Twenty-Seven
I smoothened the crease of my olive green velvet dress, smiling as how it matched my hair perfectly. Glancing at the mirror once more, I decided it's time to go out.
Nang makalabas ako ay siya ding pagbukas ng pintuan sa cabin ni Harry. He smiled at me and ran an appreciative gaze over my dress.
"You look great."
"Thanks!" I beamed.
He stepped forward and lean to kiss me. I kissed him back and soon, we were making out in the middle of the hallway with Harry trying to ruin my dress by inserting his hands on my inner thighs.
Natatawa ko siyang itinulak. "Dad's waiting for us."
He grunted a response and stepped back from me. With Harry's arms wrapped around my shoulders, sabay kaming naglakad sa maliit na corridor. Maya't-maya ay umaalog ito dahil sa paghampas ng alon. When we reached the upper deck, I found my father anxiously pacing back and forth. Iniwan ko muna si Harry at nilapitan siya.
"Dad, are you okay?" itinagilid ko ang aking ulo habang pinagmamasdan siya.
"I'm so nervous." He mumbled. For an instant, his eyes flashed with fear. "What if she says no?"
I smiled at him. "Mom will surely say yes."
He sighed. "Maybe I should back out after all. Mahigit isang taon na kaming hiwalay ng mommy mo, Mary Grace. She must've started moving on already."
I scowled at him. "That's not true, Dad. Just give it a try, okay? Tinulungan ka pa naming dalawa ni Harry dito, eh!"
As if noticing Harry's existence for the first time, he nodded at him in acknowledgement. Knowing what happened between the two of us, Dad started accepting him back into my life.
I could remember that night vividly inside of my head. Dad cried angry tears while my mother stared at me in shock. Ipinakita ko sa kanila ang notebook ni Ate Annie at ang mga larawan. Even the video. I really don't want to talk about it but I forced myself to tell them the truth. My parents keep on asking for forgiveness from me. Gusto nilang kausapin at makita si Oliver but I disagreed.
Oliver seemed happy with his son and ramen house. Ayaw ko nang guluhin pa ang pamilya nila.
There's no use of filing a case against Uncle Thomas. Wala na siya. My parents tried to talk Tito Alistair pero wala siyang sinasabi. He just looked at me with his pair of sad eyes and continued to remain silent while my Dad shouted at him, tears streaming down his face.
"You let my girls suffer!" He roared again. Tumayo kaagad ang police at nagbantay sakaling atakihin ni Dad si Tito Alistair para mapigilan ito kaagad. "How can you do that to my family, Alistair?!"
"Alistair..." my mother sobbed. "I can't see your face again anymore without thinking what you've done to my family."
He hang his head low, a grim look on his face. I pleaded not to send him in jail. Wala naman siyang ginawa. It was all Uncle Thomas' fault. His only fault is that he did nothing about it.
"I hope you burn in hell with Thomas! And I wish he's still alive so I can kill him with my bare hands! I don't care going to hell with you. Magkikita-kita tayong lahat doon at paulit-ulit ko kayong papatayin sa ginawa niyo sa mga anak ko!" by this time, Dad has his hand around Tito Alistair's neck.
Napatili si Mommy at kaagad na rumesponde ang pulis. Inawat niya si Dad mula kay Tito Alistair. Nanatili akong nakatungo at tahimik, wishing this would be all over.
"I will never forgive you and Thomas for what you've done..." he gritted his teeth in anger. "Mark my words, Alistair, till the day I die!"
Seeing Dad right now anxious with his planned proposal for my mother again lifted up my spirits. Since I broke the news to them, our family is a disaster. Palaging umiiyak si mommy at halos hindi na nagpapakita si Dad sa bahay. It took us a few months before we finally found ourselves with each other. And after a few more days, I finally convinced Dad to ask Mom for a marriage again.
"Tatlong beses na kaming ikakasal, kung ganun." Tumawa si Dad. But there was sadness pooling on his eyes. I know how much he'd missed Mom. He looked at her with longing as if he really wanted to hug her but lost the right to.
