EZH Side Story: Atasha Ruiz

It Started When

It Started When

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"Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Hizon. I'm sorry my family and I are late. My daughter got too engrossed dressing herself up." Nakangiting bati ni Papa sa mag-asawang naka-upo na sa reserved table na inilaan para sa amin ng restaurant.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Ako pa ang idinahilan ng ama ko eh iyong kapatid ko ngang walang hiya ang dahilan kung bakit kami na-late.

The man, who seemed to be in Papa's age, just chuckled. He stood up and shook hands with my father while my mother and the gorgeous lady embraced each other. Kami ng kapatid kong si Asher ay nakatayo lamang sa likod ng mga magulang namin, hindi alam ang gagawin. We were both wearing formal clothes, since Papa told us that this is a business dinner. Not that Asher and I were complaining. Sanay na kami sa mga ganito.

"It's nothing, Johann." Mr. Hizon said as he gestured for us to sit. "And please, call me Fernan."

"I like to keep this dinner formal, Mr. Hizon." Papa said, his tone joking. Sabay na natawa ang dalawa.

I knew Papa had met Mr. Fernan Hizon a multiple times prior to this. Ang alam ko ay parehas sila ng pinasukang college though hindi talaga sila naging mag-classmate since Mr. Hizon studied law while Pa studied business.

Our families settled down on the table comfortably after the pleasantries. Ang pamilya namin sa right side, back facing the entrance, while the Hizon's occupy the other side of the table. My parents talked with the Hizon's with gusto. Ang dami na nila agad nasabi kahit kaka-upo pa lang namin.

"Are these your kids already?" Malaki ang ngiting tanong ni Mrs. Hizon habang nakatingin sa amin ni Asher. I smiled a little. Mrs. Soledad Hizon was clearly a woman of grace. Hindi na nakakapagtaka dahil isa rin siyang Alearde. Her blood was as good as gold. Just like what the elitists like to say.

"Ah, yes." Pa answered. He's proud of us, halata iyon sa pagkakasabi niya ng 'yes' na dinagdagan ng malaki niyang ngiti. "The fine lady is Atasha while my little boy here is Asher."

I snorted at the term my father used to describe my brother. Hindi ganyan ang tawag niya kay Asher kahapon nang gupitin ng kapatid ko iyong string kung saan pinaparami ni Mama iyong mga orchids niya. The whole wall of orchids collapsed and Ma had cried. Ang tagal pinaghirapan ni Mama iyon. Nag-hire pa sila ng mga tao para sa design na iyon. She wanted to make it look like the orchid's were growing from the walls so she had some kind of strings threaded into something like a web where the orchids grew. Ginupit iyon ni Asher. Since it was a web made from a single string, the whole web snapped. Galit na galit si Papa kahapon, kulang na lang ay isako niya si Asher at isabit sa puno.

"Why don't you try, Pa?" I had asked as I watch him sort out the string. "Isako mo si Asher tapos isabit mo doon sa acacia tree."

Pa huffed in anger.

"Para namang hindi mo kilala kapatid mo." Bwisit na bwisit na sabi niya. "Baka paki-usapan pa ako noon na i-ugoy ang sako para makapag-duyan siya sa loob."

Natawa ako ng malakas noon.

"How old are they?" Tanong ni Mr. Hizon.

"Atasha here's seventeen. Asher's twelve." Mama answered. Malaki rin ang ngiti niya tulad ni Papa.

Mahal na mahal kami ng mga magulang ko. Ramdam na ramdam ko iyon at talagang napatunayan ko naman. They had been devastated after what happened to Asher when he was still a child but as the loving parents they were, the both of them remained strong.