A Designer's Creation

22. The Mistress

My father was a womanizer. I grew up believing that he was the greatest man on Earth and his paramours were my aunts.

Noong bata ako, na-witness ko kung paano tratuhin ng pamilya ang mama ko. Para siyang alila na yuko nang yuko sa mga de Chavez at Echague. Kapag dumadalaw kami sa hacienda ni Lola para sa family gathering na quarterly ginaganap, tuping-tupi si Mama sa kanila.

Para nga akong manika dati. Hindi dahil madalas na binibihisan, pero kukunin kung kailan maisipan tapos pagpapasa-pasahan. Kay Mama, kay Daddy, sa hacienda ni Lola. Sa 'ming magkakapatid na de Chavez, ako ang laging pinupuna kapag nakakagawa ng mali.

"Anak kasi ng tanga."

"Bobong bata!"

"Chinga vos nana! No hay voz nada!" (Putang ina ka! Wala kang kuwenta!)

And my dad was always there to be my lawyer every time I did something unforgivable—or even if what I did was something forgivable and nonsense. Noong wala pa 'kong alam, siya talaga ang sumbungan ko kapag inaapi ako ng mga tiya at tiyo ko.

Nagalit ako sa kanya n'ong nalaman kong kabit lang niya si Mama at ako ang huling anak na ipinakilala niya sa pamilya—namumukod-tanging babae sa dosenang mga lalaki. At the age of 8, you could feel the difference of treatment na parang basura ka tapos hindi mo alam kung bakit hindi ka nila gusto sa pamilya.

Still, after I learned about me being an illegitimate child of a de Chavez, abogado ko pa rin si Daddy kapag napagtutulungan ako sa hacienda. I dunno if I was just his favorite kasi sabi nga nina Lola, gusto talaga ni Daddy ng babaeng anak kaso pinaulanan siya ng lalaki. But he was protective. Sa dami nilang lawyer, CPA, doctors, and company executives, ako lang ang pinayagang mag-take ng fashion designing.

Natatandaan ko pa kung paano ako taasan ng kilay ni Tita Dahlia after I said my course. Dalawang sunod-sunod na CPA ang naka-graduate sa mga kapatid ko that time. The rest, working na as lawyers sa PAO saka sa firm ni Daddy sa Pasay. Halos lahat ng mga kapatid ko Atty. De Chavez, CPA ang titulo. Ako lang ang walang ganoon.

Kaya kung makahanap sila ng lalaking pakakasalan ko, parang emergency ang lahat. Dapat ganito, dapat ganiyan.

Si Daddy ang pumili kay Tyrone. When I was 17, the Chen family met the de Chavez clan. Second year college ako nito sa international school, first year college naman si Tyrone sa Business School. We weren't that kind of couple na love at first sight. Pero aware na kami kung para saan ang family meeting.

Tyrone way back then was a nerdy Chinese boy who wore thick eyeglasses, the button of the collar was neatly closed and firm—enough not to show his neck. Naka-tuck in pa siya n'on at mukha siyang a-attend ng Quiz Bee. Since I was in fashion designing, of course, hindi ako puwedeng mukhang napadaan lang.

He was good-looking kahit mukha siyang yung binu-bully sa school every recess. He was glowing that night—this kind of glow na para bang alagang-alaga ang kutis niya ng sampung maid at bawal siyang pakagatan sa lamok or something that would cause him rashes. I mean you would know if he was being taken care of. He had that glow of a family's prince.

He smiled timidly, he barely talked, he was drinking water for the whole night kahit may juice naman. He ate vegetables and enough meat na parang sakto sa food pyramid ang measurements.

He was a good boy back then. And that night, they'd announce that Tyrone Chen and Cinnamon de Chavez were already engaged—and we were 17 that time. I've never seen Ty since that announcement until I landed in Lion's den.

After my father died, Tyrone stayed and became the defendant of my fucked-up self. He just replaced my father for being my lawyer every time I messed up.