AVIE
I took deep breaths.
Ako yung huling sumakay so ako yung katabi ng pinto. Our van turned papasok ng drive way ng bahay, it stopped at the front receiving area.
I'm back.
The vehicle fully stopped. Hindi ako kita ng mga yaya who started to come to the front to receive Deedee. I see the protocol hasn't changed, ganun parin since noong ako pa ang mauuna sa kanila whenever mommy or daddy arrives. Hindi ko na kilala yung mga yaya ni Deedee, baka bagong hire. A familiar face came behind them, si Ate Lucy.
Ate Lucy is one of the ones who stayed after being my yaya. Nakita yung potential niya to lead the staff so she's the household manager now.
I pulled the knob to open the van's door. Ay--
The door won't open. "Kuya yung pinto nyo po nangangain ng tanga" I called out to the driver.
"Ate" Saway ni Jayjay. Darylle already has her hands on Deedee's ears.
Ooops! I covered my mouth, I forgot child-friendly nga pala kami. I've lived on my own for so long I forgot may mga bawal nga pala especially in this house.
"Here" A hand came from behind me. Unlocking the door with a push of a button and pulled it to open.
"Ganun pala yun, thanks" I thanked Victor for helping me with the door. I pushed the door to open wide.
"Avie!" Napasigaw si Ate Lucy when she saw me. I rushed to hug her. I can tell she missed me.
"Ate naman parang hindi ka naman tinawagan na dadating ako" I called to tell her we're coming.
"Ay sino itong mga ito?" Ate Lucy asked looking at Victor and Ted.
"Si Victor po saka si Ted" I pointed to Victor and to Ted. "Dito po sila magdidinner like what I mentioned on the phone"
Ate Lucy gave me looks about the two men. She wants to know if I'm dating one of them.
I winked at her.
Parang kinilig si Ate Lucy and magka-akbay kaming pumasok ng bahay.
"Avie, ok lang sayo ang sinigang na hipon? Ginataang kalabasa at sitaw?" Ate Lucy kept enumerating what's for dinner habang papunta kami ng dining room nagutom tuloy ako.
"Kahit ano ate ok lang. Kamusta kayo dito ate?" I looked around the big house, not much has changed, upholstery siguro, some new curtains well mom changes things pag trip niya.
"Ganun parin, linis dito, linis doon, ay yung swimming pool pala bagong palit ang tubig baka gusto ninyo mag-swimming?" Alok ni Ate Lucy.
"Ok na Ate, naka-set up na kayo wag na. Uy" Natigilan ako sa nadaanan namin. Wala na yung pictures ko at ni Derek. "Ate yung---"
Ate Lucy panicked. "Yung mga picture mo at ni Derek? Nasa kwarto mo"
"Ahhh" I really don't mind, nakakapanibago lang.
"Gusto mo ibalik natin?" Ate Lucy asked.
"Hindi na ate" I smiled at her. She then relaxed.
"Avie sandali lang ha? Tinatawag ako sa kitchen" Naunang maglakad si Ate Lucy papunta sa isa sa kitchen staff who called her. I decided to turn back pabalik kila---
"AW!" I bumped into a hard chest.
"Sorry, sorry" Nagulat din si Victor dahil full force ang tama ng mukha ko sa dibdib niya. He touched my cheek.
I massaged my nose. "Kanina mo pa kami sinusundan?" Nadeform na yata yung ilong ko.
"Akala ko alam mong kasama ninyo ako" he explained. "May pictures kayo ng ex mo? Tama lang yun na tanggalin na" Nakalog lang siguro yung ulo ko dahil I hear real pain in his voice.
"Selos ka? Ganun?" I teased.
He wasn't kidding. He's looking at me with a blank expression.
"Uuuuyy selos siya oh" I teased even more. His expression didn't budge. "I had a dog named Derek." I tried to look at the family pictures na kita si Derek. I pointed at Derek to show him.
He had to come close to see dahil kuha galing sa malayo at maliit sa picture si Derek. "Oh, the dog's name is similar to your ex's name. Fantastic." he mentioned sarcastically.
"He's gone now" I uttered.
"Sorry to hear that" Victor's expression quickly shifted, bitterness became concern after kong sabihin na wala na yung aso.
"Nawala si Derek sakin a week after akong iwanan nung katukayo." I explained.
Mahirap nang i-spelingin ang mukha ni Victor, hindi rin niya yata alam if he'll feel sorry for me because my dog died or the fact that I named the dog after my ex upsets him. Pati grammar ko affected na.
