He's My Cousin!

[Ch.57] Stop

[Ch.57] Stop

// Ayanna's Point of View

"No, Paolo, no." Iyon lang ang nasabi ko. I was shaking my head, deliberately denying the idea. He had to be lying. Hindi possibleng maging totoo iyon. He was trying to be funny and he was not being funny at all. He's a Salvatorre, and that was clear.

Paolo stepped towards me. Nagulat ako nang yakapin niya ako. Why was he doing this in front of our family? Gusto ba talaga niyang itakwil kami nang tuluyan ng mga ito? As much as I wanted to protest, I couldn't, because the warmth of his embrace was the only refuge I needed right now. Napapikit na lang ako.

"I'm sorry if I didn't tell you two years ago. I'm sorry, I'm rrally sorry that I had to hurt you," he said on top of my head.

I wanted to tell him it was okay, that it wasn't his fault, that I understood, but even before I could open my mouth to speak, I felt someone pushing us apart. It was Tita Carissa.

"Ano, dahil lang nalaman niyo ang totoo ay tingin niyo pwede na kayo? He's a Salvatorre! He's our son!" she said, shouting. Sa totoo lang ay hindi iyon ang pumasok sa isipan ko. Ang tanging iniisip ko lang at patuloy na bumabagabag sa akin ay iyong hirap na pinagdaanan ni Paolo. I was thinking how he survived for the last two years with the knowledge that the family and the identity he had wasn't even really his. Not to mention I made things for him even harder. Those thoughts were killing me.

"Mama," saway ni Paolo sa kinalakihang ina.

"Yes, Paolo, "mama," and you should follow your mother," Tita Carissa said firmly.

"Ma, this isn't even about Aya and me, this is about the lie you let me believe," Paolo said. Nahihirapan akong pakinggan siya. The pain in his voice was hurting me, too.

"Pero hindi ba't iyon naman ang punto mo kaya sinasabi mo ngayon ang nalaman mo?" Nangagalaiti siya sa galit. "You lived for two years being quiet about it, why couldn't we just all move on and pretend this didn't happen? Continue living our lives as family?"

"Tita Carissa!" Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili ko. Hindi ba niya nakikita na sobrang importante ng bagay na ito para sa anak niya? I know she loves him, but she was too much. Paolo deserved an explanation. Ninakaw nila ang higit sa dalawamput-isang taon ng buhay niya. We just couldn't ignore that fact.

Ngunit napahawak ako sa pisngi ko nang may lumipad na sampal patungo rito.

"Carissa!" Nagulat ako nang humarang si Papa sa aming dalawa ni Tita Carissa.

"I know they've done wrong, I know my daughter was wrong... Pero wala kang karapatang saktan ang anak ko. Don't ever dare lay your hands on her again."

"June..." Tita Carissa was taken aback. "She wants to take my son away from me."

"She's not taking away anybody from you, Carissa," sabi ni papa. "Do you think we will let the situation get worse?"