"Dad, this will make all of us happy. Mahal ka ni Mommy. So...please?"
Matagal bago nakasagot si Dad. A small flicker of hope lit inside my chest when he nodded his head and told me he'd give it a try.
So here we are, in a yatch that Dad rented, trying to surprise Mommy for a marriage proposal. Nginitian ko si Dad saka dinukot ang aking cellphone mula sa aking itim na purse.
"Tatawagan ko na po siya."
"Okay." Dad exhaled and I laughed. He looked so adorable when he's nervous.
I pressed my mother's number and let it ring for a few seconds. Sinagot niya din ito kaagad.
"Mary Grace?"
"Mommy..." I tried to fake a sad voice but with all that I've been through for the past years of my life, it's relatively easy for me. I guess I just sounded like a sad girl ever since. "Mom, please help me..."
"Bakit? Anong nangyari, anak?" I could hear the panic rising on her voice and I immediately felt guilty. By this time, my mother's work is over. Siguro ay papunta na siya sa bahay ngayon.
"I'm... I'm in a beach and... and I'm having panic attacks." I closed my eyes, wishing it will not fire me back in a few days in case it will come true. Matagal na din bago ako nagkapanic attack. Dr. Siang's session helped me a lot. "I need you..." I swallowed.
"Baby, tell me where you are and I'm heading there right now." Her voice is firm but softer.
I told her the location of the beach and quickly ended the call. Bumuga ako ng isang malalim na hininga at nginitian si Dad. I gave him a thumbs-up. "She's on her way."
Mga kalahating oras kaming naghintay kay Mommy. Harry is the one who saw her running towards the shoreline, her eyes scanning the surroundings with big worried eyes.
"She's here!" I beamed. I turned towards my father who nodded at me. One of the crew guided her into the yatch. My mother looks confused. She squinted her eyes suspiciously towards our direction.
"Mary Grace? What's this?" nameywang siya sa akin. She's still in her office uniform. I tried to look innocent and held both of my hands. Mayamaya pa ay gumalaw na ang yate.
"What the hell is going on..." naputol ang kanyang pagsasalita nang biglang lumabas si Dad mula sa isa sa mga cabins. May dala-dala siyang isang matabang rosas. Mahaba ang tangkay nito at mukhang bago pa lamang ang pamumukadkad.
I smiled at the both of them. My mother looks flustered and uncomfortable. "Thunder..."
He smiled apologetically at her. "This is the best that I can do." Iniabot niya kay mommy ang rose. I felt Harry's hand held mine. Napalingon ako sa kanya at nginitian siya. The soft melody from the speakers set the mood for all of us. Isinandal ko ang ulo ko sa balikat ni Harry as I watched my parents find their way back to each other.
"—don't know what I would do without you. The past few years nearly shattered me." Dad said quietly.
"Thunder!" my mom hugged him tightly and cried on his shoulders. I wiped my teary eyes and glance at the sun setting beyond the horizon. The water glittered and the waves splash slowly, rocking the yatch gently back and forth.
"Please... Please, marry me again. I promise not to lose you this time. Gagawin ko ang lahat magkasama lang tayo..."
My mom choked and more tears sprung to her eyes. I knew how much they missed each other. Our family had been through hell and back. I'm glad I still managed to fix the two of them. They deserved to be in each other's arms after all these years.
Habang isinusuot ni Dad ang singsing ay nginisihan ako ng captain. I gave him a mock salute. The yatch is slowing down, letting us bask in the beautiful sunset. I hope to find more sunsets like this.
When Dad finally placed the ring on my mother's fingers, he guided all of us to the waiting tables where we'll have our dinner. Harry and I followed happily, realizing that it's the start of our happy ending.
---
Pagod ako galing sa eskwelahan pero pinili ko pa ring bisitahin ang cafe. Ilang araw na akong hindi nakakabisita dito dahil sa dami ng mga projects namin sa university.
