♪♪Waray Waray, hindi tatakas. Waray Waray, handang matodas. Waray Waray, bahala bukas. Waray Waray, manigas! ♪♪ (Waray Waray as sung by Ms. Slyvia La Torre representing not just warays but Filipinas in general)
"He's Korean."
Maine was sitting on her bed with Tita Terrie walking back and forth in front of her, like a detective interrogating a witness and manang Lydia following behind her.
Tita Terrie stopped and faced her. "North or South? O, bakit ganyan ka tumingin? Anong mali sa tanong ko? That's a very valid question."
"From South Korea."
"May kapangitan o kaguwapuhan?
"Sakto lang. There's his timeline. That's him in the photo."
"Hmmm... sakto nga lang. At marunong mag-English, may English na mga posts."
"Yes, Tita. I was the one who taught him English."
A/N: Now you know bakit pinagpipilitan ni author ang South Korea at kdrama, may keneksyen. Sa mga magtatanong, naghahanap pa po ako ng peg at ng pangalan.
"Ikaw ang nagturo? Come on, what's the story? Tell it to Tita. This is interesting."
"Part of my final thesis in college, I had to try doing English tutorial online to non-Filipinos and he became my student for a few months. Then he looked for me when I went with Dad last year to South Korea. He courted me right there and then and I turned him down. End of story."
"Ano ba yan, wala man lang 'once upon a time...'? Na-basted mo na pala? So, what's the problem?"
"He was very persistent when he courted me. It was very difficult to make him understand that I'm turning him down. Call it cultural differences, or it's just him, or me because I'm not clear in my message. I don't know."
"O tapos?"
Manang Lydia called their attention to the laptop. "Ma'am Terrie, tingnan mo yung FB post niya, stolen shot niya kay Maine, tapos may 'See you very soon!'".
"At ikaw Lydia, bakit ka naman sumigaw? Akala ko tuloy may kinakatay dito?"
"Eh kasi, eh kasi, pag siya napangasawa ng alaga ko, ma'am Terrie, eh di dadalhin siya sa Korea. Ang layo-layo ng Korea. Hindi ko na siya makikita!"
"Kumalma ka! Asawa, agad-agad? Leave it to me. Sanay tayo diyan. Hindi n'yo naitatanong, international din ang mga suitors ko sa US. Italian, German, Chinese, Spanish, name it, I basted them all"
"Basted Tita, as in basting in cooking?"
"Binasted ko! Sinabi ko bang 'beysted'? But I like that Nicomaine, nagjojoke ka na. Teka, baka naman magto-tour lang dito sa Pinas yan? Masyado lang kayo advanced mag-isip?"
"Mukhang hindi ma'am Terrie, pinusuan yung 'See you soon' eh. Tatlong puso pa!"
Tita Terrie felt that she had to speak to her niece alone. This is a job for super Terrie!
"Lydia, meron ba tayong puwedeng midnight snack diyan? Medyo napagod ako pagtakbo dito nung marinig ko yung sigaw mo."
"Sige ma'am Terrie, may gusto ba kayong kainin? Ikaw Maine?"
"Aaahm, do you know how to prepare banana-q, manang?"
"Pordiyosporsanto! Paghahanapin mo pa ko ng saging na saba ng ganitong oras? At kailan ka pa natutong kumain ng banana-q?"
"Banana-Q Maine? Tapos nung isang araw naman nilagang mais? Anyare?"
"Nothing, just cravings. Sige na manang, please?"
A/N: Dapat kinumpleto mo na, Ms. Maine! Ni-request mo na rin sana na dapat may dimple yung magdedeliver
There was silence when manang Lydia left the room. It's times like this that Terrie feels the absence of a mother's presence in this household and where her brother is lacking. Sure, Lydia had been an able support for her niece, but it still baffles her how this young lady was able to survive through her teens.
She sat down beside the girl on her bed.
"Maine, Magkalinawan tayo. Magseseryoso muna si Tita. I want to know exactly how you feel about this guy. Baka naman kaya mo binasted eh iniisip mo lang na masyado ka pang bata or iba nationality niya pero gusto mo talaga siya?"
"Ayoko po sa talaga sa kanya, Tita. And not for anything else. I don't feel anything for him. Not even an ounce of spark." Terrie heard the quiet conviction in her voice.
"Mabuti nang malinaw. Now what to do with him? Does he have your contact number?"
"No, but he knows dad's company. He did tour us around in one of our free days in South Korea, so he was introduced to dad. He has the means to find me. See! He found my incognito facebook account."
"What if he just wants to visit the Korean community here? Malay mo?"
"I don't know if he knows anybody in the Philippines but I did promise that I would tour him if ever he visits the Philippines. So I don't think I can avoid seeing him if and when he arrives."
Are you seeing this Kuya? How mature your daughter is and yet you're still trying to control her life?
"Then we'll show him Filipino hospitality. If he will come in peace, pakikiharapan natin siya nang maayos."
"I'm just worried na mangungulit ulit siya, Tita. I don't want to embarrass him by saying no again."
