Uriel chuckled a bit. "Maghahanap naman po ako kalaunan. Marami lang ibang pinagkakaabalahan sa ngayon."
A piece of cheese cake got stuck on my throat. I cleared it a bit. Iyon pa ang naging dahilan bakit bumaling ang tatlo sa akin. Kinuha ko na lang ang tsaa at sumimsim dito.
"Abala rin siya sa imbestigasyon sa kaso noon, kaya ganyan, Kriselda. You know, that is my main priority now so I can finally marry off his brother. He's of age and it's long over due..." si Senyora.
"Oo nga naman. Mabuti at pinapangunahan mo ang pag iimbestiga, hijo. It was a traumatic experience and hearing that Orianne Ocampo is alive, is making us happy but furious as well. Kung sino man ang nagpakidnap o kung totoo man na may kinalaman ang mga Ocampo, hindi ko alam kung ano ang mararamdaman. Kung matutuwa ba na ayos ang kalagayan niya, o magagalit kasi nagtago siya at hinayaan niyang mag-alala tayong lahat."
"I'm sorry I brought that topic up," si Senyora. "It was so hard for you, hija..."
"I'm fine po. It's been years and... I've come to terms with it."
"Enough about that, though. I invited you here so I could catch with you. How have you been? May boyfriend na ba?" mapaglaro ang tono sa huling tanong ni Senyora at ngumisi siya.
Humalakhak si Mama. "Hindi namin pinagbabawalan at hindi rin naman ako nagtatanong, Domitilla. We were strict before the tragedy, but after it, we wanted so bad to give her a normal life. If getting a boyfriend will make her forget the trauma, then we encourage her to have one."
Ngumiwi si Senyora. "Naku, ang pangit naman, Kriselda. You mean getting a boyfriend and use him to forget what happened? I mean, healing is fine but using someone?!"
"Hindi naman sa ganoon. Ang ibig kong sabihin, kung mas makakatulong na magkagusto siya sa kaibigan niya, para ma preoccupied siya sa nararamdaman niyang iyon, kaysa sa nangyari, ayos lang."
"W-Well, do you have a boyfriend, hija?" si Senyora.
"Wala naman po," sagot ko agad.
Ngumisi si Senyora.
"I'm just glad that she parties and go to the university, like students her age."
"Nanghihinayang nga ako na hindi ka nagkaroon ng magandang debut dahil sa nangyari. But surely, you will have a grand twenty first birthday?" si Senyora sa akin.
Tumawa si Mama at inunahan ako. "We haven't discussed it yet, Domitilla. But... why not."
Tumawa rin si Senyora. "Si Uriel nga sa taong ito ko lang yata mabibigyan ng disenteng birthday."
"Mama, I don't need that."
Humalakhak si Mama sa reaksiyon ni Uriel.
"Anong hindi? Ilang taon kang laging abroad for your birthday. Either for school or business. Sa taong ito ka lang talagang narito kaya you can't stop me, son."
I didn't participate much on the conversation. At halos hindi matanggal ang tingin ko sa cheese cake at tsaa.
Uriel had to excuse himself a couple of times to answer a call. Aniya'y trabaho raw nang tanungin ni Mama.
Ilang beses din kaming nagkatinginan pero bukod doon, hindi kami nag-usap.
Gumaan ang loob ko nang umalis na kami. Mama promised that the visit will be quick. We were there for only two hours.
It's the start of our vacation. It's my last year in college next semester. Excited na akong makapagtapos dahil may naiisip na negosyo na kaiba sa negosyo ng pamilya.
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Kabanata 15
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