The rain poured hard when I was still on my way to the cafe. I searched for my umbrella inside my bag and prepared for it nang makababa na ako. To my surprise, I saw the same tall guy sitting on the front steps of the cafe. Nababasa na siya ng ulan dahil walang vinyl flops sa labas at sobrang lakas ng hangin.
"What are you doing here!" sigaw ko dahil sa lakas ng buhos ng ulan.
He lifted his head weakly. His eyes are bloodshot and a grim look crossed his face. Ngumiwi ako. Siya na naman.
"Hindi ba sabi ko sa iyo, walang deal na mangyayari..." I said, glancing inside to find the workers peering curiously at us.
"Please..." he finally stood up. Hindi ata siya pinapasok ng mga workers dahil iyon ang mahigpit na bilin ni Daddy. Masyado kasi siyang makulit. "You can have 70% of the profit and I'll only have 30%. Just let me own a stock."
I sighed. "Hindi ka ba talaga susuko?"
Umiling siya. "I'm not letting go of this until you finally agree to sell me a part of this cafe."
Napakamot ako sa sinabi niya. Pati ako ay nababasa na rin kahit na may payong naman ako. I searched for his eyes. It's full of sadness it tugged something inside of me from the inside. Ganun din kaya ang ekpresiyon ng aking mga mata noong nakaraang mga taon?
I saw myself in this guy's eyes.
"What's your name again?"
"Zian. Zian Anderson. Believe me, I'm a son of Karlo."
I gave him a sour look. "Karlo told me that none of his children have taken interest in this cafe. So bakit gustong-gusto mo itong bilhin?"
His lips set on a thin line. He looked so miserable.
"It's the only thing that I can have in the memory of my father." He said quietly. "He sell this cafe to your father because of my child's condition. I want to at least have it back for him."
"Well, my answer is no." I said firmly. I walked past him and pushed the glass doors inside. Inabutan kaagad ako ng towel ng isa sa mga trabahante.
"Ma'am, papabayaan niyo lang po ba siya diyan?"
I looked at him outside guiltily. Nakatayo pa rin siya sa front steps at nababasa ng ulan.
"Hayaan niyo na siya."
"Kanina pa siya, Ma'am. Bumalik din siya dito kahapon kahit na sinabi naming wala ka naman." Sagot ni Jane habang nakatingin sa labas. "Kawawa naman. Ayaw ko ngang tumawag ng police eh."
Hindi ko na siya sinagot. I made myself a cup of coffee. Habang nagtitimpla ako ay palingon-lingon ako sa labas. Nandoon pa rin siya.
Napabuntong-hininga ako. Why wouldn't he give up?
I glanced at Karlo's picture hanging above the wall clock and my heart ached. Remembering all those times I spent here in the cafe as he talked about his children with longing in his eyes fueled my anger.
But his eyes...
I drummed my fingers against the wooden counter and set my mug down. Heaving a sigh of resignation, lumabas ako at nagdala ng isa pang payong. Nagulat siya nang abutan ko siya ng payong even though it's useless. Basang-basa na siya ng ulan.
"Do you want to have a cup of coffee?" tahimik kong tanong.
A look of surprise crossed his face. "Does that mean—"
"80-20 and you've got a deal." I lifted my chin defiantly, daring him to object to the only chance I'm giving him.
A small smile spread on his lips. "Yeah. Yeah, of course."
Nagulat ako sa kanyang sagot. I expected him to turn it down! Sobrang lugi siya kapag nagkataon. Hindi ko ipinahalata ang pagkagulat ko at inanyayahan na siyang pumasok. Binigyan ko siya ng towel at pinaupo sa counter.
"Look at you, you're such a mess.."
But he wasn't listening to me. Instead, his eyes are fixed on Karlo's picture. Even though he's soaking wet, my heart broke for him when a single tear escaped from his eyes.
"I missed him..." he sobbed. "I miss my Dad..."