"Of course, had the girls been born a couple of days later, they would not have been an Aquarian. They would have been Piscean."
"But if there really is something in astrology, how come the twins have different personalities?"
"The Ascendant, my dear... And the Moon too. You see, they were born an hour apart. The ascendant and the Moon had changed signs by then."
Mika bit into her cheeks in an effort to prevent a giggle which may come out as rudeness. She was curious about Helena Galang's hobby and she had read magazine articles on the different signs of the zodiac. But the twins having "different moons" was by no means obvious... at least, not to her. She did not know the significance.
Vic's grandmother spent the next ten minutes enlightening her. Well, partially. Some of the impromptu lecture was so technical it went right over Mika's head. Helena made no allowances for people not knowing what a "trine" or a "conjunction" was. Still, she was such a delightful lady.
"Uhmm... Mrs. Galang, perhaps we should go in now? It is already almost one-thirty."
"Is it really? That is probably why I am hungry. But you must see the mini stream, Mika. It is really pretty..."
Mika smiled and nodded her agreement. She arrived around noon because Vic asked her to come early... to have lunch with the family. She had been greeted by Vic and the twins when she arrived in her car. Her father brought her car to Manila the last time he came over and just took the bus back to Baguio.
The Galang Family Home was quite something. It was very large, old, and very well cared for. It was a home and not merely a house... there were a lot of expensive antiques around and old portraits of the generations of the Galang Family... yet it was lived in, comfortable place , and Mika had felt at home with it as soon as she stepped foot in it.
Vic's father and grandmother gave her a very warm welcome and it was they who showed her the ground-floor rooms of the house. It was easy to see where Vic got her looks. Para silang pinagbiyak na bunga ng ama nya.
Vic's mother looks strict but is actually a very friendly woman. It was she together with the housekeepers, who had made all the arrangements for the party. The twin's grandparents obviously thought the world of them... though they were equally wrapped up in each other. They were married thirty years already... separated at one point but got reunited. They told this to Mika when showing her around their home.
Afterwards, they'd all gathered in the drawing room for pre-lunch drinks and it was then that Grannie had made her entrance. She monopolized Mika immediately and took her outside to see the vast gardens surrounding the house.
"Oh, yes, it is very pretty!" At the boundary of the land at the back of the house, there was a mini man-made stream which was moving at quite a pace. There were two weeping willows on its bank, their branches overhanging the water, and Mika stood between the trees, smiling at the lady by her side and saying what an idyllic setting this would be for a picnic on a summer afternoon.
Helena Galang smiled and nodded. She looked just as she'd looked that day she walked into the office—- except for the shopping bags she was carrying, that is. Whether it was her habit to put on her fur coat for a stroll around the garden, Mika did not know. Then again, everyone is entitled to their own eccentricities. As for the red hat... well, why not? It was a windy afternoon anyways.
"My dear, I... well... I brought you out here because to tell the truth, I wanted a private word with you."
Mika did not know why, but this came as no surprise to her. "Yes?"
"Uhmmm... I would like you to tell me how you are getting on with my granddaughter these days."
These days? "Well... I... er... We are doing alright, I guess. We have a good working relationship." That wasn't the truth. But what else could she say? She does not have the heart to tell old lady that Vic was a pain in the ass, could she?
Helena Galang looked positively repulsed. "I am not interested in that, child! I want to know what happened in Africa... even if it is not my business."
"I'm not sure what you mean." Mika felt trapped. She turned, hoping the old lady would take the hint, stop the inquiry and they'd walk back to the house.
The grip on her arm was astonishingly strong. It stopped her. "You are in love with my granddaughter, are you not?"
"Certainly not! I can't imagine why you..." A strangled sound escaped from her throat. The eyes of Helena Galang showed more shrewdness than Vics' or her father's... and far, far more wisdom.
"My dear child, what point is there in lying? You cannot get away with that... not with me." Her smile was almost sad. "She has no idea. You have not told her. Why ever not?"
Mika's throat had closed and it was impossible for her to speak. If she tried, she would burst into tears. But Helena Galang waited, understanding the reason for the silence.
"Grannie!"
The two women both turned, startled by the booming voice which reached them from a distance. They saw Vic waving them in.
"Lunch! What are you up to, Grannie?" And then she moved... fast... towards their direction.
Panic-stricken, it was Mika who grabbed hold of the old lady's arm now. "Oh, Mrs. Galang, please! You must respect my..."
"Hush! Of course, I will. You don't think I would interfere in the affairs of the heart, do you? Heavens! Do you think I'm mad?"
No, not mad... well-intentioned and possibly misguided, but certainly not mad. Helena Galang was far from that, despite her inconsistent dotty act, as Vic had called it.
"Relax, Mika," she said sternly. "Your secret is safe with me. Promise!"
Mika believed her. She felt suddenly weak at the knees and it was not helped by Vic coming towards them with a thunderous look on her face.
"Do not frown like that, Victonara." Her grandmother admonished. "You will get lines on your face, like me."
"What are you two nattering about that kept you from lunch? We are all waiting for you!"
