry?" tanong ni Dad, saka napatawa naman si Tita Julie. "How about you? Hindi ka pa ba nagugutom? You should eat too."

"I'm good," sagot ko saka inabot na 'yung paperbag kung nasaan yung mga regalo. "Anyway, this is for the both of you."