Before The Next Teardrops Fall

BTNTF Eleven

NAGMATIGAS si Maelee sa kapatid. Hindi siya umuwi hanggang sa natapos ang conference. Hindi niya iiwanan nag bagay na naumpisahan niya dahil lang sa kapatid.

Alam niyang paranoid ito pero hanggang saan nito sasaklawan ang mga bagay na gusto niyang gawin? Matanda na siya at gusto naman niyang maranasan ang konting kalayaan.

Hindi tumigil si Aldrin sa kapamemeste sa kanya sa loob ng dalawang araw na break niya sa conference.

Tumawag siya sa Mommy niya para ipaalam dito ang hindi niya pag-uwi katulad ng sinabi ng kapatid niya.

"What do you mean you are not coming home? Di ba sa weekend pa matatapos ang conference n'yo?" Tanong ni Maine sa anak.

"Kuya Aldrin came here in Cebu and told to come home right now or don't come home at all." Maine was livid beyond livid. The mention of her son's action towards Maelee was felt through the receiver. She flinched a little.

"Aldemar Denreich Richards! You better talk to your son or you will both lose me and Maelee!" Talagang napangiwi siya sa pagsigaw ng Mommy niya sa kabilang linya. Then she heard a sweet mumble then a huff, then a grunt.

Paniguradong hindi lang outside de kulambo ang Daddy niya ngayon baka ma-dog house pa ito dahil sa ginawa ng Kuya niya. And she is very sure that her brother is now slowly walking to the gates of hell.

Kung si Aldrin ay may tapang laban sa kanya dahil nakatatanda ito, siya naman ay Mommy na reyna ng tahanan nila. No one dared to contradict her mother, not even her Dad.

Hindi siya sanay na gamitin ang Mommy niya laban kahit kanino sa bahay nila, but desperate times calls for desperate measures, and her fits the profile of that desperate measure.

"Mom, I don't know what Kuya wants to do to me or why he's doing this to me. I'm almost 22. I never once did anything to hurt your trust or his trust. Why is he treating me like a mindless kindergarten? Why can't I make my own choice? Why is he limiting me?" Pagsusumbong niya. "He told me that I only have 7 to 8 month left with the company anyway, why waste time attending these irrelevant seminars, training or conferences or however the Scottsdale Empire calls it." Naiyak na naman siya. Inis n inis na siya sa kapatid..

"Mom, can I just move to Bacolod? Or maybe stay here in Cebu? I want to be as far away as I could from Kuya Aldrin. Talo pa niya ang possessive obsessive boyfriend. My God Mom, kapatid ko siya, hindi ko siya tatay. Dad never did that to me." Matagal na natahimik si Maine sa kabilang linya.

"Let me help you figure your brother out. Nag-aalala lang naman siya para sa iyo eh. You know, he's just like your Dad. Ayaw lang niya uling may mangyaring masama sa iyo. He saw how sickly you were when you were young at ayaw lang ng Kuya mo na mapaano ka." She pulled a deep, disturbed sigh.

She knows that he was just worried and concerned about her welfare and trying to be a good brother. Sino ba ang gustong mapahamak siya, ayaw din naman niya yun but she was just asking one simple thing from him... give her a chance to prove that she can do it on her own. She doesn't want to limit herself anymore.

"Mom, just please talk to him. He promise to leave me alone, so far he is failing so badly at it. Wala pa ngang six months tinatapos na kaagad niya ang usapan? He's being ridiculous and he's not being fair. I think Kuya need to get himself a girlfriend, so he could lay off of my back." Naiinis siyang natatawa sa sinabi niya pero pinilit na sineryoso.

"Just finish what you have started, Sweetie. Walang Richards na quitter or irresponsible. Yun nga lang, may baliw na Richards at inako lahat ng tatay at kapatid mo." Natawa siya sa sinabi ng Mommy niya. She felt a little bit lighter now. She said her I love you's and bid her Mom goodbye dahil babalik na siya sa conference hall.