Cervantes' Match

Chapter 7

Lance had had enough. He's been having a hellish month. Hindi niya pa nakikita si Jane at maging ang ina niya ay naglaho ring parang bula. He thought she'd be gone 3 days or a week but definitely not like this. It's been three weeks with no sign of his mom. He thought she was bluffing. She always did pero hindi pa nito nasubukang magalsabalutan at lumayas ng bahay. He and Will would get kicked out from time to time but they always crashed with Luke or other cousins when they were young. This time things are different...

She didn't come to the house. She didn't return his calls. She didn't respond to his messages. She was giving him the silent treatment. His mom only did that with him once... When he and Chris stopped being friends...

At that time, he questioned whether siya ba ang totoong anak ng ina... His mother was livid to find out that Chris wouldn't be coming anymore to the house and that he was never talking to her again. His mom didn't say anything after that and ignored him. She did that for a whole year... Acting as if he did not exist... Just because he said he wasn't going to be friends with Chris anymore.

Thinking of the woman, naramdaman niyang umiinit nanaman ang ulo niya. It wasn't that he liked her or anything. He just wanted to make sure there was no "accidents" that would have repercussions. He was still annoyed at her playing victim with what happened but he just really needed to find her. 

Napahilamos siya sa mukha. This was such a mess. Will isn't going to be back until a month later... Will his mother really stay away until then? Hindi naman problema na malayo siya sa ina; the problem was Will. Since Will spent a great deal of time with their dad overseas, Will was sort of having attachment issues with their mom. It's good that he's pretty occupied with his new bride but man when he finds out... He's totally going to give me grief!

Nabaling ang atensyon niya sa nagvivibrate na cellphone.

[Stupid calling...] 

Agad niyang sinagot ang tawag at inilayo ang telepono mula sa tenga sa lakas ng boses ni Will.

"You dimwit! Ba't lumayas si Mama?" pasigaw na tanong ni Will. "Iniwan kita sandali tapos palalayasin mo si Mama ng bahay?"

"You're misunderstanding something bro..." sinubukan niyang mag-explain.

"Bakit? Aalis ba si Mama ng bahay kung di mo pinaalis?" Will answered back. "We both know what that house means to her..." sabi muli ni Will na medyo kumalma.

Yeah... He know what the house meant to their mother.... It was the only memory of their father. She'd never leave the house. Shit! He'd totally messed up!

"So ano bang ginawa mo?" tanong ni Will sa kabilang linya.

"She wanted me to go on a date..." he said flatly.

"You couldn't go on a single date?" Will asked at batid ni Lance ang amusement sa tono ng pagsasalita ng kapatid.

"I can't..." he replied curtly. The problem with having Will for a brother... He's a carbon-copy of their mother. He sighed this will be a long conversation.

-

Pansin ni Jane ang excitement sa mukha ng nanay ni Lance habang inaayos nila ang kasal ni Luke. With Tita Beatrice living inside her home, it was easier to arrange things. Jane didn't really need to go back to the office soon. She'd work like there's no tomorrow since entering the company 5 years ago. She's never taken a holiday off or used her leave days. 

She'd had friends but most of them were from highschool. The only celebrations she's attended was their highschool reunion.  Kahit pa maaga siyang naging partner sa kompanya, she accepted that as something that she'd deserved after slaving away.