Kabanata 15
Engaged
Balisa ako habang nasa loob kami ng taxi ni Laurel. Alas otso pa lang ng umaga pero papunta na kami sa mansiyon ng mga Casagrande. Ngayong bahagya na 'kong nahimasmasan ay parang ayoko nang ituloy ang plano naming 'to. No matter where we look at it, this was wrong.
Sa pagitan ng pag-iisip ko ay naalala ko ang sitwasyon namin. Minerva never complained about it but I knew that if given the choice, she wouldn't lower herself and sleep with old guys just to get money. Sino ba namang may gusto no'n?
We had long accepted that we were the town's favorite topic. Ang sabi ng iba, 'di raw totoong wala kaming choice. Maraming paraan para magkapera pero bakit nagpapakapokpok kami? We chose the easy path, they said. But if that's true, why was everything still so hard for us?
Now, the ticket to a comfortable life was in front of me. Kaunting pagpapanggap lang. Kaunting panloloko lang. While channeling the courage within me, I told myself that I needed to do this. Not for me but for my family.
"Nakikinig ka ba?" utas ni Minerva mula sa passenger's seat. Nilingon niya 'ko at kinunutan ng noo. "Sunny, kailangan mong memoryahin 'tong mga sinasabi ko. Kung hindi ay baka mapurnada pa 'tong plano natin!"
Tumikhim ako. "Nakikinig ako, Laur."
"Tsk. Okay, back to start." She looked at her phone and scrolled up irritably. "Ikaw si Aurora Casagrande. Nineteen. Iniwan ka ng nanay mo noon sa gilid ng kalsada dahil nabuntis siya ng isang Russian na lalaki. Nakipagtanan siya rito pero kalaunan ay nakipaghiwalay din. 'Di niya kaya ang kahihiyan ng pagkabuntis sa 'yo kaya ka niya iniwan."
"Anong teleserye 'to?" sarkastiko kong ani. "Walang may maniniwala diyan! Dahil sa kahihiyan kaya ako iniwan? Ang lungkot naman!"
"Malungkot talaga ang storya ni Aria!" giit niya.
I grimaced. "Sinong Aria?"
"Nickname 'yan ni Aurora! 'Di ka talaga nakikinig, 'no?"
"Nakikinig kaya!" pagsisinungaling ko.
"'Tsaka ano ka ba?" Eksaherada siyang bumuntong-hininga. "Basic information na 'tong sinasabi ko sa 'yo. Ito talaga ang nangyari sa 'nanay' mong si Adelina Casagrande! Mapusok siya noong kabataan niya kaya tumakas siya sa mansiyon nila rito sa La Fortuna. Tumungo siya sa Guimaras at do'n ka nila ginawa ng dayuhan mong ama!"
"Tapos?"
"Tapos ayun, iniwan ka niya!" I bore a look of disbelief, making her shake her head. "Sunny, kilala ang mga Casagrande bilang isa sa pinaka-pormal at eleganteng pamilya sa bansa. Isang malaking kahihiyan ang pakikipagtanan ni Adelina sa ama mo. Bente anyos pa lang siya no'n at maraming pangarap para sa kaniya si Cordelia."
"Kaya niya 'ko iniwan?" I asked. She nodded but I was still confused. "Paano mo ako natagpuan kung gano'n? Sa Guimaras pala ako iniwan, e."
"Edi syempre, sasabihin nating nagbakasyon kami roon ni Mark tapos doon ka namin natagpuan!"
Si Mark 'yong dati niyang asawa. Laurel continued her storytelling but I was too preoccupied to listen. Everything was unbelievable and also, impossible. Maraming butas ang kwento niya. Her faking the DNA test wasn't feasible too, not to mention, cliché! Akala niya ba ay tanga ang mga Casagrande para 'di malamang pinepeke lang namin sila?
And if it's true that the Casagrandes were known for being elegant, wasn't I the least acceptable person to act as Aria? I grew up jumping from one boy to another. Clearly, Aria wasn't supposed to be like that! Sumasakit na ang ulo ko kakakaisip kung paano namin 'to maitatawid ni Laurel.