His good arm lodged at his waist in frustration. He looks pissed.
"Affected ka masyado? Halika doon tayo sa cage niya, well if they haven't moved it yet" Nauna akong maglakad not bothering to look back at Victor. Naririnig ko naman yung steps ng tsinelas niya.
"You have a very nice place" Victor said from behind me. Nasa tapat kami ng pool side.
"It's not mine, it's my parents' place" I corrected Victor.
Hindi nila ginalaw yung cage ni Derek. It's the same big cage with the same old lock.
"So Derek was a very big dog?" Victor asked.
"Golden retriever" I replied.
"Ang laki ng cage niya" Victor looked amazed dahil pang lion ang cage ni Derek.
"It's the biggest we can get from the store" I explained. "I didn't want Derek to feel like he's in a cage and so I can get in and play with him."
"You must've loved him so much" I think he means the dog because he doesn't sound pissed.
"Yes I did" It made my eyes water for a bit, but I have to talk to him about something. "Victor, we need to talk"
"About what?" He frowned. His eyes widened "Are you breaking up with me?"
"No, not exactly" I panicked.
He tilted his head and looked up. After a while, his eyes met mine, one hand at the back of his neck, "So what is it about?"
"I want us to break up" I watched his hand drop from the back of his neck, his mouth slightly opened. "But! Wait!" I raised my hands for him to cool his jets. "Only because I want to start fresh and take things slow. I mean we're back in Manila, it's the real world now."
Victor seemed to have calmed down but still frustrated. "Ok, how do you want things to be?" He sounded like nagpapabili lang ako ng kung ano sa hardware to get things fixed.
"Teka lang, ha?" I held his hand. "I thought about us having a kid together and yet hindi mo alam ang favorite color ko"
"It's blue" He stated.
"Cobalt blue" I corrected him. "Lucky guess, but that's not my point, I want us to go through the normal get-to-know-each other phase, like go out on dates, take things easy."
Victor stopped talking, mukhang nagi-isip siya kung anong gagawin niya about what I said.
"It works both ways, may gusto ka ba? It's not just what I want that matters, shempre may say ka rin" Nakonsensya naman ako ng onti. "Uy"
He sighed and said nothing else.
"Ayaw mo ba?" I asked. "This just won't work if--" He pulled and kissed me. I responded to his kiss kasi hindi naman break up yung gusto kong mangyari.
"I honestly don't understand what's going on" He said after letting my lips go. "Kasi first relationship kita, I've never felt like this before, I don't know what to do with you at times, I'm not sure if I'm doing things right or I'm doing this boyfriend thing badly."
WOW. Like super wow talaga.
OMG ang cute niya.
I smiled at the thought. I couldn't help it, I pulled him close and gave him a quick kiss on his lips. What he said just made my heart flutter. Like big time kilig chills flowing through my veins.
Nakangiti parin ako, "Kung first mo ako, papanong marunong ka mag-kiss? And how come you know how to--" My golly! I stopped midsentence because he already knows what I'm implying. Hindi ko akalaing may ganito pa pala akong sistema sa katawan.
He blushed. He raised his shoulders, "instinct, maybe".
"Bakit? Papaano nangyari?" I'm totally curious.
"Paanong ano?" He asked. Natatawa siya so he knows what I mean.
"So you never dated?" I asked.
Umiling siya. Hmmmm... How can this... I looked at him from head to toe. Literal toes dahil naka tsinelas siya... be single for so long?
"Oh, and ano palang negosyo mo? They described you as 'mayamang negosyante' in the province" I drew quotation marks on air with my fingers. "Pero hindi clear anong line ng business"
"I sell stuff" he smiled.
"Ang vague ng sagot niya oh! Dali na, what do you do? I already know you're rich, kita na sa white mong mansion na may private access"
"I'm the CEO for Richardt Industries" he answered.
"Parang ambata mo naman to be a CEO?" The CEOs I know are old men in boring suits with fat ties who come here most weekends to play poker with my dad.
"Expecting fat old dudes?" He chuckled.
I nodded. "I was never a fan of my dad's work friends when they visit here."
"Magaling daw kasi akong mambola" He smiled.
Drum roll.
Oh be still, my heart.
That piece of information isn't good for this dahan-dahan-po-tayo-sir scheme na pa-uso ko.
"Why didn't you use it on girls?" Mejo wala akong tiwala.
"Kung binangga mo ako ng ma-aga edi noon pa" ngumiti nanaman ang kumag.
I cleared my throat. Focus Avs! Take things easy remember?
