Ram scanned the surroundings, people were everywhere. It's like every part of their huge mansion was occupied by people he doesn't really know. Oo, as expected, wala siya halos kakilala sa mga naroroon. Mabibilang lang sa daliri ang mga bisitang kilala niya. And by that he only meant by face. Never by name. He never give a shit about that.
Nagpalinga-linga siya. Nasaan na ba si Hana? Nakatulog siya kaninang pagdating nila galing Maynila kaya 'di niya alam kung anong oras na ito bumalik ng mansiyon. She visited her mother at hinayaan niya itong magpuntang mag-isa. They missed each other, thus, he will only spoil the moment if he goes with her. Plus, he doesn't feel like parading himself around San Gabriel. He doesn't like the way people stare at him. It makes him feel uncomfortable.
Medyo madilim na ang paligid noong magising siya. He asked the maids if they have seen Hana, kasama daw ng Mama niya. Sometimes he wondered kung papanong nagkakasundo ng ganoon ang Mama niya at si Hana. Parang mas mag-ina pa ang mga ito kaysa kanila, eh.
Ayaw man niyang makisalamuha sa labas ay wala siyang choice. He took a shower and made himself decent. It's showtime, he then told himself before putting on the you-can-talk-behind-my-back-as-much-as-you-want-because-I-don't-give-a-fuck mask. Then he went out of his comfort zone.
At iyon na nga ang bumungad sa kanya paglabas. Strangers, music and lots of foods and drinks. Kanya-kanyang kumpol ang mga bisita. Kanya-kanyang kuwentuhan at tawanan. They all seem to be having a good time that he suddenly felt so out of place.
Then he saw JM mula sa may kalayuan. Wala pa ito kaninang dumating sila. Siguro'y dumating ito noong tulog siya.
Nagkita na ba ito at si Hana? He suddenly felt uneasy on the thought.
Nagpalinga-linga siya. Where the hell is she? He began searching the whole place. He needed to find Hana. He needed to talk to her.
"Ram!"
Napabaling siya sa pamilyar na boses na iyon. It was her! He felt a little relieved.
"Where the hell was you?!" aniya dito.
"Diyan lang, kausap ko Mama mo. Bakit? May problema ba?"
"JM was already here," aniya.
"Ay, oo. Nagkausap na kami."
"You've talked to him?!" He's not surprised to know that she had already talked to JM. He was surprised to see that she seems not to care about it.
"Oo. Bakit? May problema ba?"
He saw the worry on her face. He shook his head to assure her that nothing's wrong. He realized that he was just overacting.
"W-wala naman. I was just worried that... that he'll offend you again," aniya.
Ngumiti ito. "Hindi naman. Mabait naman si JM."
There was fondness in her voice and he suddenly felt odd knowing that it's for JM.
Jealous? He dismissed the thought.
"Kumain ka na ba?" anito.
Umiling siya.
"Gusto mo ikuha kita ng food?"
And for the first time he noticed what she's wearing, a gold cocktail dress that suited her well. Kinulot ang nakalugay nitong buhok. And she was wearing light makeup that only accentuated her assets. She looked so beautiful.
"You wait here, okay? Ikukuha lang kitang food," anito nang hindi siya sumagot. Napatitig nga kasi siya dito.
She was about to leave when he stopped her by grabbing her arm. "Hana!"
Napaharap itong muli sa kanya. "Ha?"
"You look so beautiful." He mean it.
A shy smile appeared on her lips. He knew she's blushing. Medyo madilim lang sa parteng kinaroroonan nila pero alam niyang nagba-blush it. He knew her so well.
"Salamat," ang nahihiya nitong wika. "Ikaw din. Ang guapo mo din."
It was his turn to smile.
"Sige na. Ikukuha na kitang food. Mukhang gutom ka na, eh. Kung anu-ano nang nakikita mo."
He chuckled and let her go. He watched her leave to approach the overflowing buffet table. He then decided to pay a quick visit to the bathroom. He needed to pee.
Pabalik na siya sa puwesto niya kanina nang may madaanan siyang nag-uusap. Nakatalikod ang mga ito kaya hindi siya agad napansin ng mga 'yon.
"One lucky bastard! Kung 'di lang sila makapangyarihan, malamang ay matagal nang nakulong ang Ram na 'yan."
Napatda si Ram sa kanyang kinatatayuan. Siya ba ang pinag-uusapan ng mga 'to? And he doesn't even know them, for Pete's sake.
"I agree. Only God knows kung anong pinaggagawa niyan sa Maynila. He could be in drugs or anything illegal and I wouldn't be surprised. Ni hindi nga maka-graduate-graduate."
"And here's more. Alam mo bang pinakasalan lang niya ang asawa niyang iyan para makaganti kay JM? She's JM's girl friend, sinulot lang niya. He doesn't even love her. He was just using her to hurt JM. Poor girl. Maganda sana 'di lang ginagamit ang utak. It was like she threw a piece of gold to pick up one pile of shit. Stupid woman! Really stupid!"
At sapat na ang narinig para mag-init ang magkabilang tenga ni Ram. He suddenly forgot where he was. Lumapit siya sa dalawang nag-uusap at saka marahas na hinablot ang braso noong huling nagsalita at saka ito inikot paharap sa kanya. Both men, who were on their mid to late thirties, were shocked. Lalo na noong patamaan niya ng suntok ang mukha noong isang hawak niya sa braso. Sumadsad ito sa sahig.
