Engaged?!Eh Gusto Kong Mag Madre!

Chapter 1

"Hmmhmm. Lalalalala." Ang sarap talaga sa pakiramdam ang tumulong sa kapwa. Tuwing makikita mo ang mga masasayang expression nila parang ang gaan ng feeling mo kaya napapasmile ka na lang rin. "Hi Ate Mary. Uhm. Salamat po pala sa pagkain at saka sa damit. Napakalaking tulong po talaga to sa pamilya namin. Wala po kasing trabaho sila mama at papa. Nangangalakal lang kami ng mga kapatid ko pagkatapos ng klase tapos ang kita namin doon ay pang hapunan at umagahan lang namin. Maraming salamat po talaga sa inyo." pagkatapos niyang sabihin ang mga katagang ito ay ngumiti siya ng napakalapad at tumakbo sa mga kaibigan niya. Nandito nga pala kami sa Cruz Elementary School. May charity program kasi ang club namin dito. Kada buwan yung charity program namin at every month iba yung location ng aming charity program.

"Mary! Halika na! Sabi ni Miss pack up na daw. Babalik na tayong school." Sabi ng kaklase kong si Pluy kaya tumakbo ako patungo sa kanya at nagligpit na din ng mga karton na pinaglagyan namin kanina sa mga pinamigay namin.
"Alam mo Mary, napaka fortunate natin noh? Nakakakain tayo tatlong beses sa isang araw, may matinong damit! Samantalang ang mga students dito halos wala nang makain araw-araw. Haaay. Kapag talaga nakapagtrabaho na ako gagawa talaga ako ng foundation." Sambit ni Pluy na nginitian ko lang. 

Sa sinabi niyang iyon, napaisip ako. What will I be doing in the future? Probably managing our business. Doon naman talaga hahantong ang kinabukasan ko eh. Sa business. My parents will not allow it if the company would belong to somebody else. They treasure it too much. More than they would treasure me. 

Sa totoo lang, naiingit ako sa mga batang nandito. Kahit na hirap sila sa buhay at least mahal na mahal sila ng kanilang mga magulang at malaya silang pumili kung ano ang kanilang nais. Kumpara sakin, mayaman nga wala namang pake ang mga magulang ko sa gusto ko. Lagi nalang sila ang masusunod.  Wala rin silang time para sakin. Mas pinagtutuunan pa nila ng pansin ang company kesa ang pagpapalaki sakin. Minsan nga naisip kong maglayas kaso naisip ko 500 lang yung pera ko hindi parin ako makakalayo sa parents ko. 

The whole ride back to school was uneventful. My fellow students were either asleep, listening to music with their earphones on or talking to their friends. I'm doing neither of the three. Well, sort of. I had my earphones on, however, I didn't have any song on play and I had my eyes closed so they probably think I'm sleeping. In other words, I want to be left in my own thoughts.

I pondered about my future and the life I may have lead if I wasn't born a Dela Torre. Siguro, simple lang. We'll live in an average sized house with all the necessities needed. My father would be working and my mother would be at home taking care of us. My brothers would be doing part time jobs and every night we would be hanging out slash resting in the hut beside our humble home.

But of course those were just fantasies and I was brought to reality by a short ding from my phone. Signifying that I received a text from somebody. And that somebody turned out to be my oh so loving mother telling me to go straight home after school and wait for her at father's office. Yeah. He has an office at home. Actually, both of my parents have their own office at home. Hindi sa kuripot ang pamilya ko kaya hindi na nagrenta pa ng space sa isang building para sa office. Mas gusto lang talaga nilang iuwi ang mga trabaho nila sa bahay. Ewan ko ba sa kanila. Pakasalan nalang kaya nila ang kanilang trabaho. hmp.

Pagkadating na pagkadating ko sa bahay, dumiretso na agad ako sa office ni Daddy located just beside our library. Ang office naman ni Mommy, katabi lang ng office ni Daddy. Bago ako pumasok ay kumatok muna ako ng tatlong beses to announce my presence and I heard Mom telling me to come in.

I did and I gasped in surprise to see that majority of the family were present in the room and a couple of faces that were unfamiliar were seated at the sofa. I have a bad feeling about this. Please tell me this isn't what I think it is.