LOVE BETWEEN THE LIES (SELF-PUB) Reprints of Physical book still available

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Andie's POV

Walang tanong – tanong ang magulang ni Marco ng makita nila si Tim.  Masayang – masaya lang sila at bumalik na siya.  Iyak ng iyak ang mommy niya at panay ang yakap sa anak.  Tim was trying to tell some bullshit explanations na kahit ako ay hindi ko naman alam kung totoong nangyari.  But his parents are not interested with that.  Mas importante sa kanila na nandito si Tim and he is promising that he might stay for good.

I don't want to believe him.  Ilang beses na ba niyang ginawa na nangako siyang mag – stay and yet at the end of the day, he would choose to go away?  Tim is a complicated and enigmatic person.  You wouldn't know if he is telling the truth or he is just playing you.  Just like what he did to me.  He played me and I was a fool to believe him.

I am just quietly looking at them while we are having a dinner.  Me, Marco, his parents, my parents and Tim.  My son is playing in the living room.  Magkakaharap kaming lahat sa hapag.  Nagpadeliver si daddy ng food and ramdam na ramdam ko ang kasiyahan sa paligid ko dahil bumalik si Tim.  Ako lang yata ang nakakaramdam na parang may bagyong darating sa buhay ko dahil sa pagbalik niya.

Dad and Tim are so close.  They have this secret language na sila lang ang nakakaalam.  Parang ang tagal – tagal na nilang magkakilala kasi marami silang mga taong pinag – uusapan. 

"So Tim, what really happened to you?  Bigla ka na lang nawala noon." Sabi ni mommy at tumingin siya kay dad.  "You know this boy used to be my boarder.  Pina-rentahan ko kasi ang bodega mo noon." Paliwanag niya.

Tumingin ako kay Tim.  Yeah.  Why did you just leave, you asshole.  Sa isip ko lang sinabi iyon pero gusto kong marinig ang paliwanag niya.  Maybe he would tell the reason to my mom kahit na nga kulang na lang ay magmakaawa ako sa kanya na sabihin niya ang reason kung bakit niya ako iniwan.

"My job requires me to be moved from place to place.  I was in an assignment and my boss asked me to go with him in Cebu immediately.  I really wanted to stay but, duty calls." Sagot niya,

Duty calls my ass.  I don't believe him.

"Akala ko kasi inaway ka ni Andie kaya bigla ka na lang umalis." Natatawang sagot ni mommy.

Napatingin ako sa kanya at nakita kong nakatingin din siya sa akin.

"She was nice to me, Tita Alice." Tanging sagot niya.

"What happened to you the last time?  You know we waited for you for almost the entire night.  Mom cooked your favorite food," mahinang sabat ni Marco.

Napatahimik ang lahat ng nasa hapag.  Parang biglang nagka-tensyon.  Lahat kami ay napatingin sa kanya.  Marco's face is so serious na nakatingin lang sa kapatid niya.  'Yung itsura niya ay talagang naghihintay ng sagot.

Hindi agad nakasagot si Tim.  Tumingin siya sa gawi ni Marco at sa parents niya tapos ay pinilit na ngumiti.

"I am so sorry about that.  I should have called.  I was stuck in a meeting the entire night." Tanging sagot ni Tim.

"It was okay.  Naiintindihan naman namin ng mommy mo," sagot ng daddy nila tapos ay bumaling kay Marco.  "Hey, we talked about this.  We will not going to ask his reasons.  Okay?"

What the fuck?  That's it?  That was his reason?  He got stuck in a meeting and forgot to call his family who waited for him until the wee hours of the morning?

"So wala kang telepono para tumawag?  Wala kang ginawang paraan para tawagan man lang si Mommy? Ako o si dad? We waited for you.  That was our first family dinner since you decided to fake your death.  I almost had a heart attack thinking that something might happen to you for real that night.  And that was your reason?  You got stuck in a fucking meeting?" Bahagya ng humihingal si Marco dahil nagagalit siya.