"What the hell! What is your problem?!" ang wika noong kausap nito bago umawat sa kanya.
Ito naman ang binalingan niya. Ito naman ang sinuntok niya nang malakas kaya ito naman bumagsak sa sahig.
"Kayo ang problema ko! You and your stinking mouth!" aniya sa mga ito.
Nakabangon na noon 'yong una niyang sinuntok at saka gumanti ng suntok sa kanya. Siya naman ang natumba. His back hit the hard floor. Lumuhod ito sa harapan niya upang paulanan sana siya ng suntok pero inunahan na niya, kahit nakahiga pa siya ay tinadyakan niya ito kaya ito naman ang tumilapon. Agad siyang tumayo at saka kinubabawan ito. He then punched the jerk's face a couple of times. Noon nagsidatingan ang mga tao, including Hana, his parents and JM. JM grabbed his collar and pulled him up.
"What are you doing?!" bulyaw ni JM sa kanya habang hawak-hawak pa din ang kuwelyo ng suot niya.
Marahas niyang inalis ang mga kamay nito mula sa kanyang kuwelyo at saka galit na umalis. Hana ran after him. Sumunod din ang kanyang pamilya.
"What is wrong with you, Ramon Miguel? Minsan ka na nga lang magpapakita dito, gagawa ka pa ng eksena?" His father's voice echoed through the walls of the huge library.
Naroon silang lahat, si JM, both his parents and Hana. Sinasabon siya ng mga ito.
"Kilala mo ba kung sino 'yong mga 'yon, ha?" ang wika pa ng ama niya.
"I don't know and I don't care!" aniya. "Nobody has the right to talk about anyone like that, kahit na anak pa siya ng Presidente ng Pilipinas!"
"If you don't want people talking shit behind your back, then stop doing shit!" ang segunda ni JM.
"Oo, ikaw na magaling! Ikaw naman lage magaling, eh!" baling niya dito.
Nakita niyang nakatungo lang sa isang sulok si Hana. He suddenly felt sorry for her. She's not suppose to be here. She's not suppose to hear all this shit.
"Don't you have any decent word to say, huh?" Si JM ulit. "Wala na ba talagang matinong salitang pwedeng lumabas mula diyan sa bibig mo?"
"Enough, JM. Enough," anang Mama niya. "At ikaw naman, Ram, kailan ka ba titino, ha? My god. Nakakahiya."
"You're a disgrace to this family!" his father added.
"Yes, I am! I am a disgrace to this family. How many times do you need to repeat that? Tanggap ko na naman, eh! I am a disgrace to this perfect family. Are you happy now?"
"Wala ka talagan galang!" Sinugod siya ng suntok ni JM sa mukha. Hana's shriek echoed throughout the room when he fell to the marbled floor. Agad siya nitong dinaluhan.
"You shouldn't have come here!" Dinuro siya ni JM.
"Well, guess what? I actually agree with you," aniya dito. He was still on the floor, half lying down, half sitting. Nasa tabi niya si Hana, nakahawak sa kanyang braso.
"Tama na, Ram," he could hear Hana whispering. She was trembling. God, she was trembling. Nararamdaman niya iyon mula sa mga kamay nitong nakahawak sa braso niya.
Napabaling siya dito. She looked pale.
"Hana? Are you okay?"
Ngunit sa halip na sumagot ito ay tinakpan lang nito ng kamay ang bibig nito. Then she stood up and ran out of the door. His mom followed her.
Noon siya tumayo at saka patakbong sumunod sa mga ito. Sa may banyo niya naabutan ang mga ito. Hana was vomitting nonstop on the sink habang hinahagod ng kanyang Mama ang likuran nito. She looked like she's still trembling. And she looked so pale. She looked so sick.
"What happened?" aniya sa mga ito bago lumapit kay Hana. "Are you okay?"
"Of course, she's not okay. Look what you've done to her!" anang Mama niya sa kanya.
"Ako? Bakit ako?"
"Because you're acting like a jerk, hindi mo na inisip ang kalagayan ng asawa mo't magiging anak mo!"
"Anak?!" aniya bago bumaling kay Hana. "You're pregnant?!"
Mukhang sasagot pa sana si Hana ngunit hindi nito iyon natuloy dahil muli na naman itong nasuka. Nakatukod na ang nanginginig nitong mga kamay sa may lababo upang suportaan ang sarili nito.
"What so shocking about that?" ang sabat ni JM. Nasa pintuan na pala ito ng banyo, ni hindi man lang niya napansin ang pagsunod nito sa kanila. It's a good thing, though, that his dad didn't follow them, too. "Of course, Hana could get pregnant! Bakit, Ram? 'Di mo naisip ang posibilidad na iyon? Hindi ka pa handang maging ama? Well, you should have thought about that before you asked her to marry you! Papasok-pasok ka sa isang bagay, hindi mo naman pala kayang panindigan!"
"No, no..." ani Hana. "May hindi po yata ---" Pero bago pa nito natapos ang sasabihin ay muli lang naman itong sumuka.
"You're impossible, Ram," ang iiling-iling na wika ni JM. "You're disgustingly impossible." At umalis na ito.
He was left dumbfounded. Is Hana really pregnant? He looked at her and saw her as pale as a sheet of bond paper. Could it be?
Oh, God. Please, no.