Chasing the Wild Waves (Student Series #1)

Kabanata 49

Bumalik nga kaagad kami ni Ryder matapos kong mag-makeup ulit. I just changed my outfit into an elegant one. I wore my elegant black dress with a patterned skirt, black boots, and black gloves. I am still wearing my scarf to cover up my hickeys. Nakakahiya naman na ipakita ko iyon sa pamilya ni Ryder. I paired my clothes with my bag also, I brought my black sling bag with me and put all my things there.
 
"Malapit na tayo?" I asked Ryder as I checked myself in my mirror. "I have to retouch my makeup."
 
He chuckled. "Kahit na hindi ka naman magpaganda, maganda ka pa rin naman. You don't need to retouch, Scar."
 
Hindi ko siya pinansin at ginawa pa rin ang kagustuhan ko. I retouched my makeup. Malapit na lang din daw kami. Sakto namang katatapos ko lang sa pagre-retouch nang pinarada ni Ryder ang kanyang sasakyan. I looked outside the window and saw a large house built of stones. Sigurado akong iyon na ang bahay nina Ryder. It looked simple and like a traditional house. Bumaba si Ryder at umikot sa harap para pagbuksan ako ng pinto.
 
I stepped out of his car and fixed my scarf. I checked myself in the mirror again to see if there's dirt on my face or what. When I felt satisfied with my face, I returned my mirror to my bag. Pinatunog ni Ryder ang kanyang sasakyan, hudyat na ni-lock na niya iyon. Ryder's arm suddenly snaked around my waist. Sakop na sakop niya nga ang baywang ko dahil sa liit niyon. I looked so small with him! Para niya akong nakababatang kapatid, eh!
 
"Mamaya na natin kukunin ang mga gamit mo sa sasakyan, let's get inside first," aniya. "Nasa loob sina mama, let's surprise them."
 
"They didn't know that we're coming?" I asked. "Did they even know me?"
 
"I told them about you. Back when we were in the U.S., I told them that I have a fiancée here in the Philippines, and we're going to get married once I get back here," paliwanag niya. "I will just introduce you to them personally."
 
"Parang.. kinakabahan yata ako, eh," I said and laughed a little.
 
"Don't be," he said, kissing the top of my head.
 
Sabay naming tinungo ang bahay nila. Nasa baywang ko pa rin ang kamay ni Ryder nang buksan niya ang gate. May kalakihan ang bahay nila ngunit mas malaki pa rin talaga iyong amin. Siguro, mga kalahati ng lote ng bahay namin iyong sa kanila. Maganda naman ang bahay nila dahil maraming tanim sa labas at karamihan ay mga bulaklak pa. Pagpasok din namin sa gate ay mayroon pa silang fish pond na may maliit na water falls. Third floor ang bahay nila at maganda rin naman kahit papaano ang disenyo ng kanilang bahay.
 
"This is also your house from now on," he said.
 
Mangha akong tumingin sa paligid. Their house looked like a fairytale. May mga nagliliparan pang paru-paru sa kanilang hardin. Mayroon pa silang gulayan, tanaw na tanaw ko nga iyong talong na marami nang bunga. Halatang maalaga sa mga tanim ang pamilya ni Ryder.
 
"Ma! Nasaan na kayo?"
 
Pagkapasok namin ni Ryder sa loob ng bahay ay walang tao sa sala. Mayamaya pa'y may lumabas na babae galing sa kung saan. My eyes automatically went to her. She looks like she's in her 40s. Mukhang ka-edad lang ni mommy ang babae. Sinuri ko siya ng tingin. She's just wearing pajamas. When my gaze turned back to her face, I caught her looking at me intently. Napalunok ako at umalma ang malakas na pintig ng aking dibdib. Mukha siyang istrikta. Pinasadahan niya ako ng tingin habang nakataas ang kanyang isang kilay. Pakiramdam ko tuloy ay hinuhusgahan niya ako.
 
"Ma," Ryder said.
 
He let go of me, and he went to his mother. Hinalikan niya sa pisngi ang ina bago iyon inakbayan. Hindi pa rin maalis ang tingin ng ginang sa akin. Ang kanyang titig ay sobrang mapanuri. Bigla tuloy ako nakaramdam ng panliliit sa sarili ko, hindi ko alam kung bakit. All of my life, I never felt this low.
 
"Sino itong kasama mo?" malamig na tanong ng ginang kay Ryder, pero nasa akin ang tingin.
 
Ngumiti lamang si Ryder sa kanya. "Remember that I told you about my fiancée, ma?"
 
Kumunot ang noo ng ginang at binalingan si Ryder. "Ano?"
 
