Giving In

Chapter 7

Liam couldn't have done anything when Mari walked out on him in his father's office. Di naman kasi niya napag-isipan yun. Di lang niya napigilan ang sarili kaya nakumpronta niya agad si Mari nang wala sa plano. He knows he should've been more subtle but he was also just to full of emotions.

He was also busy with work so at the first chance he got, he went to Mari's condo to realize no one was there. Pati yaya ng anak nila wala na rin. It was Saturday when he decided to drive to Mari's province. Kinabisado niya talaga ang daan papunta dun. It was around ten am when he got there. Di naman kalakihan ang bahay nila but it was well maintained. There were two other cars parked outside the property. Bukas na ang gate kaya naisipan ni Liam na dumeretso nang pumasok at sa pinto na lang kumatok para ipaalam ang presensya niya.

When he was about to knock, he could hear voices with barely controlled rage from the inside. Nakaawang lang rin kasi ang pinto, di talaga sirado. "For the love of God Marianna! Anong nakain mo at tinakbuhan mo na naman ang tatay ng anak mo!?" It was a more mature voice compared to Mari's and it was a hell lot of angrier. But it was unbelievably calm. The holier than thou attitude pissed the hell out of Liam. Oo sinumbatan niya si Mari pero di naman ganito kasama ang pananalita niya. "You tell us that Kara's father isn't the spoilt, good for nothing, drug dependent asshole you made him out to be? Marianna ano ba?! Ginagamit mo pa ba yang utak mo? The only reason we didn't go after Kara's father ay akala namin yun ang mas nakakabuti. Ano na lang sasabihin ng mga tao ngayon!? You got involved with the son of a buena familia from the city pero tinakbuhan mo nang mabuntis ka?"

Liam forgot about knocking and entered the house. Suddenly, all eyes were on him. "With all due respect, Mari had her reasons for doing what she did. You don't have the right to talk to her like that," Liam said with veiled contempt. Now he can understand Mari's past behavior, basing from her family's treatment of her. She was a party girl but she always prioritizes her education. Gumagawa pa rin to ng mga case study nya kahit pagod sila sa kama o lasing siya. She had it worse than him.

"Are you, by any chance, the one who got my daughter pregnant?" asked a man in his early sixties. This must be Mari's father. His head was full of grey hair but when he stood up, he looked fit for a man in his age. Tumango na lang si Liam. Tatay pa rin ito ni Mari at lolo pa rin ito ng anak niya. "I'm sorry if you had to see that. Pero intindihin mo sana kung bakit ganyan magsalita ang panganay ko." Liam wanted to laugh. Ni isa ba sa mga ito inintindi si Mari? "Mari never said your name or your background. Sinabi lang niya alam mo ang tungkol sa pagbubuntis niya pero di ka karapat dapat maging tatay. You were not ready or even worthy of the responsibility according to Mari. So we all came to the conclusion na baka adik ka o spoilt brat na walang silbi o tambay sa kanto. If you really knew my daughter, you would understand why we assumed that was the type of man who got her pregnant. Ganun din kasi mga kaibigan niya, umiinom at mahilig sa party."

Liam couldn't believe it. These people weren't worthy of Mari. Ang buong akala niya, kaya ginigipit si Mari ng mga magulang niya dahil kapos talaga sila sa pera. Ang totoo pala ay masyadong mababa ang opinion ng sariling mga magulang nito sa kanya.

Inaalo si Mari ng isang lalaking medyo may hawig dito at asawa yata nito. It was probably her brother. Their daughter was being played with by two children, aged somewhere between three and five on the far side of the room. Di alintana ng mga ito ang pinag-uusapan ng mga matanda. They probably didn't understand what the adults were talking about or they probably just didn't care. Mahinahon naman ang pananalita ng kapatid at tatay ni Mari. Sobrang sama lang ng tono nito. Binabantayan naman sila nung yaya ng anak niya na siguro ay pinipilit di makisawsaw sa nangyayari.

"I never said he was drug addict, a spoiled brat or tambay sa kanto. All I said was my daughter was better off without a father kung siya na lang rin naman. Kayo na nag-isip nun," Mari said with difficulty through her sobs. "Ngayon nalaman niyong anak mayaman pala siya, para bang gustong gusto niyo bigla na magkaroon ng tatay ang anak ko. Is what people say all that matters to you?"