Cycle Of Love Series #5: Love and Crosses

92

"Yeah . . . bro, please don't tell others yet where we are."

I gently sat on the couch while massaging my temple while talking to Julius on the phone. He keeps bugging me, asking me where we are so I had no choice but to tell him because he'll pester me to death if I don't tell him where we are!

Zye and I stayed in a hotel after we met yesterday night. Dalawang kuwarto sana ang kukuhain ko kaso mas magastos 'yon at kailangan namin magtipid ng pera kaya kinuha ko na lang ang kuwarto na may dalawang kuwarto.

I know we're engaged already but sleeping with her on the same bed would be uncomfortable for the both of us. I felt like we skipped to the important part of dating: getting to know each other.

"Hey, I'm gonna hang up. Talk to you later," paalam ko kay Julius nang makita ang pigura ni Zye na kalalabas lang sa kuwarto niya.

"You're up." I stood up to offer her a seat in the dining area. "I already cooked breakfast earlier so eat. Niluto ko rin 'yong ibang preference food mo na sinabi mo sa akin noon."

"Wow . . ." Her sleepy eyes became awake in an instant. "Marunong ka magluto?"

"Hmm. Mom taught me how to cook simple dishes." Umupo ako sa tabi niya at pinagmamasdan siya kumain.

"Hmm, masarap!" She gave me a bright smile with a thumbs-up after tasting it. That made me flash a big smile. "Why don't you try some too?"

She offered me a fried egg that I cooked so I ate it even if I already ate earlier. I'm glad that I'm able to cheer her mood despite of our situation.

"Here. Try this too. You said this is your favorite." Ako naman ang nag-alok sa kaniya ngayon ng bacon na agad niyang tinanggap. I was confident that it will taste good because I practiced it a multiple times to cook at home for her. Now, I could say my hard work paid off.

"This is SO good!" Napapikit pa siya habang ninanamnam ang sarap noong bacon. Lalong lumawak ang ngiti ko. "You know, we're totally the opposite. I've never been tried cooking because I was scared Mom and Dad will be angry again."

"Do you want your boyfriend teach you how to cook?" I swayed the topic.

"Totally agree! You already taught me how to love so . . . why not teach me new things?"

. . .

"Oh, gosh. Where are they?!"

"What if Leo really turn his back on us, Anderson? What would you do?! Do your best to find our son!"

After Andre and Ashandria disappeared, the table had turned upside down. And my first question I'm going to ask on my precious weekend is . . .

Why am I in the police station together with their families? All alone?

"This is all your fault, Anderson!" sabi ni Tita sa asawa niya. "If you wouldn't always pressure our beloved son in his studies, he wouldn't stormed out like this!"

"He deserves it!" depensa naman ni Tito. "His grades in History went down three points! Is he slacking off because we're praising him too much these days!"

Three points?! That wouldn't kill you!

Judging by my best friend's intelligence in studying, his grades usually plays around 95-100 every school year. It didn't even went down further than that . . . so, what kind of slacking off is that old man talking about?!

Alam mo, bilib din ako sa katibayan sa pagtitiis nito ni Andre. How did he endured that pressure for almost half decade of his life? My grades barely went up to 95! Parang maliit na bagay lang sa kaniya! With the grades and brain I have, if in an unfortunate fate happens and I got a Dad like him, I probably don't want to enroll immediately.

"How could you say that to our daughter, Lilia?!" Papa naman ni Ashandria ang naririnig ko ngayon. "What's wrong of doing what she likes? Can you just let her be?!"

"Why am I the only one who's totally against of that?! Aren't you against it too?! She's not the daughter we used to know anymore!"

"I REGRETTED EVERYTHING, LILIA!" Napahawak ako sa dibdib ko sa sigaw ni Mr. Aveline. "I just realized how bad we are raising our daughter if she didn't speak up . . . She was right. We're too selfish enough to not let her to do anything she likes so how could you blame her the wrong thing we've done?!"

Woah. Am I seeing things?

"Maybe it's wrong to set-up those two in a wedding. They've been acting this way ever since the engagement party!" komento naman ng tatay ni Andre ngayon. "We should cancel this wedding off."

Man . . . I'm getting angry.

"It isn't because of the wedding, Mr. Chavez." Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili ko makisali. "It's because all of you."

"Mr. Aveline was right. It's all your fault for your kids to end up that way."

"What is this little punk trying to say?! Did you say we never became parent-"

"Yes, you never did," I boldly told him. "Who would want a parent that treats them like a dog, tied in a leash?" tanong ko sa kanilang lahat. Silence is the only respond I got. Pati ang mga pulis sa istasyon ay napatahimik dahil sa akin. "No one would want that, right? You guys were trying to prevent them from doing what they really want by setting them up to ridiculous things. Like this marriage. We're still 17 years old!" I hitted my chest. "We're still on our youth! Why are you pushing those two on adulthood already?! For your own good?"

"Is that really good to the point that you would gladly make your child's life miserable?" I casually asked them again.

"H-How dare you talk to your elderly! Ganiyan ka ba pinalaki ng magulang mo?" Ashandria's mom asked.

"That is my expert area, ma'am. Talking back."

"In this point, you must've realized what's your fault, right?" pagpapatuloy ko. "Just admit it already, okay?! Stop protecting your damn pride and ego because that will not help you!"

"Last one . . . If you continue to be like this, they might rebel to you completely so, think carefully before acting, okay?"