Paper Planes (Sandejas Siblings: Companion Book)

Kabanata 12

"No, Mom, Ejercito is never a bad influence to me—"

"Really?" She cut me off. Her blazing, sharp dark eyes staring at me. "Hindi ba? You were put inside the detention, aren't you?"

I froze, umawang ang labi ko sa gulat ang kumalabog ang puso ko roon.

"H-how?"

"You think wala akong mata sa loob ng unibersidad mo?!" She is almost hysterical.

"Leona," halos magtindigan ang balahibo ko nang magsalita ang Papá.

I looked at him and saw his cold stares at me, it made me nervous and scared at the same time.

"Pa," I called.

"Break up with him," he said.

I stopped. I bit my lip and shook my head.

"N-no, Papá." I murmured.

"He's going abroad, Leona, don't you know? Iiwan ka rin ng lalaking iyon!" he groaned.

"Ejercito is not what you think he is, he's a good person." Kumbinse ko sa kanila. "A-and about that...he wants to be a lawyer, Papá."

"And what? Leave you here alone?" nakita kong kumunot ang noo niya.

"No..." I breathed. "He will be successful, Dad."

"He would?" My Mom raised her voice. "How could you say that? Kolehiyo pa lang kayo pero wala pa siyang napatunayan! Is that really the man you think will succeed? He has no future, Leona! Mali ka ng sinasamahang tao!"

"You didn't know him!" I exclaimed, my eyes started swelling in tears. "You don't know him so you don't have the right to judge him!"

"Leona!" My Dad's voice roared. "Lower your voice!"

"Then, understand me!" I exclaimed. "Sana intindihin n'yo ang gusto kong iparating sa inyo! Don't judge him too quickly! He's a good man!"

"We were just thinking about you! Nawawala ka sa focus dahil sa lalaking 'yan! You should excel in school! You should get high grades! Paano 'yan kung nakadikit ka sa isang lalaking katulad niya? You should be studying instead of—" I cut my Mom off.

"There," napaos na ang boses ko. "Aral, puro na lang d'yan umiikot ang sinasabi n'yo!" My tears fell.

"Dapat magaling ako! Dapat mataas ako! Dapat mabubuti ang kaibigan ko, dapat nag-aaral a-ako." My voice broke and my tears fell uncontrollably. "Ginagawa ko naman ang l-lahat nang makakakaya ko, Ma! Pa! P-pero paano naman ako, Ma? Pa? Paano naman po ang kasiyahan ko? C-can't I be happy? Be n-normal? H-have fun? I-I can't live forever with your high expectations of me."

"Leona!" My father exclaimed.

My lips quivered and I looked at the both of them, my Mom was eyeing me seriously mad and my father is cold.

"G-gusto ko rin maging masaya... And Ejercito is my happiness," napahikbi ako. "W-will you take it away from me?"

Napasinghap ako nang galit na nagtungo ang Mamá sa akin at napapikit ng mariin sa pagtama ng kanyang palad sa aking pisngi.

I sniffed more.

"Wala kang utang na loob, Leona!" She said angrily. Napahawak ako sa pisngi ko at tahimik na humikbi. "Hihiwalayan mo ang lalaking iyan sa ayaw at gusto mo!"

I saw my father went behind her and tried calming her down pero nagpumiglas siya at dinuro ako.

"N-No..." I murmured, standing firmly to my own decisions. "I-I won't."