EZH #3: Kal Verano [COMPLETED]

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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Kal Verano

"Congratulations, son." Inangat ni dad ang hawak niyang champagne flute. Ginaya ko ang ginawa niya at nakipag-toast. "I'm proud of you."

Napangisi ako at nahihiyang napailing. Kahit kailan hindi ako nagkulang sa papuri mula sa mga magulang ko. They always made sure that they praise me for whatever achievement I got. My mom even had my drawing from when I was a kindergarten. She was so proud that my drawing was marked as the best, so she got it framed at hanged it on our wall. Nandoon pa rin iyon hanggang ngayon at ipinagmamalaki niya pa rin sa mga nagiging bisita sa bahay.

T and I graduated college this evening. Pagkatapos ng ceremony ay dumiretso kami agad dito sa restaurant ng isang hotel para kumain at mag-celebrate. It was our family together with my mom and dad's friends' family. Kasama rin namin sina Miguele at Ivana na pinagkaguluhan agad ng mommy ni Asher at Hope, pati na rin ng mommy ko at mga tita. They welcomed them in our family so warmly na akala mo ay pamamanhikan ang nagaganap at hindi graduation celebration. Idagdag pa itong sina Demi at T na ikinasal na last week.

"So, what now?" Dad asked. Napa-angat ako ng tingin sa kanya.

"What do you mean?" Naka-kunot noong tanong ko. Dad just chuckled. Nilapitan niya ako at ginulo ang buhok ko. A habit of him from since I was a little kid. Naalala ko pa noong umiyak ako dati dahil ang tagal kong inayos ang buhok ko pero ginulo lang ni dad. Pinatahan ako nina Caspian at diniliaan ni T ang kamay niya at ipinunas sa buhok ko. Ginawang gel iyong laway niya na lalo kong ikina-iyak dahil sabi sa akin ni mommy ay milyon milyon ang germs na nasa laway. I was five back then, pero tanda ko pa. Mahirap makalimutan kung walang ibang bukang bibig ang mga magulang ko kung hindi iyon sa tuwing magku-kwentuhan silang mga magulang namin tungkol sa aming pito.

"I mean what are your plans? Do you want to work at our company? Do you want to gain experiece first, like starting from the lowest position?" Napairap ako dahil sa sinabi ni dad na ikinatawa niya ng malakas. "I'm just kidding."

Noon kasing sinabihan niya akong maganda raw na sa pinakababa ako magsimula, binigyan niya ako ng uniform ng mga bus driver. Hindi ko hinahamak ang mga bus drivers kaya ayoko. In fact, it was the opposite. I don't have the proper experience to drive a public vehicle, let alone a bus. Maraming buhay ang ilalagay sa kamay ko kapag ganoon and I know I am still not capable enough of handling the safety of many lives at once. Kaya hindi ko gustong maging bus driver.

Verano Transportations has many branches of a bus line, ferry lines and two aviation ports. Our company was not that big compared to what the Verano's actually own. But my dad wanted to prove my abuelo and abuela that he can start from scratch. Sila ng mommy ko ang nagpasimula sa companya namin, na later on ay isinali nila sa mga kompanyang sinimulan din lang ng mga kaibigan nila mula sa wala. Naiisip ko nga minsan, kaya siguro nagkakasundo ang mga magulang naming mga tagapagmana ng Zero ay dahil pare-parehas silang may mga gustong patunayan.

Our parents were all rebelous kids back in their college days. Mga rich kid na pagod nang makilala dahil lang sa pinagmulan nilang pamilya. It was funny, how all of them felt oppression when in reality, they were all filthy rich. Napagod sila sa sistema ng mga alta. They wanted out. And they were brave enough to do so, since they have each other. Mga nag-desisyong mag-thug life ang mga magulang namin. Imbis na sila ang itakwil ay sila pa itong malalakas ang loob na itakwil ang mga pamilya nila. They don't want their families to meddle with their lives anymore and treat them as mere assets in their family businesses, so they started their own empire. Their own empire where they get to decide what they wanted to do, not the one where they would be mere pawns.