Condo
I just got home from watching a car race, and I'm not in the mood-lost my bet, 15k down the drain. Malaking pera rin 'yon, pero who cares? Laman ng credit card ni dear old dad naman 'yon.
I heard my mom and dad talking in the living room, which made my mood even worse. May gana pa talagang umuwi 'yang magaling kong tatay. My mom greeted me when I walked in.
"Enzo, you're here."
I kissed her on the cheek, half-heartedly. "Sabi ng dad-" she started, but I cut her off.
"I'm going to my room. I'm tired," I muttered, not bothering to hide the irritation in my voice.
"Bastos 'tong batang 'to!" My dad barked, gearing up like he wanted to punch me, but my mom stepped in.
I rolled my eyes and walked to my room. Ano, sawa na ba siya sa kabit niya kaya kami naman ang pinapansin? We were his rebound family, and the worst part? We were his first family. Unbelievable.
I booted up my PC and started playing Valorant to cool off, or at least to not think about that self-serving jerk. Mid-game, there was a knock on my door.
"The door's open," I said, annoyed. It was Mom.
"We need to talk, Hugo." She dropped my second name like a bomb. I rolled my eyes. Here we go.
"Fine." I exited my game with a sigh. "What about him?"
"You can't disrespect your dad like that. Tatay mo pa rin siya, and worse, you're under his roof," she said. I stared blankly at my monitor, giving her zero attention. "And one more thing, your dad will be staying here."
Parang may kumukulo sa loob ko. Ano 'to? Just the thought of him moving back made me want to sprint out of the house. I glanced at Mom.
"Mom, alam mo naman we're not on good terms," I said, barely holding back my frustration.
"I know, Enzo. But you need to cooperate with your dad," she said, patting my shoulder. "He's the one paying for your tuition and expenses," she added.
Of course. Here comes the power play. Kontrolado ako ng tatay ko gamit ang pera niya. Classic.
"I know, but I can't stand being under the same roof as him. It suffocates me," I said through gritted teeth.
"I'm sorry, son." She hugged me, and I forced a nod.
"It's okay, Mom. It's not your fault," I muttered.
"Thanks. Now come down for dinner, it's ready," she said, leaving me alone with my simmering thoughts.
I had to convince them I needed to live on my own. I'm 18, legally an adult. If I stayed here, things would only go south.
At the dining table, I was poking at my food when Mom brought it up.
"Oliver, since Lorenzo is already 18 years old... He asked if he could live on his own, maybe rent a place," she said.
Dad stopped eating, staring at me like he was trying to read my mind. Good luck with that, old man.
"Why?" he asked, pretending he didn't know the reason.
"Because I'm 18? And some of my friends have their own condo," I said, my tone laced with sarcasm.
He was quiet for a moment, and I waited, daring him with my eyes.
"Fine," he finally said.
YES!
"You can live in my condo since it's vacant," he added.
Ano? His condo? Of course, he wouldn't let me escape that easily.
