Si Promdi made at Si State side

Chapter 33

Hindi mapakali at kanina pa gustong umuwi ng manila si Nate. Wala pang isang araw na hindi nya nakikita si Rostica, ay di na sya mapakali. He missed her so bad. Isinama kasi sya ng abuelo sa bukod nito just three hours from the city. Gusto raw nito ang opinion nilang mga apo nito sa lupang balak nitong bilhin. Ayaw nya sanang sumama dahil wala naman ssyang alam pagdating sa lupa, but his grandad just won't take no for an answer. So, he didn't have a choice but to come. Hindi na nga sya nakapagpaalam sa nobya because it was already late in the evening when his grandfather inform them. And when they left four-thirty this morning, he knows she was still asleep. Baka nga may kasama pang hilik.

"Ano ba ang nangyayari sa'yo at para kang pusang hindi mapaanak dyan?" His oldest cousin asked him. Kanina pa pala sya napapansin ng mga tao sa paligid nya, hindi man lang nya alam.

"Wag kang magalaala. She will still be there kahit bukas pa tayo umuwi." His second cousin said teasingly. 

"Sino ba pinaguusapan nyo?" His famous car racing counsin. 

"Sino pa, edi yung apple of the eye nitong pinsan nating modelo." 

"Who?" 

"Si Rostica." Sabay-sabay na wika noong tatlo. 

"Talaga? Pinatulan ka nun, insan?" Sabi nito ng may nakakalokong ngiti. 

Ang kanina nya pang mainit na ulo ay lalong naginit sa bwisit na nararamdaman para sa mga kasama. Oh, how he wanted to strangle them. 

"Bakit di mo tawagan?" 

"She doesn't have a cellphone." Nakasimangot na wika nya. 

"Bakit di mo ibili?" 

"I tried. She didn't like it." Nakasimangot na wika nya. Sa susunod talaga, ipipilit na nya sa nobya ang bilhan ito ng cellphone. 

"Why don't you call our home phone?" 

Oo nga, noh. Bakit ba di nya naisip yun? 

He toom his phone from the back pocket of his jeans and dialed their number. Nakakailang ring na, wala pa ring sumasagot. Naka-sampong beses na ata syang tumatawag wala pa ring sumasagot. 

"Apo, bukas na tayo makakabalik nang manila. May aasikasuhin pa kasi ako dito na importante." Wika nang lolo nya habang titig na titig sa kanya.

"What?! Lo, no. I can't stay until tomorrow. I need to go home today." He said full of conviction na tila nagsasabing mamatay ang sino mang humadlang sa kanya.

"Hmmm, bakit ba kanina ko pa napapansing uwing-uwi ka na?" Tila nanghuhuli ang mga tingin sa kanya ng don.

"Nothing. I just remember i have things to do." Nagiiwas ang mga matang sagot ni Nate.

If it was just him, baka noong dumating sila ni Rostica from the photo shoot ay sinabi na nya agad sa lolo nya. But Rostica don't want to. Akala nga nya nahihiya ito. Pero iba ang dahilan nito. Nang tanongin nya kung ano ang rason, her exact words are: 

"Imong lolo ra tawon akong paglaom makahuman ug skwela, dong. Unsaon nalang ug moback out sya sa pagpa'skwela naku. Unsaon nalang akong future." -lolo mo nalang ang tanging pagasa kung makatapos ng pagaaral. Paano nalang kung umayaw sya? Paano na ang aking future?-

When he heard that, hindi nya alam kung matatawa ba sya o maiinis. 

He's a millionaire for petes sake! Dolyares ang milyones nya. Kayang-kaya nyang ibigay ang lahat ng karangyaang magustuhan ni Rostica. He even told her that he'll put her to a decent school and buy her a place to stay. But the unthinkable happened seconds after those words came out of his mouth. Dukol intawon ang iyang napala. -she hit him on his head with her knuckles.- Parang nagkabukol nga yata sya dahil sa impact, eh.

Simula noon, di na nya binanggit uli. Mahirap na at baka sa susunod eh, yung nguso na nya ang magkabukol. 

"Things o si Rostica?" His grandfather's voice. "I know what is going on between the two of you." 

"Lo.." hindi nya alam kung anong mararamdaman lalo na't walang kahit na anong emosyong mababakas sa mukha ng abuelo. 

"Are you sure about her?" His abuelo look at him in the eye na kanya namang sinalubong.

"Yes." He said without even blinking.

"What is i tell you that i don't like her for you? That she doesn't suit in our family. That i have found someone who is much better that her at iyong hindi ka mapapahiyang ipakilala sa mga kaibigan natin sa negosyo?"

Kumuyom ang kanyang mga kamay at nangalit ang mga bagang. Is this the old man that he admired for years? Ito ba ang lolong ipinagmamalaki nya?

"I don't care about your opinion regarding my affair with the woman i love. None, of ya'lls opinion will matter to me. I will marry Rostica anytime, anywhere. Regardless if you want her for me or not." Buong tapang na wika nya dito. 

"Even if i strip you off your wealth?" Tila naghahamong wika nito. Their oldest cousin have this amuse look on his face habang ang iba naman ay tensyonado.

"Go ahead." He said. 

"You think he'll stay with you if your penniless?" 

If this man who's talking to him right now is someone who don't matter to him, baka kanina pa ito bumulagta dahil sa suntok nya.

"She stays with me or not, is none of your concern." Wika nya saka tumalikod. Nakakailang hakbang palang sya nang marinig nya muli ang tinig ng lolo nya.

"Get the car ready. We'll going home today." Napalingon tuloy sya sa kanyang lolo at mga pinsan na tila nalito din sa pagpapalit ng mood ng matanda, maliban nalang sa panganay nilang pinsan na ngiting-ngiti habang naglalakad palalapit sa kanya.

"Congratulations." He said before he passed him para ihanda ang sasakyan. Nagsisunuran naman ang iba pa at silang dalawa nalang ng lolo nya ang naiwan. 

"I heard everything that you and Rostica talked about nang hindi sinasadya. And i must admit, i admire the young lady para sa kanyang dignidad at determinasyon. Refusing an extravagant lifestyle that you are offering to her is admirable. Iilan nalang ang mga babaeng ganyan ngayon. You pick a good one." Wika nito sa kanya nang nakangiti. 

"Lo.." Naguguluhan na wika nya.

"We'll continue like this. My treatment with her, will be the same. At magbabago lamang iyon, when you put a ring on her finger." Wika nito bago sya nilampasan.

He couldn't help the grin on his face. Tiyak matutuwa nito ang girlfriend nya. He couldn't wait to see her. 

Lingid sa kanyang kaalaman, wala na pala ang babaeng minamahal sa mansion.