AN: Hesitant pa talaga akong i-post pero dahil sa tulak ng isang kaibigan, napa-go narin ako. =D Love you, Chii. ^^
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Chapter 1
Who the hell do you think you are?
Sometimes it sucks to grow up on a well off family, on a society that keeps building you the way they want you to be, not the way you wish yourself would be. Hindi ko naman sinasabi na hindi ko ginusto ang pagiging mayaman. Sinong tanga ba naman ang magsasabi nun? Pero kung kokontrolin nito ang buong buhay mo at aalisin nito sayo yung kalayaan na inaasam mo noon pa lang, I guess I'll trade my life with anybody else.
Ang tatay ko musikero. Ang nanay ko anak ng milyonaryo. I guess you're taking a hint now. Nung namatay sa plane crash yung mga magulang ko, si lolo na ang bumuhay sakin. Instant milyonarya narin ang peg ko kagaya sa nangyari kay papa. Kaya lang hindi sila pinalad ni mama eh.
Nang mag-grade 3 ako, ipinaintindi na sakin ni Julio ang Pythagorean theorem. Pagka-graduate ko naman ng grade school, kabisado ko na ang lahat ng information sa periodic table of elements. When I graduated from high school, nagpa-part time na ako sa kompanya ni lolo. At nung magtapos ako ng kursong business ad na pinili ni lolo kasi bagay daw sakin, he immediately let me work on his food company. As of now, manager ako ng Hal's food corporation.
Being all rich and capable has been a big privilege to me. You see, I can buy anything that I want. People will look at you with admiration on their eyes. And everything on your life seems to be kind of perfect, it's like nothing could go wrong.
But to tell you the truth... being the granddaughter of Claudio Haleco has never really been awesome as you really think.
Having your life all planned out? Kung hindi ba naman nakakasuya. It's like filling up some stupid slumbook, but you're not the one who has the pen to fill it up, it would be someone else that gets to decide what to write about you.
Ang sakit diba?
You get to live with the fact that you won't be able to choose what school to enroll in, what course to take up, what career to engage in, who's to love and who's not, who to marry someday or when to do it. You're an absolute doll in the family. You're not even the granddaughter. You're the trained replacement to the big boss when they think the right time comes. That is the saddest truth about being Soul Felice Haleco. And yes, that's me.
"Felice, you're lolo wants to see you." sabi ni Julio.
"Alright, I'll come to his office." Isn't it funny how workaholic a millionaire could be? Hindi ba naisip ni lolo na mas masarap matulog kesa magpayaman ng sobra sobra? Well, that's just my opinion. Kahit kasi dito sa bahay may office si lolo.
Lumabas ako ng kwarto ko at pumunta sa office niya. Right now, I'm on vacation. It's the first time Lolo said something that actually made me happy. Ang sabi niya i-enjoy ko daw yung buhay ko. Gawin ko daw lahat ng hindi ko pa nagagawa pero gusto kong gawin. And guess how that simple sentence made me forget how sickening my life was. Imagine, yung Lolo mong kahit kelan hindi ka binigyan ng kalayaan, ngayon ay binibigyan ka pa ng permiso na gawin kung anong gusto mong gawin, pumunta sa lugar na gusto mong marating. The only loop hole to this almost a dream scenario is the expiration date. You could only do this stuff for a month. And after a month, you go back to where you belong, to where your life was.
"Lo, pinatawag niyo daw po ako." bati ko kay Lolo na ngayon ay nakaupo sa kanyang magarang trono at nagbabasa ng kung anong papeles.
"How have you been? Are you enjoying your vacation?" tanong nito na hindi man lang inaangat ang ulo.
How am I supposed to say it? "Ah. So far so good."
"Well, that's great." simpleng sagot nito.
For a moment, Lolo became quiet while I just stand here like a light post waiting for anything he's going to spill. But Lolo's stiff presence made me feel crapped out.
"Lo, that's it?" untag ko sa katahimikang bumalot samin. Don't tell me he summoned me here on his sacred place just to ask how my vacation is going?
Inangat ni lolo ang ulo niya at tiningnan ako ng diretso sa mga mata. Ang salamin nito'y malinaw pa sa sinag ng sikat ng araw. "Soul..." huminga ito ng malalim. "I want you to meet someone."
I think I know where this conversation is going and I bet you it wouldn't make me any happier.
"Lo, pwede bang diretchuhin niyo nako." seryoso kong sabi. Ayoko ng paligoy-ligoy.
May kinuha siya sa drawer niya na envelope. He hand it to me and I take it.
"Ano po ito?"
"Open it." I did what I was told.
Habang binubuksan ko ito bigla nalang akong kinabahan. What's inside this envelope? Is there some kind of a document that says I'm adopted or something? Or I'm not Lolo's grand child? Bigla akong kinabahan. Ayokong mawala ang lahat ng meron ako ngayon. As much as I hate this life, I still need it.
Sa loob nito nakalagay ang isang papel na may litrato ng isang lalaki. Mid 20's ang itsura AT may itsura. It says there, 'Dominic Sandoval'. Ano to? Applying for a job? Para kasing resume ang dating ng files niyang nakalagay dito.
"Ano pong ibig sabihin nito?" tanong ko kay lolo.
Itinigil ni lolo ang binabasa niyang kung ano at sumandal sa kanyang inuupuan. Pinagdaop niya ang kanyang dalawang palad at tumingin sa mukha kong pwede nang awardan sa sobrang pagkaseryoso. "Napagkasunduan na namin ng mga magulang ni Dominic ang pagpapakasal niyong dalawa."
"What?" napuno ng sarkastikong ngiti ang mukha ko. "Nagpapatawa po ba kayo? Lo, alam kong darating tong araw nato pero hindi ko akalaing ganito kaaga. Lolo, I'm only 23, you've got to be kidding me."
"Do I look like I'm kidding Felice?" may otoridad na tanong nito. I feel my heart constricting with hatred. Does he think I'm all fine with this?
Pinigilan ko yung sarili kong magwala. Wow. Parang gustong sumabog ng dibdib ko sa sikip ng paghingang nararamdaman ko ngayon. He sold me. I know how it is. Rich families always do it--arrange marriage and all. I'm informed. Pero kapag pala talagang nasa sitwasyon ka na, gugustuhin mong magsisigaw sa galit dahil kapag hindi mo ginawa babagsak nalang bigla ang luha mo.
"Do I have a say on this?" I sounded like begging and I hate it.
"Felice, you're going to like him. You don't need to feel sad about it."
"Oo naman, Lo. Sinabi niyo eh. Pero alam niyo ba kung ano ang nararamdaman ko ngayon? Hindi ako makahinga dahil hindi ko alam kung hanggang kelan ko nalang malalasap yung kalayaang meron ako ngayon. Tell me lolo, is this the reason why for a split fraction of time, you gave me the authority to run my own life?"
Tumikhim si lolo at ibinalik ang atensyon sa mga papeles niya. I wanted to shout. He just sits there like nothing happened and everything's still the same. But heck! Gusto ko nang mamatay ngayon! Sinong nagsabing ganun kadali ang magpakasal?! At sa lalaking ni anino hindi ko pa nakikita!
Kaya pala binigyan niya ako ng isang buwan para sa sarili ko. Kaya pala ang bait niya nitong mga nakaraang araw. Kaya pala. No wonder.
Lumabas ako ng kwarto ni lolo na pinagbagsakan ng langit at lupa. Yung pusong kani-kanina lang ay intact pa, ngayon durog na. Ewan ko nalang. Dominic Sandoval, who are you? Who are you to make me feel miserable right now? Who the hell do you think you are?
