Forbidden, Yet Allowed (Griyego #1)

Chapter 33

FYA - Home

We haven't completely left Manila as we were heading down the road. Nagulat na lamang kami nang makasalubong namin ang sasakyan nila Tita Nevaeh. She told us that she wasn't satisfied with bidding goodbye through video call, so as soon she was off to work, nagmadali siyang habulin kami para makapagpaalam nang maayos. Tito Russel was also there, of course. While the rest of them who were absent, bid their farewell through the video call since they all have work.

And now that Rio is slowly stopping the car in front of the garage door, I knew we are now home. Nauna akong lumabas sa kanila bago sila sumunod para kunin ang mga gamit sa sasakyan. I couldn't help but smile when I finally got to go back home.

I glance at Mama after I took some of our stuff to bring it inside. She was viewing the exterior of our home. Her eyes remained there for a few minutes. Hindi ko rin naman naiwasan na mapalingon din sa bahay namin. It wasn't actually small, but it's also not as big as the house of the Guanzons. It was enough for our family to live in. It has a garage that can fit two vehicles inside, a wide wooden porch that has a hammock and chair near the double doors, at sa ibabang bahagi naman ito ay nakalagay ang mga tanim na bulaklak na napaliligiran ng bermuda grass.

Nilapitan ko naman si Mama. "You okay, Ma?" I asked that made her snapped back into reality.

"Uh.. oo," aniya nang makabawi bago binalik ang tingin sa bahay. "So, this is our home." She smiled a little.

Ngumiti rin naman ako at saka inaya na siyang pumasok sa loob, but before we could even got to step on our stairs to the porch, Mama stopped and I saw her lips were mouthing something as she was looking at the stairs. Tatanungin ko na sana siya kung anong ginagawa niya, pero umayos na siya ng tayo at saka nagpatuloy na papasok sa loob.

As we got inside, Mama's eyes immediately roamed around our home. It was a two-storey house that has four bedrooms and one guestroom. The first thing that would welcome you as you get inside the house is our living room and stairs that leads to the second floor. Since Mama was the one who designed the house and Papa was the one who built it, they both decided for our home to be it in a more traditional way. So, most of the walls of the rooms were mahogany or cherry paneled walls. Well, everything were designed traditionally, except for the bedrooms that have a bit of touch of modern.

Puro mga antiques at mga picture frames namin ang nakabalandra sa aming sala bukod sa mga muwebles dito.

I looked at Mama, where I thought she was still roaming her eyes around our living room, but instead, she was looking at our stairs and mouthing something.

"Mama, what are you counting?" I finally asked her.

She looked at me, a bit surprised. She then faced me before pointing at the stairs. "I was checking if the landing was on oro or plata," she said.

Napatingin naman ako sa hagdan namin. Now I finally understood why she was also mouthing something at our porch. Akala ko naman kung ano. And here I thought she would be somehow nostalgic and have her head aches from all the memories we have in here, but instead, she would rather see if our stairs was landed on oro or plata. She didn't even bother looking at our family photos! Sino ba kasi ang nagpauso ng pamahiin na 'yon?

"Come on, Mama, you don't need to be bothered about it. You were the one who designed this. Just take a rest–"

I didn't get to continue what I was about to say when I heard Manang's voice nearing us.

"Afia, anak! Na-missed kita!" Salubong sa akin ni Manang at mahigpit akong niyakap.

I chuckled as I hugged her back. "Manang Eya, I wasn't the one who went abroad."