The Virgin Mother ✔

Disapproval

A couple of weeks passed by after my birthday.. well, subsob ako sa trabaho ngayon.

Paano? Puro naman kasi aya sa paglabas sila Marnie at Cass nitong mga nakaraan. Which is.. I enjoyed too, of course. They've been my stress-relievers too, besides Angelo and Ivo and of course, my dad and our dogs.

Walang linggo na hindi sila nagyayayang mag-shopping. They even insisted me to buy lacy underwears!

"Tara doon tayo sa La Senza! Last week may nakita ako ritong pink na lacy bra, it looks comfortable on! Dapat binili ko na agad yun!" At wala na akong nagawa sa pagyaya ni Marnie, dahil si Cass rin ay na-excite.

I don't usually buy undergarments with other people even my friends.. but now, I'm doing it.

As we were looking on some designs, napatili si Cass. Buti at sa oras na iyon ay kami pa lang ang customers. Napalingon lahat kay Cass. "Gosh, Marie! Come here! Bagay sayo 'to!" Tinaas niya pa ang isang terno ng white bra at panty. Of course, it's lacy.. pero mukha naman siyang kumportable. Ngumiti ang isang sales lady doon at at dinescribe pa kung anong tela ang gamit. She even said that the panty is body-hugging. Yung wire ng bra ay hindi basta-bastang nagbe-bend o nakakatusok.

I nodded and smiled. "Take it, Marie! Naku naman.. are you sure, iyan lang ang bibilhin mo? Dalawang bra at isang panty pa lang!" Cass is just so vulgar but I love her anyway, and Marnie.

Mabilis na pumunta si Marnie sa kinaroroonan namin at tinignang mabuti ang hawak ni Cass na gustong isama sa mga bibilhin ko. "Right. It suits you, Marie. This is your soulmate. Imagine, pag nakita ka ni--"

"Sshh!" I immediately covered her mouth.

"Ah, right! Ni Enzo!! Hahaha she'll f--"

Binaba ko ang hawak kong basket at gamit ang isa ko pang kamay, tinakpan ko rin ang bibig niya. "Oh my goodness! Ang iingay niyo!"

They both murmured and their eyebrows showed a frown. "Fine I'll uncover your mouths but shut it up!" They both nodded so I released them, and they gave cheeky smiles!

"He will surely fuck your brains out, our dear friend." My friend's a traitor. Napapikit ako ng mariin at narinig kong natawa kahit mahina ang dalawang saleslady pati ang kahera. God, why are they my friends?

So in the end, I bought 3 bras, and 2 panties.

Our relationship isn't too much famous in the company. Because.. we just want it lowkey.

Magkasama kami ni Ivo sa opisina ko at sabay na kumakain ng tanghalian. We were talking about specific things he can bake.

"I bet you don't really know I bake? Si mama kasi eh binuking ako. Yung mga kakilala ko, sinasabi nila pambabae raw yun. Tinatanong pa nga ako kung bakla ba ako.."

I smiled. "Too bad, they haven't tasted the fruitcake you made. People tend to stereotype and classify things as this for girls only or this for boys. By the way, how did you learn to bake?"

"Right! And mama, si mama naman talaga ang nagturo sa akin but the others, self-study lang. Fortunately, sa first trial kahit hindi perfect, it still looks and tastes good. That's according to her, too."

Tumawa kami. Seeing him getting excited talking about her mother looks so genuine, like she's his world.

Nag-ring ang cellphone ni Ivo. "Oh, excuse me. I'll just take this call, baby." I nodded.

"Hello? Who's this?" He sounded formal.
Oh, so the caller's not tita.

Nanlaki ang mata ni Ivo at napatayo mula sa kinauupuan. "Where? What hospital is this? O-okay. I'll be there.. I'm her son.. Yes."

Maging ako ay nanlaki ang mata. Tita Loren's in the hospital?

"I'm sorry, I have to leave right now." Dali-dali siyang lumabas ng opisina at naiwan akong mag-isa. Di pa gaanong tapos kumain si Ivo, kaya ako ay nawalan na rin ng ganang tapusin ang pagkain.

Knowing that his mother's in the hospital.. Pero bakit kaya nandun si tita? What happened?

After a few minutes, nag-ring ang cellphone ko.

"Daddy, he--"

"You will not see Ivo Lorenzo Pendleton again. You know how much I despise that Pendleton name. You know who I'm talking about, Virginia Marie. Fire him from--" May kung anong diin at galit sa boses ni daddy.

"Daddy.. teka. What just happ--"

"No ifs, or buts. You'll never see him again. Not even Angelo. Pag hindi mo pa ginawa iyan, I'll be the one to fire him at ipapatapon ko siya sa kumpanya ng ama niya."

"Da--" Bago ko pa sabihin ang sagot ko, binaba niya agad ang tawag. He sounded so mad, which I haven't heard in a while.

Kumunot ang noo ko at hindi na ako nakapagpaalam sa sekretarya ko na aalis na. I'll just text her later. Now, I have to speak with daddy.

I drove as fast as I can going to the villa. Ngayon ay nasa school pa naman si Angelo, kaya buti na lang ay hindi niya maririnig kung magtalo man kami ni daddy.

Kunot-noo akong pumasok sa gate, hanggang sa loob ng bahay. I looked for my father and I saw his back, he's standing in the poolside with a glass of wine in hand.

I immediately went to him. "Daddy, what's wrong? Why all of a sudden, you--"

"Because he is a Pendleton! He is Lawrence Pendleton's son, Marie. Can't you see? He's that boy's father! My stomach churned when  knew it. Paano kung espiya siya ng--"

This time, I was the one who cut him off. "He is not. Napagusapan na namin iyon last year pa, daddy. Can't you see the efforts he's exerting? Hindi siya ippromote kung hindi siya competent! Can we set aside personal feelings or conflicts with work?"

Tuluyang humarap si daddy sa akin. He really is fuming mad.

"I knew it, because Loren told me. Ever since, I never liked Lawrence for Loren! They never suited each other! Loren's a goody two-shoes, while Lawrence is nothing but an asshole who sleeps with different women and he even got her pregnant! With that Pendleton boy! Now see, he's married with another woman who looks twenty years younger than him. He's disgusting as hell!"

He then turned his back against me.
"Daddy.."

"Marie, I allow you to date anyone but not him. Now, call off the engagement."

"Dad? Why is tita in the hospital now? Do you know why?" I just got a hunch that my father has something to do with this.

"She.. had a heart attack."

"Ah.. how did you know? Did she--"

"Yes. Dito, dito siya galing sa bahay. I invited her for lunch and had her picked up by Gil. She just spilled it. That he had a child with Lawrence."

"Ah.. so how come me and Ivo's involved with your feud? Ivo doesn't even have any communication with his father!"

"Now, they'll have." Dad replied.

Now, I just feel like my energy's been drained.
Paano na si Angelo?

~*~*~

Just to make things clear:
•Walang namamagitan kay Loren at Luigi. They're just good friends, at parang kuya na ni Loren si Luigi. Ever since kasi, magkalaban na si Lawrence at Luigi when it comes to academics and sports.
•Lately ko lang na-realize puro pala nagsisimula sa L ang pangalan nila hahaha

Sorry, short update. Bawi ako next week sa day-off ko. :*