Echoes of Secrecy [UNDER REVISION]

Chapter 02

I woke up from my deep slumber when the house' door bell rung. Gosh, sino naman ang bibisita ng ganitong oras. It's so early in the morning! Pero kahit inaantok ay pinilit ko ang sarili na bumangon. It's saturday and it's my day off today kaya wala akong pasok.

Inayos ko muna ang sarili ko bago bumaba para pagbuksan ang kung sino mang early bird naming bisita.

I was yawning when I opened the house' gate kaya laking gulat ko nang makita ang parents ko na nasa harap ko at nakangiti. Oh my freaking goodness! My parents are here! Gosh, anong ginagawa nila dito? Wala naman silang sinabi na pupunta sila at ang aga naman ata nila.

"Surprise!" my parents both said at sinunggaban ako ng mahigpit na yakap. Nawala naman lahat ng antok ko sa katawan at napakurap-kurap.

"Uh, M-mom? Dad? W-what are you both doing here?" Kinakabahan kong tanong. I'm not prepared to see the both of them here. Anong gagawin ko? Baka malaman nila ang set up namin ni Kent. And speaking of Kent, di ko pa siya nakita simula kahapon kasi wala na siya paggising ko. Hindi ko na rin siya nahintay kagabi kasi naktulog ako sa sobrang pagod dahil medyo busy ang hospital na pinagta-trabahuan ko kahapon.

"Bakit gulat na gulat ka? Are you not happy to see us?" naka-pout na tanong ni Mommy. Nagsisimula na namang magdrama. Drama queen rin kasi tong si Mommy eh. Hindi ko alam kung bakit na in love si Daddy sa kaniya. Napaka-dramatic. Daig pa ang artista. Pero syempre, biro lang yun. Kung wala si Mommy, edi wala rin ako. Walang Zane Ashley.

Alangan akong ngumiti. "Ah hehe, hindi naman sa ganon, Mom. Ang aga niyo kasi. Tulog pa ang sistema ko." dahilan ko. "At saka di niyo man lang sinabi na dadalaw kayo." dagdag ko pa.

"Ito kasing mommy mo, gusto niya raw kayong sorpresahin." wika naman ni Dad.

Pinapasok ko nalang sila dahil wala naman na akong masabi. I lead them inside the house and into the leaving room. Hindi naman gaano kalaki itong bahay namin ni Kent dahil kami lang namang dalawa. It's enough to fit five people. There are eight rooms; three guest room and a master bedroom. Si Kent ang nasa master bedroom habang ako naman ay nasa isang kwarto na three rooms apart sa guest room.

"Uhm, I'll call Kent muna hehe." kinakabahan kong paalam sa magulang na nakaupo na sa couch. Umalis ako ng living room at umakyat pataas patungong master bedroom. I'm not sure if Kent was still there, di ko kasi nakita ang kotse niya sa garage kanina.

Sighing, I knocked his door three times. "Uhm, Kent? Are you still there?" mahinang tanong ko. But no one answer so I knocked again. But still, no one asnwers.

Bumuntong-hininga ako. I was about to knock again when the door itself suddenly opened at bumungad sa'kin ang naka office suit na si Kent. I looked up at him. He's wearing a three-piece dark blue suit with a white long sleeve under it and a red wine necktie. It fits him well. Kahit ano naman atang suotin niya ay bagay na bagay sa kanya. He always looked handsome. That's why I've fallen in love with him. But not only because of his looks. I know Kent. He's kind. He has always been. Sa'kin lang hindi. Siguro kung hindi kami kinasal, hindi magiging ganito ang turing niya sa'kin.

I came back to my reverie when I heard his usual cold voice. "What are you doing in front of my room?"

Napakurap ako. Di ko namalayan na nakatitig na pala ako sa kanya. "Uh, I-I want to inform you that my parents are here." naiilang kong sabi. Medyo nahihiya sa ka pormalan ng suot niya. Naka-pantulog pa lang ako habang siya ay naka suit. I feel like a maid than a wife.

As the cold husband as he is, nilagpasan niya lang ako pagkatapos isara ang pinto ng kwarto niya. Napabuntong-hininga nalang ako at sumunod sa kanya na bumaba. We went to the living room where my parents are comfortably sitting while waiting for us.

"Kent, iho." Dad said as he stood up with a smile as well as Mom.

"Dad, Mom," Kent acknowledged with respect.

Mom looked at him up and down and frown. "You're going to work already?" She asked.

Before Kent could answer, I interrupted. "Uh, may board meeting pa kasi siya." pagsisinungaling ko. I know it's too early for a board meeting pero wala na akong maisip pa.

"Ang aga naman ata," komento ni Mommy. "Di ba pwedeng e move yun? We're here to spend time with the both of you." aniya.

"Uh-uhm, kasi Mommy i-importante yun." pagsisinungaling ko pa. Gosh, I've lied to my parents. Pero kasi, alam kong gusto ng umalis ni Kent because I know that he doesn't want to be in the same room with me. He hates my guts, my presence. Ito pa nga ang pinakamatagal na nagsama kami sa iisang room.

For the past five months of our marriage, he only spends two minutes with me. Minsan pa nga ay seconds lang. That's how he hates me to the bottom. He hates me for ruining his life, he said.

I know na kasalanan ko to pero di ba pwedeng umakto siyang okay kami kahit sa harap lang ng parents ko. Alam kong nahahalata ng parents ko ang pagka-distant ni Kent sa'kin, simula pa lang nung bumaba kami.

"Is it more important than our visit?" rinig kong tanong ni Daddy kaya natahimik ako. Ngayon pa lang sila nakabisita simula nung kasal namin ni Kent kaya alam kong sobra na nila akong na miss, I'm their only child after all. At gusto nila akong makasama pati na si Kent.

"Of course not, Dad. I'll cancel the meeting." I heard Kent said kaya agad akong napalingon sa kanya. Mag-s-stay siya?

Natutuwa namang pumalakpak si Mommy. "That's good then," wika niya.

And that's how my day started. Inaya kami ng parents ko na kumain sa labas para di na daw ako magluto. After our breakfast, hindi muna kami umuwi ng bahay. Instead, we went to the mall and shopped. Too early for a shopping but I had fun. Halos bilhin na ni Mommy ang buong boutique na pinasukan namin. Nakasunod lang sina Daddy at Kent habang namimili kami ni Mommy. Para akong bumalik sa pagkabata. Noon kasi, mag-s-spend talaga ng oras sa'kin ang parents ko para mag family bond kami. They'll let me choose where I want to go. They will spoil me for a day.

Napangiti nalang ako as remember my childhood days. Noon tatlo lang kami, pero ngayon apat na.

The day ends with me bringing a lot of shopping bags. Tinulungan naman ako ni Kent at kinilig ako dun. My parents and us parted ways at the mall's parking lot. And I'm inside Kent's car at the moment as we make our way home. This is my first time riding with him. I had so much fun today. I guess,may dulot rin namang mabuti ang unexpected na pagbisita ng parents ko, because I've got to spend the day with my husband. Kahit hindi niya ako kinakausap.

Alam kong napansin iyon ng parents ko pero wala na akong pakialam. Ang iniisip ko lang ng araw na yun ay ang makasama ng matagal ang asawa ko. Hindi rin naman ako tinanong ng parents ko kaya di ko muna po-problemahin yun. What matters was I've got to spend my day with my cold-blooded husband.