"Papa is not coming with us?" I asked the moment mom greeted me down the stairs. Kakatapos ko lang mag ayos at pinapatawag na ako ni mommy kaya bumaba ako kaagad para salubungin siya.
Busy siya sa phone niya kaya hindi niya ako kaagad nasagot. It wasn't new anymore. Mommy was always in her phone. Today, she was wearing a black sleeveless dress which she partnered with pearls for jewelries and a designer handbag na alam kong limited edition lang. "Cleo, double time"
I pursed my lips. So, papa won't come. Ako lang pala ang dadalhin niya.
Kanina sa kwarto, I really took my time preparing myself para hindi madismaya si mommy sa magiging itsura ko. I was wearing a cute white dress shirt with a black ribbon sa front, then pinatungan ko ito ng cute yellow and green dress. Then I wore white knee socks and paired it with white mary jane pumps. I fixed my brown hair and half-ponytailed it with a white ribbon. Light make up lang din since mag lulunch lang naman kami sa isang mamahalin na restaurant.
When mom was finished with her phone, she scanned me from head to toe. "Where are these clothes come from?"
I faked a smile. She was the one who gifted this to me pero hindi niya ata naalala. I started pointing to each piece of my clothing, stating their brandnames. Satisfied, mom kissed both of my cheeks. "You look pretty"
Sabay kaming lumabas ng bahay kung saan naghihintay na sa mismong entrance ang kotse.
The restaurant na pinuntahan namin is nothing special naman pala because I have eaten here multiple times already. Akala ko naman kung saan kami pupunta. Good thing I wasn't that too optimistic about it.
The friend she was talking about already arrived before us. Kaya nung pinuntahan namin ang table, hinawakan kaagad ako ni mommy sa braso para ipakilala sakanyang kaibigan na babae. "This is my daughter, Cleobella. So what do you think?"
I ignored the fact that mommy introduced me like I was literally a product and her friend was the client she needed to impress.
But despite everything, I did my best to look confident and pretty. I even greeted mommy's friend politely- pero nabigla ako ng hawakan niya bigla ang baba ko sabay tinignan ng maige ang aking mukha.
Ngumiti siya. Satisfied. Ata. "She's good with preppy and classic concepts. And oh, totoo nga ang sinabi mo, she has this Alicia Silverstone vibe!"
Mommy pressed my arm. "I was actually hoping for a more mature concept but that will do too. So can you book her a gig or something?"
Huh?
Kumunot noo ko sa narinig.
I faked a laugh para makuha ang atensyon nilang dalawa. "Oh, but I'm not a model. What gig?"
Pinisil uli ni mommy braso ko. That means ayaw na niya akong magsalita. "I want the best for my daughter, Viany!"
What she actually mean was: she wants her daughter to be famous para maapektuhan 'rin ang popularity ng hotels namin.
Talk about business minded people.
I wish I could wear my disgusted face para makita nilang dalawa ang reaksyon ko tungkol dito. I wish papa is here. At least siya, he could talk it out with mommy. Kahit papaano. Papa is always calm and understanding- to the point na hinahayaan niya na lang si mommy na gawin ang gusto niya. Even though his own wife is already controlling his daughters' lives, patay malisya lang siya.
So yes, I am not a mother's girl nor a daddy's girl. Pero kung papapiliin lang 'din naman ako, kay papa na lang ako.
Mommy and tita Viany continued their talk like I wasn't here in the first place. Buti na lang at dumating na ang mga pagkain. Tita Viany must have ordered already nung papunta palang kami ni mommy. I don't know na lang talaga kung anong gagawin ko if I waited another minute for the food. Hindi na nga ako nagsasalita dito kasi ayokong masumbatan ni mommy sa bahay!