"It is none of your business, but I'll tell you anyways. I was just telling Mika that a Capricorn woman is often too intense for her own good. She can be extremely rude, extremely moody, and she can bark at little old ladies without even a twinge of conscience or a thought for their frailty."
"Frailty, my foot! You are as tough as an old boot and you are a first class villain." She took hold of her grandmother's hand and linked it to her arm. "And I have told you before, I don't want you filling Mika's head with all that astrological gobbledygook."
The grandmother sniffed. She withdrew her arm and stuck her nose in the air.
"Take Mika in to lunch, you overgrown cynic. I shall eat in my room."
And with that, the old lady walked away, leaving Mika staring after her and Vic looking... well, neither cross nor amused, but a little of each.
"You have really offended her now, I think." Mika was uncertain, concerned.
"Didn't you know she was an actress in her prime? Don't let her pull your legs. I'm sure she is up to something. She didn't by any chance asked you where you were born, what time and what date?"
"No, just...Why, yes!" Mika started to laugh. Helena had elicited all this information but her questions were interspersed with so much chattering that Mika had not noticed. Was it a family trait?... this ability to get people to tell things about themselves. "Vic, what sign is your grandmother?"
"She is a Scorpio. Oh, Mika!' She started laughing with the secretary, putting an arm around her waist and drawing her close. "Don't start taking it seriously. All that nonsense about..."
Mika looked at the other woman impishly forgetting for the moment all the tension... all her resentment... all her jealousy. "Oh, yes? And you don't, I suppose?"
"Of course not! Why, you... Come here!" And then Vic was kissing her. If Helena Galang was still in sight—- well, that did not matter. At least, they could not be seen from the house... not where they were standing. She was not aware of anything but Vic and the hunger in her kiss. She could hardly breathe because she was holding her so tightly against her. Gasping for air... gasping with pleasure, she tried to pull away from her when the boss's lips moved to her neck.
"Vic, stop it! Are you crazy?"
There was no laughter now. The grip of Vic's fingers was not cushioned by her coat. They bit tightly into her arms and held her immobile, just inches away from her. There was fire in the intense brown of her eyes... a desire she did not... could not deny.
"No I'm not crazy... only for you. But if I don't make love to you very soon, I think I will go out of my mind."
"Let me go, Vic! You are talking nonsense!"
"Sense? I love you, Mika. Does that make sense? Does that make any difference to you?"
"Not one bit! Now, let go of me!" She turned and she ran.
Mika ran blindly... hurt and furious by her boss' careless lie. Gods! She must be really desperate to get inside her pants if she had gone as far as saying she loved her. It wasn't the first time a person had said that to her in an effort to persuade her into something she did not want to do.
Men and lesbians... there is not much difference. What bastards they could be at times! They seem to think that those three little words were an open sesame with women. To some, probably! But not all. Definitely, not her.
Mika went inside the house by the back door and spent five minutes in the downstairs restroom, trying to regain some semblance of normality before facing the rest of the family and lunch. If Vic only knew how much her lie had hurt her, would she have said what she said? She liked to think not... she liked to think she cared enough not to wish to hurt her deliberately.
Over lunch and during the party, the boss showed no signs of caring for her at all. She was not even as friendly towards her as the rest of her family was. Fortunately, there was little conversation between them because there was so much distraction at the party and an enforced silence when a hired magician turned up to entertain the twins and their young guests.
The children had the time of their lives but Mika's day was ruined. She wanted to leave. She was marking time until she could get into her car and drive to Bulacan.
Once, fleetingly, she looked up to find that Vic's eyes were on her. They were intense, looking at her as though she was a stranger, and the effect of this was chilling and heartbreakingly sad. Vic's desire was turning to resentment.
Vic Galang was used to getting what she wanted in life. She was a leader. She was in command of a business employing hundreds of people. But she was not in command of her.
And yet she was...
Vic not only had the power to excite her beyond description. She also had the power to break her heart. That was just how she felt now. Hadn't she thought that all would eventually turn sour if she had an affair with her? Well, she had not had an affair with her, but everything had turned sour nonetheless. Their relationship was in ruins. What bitter irony! She might just as well have given in to her in Africa. She should have lived for the day and taken pleasures she was only too eager to offer. To hell with love... To hell with Shiela Pineda... To hell with morals... She should have lived for the day!
Then again, thank Gods she hadn't. It would have been worse if she had expressed her love physically... worse if she had known what it was like to have made love with Vic Galang... to feel her inside her... to feel her one with her. If that happened, leaving her would be all the more painful. She was going to leave her. She was going to hand her notice in, without fail. She could not take any more.
"But we thought you were staying for dinner." Tita Betchay, Vic's mom, was perplexed when Mika announced she was going. It was seven in the evening and the last of the guest children had been collected by their parents.
"My dear, you can't go!" Helena Galang seemed very put out. "I thought you were staying the night!"
Vic did not help at all. She was sitting in an armchair by the living room, leaving her to it. She was not even looking at her. She seemed more interested in the coffee cup she is holding than in anything else.
