PLEASURABLE RESTRICTIONS ✔️

Chapter Sixteen

 "TAMA NA!" malakas kong sigaw at tinulak si kuya Cain tsaka ko hinila si Regan para bitawan si kuya Moises. "Ano ba kayo?! Bakit nagaaway-away kayo?!"

"Kung hindi naman dumating si Cain ay hindi tayo magkakagulo dito," sagot ni kuya Abel at lumakad palapit sa puwesto ko tsaka niya tinulak sa balikat ang kambal. "You should leave now, asshole."

"I won't leave without Adina."

"Kuya, please..." pigil ko sa dalawa. Nilingon ko naman si kuya Magnus na tahimik lang na nakamasid sa'min kaya huminga ako nang malalim at tumayo sa gitna nilang lahat. "Pasensya na po sa mga bisita namin pero maaari na ho kayong umuwi. Pasensya sa abala!" sigaw ko at hindi ko naman na din inulit pa ang sinabi ko dahil kusa silang nagsi-alisan.

"Isn't it nice that you ruined your own sister's birthday party?" doon na nagsalita si kuya Magnus at nilapitan si kuya Cain. "Is this how you want to see our family, ruined and unhappy?"

"I've never been part of this family from the very start, Magnus and you know that." Sagot ni kuya Cain at ngumisi sa panganay naming kapatid. "You never held me in my neck, that's why you neglected me as your so-called brother. I never followed anything you say and I even turned my side to the Montenegro. I didn't ruin this godforsaken family, Magnus! It was ruined from the very start, by you."

"Umalis ka na Cain," sabat ni kuya Abraham na tinutulungan tumayo si kuya Moises. "And please, never come back."

"See? You never even wanted me here." Natatawang saad pa ni kuya Cain tsaka ako hinarap. "Let's go, Adina. Tignan mo ang pamilyang 'to na walang ibang ginawa kung 'di ang sumunod sa utos ni Magnus. Y'all just a fucking puppets to him, morons!"

"Stop, kuya!" pigil ko sa kanya. I could see fury in the way he looked at our brothers and I don't know why he's like this. Ano bang problema?

"Adina," tawag ni kuya Magnus sa'kin kaya nilingon ko siya. "If you come with Cain, forget that you have a family, forget us and forget that you're an Elinzano."

"Come on, Adina." Hinila ako ni kuya Cain pero nagpapigil ako.

"Kuya Magnus, why are you like this? Bakit hindi na lang tayo magkasundo lahat? A-ayaw niyo ba ng masayang pagsasama?" tulad ng mga Montenegro? "Ayaw niyo ba ng katahimikan? Palagi na lang tayong nagaaway-away."

"This is the way our family has to be, Adina and you must understand it." Sagot nito sa'kin.

"Halika na, Adina."

"Kuya, ayusin naman natin 'to, oh." Pigil ko kay kuya Cain at nang tingnan ko siya ay malamig ang tingin nito sa'kin. Parang hindi siya ang kapatid ko na laging naka-ngiti sa'kin.

"You should've not come here, Cain." Saad ni kuya Magnus na kinatingin namin sa kanya. "I already let you do whatever you want in your life but didn't I tell you to never come back to my house? Have you got no shame? You even brought this Montenegro to my house!"

"Tama na," pigil ko sa akmang pagsagot ni kuya Cain. "Umalis na tayo."

"Go and I'll never let you step on any of my property, Adina."

Huminga ako nang malalim bago ko tinignan si kuya Magnus. "I never wanted to be here from the very start, remember? Kaya ako nandito dahil gusto kong i-celebrate ang birthday ko kasama kayo; kasama ang pamilya ko. But this party is made for business and not to celebrate my birthday. Bakit ba ko umasa na magiging masaya ang kaarawan ko?" umiiyak kong sabi at hinarap si kuya Cain at Regan. "You even made my night worst!"

"Adina..."

Nauna akong lumakad palabas ng garden at hindi na pinansin pa ang mga tawag nila sa'kin. Naramdaman ko ang presensya sa tabi ko at nakita kong si Regan 'yun. Mas minadali ko naman ang paglalakad ko para makalayo sa kanya pero naabutan pa din niya ko.