I Lust You

Chapter Ten

Miranda’s POV

Nagising na lang ako sa tunog ng aking doorbell at sinamahan pa ng malalakas na katok mula sa aking pintuan.

Ugh, stupid menstrual cramps! Nahihirapan tuloy akong bumangon. Ba’t pa kasi ako naging babae? “I’m coming!” I shouted. Sino ba kasing Poncio Pilato ang kakatakot sa aking pintuan ng ganito kaaga?

“Wait!” naiirita kong saad. “Mom?” nagulat ako sa nakita ko. Oh, shit! May malaki yata akong kasalanan kaya binisita ako ni Mommy dito. “Ashley?” Nandito rin siya? Ang dami ko naman yatang nagawang kasalanan.

“’Di mo ba kami patutuluyin?” mataray na tanong ni Mommy.

“Oh, right! Come inside Mom, Ashley,” I smiled sweetly. Heaven, help me! ‘Pag si Mama kasi ang nagagalit, mas gugustuhin mo na lang sigurong magpaalam sa mundo.

“I can’t contact you for days, young lady,” sabi ni Mom. Ay, oo nga pala, ‘di alam ni Mommy! Ba’t ngayon ko lang ‘to naalala? Knowing Mom, alam kong nag-freak out ito nang ‘di niya ako na-contact.

“Oh, my God! I’m so sorry, Mom. I forgot to tell you na nasira ‘yung dati kong phone at ‘di pa ako nagkaroon ng time para bumili ng bago.”

“Is it true, Ashley?” I winced at her question. Does she really have to verify it from Ashley? Talaga bang wala siyang tiwala sa akin?

“Yes, Tita.”

“Good,” satisfied na ito sa sagot ni Ashley.

“So, what took you here, Mom,” binaling ko ang aking atensyon kay Mommy tapos kay Ashley na naman, “Ashley?”

They both spoke at the same time.

“Teka nga! Isa-isa lang, pwede? Tao lang, mahinang kalaban.”

They both nodded.

“A-ah, eh ikaw na ho ang mauna, Tita,” nag-aalangang ngumiti si Ashley.

“Nakalimutan mo na ba kung anong araw ngayon?”

“Of course not, Mom!  Today’s Saturday,” confident na sagot ko. Nakita ko namang napangiwi ito kaya tinanong ko na lang, “Is there any special occasion today, Mom?” Wala talaga akong maalala, eh.

“Goodness gracious, Miranda! Don’t tell me nakalimutan mo rin kung anong event ang pupuntahan natin ngayon?” ‘di makapaniwalang tanong ni Mommy sa akin. Patay! ‘Di na ‘to maganda. Siguradong magagalit na si Mommy sa akin.

Yumuko ako. “Sorry, Mom. I’ve been really pre-occupied these days. Ano nga ulit ‘yung event na pupuntahan natin ngayon?”

“You mean Linus got you occupied,” tukso ni Ashley. Damn! Ba’t sumabad pa ‘tong babaeng ‘to?

“Right,” pagsang-ayon naman ni Mommy. Nanlaki ‘yung mga mata ko sa mga sinabi nila. Sa’n ba kasi nanggaling ‘yun? Wala naman sa usapan si Linus kanina, ah? “You were so occupied that you even landed both on the published and online newspaper columns.” Lalong nanlaki ‘yung mga mata ko.

“W-what? What do you mean? I have no idea what you two are talking about.”

“Look at this,” Ashley handed her phone to me. I instantly zoomed it in at nakita ko na kung ano ‘yung pinagsasabi nila. The website showed a photo of me and Linus kissing. Well, that was just a smack. Pero, aaaaah, it is still considered a kiss! At isa pa, bakit may picture sila no’n? We’re not even celebrities! Socialites, maybe!

“’Eto pa,” Mom handed me a newspaper. Meron ding picture doon at ang nakalagay na caption ay:

Supermodel and heiress to the Go Industries, Miranda Go and one of the most eligible bachelors in town, Michael Linus Uy, were caught getting cozy with each other.

“Aaaaaah!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Napahawak naman sina Mommy at Ashley sa kanilang mga tenga.

“Tell me this isn’t real,” I freaked out.

“Unfortunately, it is, honey,” my Mom said.

“Oh, my God! This isn’t happening.”

“It already happened,” Ashley said matter-of-factly.

“Shut up, Ashley!” I tried to grasp for some air. Phew! Inhale! Exhale!

“What’s so bad about that, honey? Hindi ba ‘yun totoo?” Mom asked. “Tell me what you’ve been up to, okay? Hindi ‘yung sa newspaper ko na lang nababalitaan ang tungkol sa lovelife mo. But still, I’m glad that you decided to work your relationship out with Linus,” mabilis na nagsalita si Mommy. Mahahalata mo talagang excited siya. I can’t blame her though. Mom has always been a hopeless romantic. But that doesn’t mean na hahayaan ko na lang siyang mag-isip ng ganoon.

“Mom, it’s not like that. Hindi po kami. He just stole a kiss, okay?”

“Whatever!” tugon ni Ashley. Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. Pwede bang patahimikin n’yo ‘tong babaeng ‘to? Kahit ngayon lang! ‘Di siya nakakatulong sa akin, eh!

“We’re not in a relationship or even dating, okay?” How can I say this to Mom in a way that she can understand? “It just so happened that we ate our lunch together and that kiss meant nothing at all. I was caught off guard kaya niya ako nahalikan. I don’t like him, okay?”

I hope Mom understood what I said a while ago.

Nakita kong bahagyang nalungkot si Mommy. It’s better this way kaysa naman I get her hopes up. “Okay, I understand. But right now, we have to let you get dressed kasi pupunta tayo ngayon sa spa at salon. So hurry up!”

“Ugh, okay!” I rolled my eyes. “Pero ano nga ulit ‘yung event na pupuntahan natin ngayon?”

“Charity event na inihanda ni Elizabeth,” sabi ni Mommy. Nagtaka naman ako kung sino si Elizabeth. New friend ‘ata ni Mommy, ah? Parang nabasa naman ni Mommy ‘yung iniisip ko nang mat idinagdag siya. “Mommy ni Michael.”

I flushed at what I heard. Oh, my gosh! Nahiya naman ako do’n. Hindi ko man lang alam ang pangalan ng ina ng lalaking pakakasalan ko. Worst is, I haven’t even met her yet! ‘Di rin kasi na-mention ni Linus ang event na ‘to. To think na Mommy niya pa talaga ang nag-organize nito. Oh, well. I guess he didn’t want me there. Ipinagkibit balikat ko na lang ito.

“Okay. Maliligo muna ako in a few minutes. Kagigising ko lang nang dumating kayo, eh.” I gave them a peace sign.

“Make it quick, young lady!” utos ni Mommy sa ‘kin habang kinukurot ang tagiliran ko.

“Aray! Mommy naman! Maliligo na ako, okay?” sabi ko habang napapailing. Kahit kalian talaga, ang demanding ng Mommy ko! She reminds me of a person with a similar personality.

Pagkatapos kong maligo ay pumunta na kami sa kotse ni Mommy. Nakaabang lang din kasi ang driver niya kaya ito na ang humatid sa amin papunta sa spa.

Comments, please? Thanks! x