Field of Emotions

Chapter 17

Tension was unexplainable in our house. It was so intense that even the silence can bring the nervousness on me. But in just a flash, the whole elders of Augustine family was here. Of course, hindi magpapahuli ang angkan ni Papa. Maingay at halo-halo ang mga nagtataasang boses. All we could hear was shouts and curses being thrown to each other. It just stopped when someone entered the door...si Abuelita. Siya ang pinakamatanda sa angkan ng mga Augustine. Kasunod niya si Lolo Pedro, ang pinakamatanda sa angkan ng mga Inavarez at tatay ni Papa.

"Anong klaseng away ito?! Yasmin, Aldrin! Gabing-gabi nanggagambala kayo ng mga tao!" Abuelita shouted, making the noise stop. She was still wearing a formal attire, halatang galing pa siyang korte.

Everyone feared her. Ni isa walang makapagsalita. She might be old but she had this intimidating aura.

I felt Alexa's grip getting tighter. "Is she our Abuelita?" she asked, fear evident in her voice.

In that moment, the room was filled with a mix of emotions - fear, anticipation, and a glimmer of hope that Lolo Pedro and Abuelita's presence would bring some resolution to the intense situation. We held our breath, waiting for her next words, hoping for a sense of calm to replace the chaos that had consumed us.

With a stern expression on her face, Abuelita took a few steps forward, her heels clicking against the floor. The room was filled with an air of anticipation, as if time itself had slowed down in her presence.

"Mama..." Tito Marcus said as he was trying to calm down Abuelita.

"What did Inavarez do to my child?" Abuelita uttered full of sterness on her voice.

Mama silently sat on the couch with tears still flowing on her cheeks. It's hard to see her suffering. Kung pwedeng ako na lang, gagawin ko.

Lolo Pedro cleared his throat to lower the tension. "Before we start discussing things up...make sure everyone is prese-where's Amaris?" Lolo Pedro asked confusingly as he noticed a puzzle piece missing from the already complicated situation.

Then Lolo's eyes landed on me. I don't know if I was the only one who noticed but he grinned at me and then his eyes went on Mama.

Papa, displaying his usual dismissive attitude, scoffed and took a sip of his wine. "Gumaya sa nanay niya." His words were laced with bitterness and resentment.

I clenched my fist as I remembered how Kuya Liam left us. It's been almost months since he left, yet the pain was still fresh.

Napatayo naman si Mama sa sinabi ni Papa pero pinigilan siya nina Tito Marcus.

"I told you Aldrin, I was raped! Non ho flirtato con nessun altro quando sono entrata in questo matrimonio! Perché non dici loro la verità, Aldrin! (I didn't flirt with anyone else when I entered this fvcking marriage! Why don't you tell them the truth, Aldrin!)" Mama bursted out of anger. Her eyes were bloodshot and quivering lips as dry as desert.

"What truth?" Abuelita uttered.

"We are getting divorced." Mama revealed, voice now the same bitterness as Papa's.

Another set of chaotic voices surrounded the room. Napapikit na lang si Abuelita at Lolo Pedro. "Silence!" sigaw nila pareho.

"Sa ibang araw na pag-usapan! Alvina, sa inyo matutulog sina Aellanna-" Abuelita said but immediately cutted off by Mama and Papa.

"I won't let Anastacia be with them."

"No!"

They said synchronously. Nagkatinginan naman lahat sa kanila. They seemed so confused why Mama and Papa disagreed. Tsaka lang din pumasok sa sistema ko na hindi nga pala nila alam ang nangyayari sa amin. "Get the kid you want. Basta mag-uusap tayong lahat tungkol dito. Magpahinga muna lahat." One of the elders, Abuelita's sister, said coldly and left the house with heels clicking every step.