Property
"Are you married, hijo?" tanong ni Lola nang walang pag-aalinlangan.
Draven slowly shook his head. Kita ko ang pagtingin niya sa akin na para bang gusto niyang makita ang aking ekspresyon. I remained a straight face when in fact, I wanted to smirk at him.
So he's not married? Or maybe he has a girlfriend?
"How about a girlfriend?" at para bang nababasa ni Lola ang nasa isip ko, iyon din ang sumunod niyang tanong.
Umiling muli si Draven. "I'm busy with my work..."
Oh? Oh... so wala ring girlfriend? Walang naging girlfriend? Lola must ask him about that. But with Lola's nodding response, I think she's already contented with his answer.
"Which means you can marry one of my grandchildren. Some of them are still single."
Nauna agad ang emosyon sa akin.
"Lola, are you setting me up in a fixed marriage?!" I reacted violently.
Lola looked at me sharply. "Sinabi ko ba ang pangalan mo, hija?"
Edi kanino niya ipapakasal si Draven kung ganoon?! Ngunit kahit walang pangalang nabanggit, amoy ko naman na sa akin 'yan coz we talk about it last night. Ito marahil iyon.
"Lola! You can't just force us into a marriage! That's an absurd condition!" giit ko at agarang pumapalag.
Well I don't want to appear desperate here. Kung papayag man ako mamaya sa kondisyon, iyon ay dahil napagod na ako kakatanggi. Mas katanggap tanggap ang kahihiyang iyon kaysa ang makitang pabor ako rito. Mukha namang lalabas na ako itong uhaw na uhaw...
"Well what do you think?" si Lola na nilingon si Draven sa istriktong paraan, taliwas sa halos pakitang tao niya kanina na kaawa-awa at uugod ugod tingnan para lang mapagbigyan.
Draven cleared his throat. He shook his head lightly.
"I can't, Donya..." there's a finality in his words.
Sa halip na maging masaya, parang na-offend ako bigla. My thick brows knitted. Kahit si Lola, nakaangat na ang kilay. Draven looked at me carefully.
Tang... ina. Did he just... reject me in front of my face?
"I can't too, Lola," at halos pilitin ko ang sarili na sabihin iyon huwag lang mapahiya.
Lola lifted her brow more but this time her eyes is judging me to the core. Halos rinig ko ang tinig sa kanyang isipan 'Oh, ayaw naman pala sa'yo? Pipilitin ko pa ba 'to?' Damn it!
Well... he probably taste some girls from the past and he realized he doesn't want to get chain into a relationship!
So... this is what a real broken heart feels like huh? Ito na pala 'yon? That their simple words cut so deep like a knife? Na parang ako itong nahiwalayan kahit hindi naman kami? So... this is what my ex boyfriend felt everytime I'm breaking up with them?
Well, I'm not desperate here. Hindi naman ako nagpapakita ng motibo na gusto ko siya. At kaya namang lunukin kung ayaw niya sa akin. Matapang ko siyang tiningnan at ipinakitang parehas kaming may gusto noon kahit parang gusto kong maghukay sa pinakailalim na parte ng lupa at ilibing ang sarili sa kahihiyan.
"I can't marry at the moment. My work is just too dangerous that getting married is my least concern, Donya..." he reasoned out.
Too dangerous?
"You are an engineer right?" Lola asked.
Draven nodded.
"Oh... sabagay. Delikado nga ang trabaho ng isang engineer... Baka malaglagan ng semento ang asawa mo pag nasa site... o mabagok sa mga pader... Delikado nga naman pag may asawa kang patay na patay sa'yo," Lola glanced at me shamelessly.