"Iha, kung ayaw mo, ayaw mo! It's as simple as that. Hindi puwede ang awa, kawawa kayo pareho. Now, there are questions I need to ask, puwede mong sagutin, puwede ring hindi. Pero sagutin mo na rin. Nagka-boyfriend ka na ba?"
Maine shook her head.
"As in ever? You're missing half of your life! Eh ka-MU?"
"Hmmm... no Tita."
"At nag-isip ka pa ng lagay na yan? Binibiro lang kita dati, at totoo nga? Are you even for real? Yung totoo, saang kastilyo ka tinago ng daddy mo? Eh, crush?"
A/N: Hindi mo naitatanong, Tita Terrie, si Rapunzel talaga siya.
Maine smiled, suddenly remembering someone and feeling herself blush at the mention of crush, "I guess so."
Terrie noticed the subtle change in her facial expression but chose to ignore it because she thought she found the opening that she needs to bring up a sensitive topic. It's now or never.
"Maine, tell me, do you miss your mom at times like this?"
"What do you mean, Tita?" suddenly becoming conscious, remembering the family picture she has in her drawer.
Maine has never been comfortable discussing her mother with anyone and this is the second time that her aunt tried to bring her mom into a conversation. The last time was during dinner the day her aunt arrived. And it led to her dad not finishing his dinner and walking out.
"Because sabi nga, mothers know best. I know andiyan si manang Lydia and you've grown into a well-mannered young lady even without your mom. But still, ito ang mga panahon where a mommy can guide you, listen to you when you tell kilig stories, give you advice, puwede mong iyakan when you fall or experience heartaches..."
Maine's countenance turned sad and serious.
"Am I allowed to miss my mom, Tita? Kasi I feel that I will be disloyal to my dad who's been there for me my whole life. Yes, he's strict and protective, may sama ako ng loob minsan or madalas, but I know that he loves me in his own way. Whereas my mom... never mind. Let's not go there."
"No, tuloy mo iha..."
"whereas my mom, ... ni ha, ni ho, not even a card, a greeting, a shoutout, wala. Nothing. It's as if I don't exist for her. So tell me, Tita. Should I miss my mom when I'm doing okay even without her?"
"Maine, there are things.... In time, Maine, you will understand in time. Pero ngayon kailangan natin gumawa ng battle plan. Bakit ba ko nagdadarama eh romcom nga pala tayo."
Maine stayed silent trying to recover from that rare expression of feelings that she used to hide inside. What are you really trying to do Tita?
"Okay, ganito na lang. What if, sabihin mo may boyfriend ka na?"
Whoa, where did that come from? Haaay, Tita, will I ever get use to how fast you switch mode?
"No Tita, walang mangyayaring pagpapanggap! Because I don't know how to play the girlfriend role. Heck, I don't even know how it feels to be in love. Hanggang crush lang ako. Sometimes, I feel that don't have a romantic bone in my body or it's simply not in my DNA. So, no pretend boyfriend/girlfriend please."
"Kalma Maine, ang dami mo ng sinabi. Walang romantic bone, pero nanonood ka ng kdrama? Sige, erase na lang natin yang option na yan. Kung wait and see na lang kaya muna tayo? Baka naman friends na lang ang gusto n'ya?"
A/N: Medyo defensive mode nga, Ms. Maine. Patay ka pag nalaman ni Tita Terrie ang kuwento ng nilagang mais at banana-q.
Maine is pleasantly surprised at how her aunt is able to draw out different emotions from her and how she's finding it easier to open up to her. "Siguro nga po. I maybe overreacting. But thank you, Tita. I mean, just for being here. I really appreciate it."
"Sino pa ba ang magdadamayan, kundi tayong parehong maganda? Hindi ko naman maipilit ang gusto ko sa 'yo. Kasi kung ako yan at guwapo siya, sunggab agad! Just for science, saka mo iwan. Kaya lang, you're not me and I'm not you. So we're not each other."
Feeling that she now has someone older than her to talk to about these topics, beside manang, of course, she tried if her aunt would open up too. "So, Tita, how many boyfriends did you have?"
"Dito or doon? Filipinos or foreigners? High tide or low tide? Gusto mo ikuwento ko? Nahihiya yata ako......"
"Sige po, huwag na lang."
"Ikukuwento ko na! Ito naman di mabiro. Wala pa ba yung pa-midnight snack ni Lydia? Baka umakyat pa sa puno ng saging yan."
"You want to wait for her?"
"Huwag na, okrayin pa no'n love stories ko. Take note, love stories. O eto na....ganito magkuwento. You watch and learn. Once upon a time, in a faraway land of Singgalong, Manila, there lived a beautiful, beautiful girl named Teresita Mendoza. Boyfriend no. 1......."
A/N: Gusto n'yo ba talagang mapakinggan? Huwag na! Hehe, umpisa pa lang, kuwentong kutsero na. Importante nagbonding sila. Remember, one of the central themes of this story is CHANGES.
Pero, ano nga kaya ang mangyayari? May mag-jajackpot-en-poy kaya dito? Phils. vs. S. Korea para sa puso ni Ms. Maine?