Sweet Serendipity - [AU]

5. Face Off

“Andito na tayo. Dito mo na lang i-park sa gilid muna.”

“Ok.” He sighed as he braced himself before stirring his grandmother awake who fell asleep during their trip.

“RJ, are you sure about this? You really didn’t have to do this. Ayoko lang mapahamak ka. Nakakahiya din kay Lola.” She confirmed, worry etched on her face.

He swallowed an imaginary lump in his throat before responding. “Yes, I’m sure.” He said before getting out of the car and opening doors for the ladies.

“Wag mo kaming alalalahanin, apo.” Lola Linda squeezed her hand and smiled at her reassuringly.

“You have to understand that I haven’t brought any man home in the last three years that’s why they’re so freaked out about this, okay?”

“Nicomaine?” He held both her shoulders and smiled, somehow instantly calming her. “Breathe. We’ll be fine.”

She nodded. “Let’s go then.” She walked ahead of them and opened the gate. She gingerly opened the door to their house to find her parents, Dean and Coleen sitting in the living room.

“Nay, Tay?” She announced herself with RJ and Lola Linda walking right behind her.

“Menggay!” Her mother stood immediately at the sound of her daughter's voice while Tatay Ted remain seated and tight-lipped.

“Good afternoon po, Sir. Richard Faulkerson, Jr po, Sir. Ito po ang Lola ko, si Lola Linda." Tatay Ted nodded and shook both their hands firmly. "Wala pong kasalanan si Maine sa nangya-”

"Hijo, sandali lang. Kakausapin ko lang ang anak ko." He said in a stern voice, Nicomaine’s cue to go straight to his father's office. She smiled at him apologetically as she wrapped her hand around the door knob and opened the door.

RJ smiled back and assisted his grandmother as she sat on the couch, his palms now clammy.

"Lola Linda, pasensya na po kayo. Sana po naintindihan nyo ang asawa ko. Bunsong babae po kasi si Menggay namin. Tapos sya na lang po ang walang boyfriend. Ate Pe, pakikuha mo nga ng meryenda sina RJ at Lola Linda."

"Maliit na bagay, Hija. Kapag naipaliwanag na ng mga bata ang nangyari, magiging okay na ang lahat."

“Kuya, boyfriend ka ba ni Ate?” Dean started, his voice quite irritated, having been accused of not looking after his sister properly. “Pati ako napagalitan dahil sayo e.”

RJ was about to open his mouth to explain when she heard a female voice beside him.

“Dean, wag ka ngang OA ng taon. Tinanong ka lang e, napagalitan agad? Hi I’m Colleen.” She held out her hand and shook RJ’s. “Pasensya ka na sa kapatid ko ha. Nalost lang kaming lahat sa nangyari kasi ang alam naming single na single si Menggay."

“Ay mga apo, pasensya na kayo. Kasalanan ko talaga e. Pinagbigyan lang naman ng kapatid nyo ang hiling ko."

Dean and Colleen only shrugged their shoulders and looked at each other in confusion, hoping that everything would finally make sense in the next few hours.

RJ already tuned out the conversations happening around him. He only has one thing in mind. Kumusta na kaya si Nicomaine?

***

“Tay, sorry po.” She bowed her head, ready to take whatever words her Tatay would throw at her.

“Sino ba naman kasi yun, Meng? I’m very disappointed in you! Ano ba kasing nangyari? Bakit hindi namin kilala yung lalaking yun tapos malalaman namin kasabay ng buong Pilipinas na may boyfriend ka na pala?” He asked, restraining himself from raising his voice. “Anak naman kasi. You know how much I want you to get over Luke pero I would have preferred sana na makilala muna namin ang ipapalit mo sa kanya bago ng buong mundo.”

With her face hidden from view by her hair, she smiled. This meant her Tatay wasn’t angry. She could handle disappointed Tatay.

“Taaaay naman, I've been over look for years. Pero sorry po talaga po." She cooed as she approached him and hooked an arm around him then leaned her head on his shoulder. "Nagkagulatan po kasi. Hindi naman po naming alam na matatapat samen yung camera.”

"Eh bakit pumayag kang halikan nya?"

"Eh kasi po, birthday gift ko po kay Lola Linda."

“Ano? Naguguluhan ako sayo. Asan ba yang lalaking yan? Somebody better explain to me what happened or else.”

He briskly walked out of his office and paused in front of RJ and he immediately stood up. Tatay Ted still sizing him up, he landed a hand on his shoulder. “You, young man, I’d like to have a word with you.”

“Yes Sir.” RJ took a deep breath before smiling shyly at the patriarch. “Good afternoon, Sir.”

“Kaya mo yan, Apo.” She cheered on his grandson, not even looking worried before facing Nanay Mary Ann again. “Naku, Mary Ann pagkagandang bata niyang si Maine Mendoza sa personal, tapos etong si Alden Richards. Ang gwapoooo. Bagay na bagay sila. Ang haharot!”

Mary Ann giggled.  “Talaga po, Lola? Sayang nga at hindi po ako nakasama kay Menggay kanina. Lunes naman kasi, akala ko wala ang ALDUB sa Eat Bulaga. Kung di lang po talaga busy sa gasolinahan ngayon e.”

By the time, RJ and Nicomaine emerged from Ted’s office, Lola and Nanay were already well into fangirling mode, exchanging stories about MaiChard, as Lola corrected Nanay Mary Ann earlier.

“Anak, anong nangyari?” Nanay Mary Ann stood from the couch as she saw the two walk towards them.

“Ok na po, Nay.” A smile of relief evident on her face.

“Ok na po, Tita. Pasensya na po ulit.”

“Ha? Naguguluhan ako. My husband let you off the hook just like that?”

RJ just grinned while Meng playfully hit his arm as she giggled, making the older ladies even more confused.

“Oh ano, apo? Sabi ko sayo, kaya mo yan e.”

A/N:

Dahil masaya tayong lahat kagabi. 😊 Nakakamiss no? Nakakamiss lalo si Madam. Ila-like kaya ni Gov ang post ni Madam? Abangan.

I am in awe of this fandom's generosity. 💛

In the meantime, heto muna ang kadugtong. Apologize for the slow pace but hang in there, ok? 😅

Let me know what you think by tweeting me at @bankingonkismet or commenting down below.