Million Dollar Marriage

seven

These damned stillettos!

As I am composing myself again for another try to stand up on my own, naririnig ko naman ang mumunting hikbi ni Nathalia habang nakayakap kay Yago. She must've been so scared, kahit naman yata sino ay matatakot. We thought that it was Lola's men, ngunit hindi pa ako naghinala nang marinig ko ang about sa flight dahil wala naman sa pamilya namin ang nag travel recently sa abroad or what. Dapat ay doon pa lamang ay naghinala na ako, but I didn't.

I looked up to check for Nathalia but I was welcomed by Yago's worried face. Although Nathalia's in his arms, he's looking at me intently with fear, worry, anger and full of confusion in his eyes. His stance is as if he's about to go in my direction but was then pulled and hugged by Nathalia. 

"Help her, Pryce, iupo niyo dito sa sofa." Paguutos niya sa lalaking nasa likuran niya sabay turo saakin at iginiya si Nathalia sa sala at doon pinakalma.

The man helped me stand on both my feet at tinulungan akong makaupo sa kalapit na sofa nila ni Yago. He even got me a glass of water pagkabalik, so with my trembling hands I got a hold of it.

Ang iba namang tauhan ni Yago ay kasalukuyang pinupulot ang kutsilyong dala-dala namin at ang nasirang bangko na iniharang ko sa pinto. I sighed loudly, with shaky breaths I've decided to talk still, "Thank you for your help. I'll take over from here, I still have a show to attend kaya if you'll excuse us,"

"Milana!" Nathalia shouted in pure shock and disbelief habang kinakalma ang sarili.

I stood up slowly sa kinauupuan ko at tinignan si Yago sa mga mata, "Let me borrow one of your men to escort us to the function hall of this hotel,"

Yago, too, stood up and scoffed at me. He's looking at me with those menacing and hypnotizing eyes of him, but this time, I can sense that he's angry. Mad, if you may. 

"At times like this, Milana, your damn pride must be at least lowered! You're this close," He paused and rolled his fist up, with full authority and very much of annoyance, "This close on being harassed by those reporters outside tapos ngayon ang iniisip mo ay 'yang show mo?" He angrily spat at me.

"That's why I already said my gratitude to you," I collected my bag and pouch na nasa malapit sakaniya bago ulit siya tinignan, "Now, it's either you'll let me take one of these men to escort us para makapunta kanila Lola or Nathalia and I can just go there by ourselves. Your choice, Yago."

His prominent jaw moved by his way of containing his anger and by mean of how he controls his emotions, sasagot na sana siya nang biglang mayroong tumunog na cellphone sa may bandang kusina.

Nathalia quickly attended to her phone, she waved her phone at us at nakitang si Lola ang nasa caller I.D., habang humahakbang papalapit saamin ay pinindot niya Nathalia ang answer button.

"Dio mio, Nathalia! Nagkakagulo na sa baba, at mayroon pang report saamin dito sa function hall na mayroon daw nanira ng pintuan ng isa sa mga rooms nila!" Nagkatinginan naman kaagad kami ni Nathalia dahil kapag nalaman pa lalo ni Lola ang tungkol dito ay lalong hindi siya mapapakali, kaya naman I've decided to snatch her phone away from her hand.

"La, this is Milana, paakyat na po kami diyan. Calm down and try to relax, okay? We're both unharmed, I'll end the call now po." At bago pinatay ang tawag.

Hinarap ko naman si Yago na nakahalukipkip ang tingin saakin, tinaasan ko naman ito ng kilay bago sana'y aalis na sa silid ngunit nagsalita ito.

"Sean and Ned, assist them on their way to function hall. Use the stairs instead, andon sina Kiro na naka stand by." 

Hinatak ko na si Nathalia pagkatapos na pagkatapos magsalita nito. True to his words, inalalayan nga kami ng mga tauhan niya para mdaliang pumunta sa kung nasaan sina Lola at Tita Paris. I said my thankyous to them bago kami pumasok sa function hall.

It was a chaos inside, the staffs are wandering around with cellphones on their hands and while the organizers are doing the final touched for the models on the stage ay ang social media  team ay kaniya-kaniyang table at kumalat sa buong place at tila mayroong tinitignang articles habang nasigaw sa isa't-isa.