The only thing keeping me from sprinting back to our apartment was her cunning personality. Kahit anong butas, kaya niyang pagtakpan. She was talented in that aspect. She was good at getting people's approval and making them believe in her lies. Somehow, I trusted that she had it all planned. Isang taon niya ba namang pinangarap 'tong pagpapanggap namin! Of course, she came prepared!
"'Wag kang mag-alala. Magugustuhan ka nila," aniya nang nasa labas na kami ng gate ng mansiyon ng mga Casagrande. A menacing smirk curved on her lips. "Yayaman na tayo, Sunny! Excited na 'ko!"
"Laur," I trailed off, "kaya ko ba 'to? Paano kung kasuhan nila tayo?"
There's a big possibility that they'd see through our lie. Parang ako nga lang ang namomroblema roon dahil pera na agad ang iniisip ni Laurel! Good for her! Hindi kasi siya ang bida ng mala-teleseryeng drama niyang 'to!
"Manahimik ka nga!" Iritado niya 'kong binalingan. "'Di lang naman 'to para sa 'yo, 'di ba? Kapag napapaniwala natin sila, dito na rin kami maninirahan! Magiging masaya ang mga natitirang araw ni Sab! Wala siyang poproblemahin at mabibigyan natin siya ng magandang buhay!"
She was right. Kaya kahit nagdadalawang-isip pa rin ako sa plano namin ay pinatatag ko na lang ang sarili ko. A golf cart was waiting for us by the gate. Manghang-mangha ako nang makarating na sa entrada ng nasabing mansiyon. It wasn't gigantic but it was big.
'Di tulad ng mansiyon ng Valtierra, Ysaguirre, at Benavidos ay simple lang 'yon. There wasn't a wide pasture nor a fancy garden. It was a simple mansion with generous space on its porch and a small backyard. There wasn't a swimming pool too. Baka sinadyang ipaganoon 'yon para pwedeng maging intimate pa rin ang mga naninirahan doon.
May mga katulong na gumiya sa 'min patungo sa isang opisina. The office was as elegant and minimalist as the mansion itself. An old woman sitting on a chair behind a wide table welcomed us when we entered. Nakapusod ang buhok niya at suot niya ang isang eleganteng kulay maroon na dress. A middle-aged woman was there too. She was standing beside the old woman, who I figured was Cordelia.
"Is this her, Laurel Vega?" she asked in her croaky voice while staring at me. Nailang ako nang bigla siyang naluha. "Goodness, I think she's really my granddaughter! Napakaganda!"
The woman beside her rubbed her back. "Mama, ganiyan na lang palagi ang sinasabi mo sa tuwing may nagpapakilala ritong apo mo."
"No!" she insisted and abruptly stood up. Nilapitan niya 'ko at hinawakan sa mukha. "You really are my Aurora!"
"Mama!" The woman groaned.
Nilingon siya nito. "Shut your mouth, Soraya! This girl right here is my granddaughter! I felt it when she entered the room! I felt the connection!"
"You're always like that with every nineteen-year-old girl introduced to you..."
"This one's different! She's the real deal! Wala kang karapatang kwestyunin ako!"
I was standing sternly there, not knowing what to do. Siniko ako ni Laurel at tinaas-babaan ng kilay. My eyes widened when I realized what she did. This was her genius of a plan!
After years of searching for her granddaughter, Cordelia Casagrande was hopeless and... desperate. Ako ang pinakamalapit sa deskripsiyon ng apo niya. It's like Cordelia had been starving for eternity and Laurel appeared in front of her carrying a feast. The feast was me!
Soraya sighed and massaged her temple. "I'm so tired of dealing with this," she whispered to herself. Sinipat niya 'ko gamit ang istrikta niyang mga mata bago binalingan si Cordelia. "This girl hasn't even spoken a single word and you're already announcing that she's the one? You're going crazy, Mama."
"She is, Sora!" Cordelia said. Hinarap niya ako at puno ng pangungulilang tinignan. "She looks like Adelina."
"Every girl looks like Adelina to you."
"I don't need your opinion on this!" Nilingon niya ito sa matigas na ekspresyon. Nang tignan niya ulit ako'y lumambot ang mga mata niya. "Laurel sent me your photo beforehand, Sunny. The moment I saw your face, I knew you were my long lost granddaughter."