Embarrassed, Mika hardly knew what to say. She could stay the night. All it would need was a phone call to her brother. But the idea was out of the questions. "I can't. I have to drive to Bulacan this evening." She looked from the old lady to Vic's mother. "I'm so sorry. There has been a misunderstanding."
Vic still did not speak.
"Yes, Vic mentioned you were going to Bulacan. But she told us... Vic?" Her father got her attention. "Help me persuade this charming girl of yours to stay and eat with us. You told us she'd stay to dinner, at least."
"I thought she would." Vic didn't look up. "But Mika has been known to change her mind several times over several matters, Dad. Persuasion will have no effect on her. She will just do as she wishes in the end."
Looks were exchanged. Only the twins were oblivious. Rachel got hold of Mika's hand, her pretty face showing all the disappointment she felt. "You have not seen our room! Has she, Ronnie?"
"You said you would, Miss Mika. You said after the party we would take the presents upstairs and..."
"Of course we will! I'll come and see your room now." Mika smiled at the girls and apologized to the others.
"Really, I'm sorry I cannot stay for dinner but it's quite a long drive. I—- It has been a lovely day. Thank you so much!' She had never felt so awkward in all her life. Damn Vic! She should have warned her she was expected to stay for dinner. She always had taken too much for granted...
"Oh, my dear, thank you for coming." Mr. Galang took her by the hand, changed his mind and kissed her in the cheeks instead.
"It was kind of you to come, Mika." His wife did likewise. "You are really good with children, aren't you?"
"There are some things which come naturally to her." Vic's voice was so flat, so even, that her deliberate ambiguity was caught by Mika and nobody else. She ignored it. She ignored her boss.
"Come on, Miss Mika..." Two hands were tugging at her now.
The old lady had the last word. "I'd like to show you something before you go, Mika. I'll be in my room. The girls will show you where it is."
Vic's grandmother was irresistible. "All right," Mika replied smiling at her.
She went upstairs with the twins, determined that she would not say goodbye to their biological mother. "Oooh... This is nice! Who chose the wallpaper?"
In a voice that was unbelievably serious, Ronnie said, "It was a joint decision." Mika swallowed hard. What a silly fool she was. She was in danger of crying again, just because Ronnie sounded like her Davic—- the Chairman of the Board.
"I see. And the curtains?"
The answer was the same.
"You must miss being at home. Do you sleep in a dormitory at school?"
"Yes, but we like being with the other girls. We like school just as much as we like it here," Ronnie replied
"And we like staying at the penthouse too!" This time it was Rachel.
"Well, you are not difficult to please, are you?"
Everything in their bedroom and bathroom was admired and chatted about. They were so sweet... these two little girls with faces which were no longer identical—- not to Mika, who had learned to see the differences, minor though they were. But one could not mistake them once you get to spend time with them. Rachel was the chatterbox and Ronnie was the serious one—- more like their Davic. This was because of their different moons, no doubt. Mika smiled to herself.
She forgot all about her promise to the old lady when there was a sudden, dramatic groan from Rachel.
Mika was sitting on the bed with the other child who had asked to see her lipsticks and was now examining the contents of her make up bag with much fascination. Rachel was by the window, about to close the curtains when she let out the loud groan.
"It's Miss Pineda! I thought she could not come today."
Mika felt the blood draining from her face. "I... you were not expecting her?"
"No!" It was a chorus.
She had to leave. Now! Facing Shiela Pineda was more than she could cope with today... or any other day. She never wanted to set eyes on her or her lover again.
Ronnie moved to the window and stood by her sister's side. "She's got presents. She is getting them out of her car."
"You ... you don't sound very pleased, girls."
"We don't like her. We did not even want to invite her. But Mamita Bethchay said we should because she is a friend of Davic." Ronnie said.
"Look, Davic's gone out to help her. Oh, bum!"
"Rachel!"
Rachel turned around, dragging the curtain together. "I don't care!" She said defiantly. "As Ronnie said, we don't like her. She is always giving us big presents that cost lots of money. But it makes no difference, does it, Ronnie?"
Ronnie was shaking her head, almost morose.
"And she is going to be our new mother. Davic is going to marry her. Did you know that, Miss Mika?"
"I..." It was just as well she was sitting down. Her legs felt as though they had turned to lead. "I had an idea. When... when did your Davic told you that?"
"At Christmas. Miss Pineda asked us how we would like the idea of having a new mother."
"She... Miss Pineda spent Christmas here?"
"Yes! Worse luck!"
"And Davic told us that by summer, she is going to be married." The girls looked at each other, shrugging resignedly. "We need to go downstairs and thank her. If we are rude to her, Davic will get very cross."
"Yes... Yes, I can imagine." Mika got unsteadily to her feet. She had to pull herself together fast. She had to get out of this house without being confronted by Vic Galang or the Pineda woman... without seeing anyone.
It worked. They were all half way down the stairs when they heard the voices in the drawing room. She turned to the girls, speaking quietly. "Look, I won't disturb your Davic. I have already said my goodbyes. So off you go." She planted a swift kiss on their upturned faces, and then hurried silently across the hall and out of the front door.
Keep yourself together, Mika.
Huwag kang iiyak...
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Huwag muna!