Alexander Kiel
"Bakit nandyan ka sa sofa?" Pinandilatan ako ni Alice ng mata, ready anytime bumuga ng apoy. Nagmamadaling itong naglakad at lumapit sa'kin saka sinalat ang noo ko at leeg. "Buti na bumaba ang lagnat mo. Bakit ka bumangon?"
"It's the flu. I'm not paralyzed." I got the duvet and my game on, there's nothing to worry about. Hinila ko siya sa braso para mapaupo sa tabi ko pero pinigil niya ako.
"Wait lang, prepare ko lang food mo." Bumitaw ito at lumakad papuntang dining table kung saan nilapag ang dalang pamilyar na tote bag at paper bag ng tinapay.
"Saan ka galing?"
"Bumili lang ako tinapay, alam mo yung kwason?" then raised a piece of croissant. Gustuhin tumawa ng malakas, hindi ko magawa dahil sa kawalan ng enerhiya.
"Ano?"
"Kwason." She looked with half smile while she put it on the plate so hindi ko alam kung nagbibiro ba siya o ano.
"You can pronounce it the American way. Tayo lang naman ang nandito."
Muli itong lumapit sa'kin dala ang plato ng croissants at baso ng mainit na ginger tea na galing sa tote bag. "Pwede mo ba ako turuan ng French?"
"Hindi kaya 'yon ang maging mitya ng paghihiwalay natin?"
Sumimangot ito at pinalo ako sa braso. Hindi ko naman napigilan ang pagtawa ko. "Grabe ka."
"Nagtatanong lang."
Dinampot nito ang isang tinapay sa plato. "Nga pala, may naiwan daw na food si Manang Ofelia sa baba. Kinuha ko na din."
"Manang never drops by anything here, Alice. That's my mom's assumed duty since I lived here two years ago." Natigilan ang babae. "We can never move on from problems if you lie like this. Anong sinabi sa'yo ni Aileen?"
Nagulat ako nang tumayo ang babae at humarap sa'kin. Salubong ang kilay nito, nanlilisik ang mata at nagngingitngit. "Pwede ba ako magalit?"
"Of course."
Nagpabalik-balik ito ng lakad hanggang huminto at tinignan ng masama ang palad na walang hawak. With her nose flaring, her fingers moved as if summoning fire in them. Nang hindi mangyari, she started cutely punching the air, screaming. With her bunned hair bouncing and teeth bared to the invisible enemy, she let out a primal growl of a kitten. "Arrggghhhh!"
Natawa ako. "Anong nangyari?" I can only imagine for now and assume katulad ito ng usapan namin ni Aileen kagabi.
"Did she tell you to come back?" She scoffed when I came back that night. "Of course, she did."
"What do you mean?"
"She wouldn't let you lose your family, that was a loss she can't incur."
"Ma," She sees a different Alice than me. "What exactly are you doing?"
"I'm just warning her that I'm here now."
"Exactly what Alice said. You don't need to do that, thank you."
"She needs to know what it takes to become a Zaldivar's wife."
"And that is?"
Hinawakan ako nito sa dalawang braso at tinitigan sa mata. "I know you love each other but with all that happened, you gotta do it right this time."
"By you doing this?"
"By her knowing that scheming–"
"I told you I was there!" My mother flinched so huminahon ako. "I understand what you're doing, I appreciate it, but can we stop the 'gamitan for fame, money,' or whatever that is your implying? It doesn't exist in our world. It never is."
