Tahimik akong nagmamaneho habang pasimpleng sumusulyap kay Wren na nakaupo sa passenger's seat. Sa akin pa siya naki-sakay kahit na may dala rin siyang sariling kotse. Ngayon, naiwan ang kotse niya sa tabi ng baywalk. Ang sabi niya ay mayroon naman daw na kukuha no’n para sa kanya.
Sinulyapan kong muli siyang kampanteng nakasandal ang ulo at naka-pikit. “Living a good life, ah?” pang-aasar ko.
Sumibol ang maliit na ngiti sa labi niya. “Eyes on the road,” he teased back. That was the time I noticed that I had been looking at him for too long.
“Don’t sleep! You have to tell me the direction!” ani ko.
“I’ll tell you when we're near,” he said, eyes still closed.
I didn’t know the way we were going. All I knew, was that we were heading to their home, Wren’s house. He insisted that I stay with him and his Mom. Halos dumulas na nga ang hawak ko sa manubela dahil kanina pa nagpapawis ang mga palad ko sa kaba. I don't know why I'm nervous, I'm Charm, everyone likes me… well, not until they get to know me.
“Turn left,” he commanded.
“O,” I nodded while spinning the steering wheel.
Sinulyapan ko siyang muli. Nag-uunat na siya at umayos ng upo. Binalik ko ang tingin sa harapan. Patag ang konkretong daan kahit na ang magkabilang gilid nito ay gubat na. Mukhang malayo sa kabihasnan ang bahay nila Wren.
“Enter that,” he pointed an open gate. Nakapagtataka na may gate ito pero walang pader na harang. Nang makapasok kami ay wala ng kalsadang bumungad sa amin. Bagamat hindi sementado ay banayad parin ang pagmamaneho dito. Ang kalsada ay damuhan na nakalbo na dahil sa madalas sigurong pagdaan ng mga kotse.
“We’re here,” aniya. Hininto ko ang kotse sa tapat ng bahay. A huge-rectangular two-story wooden house, the front was made using glass walls that allow everyone to see the insides of the house and its warm tone lights.
A modern-looking house in a forest. I turned off the car engine, and the sound of nature flooded my ears; a loud gush of falling water, probably from a waterfall from a distance, the chirping sound of cicadas and birds, and the sound that the tree leaves make while dancing with the wind. I held my breath. I hope there's internet here. The place screams peace... which means... boredom for me.
Bumaba na kami ni Wren at nagdiretso papasok ng bahay.
“I’ll introduce you to Mom, she's probably with her birds,” sabi niya at nginitian ako. Hindi pa ko nakakasagot ay hinila na niya agad ako paakyat ng hagdan. Napalunok nalang ako nang tumigil kami sa harap ng isang kahoy na pintuan. I don't know anything about birds! Nor took any interest in learning about them!
“Are you nervous?” tanong niya habang nakataas parehas na kilay.
“Of course not!” depensa ko na ikinalapad ng ngiti nito. He tucked away the few strands of my hair behind my ear. My eyes grew wide.
“Do I look a mess?” tanong ko sa kanya at sinuklay ang buhok ko gamit ang mga daliri ko. Pagkaraa'y pinagpagan ko ang damit ko.
He flicked my nose using the back of his index finger. “Just be yourself,” he said and opened the door.
I licked my dried lips as I saw a woman’s back sitting on a sofa while looking at the picture frames hung on the wall, all of which contained an image of birds or nests.
I thought what Wren meant when he said his Mom is with her birds, like alive birds, in a cage or something.
“Mom,” tawag ni Wren sa mother niya at naglakad palapit. Sumunod ako sa kanya at huminto sa harap ng tinawag niyang Mom.
Nakalugay ang itim nitong buhok na may bahid na ng puti dala ng katandaan. She wears a khaki cargo and a tucked in white polo.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Easton. I'm Charm, Wren's girlfriend,” I did not wait for Wren to introduce me and immediately extended my hand for a handshake.
She nodded, then crossed her legs without looking at me and instead looked at Wren. “Kuhaan mo kami ng maiinom,” utos nito.
“I’ll tell Manang Sita—”
“You’re girlfriend is just here… hindi ko naman siya lalamunin ng buhay. Go make it yourself.” Tumingin muna sa akin si Wren. Nagtatanong. Nginitian ko siya para ipahiwatig na I can handle the situation, or could I?
As soon as Wren left the room, his Mom immediately tapped the space of the sofa, gesturing me to sit beside her, and so I did. Pinakiramdaman ko siya. Hindi parin siya nagsasalita at nananatiling nakatingin lang sa mga pictures sa harap.
I licked my lips for god knows how many times and pretended to be fascinated by the pictures in front of us. I straightened my back when I heard her clear her throat.
“What can you say?” she asked. I looked at her right before she turned her gaze to me. I observed the faint freckles on her face and back to the pictures of birds in front of us and tried my best not to show any awkwardness.
“They…,” I started, struggling for words, “look like a bird to me? Nothing else.” I said and shrugged my shoulders.
I heard her laugh a little. When I looked back at her, I saw the wrinkles beside her eyes become evident with just a little smile. The lines on her face as a sign of age connect her little freckles as if inventing a constellation, but that only makes her look prettier… I remember Mom, who would freak out with just a pimple.
Then she sighed. My cheeks heat up, and I'm tongue-tied. Did I just embarrass myself in front of her?!
