Hello And Goodbye

Chapter 25: Confrontation

"How dare you do this to our family!!" Kasunod ng mga katagang ito ay ang malakas na sampal mula sa aking ina. Kasalukuyan kaming nasa living room.

"Nasisiraan ka na ba? The press has been camping out since last night!"

As expected, nag-aabang sa labas ang iba't-ibang news channels hoping to get a scoop. Without Kuya Jimmy, baka hanggang ngayon hindi pa ako nakapasok ng bahay. They blocked the gate, in fact, hindi ko na naipasok ang aking kotse sa garahe.

"You should have seen it coming," kalmado kong tugon sa nanggagalaiti kong ina.

"What?! What did you say?"

"I can't marry her."

"At bakit? You agreed to this. Bago pa kayo umuwi ng Pilipinas, you two had already agreed to do this!"

"I know, and I'm sorry."

"Sorry?! Sa tingin mo ba maaayos ang eskandalong 'to ng simpleng 'sorry' mo?"

Nagkasukatan kami ng tingin ng aking ina.

"Where have you been?" usisa nito. "I called Romy, and he told me you left early yesterday, so where the hell have you been, Lance?"

"I was with her."

"HER?! Who are you referring to?"

Nagkatitigan kaming muli.

"Oh, no— uh-oh. No!! You didn't! It's impossible."

Alam kong may ideya na ang aking ina kung sino ang tinutukoy ko.

"No. For real, Lance, where have you been?" She is in denial.

"No, it couldn't be her. Sa loob ng tatlong taon, you didn't even mention her name. I didn't ask you to leave. You left on your own."

"I know. And it has been the greatest mistake I've committed in this life."

"Stop!" Sigaw ng aking ina. "You can't do this! You can't just go back to her. Paano si Alexa?"

"She can despise me, and I'll take it. But I can't go on giving her false hopes. It wouldn't be fair."

"She waited for you. She's been patient with you."

"No, mom. To set things straight, YOU made her wait for me. You encouraged her to be patient with me. My mistake was that I didn't say anything about it. I didn't say a word about you setting up those dinner dates, booking those vacations, or posting misleading photos that made people think that we were in a harmonious relationship. You staged them all, mom. Until more and more people were getting invested in that staged relationship. And then you begged me to save your face."

"Pinagbigyan mo na ako, Lance. You already agreed. Let's proceed with the plan," may himig pakiusap ng aking ina.

"I don't love Alexa the same way, mom. And I felt sorry for her—for our friendship. I ruined the great friendship we used to have. Hindi ako dapat pumayag na ma-drag siya sa masalimuot kong sitwasyon."

"Konting panahon pa, Lance. May maganda kayong foundation. Sinabi mo pa lang 'di ba? You shared a great friendship together. Konti pa at matutunan mo na rin siyang mahalin gaya ng pagmamahal na meron siya para sa'yo."

Bumuntong-hininga ako, at pagkatapos ay dahan-dahan na naglakad papunta sa gitna ng living room kung saan may nakapwesto na sofa set. Nakaupo doon ang aking ama na si Edward na nakikinig lamang sa aming pag-uusap. Blangko ang expression ng aking ama kung kaya't hindi ko ito matantiya.

"Lance, please... Napakalaking eskandalo nito. Ako ng bahalang mag-ayos. We can just say na may nangyari kung kaya't hindi ka nakarating. And then we will reschedule the engagement."

Ayaw pa rin paawat ng aking ina at nakabuntot pa rin ito sa akin. Sakto namang nahagip ng aking mga mata si Alexa na nasa 2nd floor—nakatayo sa tuktok ng hagdan.

"I have to deny your wishes this time, mom. I can't keep fooling anyone, including myself," tugon ko habang nakatingin kay Alexa. Alam kong pighati ang agad na rumehistro sa kanyang mukha matapos marinig ang aking sinabi. I feel sad, but she deserves the truth.

