Hi! @itsmetinny :)
Chapter 16
All eyes inside the room diverted to the three girls who just entered the party. Halos nagsusumigaw ang presensya nila sa loob ng hall na hindi mo mapipigilang mapatingin. Lumapit sila sa lamesa nila Trei. I saw how one of them approached Trei and smiled at him while Trei's face was passive.
"Yun ba si Bianca?" I asked them while not prying my eyes away from Trei and the girl.
"Nah girl, that's Vera. The girl in silver at her back, that's Bianca." I saw how Vera pointed at Bianca while having a proud look on her face. Si Bianca naman na nasa likod niya nanatili lang na seryoso ang mukha.
"What do you think she's saying to Trei?" Mercy asked. Chinna snorted.
"Ano pa? Edi pinapabango yang pokpok niyang kaibigan." The three of them giggled. Napailing nalang ako.
"That's a bit harsh." Chinna smiled and looked at me.
"Trust me Judea, their tongues are sharper than mine." Bumalik ang tingin ko kay Trei. I saw him sigh and turned his back on the girls to completely ignore them. Mukhang medyo badtrip din si Trei. Tatayo na sana ako upang lapitan siya at tanungin kung okay lang siya pero agad akong hinawakan sa kamay ni Lara.
"Don't go there. You don't want yourself getting involve." Nakipagtitigan ako sa kanya ng ilang segundo. Hindi ba niya na isip na asawa ako ni Trei? When I married him, I already involved myself in whatever shit he's in. Bumuntong hinga siya at binitawan ako. "If you want to go then go, but why do you think Trei isn't even looking this way? It's because he doesn't want you there."
Bumalik ang mga mata ko sa lamesa ni Trei. Ten seconds lang, kapag lumingon siya lalapit ako pero kapag hindi siya tumingin sa direksyon ko uupo ako ulit. I waited and count myself to ten. Nang hindi siya kahit sumulyap manlang, bumalik na ako sa upuan ko at tahimik na uminom ng tubig.
"They're coming this way." Chinna said in a singsong voice bago sila nagsi-iwas ng tingin. Before I could even ask I felt the group of women stand beside our table.
"How's life with the slums, old friend?" Chinna raised her head and gave Vera a sarcastic smile.
"I don't know Vera, ikaw? Kumusta maging asal kalye?" Vera's jaw tightened as she heard Chinna but then gave out a sarcastic laugh.
"Hindi ka pa rin nagbabago. Mas pinili mo talaga ang mga squatter na to kesa sa amin?" Hindi makapaniwalang sabi ni Vera. There's a tension between them but my eyes are fixed on Bianca who's busy with her phone. I felt Vera's eyes looking at us one by one until it landed on me. "You have a new recruit? Saang squatter ka galing?"
"What?" I asked, confused. Tama nga si Chinna mas matalas nga ang dila ng mga to kaya sige, accept ko na yung description nilang pokpok. Total mukha naman talaga. She smirked.
"You must be a girl or wife of someone rich here, hmm." She looked around before it went back to me. Napansin ko na din ang pag angat ng tingin si Bianca at nagta ang mga mata namin. "Ang tanong... sinong nauto mo?"
"It's none of your business Vera. Go back to hell, kung saan ka nanggaling." Inis na sabi ni Chinna habang tahimik lang sina Mercy at Lara sa gilid. Vera just laughed and shook her head.
"Whatever Chinna." Tumingin siya sa mga babae sa likod niya. "Tara na, nag aaksaya tayo ng panahon dito."
The four of them walked away from the table at doon ko lang napansin na hindi na ang bigat ng dibdib ko. Saka ko lang din napakawalan ang malalim na hininga na hindi ko namalayan. Tahimik na nagkatinginan kaming apat bago kami natawa. Napapunas pa ako ng luha sa kakatawa.
"Grabe, real life Mean Girls movie." I can't help but to comment as I wipe a tear.
"Totoo! Kulang nalang sumayaw sila ng jingle bell rocks." We all laughed again. Napatingin ako sa direction ni Trei na nakatingin din pala sa amin. He showed me his phone to tell me to look at my phone.
From: Husband
You really are beautiful. Gusto na kitang iuwi.
Parang namula ang mukha ko pagkabasa ko at saka lumingon ulit sa kanya. He winked and laughed at my reaction. Paano ba lumandi? Help naman.
"Nilalandi ka nanaman ba ni Trei?" Sinubukang silipin ni Chinna ang phone ko pero agad kong itinago. She looked at Trei's direction and stuck her tongue out at him.
