Miara's Mistakes: Part Two

(201) August 30, 2020

El Altamirano

"Are you okay? Is there something wrong?" Nag-aalalang tanong ni Primo at hininto ang sasakyan sa gilid ng gate, hindi muna nag-drive papasok sa kanilang kalupaan.

Hindi alam ni Primo na narinig ni Miara ang usapan nila ng ina nito. She could feel her heart hurting... but in a good yet still melancholic way.

Good because he chose her side. But it was still saddening that he had to defend her to her own mother. The whole idea seemed so absurd.

"Wala lang." Miara knows that she can't articulate her thoughts so she'd rather keep it to herself first. Saka niya na lang sasabihin kay Primo kapag nahanap niya ang mga tamang salita.

"Wala lang?" Primo asked back. This time, with a smirk. He leaned his bent elbow on the backrest of his seat, now facing Miara.

Gusto niya mang 'wag munang sabihin kay Primo ngunit ayaw niya namang mag-alala ito para sa kaniya. Plus... it's Primo... he'll understand her even if she'll use the most gibberish words.

"Wala lang... mas concerned kapa sa 'kin kaysa kay mama," pag-amin niya sabay yuko. She played her with her fingers and couldn't seem to look at him. "It's embarrassing that you have to defend me to her... pero, salamat."

She lifted her gaze and looked at him. Seryoso ang tingin nito sa kaniya ngunit pasensyosong nakikinig.

"Thank you... for standing up for me." She let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

Imbes na sumagot ay tumango lang si Primo bago dumukwang palapit para mayakap siya. No words were said, but she knows that he understands. And she knows that he knows how much she appreciates what he did.

Pagkatapos mag-park ni Primo ay dumiretso sila sa loob ng main house. For a party planned spontaneously, everything looked like it was planned for a month.

The interiors of the mansion was already satisfactory. But now that they added a few touches, the living room of the Velasquez de la Riveras' didn't look like a living room. It looked more like a ballroom straight from a six-star hotel.

Hindi magarbo ang desinyo. Simple lang ngunit napaka-elegante. Quiet luxury would be the best words to describe it.

Kaunti lang naman ang bisita. Ang mga pinsan at iilang mga tiyahin ni Primo ang nandito. Ang hinihintay na lang ay ang guest of honor.

Akala kasi ni Miara ay sobrang dami ng dadalo. Sobra pa kasi sa mga debut na napuntahan ni Miara ang handa nila. Pero hindi na siya dapat magugulat lalo na't ang simpleng pananghalian ng magpipinsan ay pang-piyesta na sa dami.

Miara was talking to Primo's cousins when a familiar face caught her attention. Kapapasok lang nito ngunit nakuha agad ng lalaki ang atensyon ni Miara.

Miara didn't notice that she dropped the wine glass she was holding until Mav tapped her shoulder. Hawak-hawak na nito ang wine glass na nabasag na sana kung hindi lang nito nasalo.

"Are you okay?" Mav's eyes tried to follow Miara's gaze but she chose to look somewhere else.

Biglang nawalan ng lakas si Miara kaya imbes na magpaliwanag ay nagpaalam na lang siya sa mga kausap. They all had worried looks but she was grateful that none of them asked.

She could feel herself shaking. She held her neck, suddenly feeling suffocated. The only thing that was on her neck is the necklace she wears everyday... but it felt like an imaginary hand was strangling her.

She passed by a waiter and took a glass of water. She finished it in one gulp, trying to swallow all the emotions that are overwhelming her, but her stomach felt like stone.