"No, Lance! NO! NO! Please..."

"Mom, please...enough! Enough of this madness. Hanggang kailan mo ba ipi-please ang mga taong nasa paligid mo? Hanggang kailan mo ba balak mamuhay na naaayon sa standard ng ibang tao? Hindi ka pa ba pagod? Lahat ng galaw mo iniaayon mo sa standards na sa tingin mo'y patok sa panlasa ng mga 'so-called' good friends mo sa industriya. When are you going to choose you? When are you going to carve a path that's authentically yours? Please, mom... Hanggang kaya pa kitang tingnan sa mata bilang ina, itigil mo na 'to. Stop making decisions for me."

Matapos ang mahaba kong litanya ay tumungo na ako sa hagdan. Nakabuntot pa rin ang aking ina.

"But why her? If not Alexa, why her of all people? You two didn't talk for years. How did you manage to reconnect? What did she do this time?"

Nahinto ako sa paghakbang at agad na nilingon ang aking ina. Kamuntikan kaming magkabungguan.

"Don't—don't you dare slander her name again. I swear to God—" May diin ang pagbitaw ko ng mga salita.

"Lance!" Narinig kong sabat ng aking ama. "Don't speak to your mom like that."

"Bakit Dad? May sinabi ba akong masama? Do you think I would just stand here and let her speak ill of Tricia? You should know, Dad. You don't want to hear me speak in a certain way toward the woman you love. So, what made you think I would let anyone do the same to mine?"

Pasalampak na napaupo si Mommy sa floor. And then she starts weeping.

"How could you do this to me, Lance? I was just trying to do what's best for you. Why can't you see that?"

"Oh, please... You want to control everything. Best for me? Naging lasinggero ako mula nung nagkahiwalay kami ni Tricia. Ito ba ang sinasabi mong 'best for me'? Wake up, mom! I was a mess, and you all saw that!"

Nakita kong nagbaling ng tingin ang aking ama. He knows I am stating facts.

"So, you're choosing her?" tanong ng aking ina habang dahan-dahan itong tumayo mula sa pagkasalampak sa sahig.

"Over and over," agad kong tugon. "Over anything," dagdag ko pa.

"Baliw ka na."

"Maybe. And I am so lucky that she lets this crazy bastard into her life."

"Let's see. Tingnan natin kung hanggang saan 'tong kahibangan mo. Tingnan natin kung kakayanin niya ang judgment ng ibang tao. Whether she likes it or not, people will talk. You are a prominent person, Lance. Malaking patunay ay ang mga taong nasa labas. Mga taong handang magpuyat makakuha lang na katiting ng impormasyon na pwede nilang pagpiyestahan. They will dig—trust me. So might as well prepare her for that."

May kalakip na pag-uyam ang mga salitang binitawan ng aking ina.

"Kung kailangan ko siyang dalhin sa buwan para maprotektahan, gagawin ko. Hindi ko na hahayaan pang maulit muli ang nangyari. I failed to protect her and our child before, but now I vow to protect them with all I have—even if it costs my life."

Napansin kong kumunot ang noo ng aking ina.

"What? What are you trying to say?"

Hindi ako sumagot. Diretso lang ang aking tingin sa kanya.

"When you said 'THEM', you meant, Tricia and Zach?"

"You are free to interpret however you please. Now if you'll excuse me," tuluyan na akong pumanhik ng hagdan. 

Hindi pa rin umaalis si Alexa sa kanyang kinatatayuan. Alam kong kailangan naming mag-usap. She deserves closure. Although not the typical closure—it will be a closure for the relationship we never had. I just hope we can still be friends after this.

"Lance!" Narinig kong tawag ng aking ina. "You meant Zach and Tricia, right? You didn't get her pregnant again this time, RIGHT?" Hindi ko mapigilang mapangisi bago tuluyang pumasok sa aking silid.

SURPRISE?!

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