From Italy, Straight to Your Heart (COMPLETED)

Destined?

Zeke

"Kuya!" Somebody shouted as I felt my body shaken. "Gising na po, bumaba na po lahat."

I opened my eyes and saw that noisy girl standing in front of me. Why'd she wait for me?

Rubbing my eyes, I stood up to get my bag and faced her. WTH?! How the hell can she carry that all? I shrugged the thought off and followed her when she goes out.

I wanted to help her but helping her would mean another minute dealing with her noisy chitchats and irritating elderly respect.

I'm about to go separate ways from her when she spoke. "San po kayo dito?"

"Venice. And you?"

"Hindi ko po alam eh. May susundo daw po sa'kin."

"I said drop the po." I told her with such conviction and then I left her.

After a few minutes of walking and not seeing my parents, I decided to stop by a coffee shop and order Tiramisu and a cold drink.

My relaxing stop over was interrupted by a phone call.

"Mom?"

"Where are you, Zeke?" Mom replied in Italian.

" I just stopped by for Tiramisu." I also talked in Italian.

"I see. Eat up faster, I'll introduce you to somebody."

We bade goodbye and exchange I love you's. Then I let her hung up.

Mom's introducing me to somebody, huh? That's not new. Probably some business partner again. They've always pushed me to business but I'm not a businessman, I'm a writer.

I finished up eating and looked for my Mom and Dad. From afar, I saw Mom waving excitedly at me while dad was talking to a girl, I guess, at my age.

"Zeke, I missed you!" She hugged me.

"Ezekiel." Dad said and gave me a high five. Weird? I don't think so. "We missed you son!"

What the hell is happening? Why are they suddenly talking to me in English? Did I miss something?

"What's up with the Universal Language Dad?" I joked, in Italian. "Something up with English?" I added as I chuckle.

They both laughed with me and then Mom spoke. "We have company, Zeke. She does not understand Italian." Then she stood on the side to expose the girl behind her.

So it's her.

"Zeke, this is Clarissa."

"Madame, Clarisse po." She corrected as she inch to me. "Cleo na lang po—kuya?!" She blinked God-knows-how-many times and rubbed her eyes like she thought she was dreaming. "Kuyang mabait?"

WTH!!

"Excuse me?" I said.

"Dadaan ka?" She gave way, smiling. This girl is dumb as she could ever be.

"N-no. I mean, what did you call me?"

"Kuyang mabait." She replied as she roll her eyes as if mentally asking if I was deaf or I was stupid. "Nakipagpalit ka ng upuan sakin sa airplane."

"Zeke you know her?"

"Uhm n-no—"

"Opo, Madame!" She cut my words and lively talked to my mother. "Katabi ko pi so Kuya Zeke sa eroplano. Ang bait nga po eh pumayag makipagpalit sakin ng upuan."

"Oh how sweet of you son." My mom couldn't be more dreamy as she spoke. "Gentle as your Dad, huh?" She shot Dad a glance then faced Cleo. "You can call me, Tita hija, since you called our Zeke, Kuya."

"Mom!" I protested.

"Madame, hindi po ba kayo marunong magtagalog? Nanonose bleed na po ako eh."

"Oh silly." Mom giggled. "Marunong kami. Well except for Zeke, but don't worry, naiintindihan ka niya."

"Let's go, let's go. I don't want to be stuck in a traffic jam." Dad ordered and we all oblige.

***

"Tapos po, susunduin ko dapat si Zoren, yung kapatid ko, bigla pong may nakapaskill do'n na 'slowdown school zone' edi binagalan ko." My mom laughed so hard at Clea's face. Clea looked so innocent, she didn't even know she did something stupid. "Sinigawan nga po ako ng driver ng truck eh."

"Anong sabi niya?" Mom asked. Mom was a fluent Filipino speaker. She knows over 10 languages, since she's negotiating with different countries every day. She's pretty smart, I say.

"Ah! Yon po ba?" Clea's eyes grew wider as if she remembered something she long forgot. "Sabi niya tabi!" I was just silent in the front seat while she's talking but this time, I glanced at her, still emotionless. "Edi lumapit po ako sa kanya kasi naka-stop naman po siya eh. Tumabi po ako sa kanya. Tapos sabi niya tanga daw ako."

I bursted out of laughter. Dad laughed too. She's stupid.

PLEASE VOTE AND COMMENT AFTER YOU READ. VOTES CAN MOTIVATE ME IN WRITING BETTER STORIES AND POEMS. THANK YOU SO MUCH!