Mister Villain

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

               

Despite being active in their company's charity, Rio has visited her son's office only a handful of times.

She had her own and that's where either RJ or Gab normally talked to her, IF she even decided to go to the office as she could do all her work from home.

Today, though, she decided to wait on her son at his office's adjacent living room where Ten, his assistant, was serving her coffee. A meeting of RJ's was running overtime.

"Kumusta ka Ten?"

"Maayos naman po Madame."

She smiled. "Narinig ko na natapos mo na daw ang bahay na pinapagawa mo? Tama nga ba ang nabalita ni RJ sa akin?"

Tumango ito. "Opo."

"Kelan ang house blessing? Huwag mo kami kalimutan imbitahan ha?"

"Sigurado po yun Madame. May mga finishing touches na lang po na kailangan ayusin at kapag nagka-house blessing na po, unang una po kayo ni Sir na may imbitasyon."

"Sabihan mo ako kung ano ang gusto mong regalo ha?"

"Naku Madame, kahit hindi na po kayo mag-regalo!"

"Ano ba ang sinasabi mo dyan? Hindi pwede na wala akong gift. At kapag hindi mo sinabi sa akin ano ang gusto mo, bibigyan kita nung curtains na pang-isang linggo. May suki kami sa Divisoria nang mga sobrang ganda at saka tibay na tela, ipapatahi ko doon sa kilala naming sastre. I will give you a set in varying colors dahil ganun ang normal na nireregalo ko sa house blessings, gusto mo ba yun?"

Nangiti si Ten, he obviously knew not to dissuade her too much. She wasn't the Faulkerson matriarch for nothing. "Madame, ok na po yun sa akin. Maraming salamat po."

Rio shook her head at him, reminded again why she loved Ten. More than being efficient as her son's assistant, he was a wonderful person overall.

And he reported everything to her, too.

"So... maganda ba ang mood kanina ni RJ nang dumating?"

"Opo. Nauna pa nga po siya sa akin nang five minutes e. Nabigla po ako."

This was the second day that her son's improved mood has been noted because no one seems to have seen him like this in a long long while.

Kahapon, Ten just texted her – "Good morning Ma'am. Sir RJ looks very happy right now po. I am reporting to you dahil kanina po halos malaglag ang panga ni Sir Allan, ang Project Manager sa Cebu, dahil hindi siya napagalitan after niya i-report na magkaka-delay sila nang isang linggo."

She laughed aloud at this and shared it with her husband.

They had theories as to how it could have happened and truthfully, the reason she decided to visit him today was she was presented with an opportunity to sate her curiosity.

Who could blame a mother for wanting to know?

She was there when RJ's world crashed all over him.

It broke her heart immensely and she was reminded how fulfilling and gut-wrenching it is to have children.

You felt their pain twice.

You felt helpless. Especially when you know that this time around, neither your hugs nor kisses will glue back together the pieces of themselves that have fallen apart.

Higit pa na mas mahirap kapag nakita mo ang anak mo na ginagawa ang lahat para ipakita sa mundo that he was alright. Gab embraced her grief and wallowed in pain in front of family and friends but RJ hid behind closed doors.