Mariposa de Barrio

Chapter 4: ¡Bienvenido a Casa Jiménez!

After Don Sandro excused himself to rest, the three were left inside the study room with Bobet. Tumayo siya sa dating kinatatayuan ni Don Sandro para kausapin ang tatlo nitong anak. He was just about to open his mouth when the three started complaining again.

"Bobet, you know we had a deal. What happened?" ani Dario.

"Did you put this ridiculous idea inside his head? Hindi pa ba sapat ang pagmamanipula niya sa amin nang ilang taon?" reklamo naman ni Domingo.

"Paano pag puro babae ang naging anak ko? Hindi na ibibigay yung remainder ng mana?" was Danilo's concern.

Bobet let out an exasperated sigh. He addressed the oldest first, Dario. A few days earlier, nakatunog ito na kakausapin ang magkakapatid tungkol sa pamana ni Don Sandro. Dario asked to meet with his father to make a deal. According to Don Sandro, Dario was willing to let go of his inheritance as long as he would be granted his freedom. Don Sandro didn't even consider his son's request. "Do you think he's going to let you go just like that? The old man would never give you your freedom. At tingin mo ba papayag ang nanay mo na iwanan lahat ng 'to para lang magawa mo kung ano ang gusto mo?"

He then addressed Domingo, "He came up with this idea so don't shoot the messenger." And then, he turned to Danilo and smiled, "Up to three tries daw. Kapag wala talagang lalaki, ibibigay pa rin ang pamana kapag nakatatlong anak ka na."

Nilingon ni Domingo ang kapatid. "Are you seriously considering this?"

Danilo raised his hands and shrugged. As expected, wala itong masyadong pake basta siguradong hindi ito masyadong maghihirap. Among the three, Danilo was the least resistant. He would do what he was told as long as it would benefit him. Kaya sa tatlo, ito rin ang hindi masyadong pinuproblema ni Senyor. Danilo would cause small problems here and there, but not significant enough to get his father's attention.

Dario was only obedient because he thought he could use that obedience as leverage someday. Domingo... he was a whole problem on his own. The most stubborn, most defiant, and definitely the angriest among the three sons. Dito pinakamainit ang mata ni Senyor. Lahat ng galaw nito ay minamanmanan. Don Sandro also had hopes that he could bend Domingo's will someday. That would give the old man so much pleasure... to cut the horns of his most defiant son.

"They will be coming to town this weekend para sa fiesta," Bobet told them while pointing to the binders. "Sa fiesta rin ia-anunsyo ni Don Sandro ang engagement–"

"We have not agreed to this yet!" singhal ni Domingo.

Bobet raised his hand. "It's his engagement. Not yours."

Kumunot ang noo ni Danilo. "He's getting married again?"

"I guess your mother's finally getting what she wants, huh," Domingo told Dario.

The latter shook his head. "She would have told me about it. I don't think he ever intends to marry her."

Lalong lumalim ang pagkakakunot ng noo ni Danilo. "So kanino sya ikakasal? Is there someone else that we don't know about?"

Bobet crossed his arms against his chest and looked Domingo in the eye before delivering Don Sandro's punchline. Hindi pa man siya nagsasalita ay mukhang nakatunog na ito sa gusto niyang sabihin. As Domingo's eyes started to widen in disbelief, Bobet replied, "You've already met her earlier. Si Mariposa Salamanca."

–

Napapitlag ang mga katulong na nagkukunwaring maglinis sa labas ng study room nang biglang pataklab na bumukas ang pintuan noon. Domingo stormed out in big strides, face red with anger. Carlota managed to quickly remove the maid out of his way before he body slammed her. He didn't look like he was going to stop to say 'excuse me'.