"Euxine Carolina Scarlet Zeigler-Scott," he mentioned my name. "She was my fiancée, and now.. she's my wife."
 
"Ano?!"
 
Tumalim ang tingin sa akin ng ginang, at may nakita akong bakas ng galit sa kanyang mga mata. Hindi ko alam kung guni-guni ko lang ba, pero iyon ang nakita ko. Ryder sighed and hugged his mother.
 
"Tama ang narinig ninyo, ma, Scarlet is now my wife. We just got married yesterday," ani Ryder.
 
"Mag-usap tayo. Tawagin ko ang mga kapatid mo sa kuwarto nila," malamig na sabi ng kanyang ina 'tsaka umalis.
 
Nanghina ang mga tuhod ko. The disgust in her eyes is enough proof that she doesn't like me for her son. Pinaupo ako ni Ryder sa couch bago siya tumabi sa akin. Hindi ako kumibo dahil pakiramdam ko ay binabalot ako ngayon ng lamig. Ryder held my hand and kissed the back of it. Sa ginawa niya, kahit papaano ay nabawasan ang kaba ko.
 
"Mom, ano ba'ng mayroon? Gosh, I'm doing my homework!"
 
"Mommy, why did you call us? God, I am not yet done with my makeup! May pupuntahan pa kami ni Mile, eh!"
 
"Ano po'ng mayroon, Tita Ritch?"
 
Para akong sinakluban ng langit at lupa nang marinig ang pamilyar na boses na iyon. I stood up from my seat, and I wasn't wrong in my thoughts. Miley del Rosa is in Tod's Ribbed Woolblend Turtleneck Maxi Dress. Anger filled her eyes when she saw me. Ang pagtataka sa kanyang mukha ay napalitan iyon ng galit nang magtagpo ang titig naming dalawa. I got stunned, unable to speak now.
 
She scoffed. "Look, who's here?"
 
A girl in a black A.L.C. Renzo dress gave me an astonishing look. "Who's this?"
 
Nagtaas naman ng kilay ang kulot na babae. "Look like a party kid."
 
Tumikhim si Ryder at tumayo rin, humarap sa gawi ng kanyang pamilya at ni Miley. I am still wondering. Why is Miley here? Ano'ng ginagawa niya rito? Is she connected to Ryder's family?
 
Kahit nagtataka ay umupo sa kaharap na couch ang mga kapatid ni Ryder, pati na rin ang kanyang ina at si Miley. They are all looking at me. Mukha ring maldita ang mga kapatid ni Ryder, I can judge them based on their awra and looks. Lahat sila ay sinuri ako ng tingin hanggang sa makaupo ako sa aking kinauupuan kanina. Ryder also sat and smiled at the people in front of us.
 
"Scar," he said, looking at me and gestured his two sisters. "This is my sister, si Rachel." He pointed the girl in the black dress. "At si Redeama." He then pointed at the girl with the curly hair. "This is my mother, Ritchel Riydh-Scott."
 
Yumuko ako para magbigay galang sa kanila. "H-Hello po.."
 
"Rach, Red," he called his sisters. "This is Euxine Carolina Scarlet Zeigler-Scott. She's my wife."
 
"What?"
 
"Come again?"
 
Iyon ang sabay na sinabi ng dalawang kapatid ni Ryder. I caught Miley glaring at me, but I did not pay attention to her. Pareho namang laglag ang panga ng dalawang kapatid ni Ryder, mukhang hindi makapaniwala sa narinig.
 
"This girl?" Rachel gazed at me disgustingly. "Is your fucking wife?" She scoffed and returned her gaze to Ryder. "Kuya, nagbibiro ka ba?"
 
Kumunot ang noo ni Ryder. "Bakit naman ako magbibiro? Hindi ba sinabi ko na sa inyo noon na may fiancèe na ako? And now.. she's here.. she's now my wife."
 
"No, you must be kidding me, kuya." Napahilamos ng palad si Rachel. "Look at your.. what? Your wife now? She looks like a prostitute! What's with her clothes now? She looks like she's working in a club!"
 
Nalaglag ang panga ko sa pagiging straight-to-the-point magsalita ng nakababatang kapatid ni Ryder. Kinagat ko ang labi ko at mariin na pumikit. They don't like me, obviously. The disgust in their eyes. I can say that they didn't like me for Ryder.
 
"Rachel," saway ni Ryder sa kapatid, halatang pinipigilan ang sarili na magtaas ng boses. "Ayusin mo iyang pananalita mo, ah. You're talking to my wife. Don't talk to her like that. She's not a prostitute, okay? Her body is well covered by her clothes. How can you say that she's a prostitute, huh? Rachel, ayusin mo pag-uugali mo ngayon..."
 
