Stolen Heart

Simula

"Iana, your cousin Francine is here." said mommy and lend me the iPad.

I smiled on the screen as I saw my blooming cousin, Francine.

"Iana!" she shrieked. (Pronounced as Yana) 

"What's up?" I asked her. "I missed you!" I added.

She frowned.

"I missed you too! It's been what? 2 months that we didn't talk and 6 years never saw each other." I giggled.

"Well, I am busy here in Paris." sabi ko.

She nodded.

"Kaya nga! But this time, alam kong makakauwi ka na." sabi nito sabay tawa. Kumunot naman ang noo ko sa sinabi ng pinsan ko.

I was 16 when my parents decided to move to Paris, I continued my college in Paris. I took Fashion Designing and now I am a fashion designer. Matagal ng hindi na ako nakakauwi ng Pilipinas kasi busy rin naman ako dito. Even my vacation days ay hindi ako umuwi. Si Daddy ay umuuwi sa Pilipinas for his business and sometimes my mother does too.

"I am getting married!" she shrieked and raised her hand showing me her engagement ring! Namilog naman ang mga mata ko.

"Wow!" hindi makapaniwalang sabi ko. Francine and I seldom talk when I moved here in Paris. Kapag nag-uusap kami via skype ay pangangamusta iyon at marami pang chika. We never talked about her lovelife and same with mine. Kasi hindi naman siya ganoon ka vocal pag dating sa lovelife niya. I know she has a boyfriend, I may know the name, but I don't know the face.

"Congrats to you and Nix!" bati ko. Just the name of his fiance I know. I don't even have social accounts to see her posts and whereabouts kaya kung may pictures man siya ina-upload, well, hindi ko nakikita.

Kaya minsan lang rin kami magkausap kasi whenever we talk, I use Mom's account. Since we were little, Francine and I are really close. Para kaming magkapatid na dalawa at hindi kami pwedeng maghiwalay kaya noong nalaman niyang pupunta akong Paris ay sobra sobra ang iyak niya.

"Well, you need to book a flight early as possible kasi ikaw ang gagawa ng gown ko." sabay tawa niya.

"Of course! Of course I will go home!" masayang anunsyo ko.

I know Francine's dream wedding gown kasi bata pa lang kami ay naglalaro na kami ng kasal kasalan kasama ang ibang kaibigan namin.

Days of preparation and finishing my work, I am off to go.

Kasama ko si Mommy umuwi ng Pilipinas kasi si Daddy ay nandoon na rin naman. We will stay at Philippines for Francine's wedding. Kahit matagal pa naman ay kailangan rin naman namin umuwi. I miss Philippines too. My relatives and friends.

"Quiana!" sigaw ni Francine ng nakita niya ako papasok ng bahay. Tumakbo naman ako at niyakap siya. (Pronounced as Kyana, basta may accent hehe.)

Francine and I are very different. She is so simple while me is so girly, kaya siguro naging fashion designer ako. Her hair is long and wavy while mine is short and has a beach waves. 

"You need some rest first, couz! But tomorrow, we will have to run some errands, okay?" and she winked at me. Natawa na lang ako sa pinsan ko.

While she is so energetic while I am so shy. Kumbaga, siya iyong extrovert, ako naman ang introvert.

Granny set a dinner for us. Sobrang natuwa siya dahil sa umuwi na rin kami.

"You're doing great at Paris, Iana. Why don't you work here? You'll give a bang to the models here." sabi ni Granny.

I giggled.

"Granny, I need to. Paris is my field." sabi ko. Sumimangot naman ang lola ko.

Sa bahay na 'to ay si Francine lang ang palagi niyang kasama. Francine's father and my mother are siblings, dalawa lang sila ang magkapatid. Merong kapatid si Francine na dalawang lalaki but they are working abroad too. Minsan nagkikita kami sa Paris ng isang Kuya ni Francine and kaming dalawa ang mas close nun. Well, he's gay, I am a fashion designer. At siguro click talaga ang iyon.  Tanggap naman siya ng pamilya dahil successful siya.

"How about Bern? Kailan uuwi?" tanong ni Mommy.

"Next week sabay sila ni Kuya Frank, Tita." Francine's parents work away from here too at weekend lang sila nakakauwi dahil sobrang busy ng schedule nila.

Sa aming pamilya, ay kailangan successful ka. My grandmother is very strict when it comes to goals. Ayaw niyang pumalpak especially kapag madungisan ang kinaiingatan niyang apelyido. I am using my father's surname at kahit hindi ako Gil, ay dikit pa rin naman ako doon. Kaya sa mga na achieve ko, ay pinagmamalaki iyon ni Granny.

I remember when I was highschool, dahil sa honor student ako, gusto ni Granny na dapat ay ilagay ko daw ang Gil palagi sa pangalan ko. Even putting my name on the paper ay dapat may Gil, hindi pwedeng middle initial lang. Others thought that Gil is my third name.

That's how my family treasure the name. Hindi pwedeng ma disappoint o mabahidan ng issue ang apelyido.

"Couz!" tawag ni Francine sa akin.

Ngumuso naman si Francine ng nakita niya ako.

"Kainis! Kahit hindi naglalagay ng make up ay ang ganda pa rin!" puna nito. Inirapan ko naman siya at mahinang tinulak.

I looked matured on my short and beach waves hair, kesa noon na sobrang haba at straight lang, ang sobrang bata kong tingnan doon.

Francine drove the car, we caught things up.

"We're here." she announced.

I am already 22 years old while Francine is 21. Mas matanda ako ng isang taon sa kanya. Ang ka batch ko sa kanilang magkapatid ay si Bern. Bern is not that close to Francine, hindi dahil sa insecure siya dito dahil babae ang kapatid niya pero dahil hindi lang talaga siya nasanay na kasama si Francine palagi. It's Frank and Francine are the closest. Kahit itago man nila, alam pa rin ni Bern na ayaw nila dahil sa bakla ito. They just accepted it because Granny and Tito Ford accepted Bern. As long Bern is earning and has an asset, tanggap siya.

And that's not how I like about my family, kaya nilayo kami ni Daddy sa kanila. Because it's all about the money and the pride. Hindi ganoon si Daddy, ibang iba siya. While Mom on the other hand, ay ganoon katulad ng Mama at kuya niya. But not 100% the same as them.

Napanguso naman ako ng may nakita akong lalaki na naka puting polo na nakatupi hanggang siko niya sa isang sulok. Kuminang ang silver niyang relo at alam kong sumisigaw ang mamahaling brand nito,  medium length faux hawk ang buhok nito na bumagay talaga sa itsura niya. His features are really manly! He is like a sitting god on the restaurant! I saw many handsome-est boys on Paris but I never got amazed like this. Siguro dahil sa Paris ay expected na talaga ang mga itsura nila doon at katawan at sobrang nasanay na ako kasi puros kaibigan kong lalaki doon ay sobrang pogi but this one! I never expect a living god here in the Philippines!

I was stunned when Francine came near him and kissed him. He smiled at Francine from ear to ear.

I don't know why I felt disappointed. Okay?

"Quiana, this is my fiance, Phoenix Ken Ferguson... Babe, this is my cousin, Quiana Blaze Gil del Carmen."

Oops, sorry about earlier Francine. I fantasized your fiance. Will never happen again.