All through the night, kaming apat lang ang magkakausap. Sabi nila ganon daw talaga dahil hindi naman talaga kami kabilang sa mundo ng mga tao doon—maliban kay Chinna na mayaman naman pala talaga. Nalaman ko na dati pala siyang kasama sa Mean girls kaso napuno na daw siya sa pang api nung mga babae sa mga kagaya namin lalo na kila Mercy at Lira. I found out that Mercy and Lira is in the same situation as me.
I learned that in every party, these girls prefer to be in one table. One time they tried to sit beside their partners but they were treated like an outsider and their husbands got into a fight. Ayaw nga sana nilang sumasama sa mga party kaya lang pinipilit daw sila palagi ng asawa hanggang sa nasanay na sila sa mga ganitong event at silang tatlo na palagi ang magkakasama sa mga party.
When the it was time to go home, sinundo sina Mercy at Lira sa table kung nasaan kami. I've met their husbands who were so handsome as well. Halos lahat pala ng nandito ay doctor... party nga naman kasi ng doctor kaya malamang mga ganong profession ang nandito. I was scanning the crowd to find Trei but I can't see him.
"He's at the parking with Malcolm. Tara na." Chinna and I stood up and started walking towards the parking. We were enveloped by the silence at alam ko na kaagad na may gusto siyang sabihin kaya hinintay ko na mauna siyang magsalita.
"I really like you for Trei." Tumingin ako sa kanya at napangiti. She was not looking at me. She was looking at the trees with the lights beside us but I heard a hint of sadness in the kind of tone that she used.
"May problema ba?" Bumuntong hininga siya.
"Masiyado kang inosente sa mundo namin, Jude. Kung ako ang masusunod, gusto kong sabihan ka na tumakbo ka na palayo, but I won't do that." Ngumiti siya ng malungkot sa akin. "You're a fresh air for Trei. You're good for him. Sana nga lang makayanan mo."
Sa totoo lang nakakaramdam ako ng konting takot para sa sarili ko. She's not the only one who warned me about Trei's world. Isa pa, sapat na ang nakita at narinig ko sa US mula sa ama ni Trei para makaramdam ng takot. Natigil ako sa paglakad nang tumigil si Chinna. Sinundan ko ang tinitignan niya at tanaw namin sa di kalayuan si Trei at Malcolm na nagtatawanan.
"I'm going to tell you this, Trei's life as a doctor, palagi siyag mawawalan ng oras, his life will almost revolve inside the hospital. Kaming mga doctor, halos sa hospital na tumira, much more that your husband owns large companies and hospitals... but because he loves you, he will always make time for you." Humarap siya sa akin at ngumiti. "I can see that you are strong, Jude. Please bear in mind that your love for him is bigger than whatever you're about to go through."
She held my arm and squeezed it. I was lost for words for a moment. I opened my mouth to say a thank you but I already heard Trei and Malcolm's footsteps walking towards us so we turned around to face them.
"So what did Chinna said? Mukhang seryoso yung usapan niyo." Trei asked as he drives as home.
"Wala naman. Sabi niya lang tumakbo na daw ako habang maaga pa." He chuckled.
"I thought she might." Kinuha niya ang kamay ko at hinalikan iyon. Hawak niya lang habang ang isang kamay niya ay nasa manibela. "Can I ask what you said?"
"Sabi ko wag siyang mag alala dahil bukas ng umaga pag gising mo wala na ako." Seryosong sabi ko. Bigla siyang nakapag preno at narinig ko ang mga busina mula sa mga sasakyan sa likod namin. Muntik na kami pareho maaksidente dahil kay Trei! "Hoy ano ka ba! Pano kung naaksidente tayo?" He sighed and started to manoeuvre tha car again and pulled up at the side of the road.
He leaned on the headrest and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. I... got scared."
"Ha?" It took a second before he took a deep breath, opened his eyes and looked me in the eyes.
"Please don't make jokes about leaving me again." There's that look again. In his eyes I know that it's fear. This is the very first time I've seen him like this. Akala ko sa aming dalawa, ako ang takot maiwan but seeing him like this, it made me realize that like me, takot din siyang maiwan at mawalan ng minamahal just like how his mother left... like how my parents left me. Hinawakan ko siya sa pisnge at nginitian.
"Ganon ka katakot mawala ako?" I joked to lighten his mood and he rolled his eyes.
"I've lost you once, baby, I will not allow myself to be in that position again." He took my hand from his cheek and looked at my rings before he kissed it. Then he made a quick kiss at my lips. "I love you more than anything in the world combined Mrs Zouwen."
Masama daw na gawing mundo yung alam mo na tao lang, tama iyon alam ko... pero bakit nung nakilala ko si Trei, pakiramdam ko saka lang ulit umikot ang mundo ko. Saka lang ako ulit natutong mabuhay ng masaya at ng hindi nag-iisa.