A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED

21 | dinner at the lantins'

"Ang laki ng bahay nila Ate Loren," Yen whispered as we were ushered into the living room. "Sobrang simple nya. Hindi mo aakalain na ganito pala sya kayaman."

It turned out, the dinner was at the Lantins'. Coach Jerry accepted the invitation to have dinner with the Tigresses. I haven't been much of a people person the past few days. I have been trying to stay away from crowds whenever I could, probably why I had a panic attack during the game... and dinner with a bunch people was the least I wanted.

The rest of the Lady Maroons were in a very upbeat mood and readily joined the Tigresses who were already seated in the tables that have been set-up in the lanai.

"Angeli. Hija, Ba't andito kayo? Nasa labas na 'yung ibang mga kaibigan nyo," Loren's mom said as she walked in the room.

"Good evening po. Mga team mates ko po pala... si Yen at Julie," I gestured to my two companions. "This is Loren's mom, si Dr. Lantin."

"Good evening po," Yen and Julie greeted.

"You call me Tita Marivic," she corrected. "Magkandahilo-hilo tayo dito if you address me as Dr. Lantin since my husband is also Dr. Lantin."

"In a few years, si Ate Loren na din po," Julie added.

"Hopefully, all my children will be doctors in a few years," Tita Marivic beamed with pride. "Addressing us formally at home isn't a good idea."

I was looking at a group of mother and child paintings on the wall. "Kayo po ba lahat 'yan, Tita?"

"The one in the middle is me with Loren when she was a baby. 'Yung dalawa sa baba are with my two sons nung maliliit pa sila," she explained. "Pero 'yung nasa taas, is my mother-in-law with my husband when he was also a baby... and the other one is me with my mother."

"Ang sweet naman po," Julie looking closely at the paintings, said.

"I guess, you could say we are a very matriarchal family. The women always have the last word," she laughed softly.

"That is not true," Loren's dad disagreed who must have been standing behind us for a while.

"Talaga?" Tita Marivic raised an eyebrow.

"Girls, in this family it's the men who always have the last say on everything," Dr. Lantin declared. "… and it's always 'yes dear'." He embraced his wife and gives her a soft kiss on the head.

"Ewwww!" Loren frowned as she stood at the door leading to the garden. "Enough with the PDA. Baka ano isipin nila sa atin."

"At ayan na ang isa ko pang boss," Dr. Lantin pointing to Loren who was walking towards him and Tita Marivic. "There are only three women in my life - my mother, my wife, and my daughter. And each one of them is a handful."

"Pakawalan nyo na po ang tatlong 'yan. Baka nagugutom na sila," Loren told her parents and then turned to us. "Kanina pa excited si Mommy to meet all of you, kaya hindi kayo titigilan nyan. Hindi nyo kasi naitatanong, my mom is a big fan of the Lady Fighting Maroons. Hindi namin alam kung bakit. Sorry, no offense meant. But she watches all your games whenever she can. Minsan nakakalimutan nya UST pala ang kalaban ng UP."

"Nagselos na ang anak ko," Tita Marivic made fun of Loren. "Syempre UST pa din ang number one sa listahan ko. But I just love these girls. Especially 'yung cute na cute nyong libero."