I felt like I fell into a trap or something. 'Di nakatulong ang ngisi ni Laurel at ang matalim na tingin mula kay 'Tita' Soraya para pakalmahin ang kabado kong puso. This all escalated quickly! 'Di ba pwedeng mag-retreat na lang ako? I was in a mansion filled with screwed-up people!
If it wasn't obvious enough, Laurel was now busy thinking about money to care for my welfare. Cordelia was too submerged with her idea of me being Aurora to be at least a bit rational. And lastly, Soraya was too logical and strict that I immediately knew that she knew I wasn't the real deal.
Halata 'yon sa tingin niya. Kulang na lang ay isatinig niya ang mga salitang 'Social climber' at 'Hampaslupa'. She hated me and she saw through our lie! It didn't take a Sherlock to come up with that conclusion!
"Whatever you say, Mama," she said coldly. "I'll order a DNA tes—"
"Are you insulting me?" Cordelia cut her off. "Alam ko ang nararamdaman ko! This girl is Aurora and she's going to live with us starting tomorrow! We don't need a DNA test! Stop the search for my granddaughter because I already found her. I'm taking Sunny Vega in!"
She raised a humorless smile. "Do what you want. It won't take long before she goes back to their filthy apartment, anyway."
It's the weirdest thing that happened to me. I couldn't put my mind into it even if I tried. Gano'n lang 'yon? Ni wala akong in-exert na effort pero biglaang milyonarya na ako? Something about this didn't feel right!
"Ano?!" singhal ni Mine nang malaman niyang sa mansiyon ng mga Casagrande kami maninirahan bukas. "Tangina! Anong katangahan 'to?" She scathingly glared at Laurel who simply shrugged her shoulders. Ako ang sunod na sinipat niya. "Akala mo nakakatuwa?"
Sumimangot ako. "Mine, maniwala ka man o hindi, totoo ang sinasabi ko. Naniwala si Cordelia na ako ang apo niya."
"Hindi 'yan ang punto ko!" she exclaimed. "Kahit sa'n mo tignan ang nangyaring 'to, alam mo agad na may mali!" She turned to Laurel. "At ikaw naman, Laurel! Ba't mo pagsasamantalahan ang sitwasyon ni Cordelia?"
Laurel scoffed and leaned back on our couch's backrest. "Anong pananamantala 'yang sinasabi mo? Kasalanan ko bang baliw at desperada siya?"
"My god!" Umiling siya. "Ewan ko sa inyo! Kapag nakulong kayo, labas na 'ko diyan! At 'wag din kayong umasang sasama ako sa inyo sa mansiyon nila. Punyeta. This is a fucking trap and you all know it."
Mine was for once, the rational one among us three. Ever since Sabby got sick, she became the most hardworking person I'd known. Wala na siyang pakealam kahit pinagti-tsismisan siya. She was who provided our daily bread. Parang siya nga ang tumayong haligi ng tahanan namin, e. I idolized her and this time, I was with her, too.
My stomach churned as I remembered what Laurel and I did to the poor old Cordelia. One look at her and I knew she was on the verge of giving up hope. She never got the chance to know what her granddaughter looked like so the 'connection' she was saying was farfetched. Baliw na ata talaga siya para maniwala sa kasinungalingan namin.
"Sabi sa 'yo, e. Maitatawid natin 'to," ani Laurel matapos magmartsa palabas ni Mine.
I sighed. "Paano kung... ako talaga ang apo ni Cordelia?"
Suntok sa buwan ang tanong kong 'yon pero 'yon lang ang magpapalubag-loob sa 'kin. The thought of us not fooling her consoled me. After the whole shenanigan with Ico, I didn't want to include pretense in my life anymore.
"Huh? Masyado naman atang matayog ang pangarap mo?" Her face twisted.
I felt like shrinking because of the offending look on her face. She looked like she just listened to the funniest joke she'd heard. What I said was out of the blue so I kinda understood. I wished she didn't make me feel so delusional about it, though.
"Alam kong desperada ka rin, Sunny. Sa pera. Sa pamilya. Sa identidad mo." She scoffed. "Pero nagpapanggap lang tayo. 'Di ka niya apo."
Pinaglaruan ko ang mga kamay ko. "E 'di ba Russian din 'yong tatay ko?"