Buti nalang Ate Lucy was there to the rescue, she's waving at us to come from the other side of the pool.
"Halika na kakain" -in na kita? "na tayo" I shook the idea off my head. I crossed my arms on my chest at naglakad mauna sa kanya.
Kumakain na sila Jayjay when we got there. "Ate sorry, gutom na kami"
"Ok lang" I smiled at him. "Ayaw mo ng food baby?" Walang food sa plate ni Deedee.
"Iniintay ka" Darylle told me. "Kain na" So kinareer niya talagang maging yaya for the night.
"Ay ganun, I'm here, kain na baby" Victor pulled the chair for me bago ko pa mahawakan. "Thanks" He sat beside me.
Namiss ko ang feeling ng marami kang kaagaw. Akala ko pa-demure yung dalawa dahil nasa ibang bahay sila, pero para silang hindi pinakain ng ten years kung maka-kanin.
"Kanin pa?" I asked Victor na nasa tabi ko.
"No, I'm good" He drank water.
"Ikaw Ted?" I looked at Ted. Umiling siya before peeling a banana.
"Ihahatid nalang kayo ng driver namin--"
"Hindi pwede ate, kailangan namin ng maaga yung van bukas" Jayjay interceded.
"E si Mang Kiko?" I asked the other driver who drove me to school.
"Retired na siya, two years na" sabi ni Jayjay. Sobrang tagal ko palang nawala sa bahay. Pero bakit negatron si Jayjay?
"Makaka-drive ka Ted? Use my car, tapos ibalik ninyo nalang dito" I'm testing Jayjay kung na-nanadya siya or talagang kailangan niya yung driver bukas.
"Yes Miss Avie" Ted answered formally.
"Just call me 'Avie', hindi mo ako boss" I corrected him.
Ted smiled and nodded.
Humikab na si Deedee, I glimpsed at my watch, 5 minutes to 9 pm na.
"Ok na po ate, ako na" Darylle told the yaya and then inalis yung silicone bib ni Deedee.
Mukhang game naman si Deedee kay Darylle dahil she raised her arms para magpabuhat.
"Best of friends kayo tonight ah?" I teased Darylle na buhat na si Deedee. Deedee leaned on Darylle's shoulder and patted Darylle's back like what we do to her to make her sleep. "Susunod ako mamaya baby" I told Deedee and she nodded. They went upstairs with the yaya behind them.
"Anong oras kayo bukas Jay?" My test continues.
"6 am ate" Jayjay answered not caring.
"Sige sasabay ako sa inyo bukas" I stated.
"Ok" Jayjay raised his shoulders and nagpaalam na siya to go upstairs.
Mukhang legit naman na 6 am sila ni Deedee bukas. Naiwan kaming tatlo sa dining table. Ted volunteered to get their stuff all together sa harap with the staff.
"Let's go get my keys?" I offered Victor.
Wala kaming fans kaya we held hands while walking to the backdoor access sa garage.
Victor stopped walking kaya nahila din ako patigil. "What?" I asked annoyed.
"You're done with residency already?" Victor frowned.
"Oo, bakit?" I answered.
"Surgeon ka. It says here." He pointed at my wood laminated certificate posted on the wall near my mom and dad's regulatory licenses. "Avie's short version for Avielle Marie Costello Samaniego" He kept looking at the wall.
"Yeah" I looked up at it. It's been a while since I've seen it.
"So bakit hindi ka pwedeng maging doctor ko?" He asked not understanding what neurosurgeons are for. He wants to stay there so I let go of his hand.
"What were you expecting me to do? Operahan kita?" Malapit na yung key cupboard so I came close to it and pulled open the key cupboard. Nakita ko agad yung susi ko and took it.
He didn't answer, he stopped at a particular frame. "Pharmaceutical Mogul's heiress youngest medical school graduate" he read a framed magazine article's headline. He counted quietly with his fingers. "So you're just 22"
"Oh that, oo" I never really look at those things, si mommy lang mahilig magframe ng articles about out family especially when it's positive which stopped when I turned 18.
"Ikaw pala, ilang taon ka na?" I sounded so desperate to change the subject.
"25" he replied still reading articles. "These are really impressive"
"O tama na yan at nawili ka na diyan" I pulled him close. "So I'll see you tomorrow?"
He smiled "Yes ma'am".
"No scratches, no dents, no saucy, greasy, crumbly food in my car" I said seriously while handing my keys to him.
He chuckled. "Yes ma'am, papa-gasan ko pa"
"Hala layas na't gabi na" I smiled and pushed him away.