Nakatayo ako sa harap ng isang malaking gate. The address that my mother sent me says this was my father's house. Ilang minuto pa ang nakalipas bago ko pindutin ang doorbel.
Bumukas ang maliit na gate at lumabas doon ang isang babae na sa tingin ko ay kasing edad lang ni Troi at halos kasing tangkad ko. Matangos ang kanyang ilong at makapal ang kanyang labi na parang apple sa sobrang pula.
“Hi,” Nakangiting bati ng babae. “may I help you?” May accent ang english niya. Siguro ay siya nga ang anak ni dad sa bago niyang asawa.
I tried to smile. “Uhm, is this Manuel's residence?”
“Yeah, it is.” She beamed.
“Theressa, who's that?”
I heard someone called. Theressa turned her head and talked to her mom, I supposed.
“Someone is here, looks like dad.”
I tensed. Alam kaya nila na may pamilya si dad bago sila?
I heard her mom laughed. “Are you talking to your self?”
“No, of course not. I look a lot like you than dad.” She laughed along.
“Wait.”
“Maybe..” Naputol ang sasabihin ng mommy niya nang makita ako ng tuluyan. “Oh.”
“Hi, you are?”
Tama nga si Theressa, magkamukha sila ng mommy niya. Although nakuha niya ang shape ng mukha ni dad gaya ko at ang mata nito.
“I'm Kathryn,” sagot ko. Tumango sila pareho at nagkatinginan.
“I'm looking for..”
“Ted, right? Your dad?” Theressa's mom interrupted me.
“Yes.”
She surprised me by saying,
“Come, you're much welcome here.”
Iginaya nila ako papasok sa loob ng bahay. Hindi ko lubos akalain na sila ang nakatira dito sa sobrang laki nito. Everything is clean and white. May malaking flat screen tv ang naka-hang sa wall ng living room at malaking couch sa harap nito. May malaking hagdanan na sa dulo ay may papunta sa kaliwa at kanan kung saan ang 2nd floor.
Umupo ako sa couch habang nilibot ng paningin ko ang kabuuan ng bahay. I never thought my dad would be this rich. Mayaman din naman si mommy pero simple lang ang bahay namin. I had to admit, my father's house is way too big and elegant. But whatever.
“So, Ted isn't around. But he will be home soon,” dad's new wife told me.
Awkward na tumango ako. Akala ko ay isang maldita na asawa't anak ang sasalubong sakin pero mali ako. I'm a bit relieved I didn't had to fight with them over seeing my dad which I had previously assumed. What if, maybe, just maybe, they were putting on an act?
“By the way, I'm Selena. And she is Theressa, my daughter.”
Tumango lang ulit ako at ngumiti. I don't know what else to say.
“You know Kathryn, Ted would always tell us about you. He missed you a lot,” Selena told me softly.
Theressa nodded in agreement. “Mom and I were really excited to meet you and you're finally here.”
Ngumiti si Selena sa kanyang anak at hinaplos ang buhok into.
“You are beautiful, like me.”
BINABASA MO ANG
The Day We Fall In Love
Teen FictionWhen Kathryn agreed to her mother's deal, she thought of it as a living hell. As much as she could, she would always try to ignore Daniel's presence and stay a meter away or else she'd fall into cupid's crazy little trap and forget about the grudges...
