TWO POINT THREE - Interview
The drive to the hotel where the press conference will be held was almost exactly thirty minutes. Dapat sana hindi ako magbebestida. Pero since binilinan ako ni Sonia na magsuot ng formal, sinunod ko na.
Pinagbuksan kami ni Mr. Severus at may red carpet na bungad sa labas ng limo. At sinalubong kami ni Lola ng mga camera. Siya'y direktang nakatingin lang sa dinadaanan pero nakachin up.
That was what I'm doing the whole time. Kung ano-ano yung sinasabi ng emcee sa gilid namin pero hindi ko rin naiintindihan dahil iba ang tumatakbo sa isip ko.
Si Zeus. Ano na bang nangyayari sa kanya? Magmula kagabi, hindi niya na sinagot yung tawag ko. The attempts were pure failure. Oo, mahirap tanggapin sa side niya. Ngayon niya lang din nalaman na apo ang ako ng isang mamumuno ng isang bansa. Ganun din naman ako nung una eh, as I felt I was cheated kung bakit hindi sinabi nila Daddy sa amin na isa siya sa mga anak ng ardukesa.
"Is the Lady Kianna be the one who will continue the heritage of the Vance's?" Tanong ng isa.
Napalunok ako at napatingin kay Lola.
"Yes, she will be the heiress of the Vance's." Direktang sabi niya, nagsulat ang nagtanong sa kanyang notepad. "And I will have an announcement on Monday, next month."
"What would the announcement be about?" Tanong ng isa pa.
"About my granddaughter." Ngiti ni Lola, tumingin muna siya sa akin bago tumingin ulit sa press.
I cringed. Bigla akong kinabahan. Ano ba yan? What is this feeling? Wala naman sigurong masamang mangyayari sa akin di ba? Lola ko siya e, she has the power to rule and make orders to anyone who's inside her borders.
Ako naman ang biglang pinaulanan ng tanong.
"Lady Kianna, where will you be studying now, now that you migrated from the Philippines?"
"Lady Kianna, would you choose Prince Lawrence of England or Archduke William of Finland?"
"Lady Kianna, will you be staying here for your studies or just for your duties?"
Napatingin ako sa emcee na lalaki, tumango siya dahil naramdaman niya siguro yung pagbomba sa akin ng tanong.
"Lady Kianna, would youㅡ"
"One by one only, guys." Sabi nito, masunuring tumango ang mga reporter.
Tumikhim ako bago nagsalita, "Based on the questions I memorized on what the three interviewers asked, I'll answer them one by one." Ngumiti ako kay Lola, tumango siya na para bang alam yung tinatanong ng mga mata ko, tinignan ko yung lalaking nakaputi na nagtanong kanina.
"I don't know if I'd even call it migration from the very beginning. I was in the middle of a photoshoot when my secretary suddenly came out from her office just to bring me an envelope with a box. The letter on the envelope was from my grandma, the Archduchess beside me, but I wouldn't tell you what's inside the box.. I flew all over here after telling my cousin the situation and said yes."
"What about your studies? Will you set them aside for duties as the heiress?"
"No, I would decline that offer even if you're Kim Jong-Il. Education is not just a word you would say to make you educated. Learning is my education and it is something you won't just have from school. If I graduated in college today, I am still a college graduate in the afterlife, if there is an afterlife. So, if I stop my studies just to perform duties, I am not an well educated ruler."
"Why well educated, not educated?"
"Well educated sums up the maturity and the knowlede you had from school, while educated is just the knowledge the school had taught you, without the life lessons and morals."
Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero nagsipalakpakan silang lahat.
"Regarding with the question who I will choose between the princes, I can't and won't give an answer. Why? Simply because I don't know them and I haven't met them."
Biglang natawa si Lola at sinabing, "So, if you had the chance to meet then both, would start picking?" Ngiti niya.
"I wouldn't, and that is because I have my own reasons for it." Ngiti ko pabalik. "And for the last question asking which reason I came here, my answer is for both, I think so. But the Archduchess, my grandma, hasn't told me yet anything about me studying here."
Nang matapos ang interview, bumalik na kami sa palasyo para magpahinga.
Hindi ko alam kung tatawagan ko ba si Zeus o hindi. Napakagat ako ng labi ko. Anong oras na ba sa Pilipinas? Argh. Naku naman.
Mabilis akong nagpalit ng damit dahil para akong stressed out.
Biglang may kumatok sa pinto.
"Come in." Sabi ko at hinilig ang ulo ko sa dulo ng kama.
Bumukas ang pinto, "The Archduchess is expecting you in her study room." Sabi ni Mr. Severus. Tumango ako at umalis na siya.
Tumayo ako at lumabas.