Dahil malapit kami sa terminal ng Aguadulce ay daanan kami ng mga tao na puwedeng bumili ng mga silvanas. By the end of the second week, people were seeking us out. Lalo na 'yong mga pabalik ng Iloilo.
"Ang sarap naman po kasi na pasalubong nitong sylvanas, Ate!" sabi ni Joel habang nagsasalang ng bagong batch sa oven.
"Oo, sana tuloy-tuloy ang magandang negosyo, Joel."
If this pushes through, I am considering giving it to Nang Sol when I leave the island. Nothing definite yet but I know it's a good plan. Joel and Belen can go to college if they can maintain the place. Hindi na rin naman maasikaso 'to ni Renz kung sakali.
"Ate, may naghahanap po sa inyo sa labas, kilala 'nyo raw po," tawag ng kapatid ni Joel sa'kin at lumabas na nga ako. I smiled at Belen gently. Thankfully, she has warmed up towards me. I have never had siblings so I enjoy her and her brother's company.
"Lena! Nako, Lena, ikaw nga!" It was Goldie and a man that seemed to be her husband. Another familiar-looking man was with them too.
I excitedly hugged her but noted her very pregnant belly.
"Na-miss kita, Goldie," I told her sincerely, and it was true.
Although the school I went to in Ecully, France has a full English program, it took a long time for me to make friends. I was so different from them— an Asian and a clearly naïve one at that. Valerie is half Filipino- half French. Of course, she's nothing like me— she had grown up in Worthington, England so I think the fact that she befriended me was because she took pity on me. She's a very good friend and that reminds me I need to call her, but Goldie and I share a history. She was genuinely nice to me even when I was considered an outsider- an interloper even in Aguadulce.
"Lena, mas gumanda ka pa lalo! At ang elegante mo pa!" she said, motioning to the simple light jeans and yellow short-sleeved polo I wore. She was exaggerating, I think. After all, I just got out of the hot kitchen and must be sweating a lot even though I've put up my long hair in a messy bun.
"Magkaibigan nga tayo!" sabi ko at niyakap siya ulit.
"Ito nga pala ang asawa ko, si Lino." Tumawa siya dahil halos magkatunog ang pangalan namin. "Sa Carmen na kami. Security guard siya roon sa isang resort."
Lumapit naman ang asawa ni Goldie at kinamayan ako. He looks decent. I'm glad she found a good man because she deserves one after her father abandoned her and her mother when she was only in elementary.
"Good morning, Ma'am. Ang daming kuwento ni Misis tungkol sa inyo."
Tumawa ako sa tinuran ni Lino at bumaling sa lalaking kasama nila.
"Ano, hindi mo na naaalala, 'no?" Goldie observed as I blush.
"Lena, ako 'to, si Henry— kaibigan ni Renz dati." He good-naturedly told me his name as I winced in embarrassment.
"Pasensya na, Henry."
"Ayos lang, Lena. Naiintindihan ko kung bakit nakalimutan mo na ako."
Binilin ko kay Joel at Belen na sila na muna ang bahala at dinala sina Goldie sa isang maliit na kainan malapit sa terminal.
Henry brought a car and said he knows a better place somewhere else if I don't mind.
Pagkadating namin sa restaurant ay nilapitan ni Henry ang manager para makapagorder habang si Lino naman ay nag-CR kaya naiwan kami ni Goldie sa table.
"Kailan ang kabuwanan mo? At saka, alam mo na ba kung babae or lalake?"
"Dalawang buwan pa. Hindi pa namin sigurado. Alam mo naman ang kundisyon ng ospital dito sa probinsiya. Pero nakapili na kami ng pangalan! Kung sakaling lalake ay Marcelino. Kung babae naman, Marcia Marlene. Marlene galing sa Marigold at Lena."
Marahan kong hinawakan ang kamay ng kaibigan ko na hindi pa rin ako nakakalimutan.
"Maayos ba ang kalagayan ng pagbubuntis mo?"
"Oo! Ayaw nga sana ni Lino na bumyahe kami. Pero nang nabalitaan ko kay Nanay na nandito ka, nagpumilit ako."
"Thank you, Goldie. I really appreciate it. Pero okay lang ba 'yon sa kalusugan ng bata?" I asked, worried that she had put her child in danger because of me.
"Oo naman, 'wag kang mag-alala. Isa pa ay plano rin talaga namin na umuwi ng Aguadulce para maalagaan ako ni Nanay. Nagkataon naman na nakita kami ni Henry sa sakayan ng jeep kaya pinasakay niya na kami," paliwanag niya.
Tumabi sa'kin si Henry habang nasa harap naman namin ang mag-asawa.
"Kamusta ka na?" Henry asked smoothly.
"Ito, ayos lang naman..."
"Sa totoo lang, Lena, hindi ko inasahan na babalik ka pa rito sa Guimaras." I could hear her unspoken question.
Renz and I haven't discussed the will again but I don't really want to tell people why I'm here. Atty. Guillen didn't say it has to be a secret but I really don't want their attention or gratitude.
I was silent for a few moments, wishing for someone to say something so the topic would shift but they were clearly waiting for my answer.
"I... didn't really think I'd come back either. But after...after Don Isong's funeral... I thought I'd stay for a bit." I thought it was an obvious lie but Goldie just nodded. Sa tingin ko ay ipagpapatuloy niya ang pagtatanong kapag kaming dalawa na lang ulit.
"Masaya ako na umuwi ka, Lena. Kung tatagal ka pa rito, maaabutan mo pa ang panganganak ko at baka pati ang binyag!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"Oo naman! Aba Goldie, hindi ko pa nakakalimutan na magiging ninang ng mga anak natin ang isa't isa!"
Maligayang tumango ang mag-asawa. Nang tumingin ako kay Henry ay masinsinan siyang nakatitig sa'kin.
🌿
Hapon na nang hinatid ako ni Henry pabalik sa bakery. Medyo natagalan kami dahil hinatid pa namin sina Goldie sa bahay ng Nanay niya. Doon siya mananatili hanggang sa makapanganak siya.
Joel and Belen were already cleaning up when I got back.
"Ate, pumunta si Sir Renz dito. Hinahanap ka," sabi ni Belen.
"Huh? Bakit daw? Ano'ng kailangan niya?"
It was strange. He does bring me here in the morning and picks me up in the afternoon but he rarely comes in the middle of the day. Which reminds me, maybe I need to get a car of my own. Ayaw ni Renz na mag-commute ako pero ayoko rin naman na nagpapahatid ako sa kaniya. There's tension whenever we're together in the house and it's even more palpable when we're alone in his car.
They both shrugged and soon I was left alone after they've gone home. I was checking the refrigerated silvanas when I heard Renz come in.
"Saan ka pumunta kanina?" he asked me directly. For some reason, he isn't wearing his work clothes anymore as he usually did but had already showered and changed. Ang... ang guwapo niya. He is only wearing a plain gray tshirt and dark ripped jeans. I can smell his perfume- an aromatic woody scent with hints of citrus.
"You okay?" I think he was very much aware I was staring because he smirked- momentarily transforming into the boy I loved from high school.
YOU ARE READING
Unlike Any Other
Romance|COMPLETED| "Gusto kita. Gusto talaga kita, Renz. Simula pa nang unang dating mo rito sa Guimaras." The summer Lorenzo Peñalver III was sent home to Aguadulce was unlike any other one he had before... It was in that small town that he came to know h...
