ABALA si Valencia sa pagluluto ng mga paninda niyang fishball at kikiam. Nang mag-resign siya sa kanyang trabaho, naisipan niyang magtinda na muna sa labas ng bahay nila. Marami pa naman siyang natitirang ipon sa dati niyang trabaho at marami rin siyang nagawang overtime noon sa boss niya.
Hindi pa rin mawala sa isip niya si Shien. She was still wondering what he was doing now. Noong isang araw ay pabalik-balik si Shien sa tapat ng bahay nila. Kinausap din nito ang kanyang Tatay. Hindi niya kasi pinapansin ang mga tawag nito at text sa kanya. Inutusan din nito si Jayra na kausapin siya.
She missed him. She missed the young man a lot, but she didn't want to get in the way of Arianne and Shien's relationship in the future. Still, Valencia couldn't get over the way Shien looked at Arianne. He was in love with her.
"Ate, nasusunog na 'yang niluluto," her sister scolded her. She came to her senses and immediately glanced at what she was cooking.
"Hindi naman," she said.
"Paano kung masunog at malugi itong maliit mong negosyo?"
She frowned at her and turned her attention back to what she was cooking. Nagtataka siya dahil araw-araw nalang ay marami siyang niluluto para kay Manong. Araw-araw din itong dumadayo para lamang bumili ng paninda niya. Hindi niya ito namumukhaan dahil alam niyang hindi ito nakatira sa barangay nila.
Nang matapos siya, agad na kinuha ni Valencia ang malaking tupperware na dala ni Manong. Ito kasi ang pagsisidlan niya ng kanyang mga paninda.
"Manong, may pa-feeding program po ba kayo? Araw-araw kasi kayong bumibili sa akin." Hindi na niya napigilang tanungin si Manong.
Manong scratched his head before he answered. "Ah, eh, pinag-utusan lang po ako, Ma'am."
Valencia frowned at what she heard. "So, hindi ito sa'yo?"
"Hindi po, pinapabili lang po ako noong mayaman na lalaki na kausap ko. Binabayaran niya rin po kasi ako ng malaking halaga."
Her curiosity grew bigger. "Anong pangalan ng lalaki, Manong?"
Hindi nakapagsalita si Manong. Napaisip muna ito kung sasabihin ba sa kanya o hindi. "Hindi ko na matandaan, Ma'am. Basta gwapo, matangkad na moreno po."
Valencia didn't ask again. She already had a hunch who that could be, but she just wanted to ignore it. It was a good thing that someone was buying her goods. Who was she to complain about the blessings God had given her?
But she already had a feeling that Shien might not be the one buying her goods. No, all she wanted was a quiet life. Ayaw na niyang makasalamuha pa si Shien. Valencia was also aware that Shien still had feelings for Arianne but could not express them. She got in the way of them. Whatever Shien and Arianne had, she couldn't stop it.
She felt a pang of pain again in her chest. She just ignored it. Umalis na rin si Manong. Wala na siyang paninda kaya naisipan niyang tawagin ang kapatid niya para ligpitin ang mga ginamit niya sa labas. Agad din naman iyong dinaluhan ng kanyang kapatid. Dumiritso si Valencia sa kanyang silid para makapag-isip. Alam niya sa sarili niya na hindi niya pa kayang harapin ang kanyang dating boss.
Just the thought of him kissing Arianne was really annoying. Hindi niya alam kung bakit ganoon ang naiisip niya kapag sumasagi sa isip niya na okay si Shien at Arianne. She already told herself that she was happy for them, but no—nasasaktan siya at hindi niya kayang rendahan ang puso niya para kay Shien.
"Bakit naman kasi sa dinami-raming lalaki sa mundo ay sa lalaking may sabit pa ako nagkagusto?" aniya sa sarili.
"Harapin mo nalang kasi siya."
BINABASA MO ANG
Adler's Legacy #1: Subtle Romance
Roman d'amourHe spends his time dancing with strangers, partying all night, and there is no passion in his life. Shien defined his life in this manner after his ex-girlfriend became pregnant with another man. Happiness seemed impossible to come by until he found...
