Conveniently Married

Chapter 3

"Patrick please, nakikiusap ako. Gawin mo na ang pinapagawa ni Dad." Di makapaniwala si Patrick na sa nakikita niya. He never expected his brother, the proud vice governor of their province to be begging him. Kulang na lang lumuhod ito sa harap niya. Kung nasa condo niya sa gitna ng syudad, lumuhod na nga siguro to. Unfortunately for the both of them, nasa opisina niya sila. Kung saan maririnig sila ng mga kasamahan niya sa trabaho. Nagtataka na nga siguro ang mga kakilala niya. Ang alam ng lahat, wala siyang tatay at kapatid. Pinag-uusapan na siguro siya ngayon. Baka umabot pa to sa boss at matalik niyang kaibigan.

Wala pang kinse minutos na nasa iisang silid sila, ito na nangyari. And for the first time in his life, Patrick didn't know what to do. "I'm sorry Mr. Alcantara, but what you're asking of me is impossible. Ni hindi ko nga kilala yang babaeng sinasabi mo. I'm sure she's great, but I'm not ready to settle down. And no offense, but just because I share the same blood as you and the same person who you call father, I owe him nothing."

Napahilot si Patrick sa sentido niya. Mapilit din tong kapatid niya. Mukhang mahihirapan siyang kausapin to. He'd rather someone curse at him than beg him. "Please, kahit para sa akin lang. I can't marry Camille Elizondo. I have a girlfriend already. I can't give her up." Nanlaki ang mata ni Patrick. Camille Elizondo. What cruel fate was this? Sa lahat ng babae sa mundong to, siya pa talaga? Di mapigilang isip ni Patrick. Nananadya ba ang tadhana? "I know you were in the same batch in high school. I'm pretty sure you know her." You have no idea. "Kahit makipagkita ka lang sa kanya mamaya. I know you're not committed right now. Kaya walang mawawala. Please, just see Camille. She's near to perfection from what I heard. Maganda at matalino. Tinutulungan niya rin tatay niya sa negosyo nila. She's educated, sophisticated and beautiful."

Yeah, assuming I won't look beyond the physical and superficial, Patrick thought. "I know Camille. We were friends... sort of," he trailed off. Sigurado naman kasi siyang sobra sa pagiging magkaibigan ang gusto niya noon. Too bad Camille thought differently. Now that he's older and has moved on, he realized it's no loss. She's not a loss.

"Then please, just meet her." Napabuntong hininga na naman siya. "Alam na ni Camille ang tungkol sa engagement niyo. She asked me to tell you to at least meet her." Natigilan si Patrick sa sinabi ng kapatid. Camille wants to meet him? For what?

"Fine. I'll meet her. But I'm not promising anything. Hindi ko sinasabing magpapakasal ako sa kanya dahil lang pumayag akong makipagkita." Tumango lamang si Jonathan. At least di nasayang ang pagmamakaawa niya.

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Di alam ni Patrick paano siya napapayag ni Jonathan sa kagustuhan nitong makipagkita kay Camille. Nagpareserve na pala talaga ito sa pagkikita nila ng babaeng pinipilit nito sa kanya. Nang makarating siya sa private room ng restaurant na pagkikitaan nila, di niya maiwasang makaramdam ng kaba. She was after all his first love, no matter how stupid that sounded.

Nang makapasok siya sa private room, nakahanda na ang pagkain nila at nakaupo na si Camille. May alanganing ngiti sa mukha nito. Tila ba napipilitan lang rin to sa sitwasyon nila. "Hi," nahihiyang bati nito. Ngumiti na lang rin siya pabalik. He just wants to get this over with, through whatever means, no matter who gets hurt. There was no way in hell he was going to set himself up for pain when he can avoid it, no matter what the cost.

Di mapigilan ni Camille na mapahanga. Patrick looked better than what she expected. She can't see any trace of the boy he'd been. The Patrick she was seeing right now was so masculine? There were muscles in all the right places, and she was sure there were also muscles in those places she couldn't see. Binati niya ito pero nginitian lang siya.

"So, alam mo na ang tungkol sa engagement natin?" tanong ni Camille. Tumango lang rin si Patrick. Nagsimula na silang kumain. Kaya lalong naging mas nakakabingi ang katahimikan nila.

"Let's just get this over with," Patrick said, with so much indifference it was hard to believe. "I don't want to get married. I'm sure you're all the things my brother said, pero ayaw ko pa talagang magpakasal. I'm sorry kung iba ito sa inaasahan mong kalabasan ng pag-uusap natin ngayon. Pero ayoko talaga. Marami naman sigurong nagkakandarapa dun sa bukid niyo na makasal sayo. Dun ka na lang mamili. Wag niyo na akong isali. Utang na loob naman." Nakatitig lang diretso si Patrick sa mata ni Camille habang sinasabi yun. Di makapaniwala si Camille sa narinig. Di lang pala pisikal na anyo ni Patrick ang nagbago. Wala na talagang bakas ng taong nakilala niya noon.

"Excuse me Mr. Ocampo, if you were under the impression I wanted to marry you, you are mistaken. Ayaw ko ring makasal. Not to you, not to anyone. Especially not to someone who has nothing to offer me but words. Di ko rin ginustong madamay ka dito, ni hindi ko nga alam na anak ka ni Tito Felix. Sa tagal nating magkakilala natin noon, di mo man lang sinabi na anak ka ng mayor. Kung sinabi mo sana..." di na pinatapos ni Patrick si Camille. Nakangisi na ito at tila nang-aasar.

"Kung sinabi ko, ano? Magugustuhan mo ako? Bibigyan mo ako ng pagkakataon? Let's face it Camille, you're no prize. You may have been educated in some expensive school and an heiress to a few millions, but those things don't matter to me. From what I heard, you're nothing but a glorified housekeeper. Yun lang naman ginagawa mo diba? Patakbuhin nang maayos ang bahay at hacienda niyo? Kung tutuusin, may manager naman ang hacienda niyo. Besides, you are nothing compared to the women I've been with. They're all accomplished in different ways. Doctors, lawyers, CPAs, MBAs. Those are the women I associate with. Pero kung makapagsalita ka, parang kung sinong prinsesa." Di napigilan ni Camille ang mga luhang namuo sa mata niya. She didn't expect Patrick to be this vindictive. Ang ibig lang naman niyang sabihin kanina, ayaw niya sa lalaking di siya kayang ipaglaban. His departure hurt her more than she realized or admitted.

Pinigilan niyang tumulo ang mga luha. That is one embarrassment she won't let him give her. "I don't care what type of women you keep as your mistress Patrick. I only wanted this meeting to see how you are. Pagkatapos ng high school, para ka na lang nawala. Nang malaman kong ikaw pala ang gusto nilang pakasalan ko, gusto kong maniwala na iisang tao pa rin ang Patrick na nakilala ko noon at ang Patrick ngayon. Papaya na sana ako. Pero wag na lang pala. The kind of person you are now disgusts me."

"Don't worry Camille, I don't give a damn on how I make you feel. Basta tigilan niyo lang ako."