"Kuya, hindi ka ba nag-iisip? You're still studying," his other sister said, Redeama. "And Ate Rachel was right, this girl..." Ngumiwi siya nang nilingon ako. "Looks like she just got from a party. Tingnan mo ang makeup niya, ang kapal!"
 
Their words are cutting me into pieces. I feel so down. Hindi ako makapagsalita. Matalas ang dila nila, masakit sila magsalita. They seem like they don't want my presence here.
 
"Can you please respect my wife?" mahinahon pero mariing saad ni Ryder. "Rachel, Red, ayusin n'yo iyang pananalita n'yo, ah. She's still my wife, the woman I chose to be my lifetime partner. None of you have a right to judge her like that so please..."
 
"But, kuya—"
 
"Mag-sorry, kayo," he commanded.
 
"I will not do that, kuya!" si Rachel.
 
"Rachel, mag-sorry, ka," he repeated. "Hindi ko nagustuhan ang mga sinabi ninyo sa kanya... Mag-sorry kayong dalawa..."
 
The two girls looked so hesitant but couldn't do anything. Iritado sila pareho, at pinukol ako ng masamang tingin. Sapilitan silang humingi ng sorry sa akin, sinunod ang sinabi ni Ryder. I just smiled at them. Inirapan naman ako ni Redeama, mukhang hindi nakita ni Ryder. Their mother is just being silent, but I can feel her disgust for me. She crossed her legs and gazed at me irritatedly. I immediately looked away.
 
"Ayaw kong pinagsasabihan ninyo ng ganyan si Scarlet," mariing sabi ni Ryder. "Starting from today, she'll live here."
 
"Ano?" biglang umangal ang ina ni Ryder, halatang aapila. "Sino ang nagdesisyon niyan, anak? Ikaw lang?"
 
"She'll live with us, ma, asawa ko siya," wika ni Ryder.
 
"Wala ba siyang sariling bahay, ha?" si Rachel ulit.
 
Ryder glared at her. "Rachel.."
 
She just rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I was just asking, Kuya."
 
"Sa ayaw o sa gusto man ninyo ay dito na titira si Scarlet," final na sabi ni Ryder. "She's my wife, she should live with me. Dalawa lang naman ang pagpipilian, it's either I'll leave this house and live with her or.. she'll live with me. Gusto kong pakisamahan ninyo ng maayos ang asawa ko, ma, Rach, at.. ikaw rin Red."
 
I feel so down. Pakiramdam ko ay sinisiksik ko lang ang sarili ko sa kanila. Ryder's mother silently went to the kitchen, excusing herself to check what she had cooked. Isang nakakabinging katahimikan ang bumalot sa pagitan ng lahat.

Miley is also silent. She was just on her phone and didn't look at me anymore. Rachel and Red are giving me a hard look. Halata sa kanila na ayaw nila sa akin. They looked at me like I was such a pest in their lives. Bakit kaya sa unang kita pa lang nila sa akin ay ganito na kaagad sila?
 
"Are you okay?" Ryder whispered in my ear when he noticed my uneasiness.
 
I smiled at him. "Yeah, I'm okay, Ry. You don't have to worry about me."
 
"I'm sorry about my family," bigla niyang sabi sa mahinang boses para hindi siya marinig ng kanyang mga kapatid. "Hindi naman sila ganito sa iba.. nabigla rin ako sa kanila."
 
Nagulat ako sa sinabi niya. Hindi ganito? Ibig sabihin ay sa akin lang ganito ang pamilya niya? Kung ganoon.. ayaw nga talaga nila sa akin...
 
"But don't worry," he said. "Aayos din ang tungo nila sa 'yo kapag tumagal. Just learn to deal with them, they're not hard to deal with. Mabait sina Rachel at Red. Hindi ko lang alam kung bakit ganyan sila ngayon."
 
Umiling ako. "Quit explaining, Ry. Naiintindihan ko naman. Maybe they think that I am not good for you."
 
Kumunot ang noo niya. "Matagal naman nilang alam na.. may fiancèe ako at ikaw 'yon. Mukhang ayos lang naman sa kanila noong pinag-usapan ka namin pero.. hindi ko alam na ganito ang kinalabasan kapag magkita na kayo."
 
I just smiled at him, assuring him that it's alright. I wanted to change the subject because I wanted to know why Miley is here. What's her relationship with Ryder's family? I wanted to know the reason why she's also here. She looks close to Ryder's two younger sisters. Halatang matagal na silang magkakilala. I wonder what she means to Ryder and his family. Is she important to them?