"Sinabi ko ba 'yan?" Umiling siya. "Sus. Pala-tanong ka no'ng bata ka kaya gano'n. Nakita ka namin ni Mark sa harap ng simbahan dito sa La Fortuna." She checked out my face then laughed. "'Di ka naman mukhang Russian. Mukha kang Brazilian. O Caucasian. Ewan, pili ka na lang."
She went on about the money we'd be getting from the Casagrandes so I didn't push my luck. Sa totoo lang ay 'di rin ako umaasang apo ako ni Cordelia. Their bloodline didn't seem to fit me at all. Besides, I wasn't invested with my real identity the way everyone thought I was. I couldn't care less about it. Ang mas iniisip ko ngayon ay ang kapakanan ni Sab.
"I have a gift for you, Sabby!" Dr. Raj smiled before showing her a cute teddy bear. "Tada! Ang cute 'no? My Baba chose this with me!"
"Wow! Ang cute!" Her face lit up as she clapped her hands. Kinuha niya 'yon mula kay Dr. Raj. "Thank you po!"
Nasa opisina kami ni Dr. Raj para sa check-up ni Isabel. Ever since our little talk last year, Dr. Raj helped me with my grief. Nagbigay din siya ng financial aid sa 'min kahit 'di na 'yon kailangan dahil sobra-sobra na ang tulong niya. We were in his office for Sab's painkillers as well. She now knew that she was sick, but not... dying.
I didn't talk about it with Laurel or Minerva but my grieving process was difficult, as any grieving process would. Gano'n din sa kanila. The topic of Sab's death became taboo for all of us.
It's hard 'cause I could see and talk to her but I never knew when that'd stop. Ang hirap ngumiti habang tinitignan ko siya. It's like I was just pretending to be happy when deep down, it's me who was dying.
"Do you have anything to do next week, Sunny?" Dr. Raj asked after we were done with the check-up.
I shook my head. "Wala naman, Doc."
"Well," he scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly, "we have a fundraising party next week and if it's okay with you, you can be my date."
"Date?" Namilog ang mga mata ko. "Nako, wala akong masusuot para diyan!"
"I'll buy you a dress. Please?"
'Di ako sigurado kung ano ang isasagot ko. Sabby who was sitting on the chair in front of me gave me a thumbs up. Ngising-ngisi pa siya kaya sa huli'y pinaunlakan ko na lang ang offer ni Dr. Raj. Who knows? It could be the breather I badly needed.
True enough, Laurel and I went to the Casagrande's mansion the next day. Sabby wasn't with us, same with Minerva. Ayos lang 'yon sa 'kin kasi gusto kong siguraduhing ligtas ang ginagawa naming 'to bago sila ipalipat sa mansiyon. Everything felt like going to war unprepared. I didn't want Mine and Sab to get into this mess if ever.
Hapon na kami ni Laurel nakarating sa mansiyon. Nagulat ako nang makitang abala ang lahat ng kasambahay do'n. 'Lola' Cordelia and 'Tita' Soraya weren't in the mansion too. The maids told us they were busy with something. Tumulong kami ni Laurel sa pag-aayos pero noong dumating ang gabi'y tumigil din. Lola came home at around 6 PM. She was with a whole crew of MUAs.
"What's all these for, Lola?" I asked sweetly because that's how Aria would do it. "Ba't po may mga make-up artists? May party po ba?"
She chuckled. "Yes, yes, apo. And not just a simple party!"
"A welcome party, then?" I guessed.
Laurel was now snatched away by the said crew. Nasa sala kami at nang pumasok si Tita Sora ay agad niya 'kong striktang tinignan. My eyes went back to Lola who had the most suspicious and wide smile on her face. Mukha siyang witch na may masamang binabalak.
"It's your engagement party, Aria! This was long overdue and now it's happening!"
The what?
The fucking what?
Everything was escalating quickly. Kahapon, dukha at single pa ako tapos ngayon, milyonarya at magiging engaged na 'ko! How was that fucking possible? It seemed like all my bad lucks were now getting paid off by this intense amount of good lucks. Ang problema, nagpapanggap lang ako!
"E-e-engaged?" nauutal kong tanong. "Kanino naman po?"
"Who else?" She happily giggled. "Of course to the one and only, Icarus Benavidos!"
Well, fuck.