LOVE At First Sight

Vingt

"...I'm Alexander Elliss Amarante."

Mahinang natawa si Tiffany dahil akala naman nya kung ano pa ang sasabihin nito.

"I know you're Alexander Elliss Amarante mahal ko!"

"But now..."

At doon napakunot ang noo ni Tiffany habang nakatingin kay Alexander. "But now what?"

"But now, I'm Alexander Elliss A. Clermont."

Hindi na nagulat si Tiffany dahil una nyang naisip ang pangalan ng Clermont Convenience Store.

"So that's why, Clermont Convenience Store is yours right?"

Alexander nodded.

"So you're rich?" She asked and again Alexander nodded.

"But..."

"But what?"

"But not until I met you."

At doon nalukot ang mukha ni Tiffany dahil naguguluhan sya. "Mahal ko?"

"Hmm?"

"Pwedeng buuin mo na yung kwento mo? Kasi naguguluhan na ako. Gusto na kitang suntukin eh."

At doon napakurap-kurap si Alexander kapagkuwan ay natawa ng mahina. "Ang savage talaga ng mahal ko."

At hayun. Nag-haywire ang puso ni Tiffany dahil sa huling dalawang salita na sinabi ni Alexander. Mahal ko. Kinilig nanaman sya.

"Sige ito na. Bubuuin ko na para hindi maguluhan ang mahal ko. Baka masuntok pa ako eh. Magaling pa naman 'to sa self-defense."

Napairap nalang si Tiffany bago sumigaw. "Alexander!!!"

"Ito na! Ito na. Napaka-impatient! Ito na magku-kwento na."

"Okay. Simulan mo na."

Alexander took a deep breath before he started. "When I first met you in Paris, I'm already Alexander Elliss Amarante. My sister Alexandra and I are already using my Mom's surname that time. I choose to be a bartender. And I choose to live a simple and normal life without any money and power. As in literally, I started in zero because that's what I want to. Our Mother has a not so small company but not big either. Na-bankcrupt 'yon because of me. And that's when my sister Alexandra married Zach. I worked hard for my Sister kasi gusto kong mabawi ang kompanya ni Mom. Pero nang maging maayos na ang lahat, I still choose to live a normal life, being a bartender.

"But you know, Dad's reaching out to us. Palagi syang tumutulong sa amin. Lalo na kay Alexandra. Pero ako? Kahit anong tulong nya, hindi ko sya matanggap. Hindi ko sya mapatawad. So I decided to stay as an Amarante. A normal person living an ordinary life. But then I met you, who wants to live a simple and normal life just like me even though you came from an upstanding family. Then I came to like you. Okay na ako sa set-up natin. Simple lang basta magkasama. Pero hindi ko naisip na dadating sa puntong itatakwil ka ng ama mo dahil wala akong maipagmamalaki.

"But you fought for me. And I was amazed by you. Ipinaglaban mo ako kahit alam mong isang hamak na bartender lang ako. Doon ko naramdaman ang sobrang pagka-inlove sayo. Then your Father disowned you but still you chose me. And you even worked for us para lang mapatunayan ang pagmamahal mo sa akin. And from that moment, I told myself, ang dami mo nang isinakrispisyo. Kaya ako naman ang gagawa ng paraan para patunayang mahal na mahal kita."

Tumigil si Alexander sa pagsasalita dahil pinunasan nya ang nagmamalabis na luha sa mata ni Tiffany bago nya ito hinalikan sa noo.

Then he continued, "I went to Dad and asked him If we're still welcome to his family. And without thinking twice, Dad accepted us with open arms. I decided to use his surname together with the reason of forgiving him for the wrong things he has done to our family."