Hindi ko na nga namalayan buti nalamang at mayroon nakamukha saamin na staff, "Ma'am Paris, they're here! Ayon po si Miss Milana!"

I saw how the sea of people made  way for Tita Paris, halata sa mukha niya ang pag aalala at nang sana'y makakalapit na siya saakin ay itinabi ni Lola ang mga kamay nito at hinawakan ang braso ko.

"Mommy!" Nathalia greeted Lola with a tight hug and kiss on the cheeks.

Habang nas likod ang private nurse ni Lola at ang dalawa niyang security at tumungo naman kami sa loob ng silid na  walang katao-tao. Sumalampak naman kaagad si Lola sa kaniyang silya sa silid at agad na dinaluhan ng kaniyang nurse.

"Estupida 'yan si Paris! She's not thinking, clearly, not thinking first before saying such things to the media!"

Tumango naman si Nathalia kaagad sa tinuran ni Lola, "Siya nga na ang humingi for favor kay Milana then she even has the audacity to do this to her!"

Kung hindi sa ginawa ni Tita Paris sasakit ang ulo ko ay dito naman sa arrangement ng words ni Nathalia. Nang magkatinginan naman kami ni Lola ay umiling na lamang 'rin ito sa pinagsasasabi ni Nathalia.

Tumayo naman si Lola mula sa pagkakaupo si Lola, "Let's go na. Doon na tayo sa bahay mag usa-"

I cut whatever's Lola's about to say, "Lola, I already gave her my word. I won't back out just because of her lousy tongue."

Even though Lola's against my decision, she just nodded at me. 

Besides, if I will not push through this event ay mas lalong tataas ang maraming kilay. Questions and non-stop articles will pop, and worst, baka mayroon pang madamay. I don't need no casualties. I even heard Nathalia's long sigh. She must've been wanting to strangle me any minute now but she's really trying her best no to. 

As I went out of the room, the hotel's staffs and even the production team of Tita Paris' are all outside the room, waiting for me, of course. Namataan ko naman si Kelvs, the make-up artist that is assigned to me, wala akong nagawa kundi ang ngumiti sa lahat at pumunta sa gilid ni Kelvs habang iginiya ako patungo sa silid kung saan ako aayusan.

Kelvs silently composed himself as I took a seat on his chair, there's even my name printed at the backrest of the folding fur chair that's written using a baby pink colored silk. Yes, it stood out, but even though I wanted to appreciate this effort of Tita Paris, I would say I'd rather not.

"Okay, uhm... Milana, first we'll do some shots for the media team in between our preparation inside the room. It would be mostly about you and the dress." He explained first to me the simple and most common questions that the researcher of the the socmed team prepared, kaya naman tumango nalamang ako rito.

Pagkabaling ng ulo ko sa bandang gilid ng kama ng silid ay nagulat ako sa damit na nakasabit sa mannequin stand. The dress- if that's what it's supposed to be called, though it barely covers anything, I was amazed by how many teardrop clear rhinestone is attached to it. While the silver chains serves as the foundation of the dress, the rhinestones was its body and all.  Ang linyang pahaba ng pinag tagpi-tagping bato ay ang nagsilbing pinaka dress, It somehow amazes how this would fit me.

"I thought it's a pre-fall?" I asked.

Kelvs cleared his throat first before answering, "There seems to be a quick changes about the show, kahapon lamang ibinaba ang mga memo. Nakakaloka ang tiyahin mo, Milana."

Natawa nalang ako dito bago bumalik sa kinauupuan ko, and not a minute later ay mayroong pumasok na sa silid upang mag shoot for clips and bits of how Kelvs will do my make-up. Surely, he did his best again. The tweaks and glitters on my face is pure wonder and glam.

Nang tutulungan na sana ako ng mga assistant para makapag palit na ay bigla namang bumulong saakin ni Kelvs, "You'll be wearing nothing but a lingerie and a nipple tapes. I am hoping that Donya Hermana won't rip my head off like how she'll do it to Paris after the show."

"I hope so, Kelvs. I hope so." I winked at him before fully entering the bathroom.