“There, look at the middle picture,” she said softly. I followed where she pointed me to look and saw a nest; packed with three hatchlings.
“See anything wrong?” she asked again. I'm starting to lose faith that she’ll like me because no matter how hard I try they all look like baby birds to me. I tried to narrow my eyes as I focused on the picture thinking that would make a difference. Is there logic or something?
“Oh!” I exclaimed and slapped my thigh lightly. “That one is a lot bigger than the other two….” I asked still unsure if that's what she wanted me to notice.
“…po?” I added. I remember Cassy added that to her every sentence. Although I'm not used to saying it, I still need to show my respect, right?
Her eyes smiled as she touched my right shoulder and caressed it as if telling me I did a good job. My heart tightened, and I swallowed the feeling away.
“That’s the nest of a Cardinal bird. The two smaller hatchlings are her biological child. While the big one is the foster child,” she stated. My forehead knotted in confusion.
“Foster?” I asked as I observed the picture more thoroughly.
She nodded and continued, “The foster child is from a mommy Cowbird, an unconventional type of mother, for they don't build a nest. Instead, they chose to lay their egg into another mommy bird’s nest, and the other birds raise their child while she… well, go on with her life.”
“The birds po don't notice?” I asked as I got invested in the story.
“Some bird does, some doesn't, and some just let it be. The foster parents raised the cowbird’s hatchling without knowing it. The worst part is, that cowbird’s hatchlings grew faster. They could even kick the other eggs out of the nest to lessen the competition for the food,” she explained. My eyebrows met, and I sighed.
“You po love birds? Do you have them po as pets?” I asked to keep the exchange going. I need to hang on just until Wren arrives.
“I’m fascinated about their behavior and loved them enough to let them live in their natural habitat,” she chuckled at the end of her sentence. I nodded my head and smiled.
She stroked my back gently. I do not know what it was for, but it calms my nerves. I smiled and looked directly at her pair of glassy hazelnut eyes, mirroring the days Nanny Nenita was still brushing my hair to sleep and the times when she used to argue with other maidservants for not showing me any respect.
“Ipapakilala kita sa asawa ko kapag may pagkakataon,” basag niya sa katahimikan na nagpabalik sa akin sa ulirat.
“Po?” Nanindig ang balahibo ko.
“I said, you should meet my husband… I’ll prepare dinner,” sabi niya at tinapik ako sa balikat bago umalis. Bagamat iniwan niya kong may ngiti sa labi niya ay nanatili akong tulala.
I messed up, right? Didn't Wren say that his Dad's already dead? Did she think I could talk to dead people? Or did she hate me so much that she wanted me to follow Wren's Dad as soon as possible?
I'm doomed!
I buried my face in the sofa and shouted quietly. Arrrghhh!
The door swung open, and I fixed myself as though releasing a ruler after bending it.
“Where’s Mom?” I flinched and stood up after realizing it was Wren. He rushed to me carrying a tray of green tea.
“I messed up,” I told him while playing with my fingers. He put the tray on the table beside me and set me to sit. “You said just be me, diba?”
Tumango siya. Nasapo ko ang noo ko nang may maalala. “I think, I went too much.” Lalo lang nalukot ang mukha niya.
“I added po at my every sentence, and made sure to use nice words only… I might have sounded unnatural,” sabi ko at napangiwi nalang sa pagkadismaya. I just needed to be myself, nothing else! Of all the years I studied proper etiquette, I didn't learn how to say ‘opo’ without being awkward!
I frowned when I see him struggle to restrain his laughter.
“I know, I'm not myself earlie—”
“Yes, usually you say what you mean, but the one who talked to my Mom is you too. It's good na may nadidiskubre kang bago tungkol sa’yo,” he said and smiled at me. I shook my head. I felt secure with what he told me, but the problem is, her mother doesn't think the way he does and she might not like me.
“I really messed up then.” Bumagsak ang mga balikat ko.
“What made you think that way?” he asked as he knelt in front of me.
“Sabi niya, I should meet your Dad,” sagot ko na kinalukot lang ng noo niya.
“And?” sagot niya lang. Nanlaki ang mata ko at mahina siyang nahampas sa balikat.
“Anong and? Tss, hasn't your Dad passed away? How could I meet him?! It only means your Mom doesn't like me that she wanted me dead—” Lumobo ang pisngi niya at hindi narin nagtagal ay sumabog siya sa pagtawa.
“HAHAHAHA!” Nakahawak na siya sa tiyan niya at halos mapaliyad pa sa katatawa. Seryoso ko siyang tinitigan.
The right corner of my lips was twitching as he was starting to piss me off. He's laughing at my problem!
“Who says Dad is dead?” tanong niya habang nakahawak sa magkabilang gilid ng bibig niya dahil masiyado atang nabanat sa katatawa. Pumaling ang ulo ko sa pagtataka.
“Ikaw?”
“Huh?”
“Back when we were at Nanny Nenita’s place, remember? When I asked you about your father, you said, ‘Probably up there?’,” paalala ko at tinuro pa ang itaas kagaya ng ginawa niya noon.
Napangiti siya at pinitik ako sa ulo. “Silly!”
Kinamot ko iyon.
“Hindi pa patay si Dad—”
“But you said—”
“You asked me what he do right? I said up there because he's an astronaut.” I blinked three times before the words sinked in my head.