Mon Amour (My Love)

CHAPTER 12

KING

"Oh my God." I heard Papa Allie said, under his breath, as we approached the gate of a really imposing subdivision. "It's been so long."

"Yeah." Papa Rodel responded. His one hand was on the wheel, the other was adjusting the frame of his glasses so he could see the view outside more clearly.

"It's been so long that I forget how many years it -"

"28." Papa Rodel said, interrupting what Papa Allie was saying. "28 full years, Allie."

Papa Allie beamed at him with pride. "You remember?"

"Of course. Hindi ko makakalimutan kung ilang taon na mula noong..." Papa Rodel hesitated. He then shook his head. "Kung gaano ka na katagal sa buhay ko, Allie."

"You're brilliant, Rodel." Papa Allie said, but he didn't look too innocent of what Papa Rodel really meant to say. Not as innocent as I was, I must say.

The security guard gestured his hand to stop us. Papa Rodel stopped the car.

"Look at that. Siya pa rin ang guard dito, Rodel. Do you recognize him? He just looks a lot older now, of course." Papa Allie said as he opened the window on his side.

"Good morning. Saan po kayo, Sir?" the guard asked.

"Ibarra mansion." "Home." Papa Rodel and Papa Allie said at the same time. They exchanged uncomfortable looks afterwards.

The guard frowned and didn't speak for a moment. Then I saw how his face lit up.

"Sir Allie?" he asked excitedly.

Papa Allie laughed. "Yes, it's me. Kumusta po, Manong Ian?"

***

After a few minutes of exchanging dialogues with the guard who recounted what he could remember about Papa Allie and a little about Papa Rodel when they were younger, Papa Rodel drove on.

Everything that I see is beauty and majesty. It's like finding wonderland, only the beauty is too intricate to be unrealistic. The houses are magnificent. It's like one stands to be more beautiful than the others but no one wants to be the second best.

"Papa Allie," I said, trying not to sound too amused. "I didn't mean to listen to your conversation with the guard, but is that right, this is yours?"

"Yes." It was Papa Rodel who answered. "Everything that you see, Angelo. Property ng mga Ibarra."

"Wow." I said. "Uncle Marco's right. You're pretty loaded."

Papa Allie laughed. "No. Not really. My family owns this subdivision. It's named after my father since the land used to belong to him. But the houses and the pieces of land they're on belong to the people who bought them already. That's why it's called a subdivision - it's literally a process of dividing a parcel of land into more further parcels."

"I see." I said. "But still..."

"We're here." I could no longer continue what I was about to say because Papa Rodel announced that we've reached our destination. I looked outside and I have to take back what I said earlier about the houses being equally beautiful and majestic because right there in front of us was the most stately, castle-like mansion that I've ever seen. It proudly stood in the midst of a seemingly vast land. I could make out the handsome manor even from outside the high black gates.

"They did not change anything, did they?" Papa Rodel asked.

Papa Allie shook his head. "They did not. It seems like it was yesterday when I last saw this place. I can't believe I'm back here. I'm back to where I grew up."