Mrs. Araneta

Chapter VI: First 🤍

March 1984
It's been almost five months since Don Luis cut loose on Greggy. Since then, he has been living with the first family. Well, not fully. The President was generous enough to offer him the Bahay Pangarap. It is within the complex of Malacañang Palace, but stand as a place on its own. It is a single bedroom rest house, just enough for Greggy.

But life hasn't been that easy for him. They have to postponed the wedding. Irene understands that whatever is left of Greggy, monetary speaking.. they cannot just pour it out on the expenses of their impending wedding. As much as her father wanted to be of help, the offer he made for a place for Greggy to stay is more than enough for him. He cannot allow him to splurge on the wedding of his youngest.

Greggy meet up with one of his Ateneo buddies, Teddy Ocampo. He knows the situation along with couple of their friends and they are unanimous in agreeing that Greggy should follow his father's request.

'Gago, palagay mo ba titigilan ka ng tatay mo? Just marry her, Pare. Tapos magpa divorce ka. O annulment. Saka mo balikan si Irene.'

Teddy is talking about the deals that Greggy is trying to close for couple of months now. Whenever he's to advance for one step, his father will immediately turn the deals around sending Greggy back to nothing, again.

"Ano? Sira ka ba? Hindi ko nga kilala yun, papakasalan ko pa. I love Irene, Pare. She's my life. Ever since all these shits happened, hindi nya ako iniwan. It may take a while, but I'll make her my wife. Stop talking about nonsense."
'Nonsense? Eh hindi mo nga mai date man lang yang fiancé mo. Sus, Greggy. Anong akala mo kay Irene.. anak ng kung sino lang? Presidente tatay nyan no. Tapos sa kusina sa Pangarap mo lang pinapakain kaka tipid mo. It's not just your life, Greggy. It's hers also. Kailan pa kayo papakasal nyan? Kailan ka pa makaka ipon? Irene is what? Mag 24 na? 25? Whatever. My point is, birthday mo na naman next month. 36 ka na. And you are, without money, without your own place and still single. Pwede naman na hindi ahh. Sumunod ka na lang sa tatay mo. Crush ka naman ni Kris ehh. Para magka anak ka na rin tuloy, tanda mo na.'

Greggy doesn't want to admit it, but whatever Teddy said, may have affected him in ways he is not prepared to.

GREGGY's POV:

It's been a week since Ted and I talked. And I hate to even acknowledge it, but he is right. About some parts of it. With the rate of how am I doing business wise and how much I am making, there's no way Irene and I can ever get married this year.
And it is saddening. She's been waiting way too long for this, which to my defense the very same reason why I cannot accept her father's offer to pitch in for the expenses.
Ang tagal nya na nga nag hintay, tapos tatay nya pa mag babayad, what kind of husband would I be then?

Not only that those thoughts seems to just be lurking around the corners of my mind, but they are also, now dominating my mood. While Irene has been nothing but patient and understanding, I became moody and temperamental even with slightest of things.

I am getting ready for another prospect meeting with a client when Irene came.
'Heyyy. Good morning. Kumain ka na?'
"Good morning. Not yet, baka mamaya na lang pag balik ko. You?"
'Not yet. Kain muna tayo? Nag luto ako. Nandun sa kitchen mo. Sabay tayo?'
"I'm running late, Irene. Ikaw na lang."

She smiles and walk around the table to hug me.
'Ayoko. That's for you nga ehh. Halika na? Bago ka umalis, please? Kahit konti lang.'

I know she meant well. But the pressure mounting inside me is something I cannot just share with her. Ayoko na ma stress siya. I don't want her to carry the burden that should be solely mine. So I am trying to avoid every meal with her. She's going to ask things I do not have answers for. I am just going to do the only thing that I am consistently doing for the past months now, disappoint her.