With You

Chapter 21: In Tears

Chapter 21: In Tears

Umiling ako kay Ate Rosie. "I'm not having an affair, Ate Rosie. It was just a short rumor in the company... Hindi ko nga alam na umabot pa pala hanggang dito. I didn't have any idea, ate..." I told her.

Ate Rosie sighed for the nth time now. "What about you and Harrison?" she asked me.

Hindi agad ako nakasagot sa tanong sa akin ng kapatid ko. Pero iniba ko na lang din muna ang sagot ko para mas maliwanagan pa siya tungkol sa issue sa akin. "May nakasama lang ako sa company, while I was on the training. We just became friends and that's all, ate. And maybe some people who saw us just probably assumed of other things about us! Then they just put a different meaning to it." I calmed myself down after explaining. I'm only trying to explain for my sister. Pero parang naaapektuhan na rin ako at nakaramdam din ng inis. People just misunderstood. At parang pinapalaki pa nila...

Naisip ko si Harrison. Narinig na rin kaya niya ito? Wala pa siyang sinasabi sa akin. Pero baka alam na rin niya... At ano kaya ang iniisip niya ngayon...

I sighed heavily.

Tumango naman na sa akin si Ate Rosie. "Alright, alright... But, Vien, what did your husband say?" seryoso akong tiningnan ni Ate Rosie. Pagkatapos ay umiling siya. "No. What I just really want to know is that, kung ayos lang ba kayo pagkatapos ng issue na 'to? Kung ayos ka lang ba, Vien."

I slowly nodded my head at Ate Rosie. "I'm okay, ate..." I answered.

Nagkatinginan kaming dalawang magkapatid.

Pagkatapos ay tinanong ko na lang din si ate ng tungkol sa lola namin...

"It's better that you ask her herself, Vien..." Ate Rosie said.

Unti-unti naman akong tumango sa kaniya.

Then I decided to talk to my grandmother one day. Pinapatawag niya rin ako dahil gusto niya akong kausapin—that's probably about me and Harrison. And about the spreading rumors about me.

"Lola—"

"Vienna! What have you done?!" malakas na agad ang boses niya na binati sa akin. And she already looked like she's angry...

"Good evening, po." I still properly greeted her.

She looked at me with strict eyes. "What's happening? Ano itong usap-usapan tungkol sa pagkakaroon mo raw ng ibang lalaki?! Have you gone crazy? How dare you do something scandalous! And what about Harrison?! Yes! What about your husband?! The De La Cernas wouldn't anymore accept you if your husband will divorce you!"

Natigilan ako sa tuloy-tuloy niya lang na sinabi sa akin. And I only looked at her for a moment. Then I thought of what she's done in the past... Does she think now that I just repeated what she had done...

Umiling naman ako sa kaniya pagkatapos. "It's only a rumor, lola. The people just misunderstood... And, uhm, okay lang po kami ni Harrison..." I just have to reassure her for her to calm down...

And it was effective. Alam ko na ang gusto niya lang naman talagang malaman ay kung ayos lang kami ng asawa ko. Dahil kumalma na rin siya nang marinig niya sa akin na okay lang kami ni Harrison. I sighed a bit.

Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa. And then she also sighed—na para bang may mabigat na nakadagan sa kaniya kanina at ngayon ay nawala o nabawasan na...

"Siguraduhin mo lang na hindi ka hihiwalayan ng asawa mo. At gumawa ka rin ng paraan para mamatay na iyang pinag-uusapan pa rin ng mga tao!"

I only nodded at her.

"Lola... I also came here to talk to you..." I said.

Muli kaming nagkatinginang dalawa.