Cupid's Arrow

Chapter Seven

Present day...

"How are you, son?" tanong ng ama ni Zack habang nakaupo si Zack mag-isa sa music room nila.

"I'm fine, Dad, and the company's doing great by the way."

"Alam ko," sabi ni William Welsh, saka umupo sa tabi ni Zack. "Pero ang gusto kong malaman ay kung ano'ng problema at nagmumukmok ka rito mag-isa?"

Hindi sinagot ni Zack ang tanong nito. Hindi rin kasi niya sigurado kung tama bang problemahin niya ang problema ng iba. Pero kapamilya ang turing nila kay Acky. Kaya hindi naman siguro masama na mag-alala siya para dito.

Hindi mapalagay si Zack mula nang malaman niya ang plano ni Acky na pagpapakasal kay Danny. Alam niyang darating ang panahong ipagkakasundo si Acky sa iba pero hindi niya inaasahang sa edad nilang beinte-sais magsisimulang mangyari iyon. Pakiramdam ni Zack ay parang masyado pa silang bata para isipin ang ganoong bagay. Pero may magagawa ba siya kung iyon ang edad na pinili ng pamilya Ross upang mamili na si Acky ng mapapangasawa nito?

"Ano na namang pinag-awayan n'yo ni Acky?" biglang tanong ng kanyang ama na ikinagulat ni Zack.

Biglang napatingin si Zack sa kanyang ama.

"What? You're expecting me not to notice the two of you are not going out lately?"

"Dad, Acky and I are just friends."

"Ahh..." sabi nito sa tonong hindi naniniwala. "Is that why you're bothered she's marrying that Danny guy instead of you?"

Napakunot-noo si Zack. "Who told you that?"

"Your mother met Mrs. Fajardo yesterday and the woman was so thrilled about the upcoming wedding."

"That was just a misunderstanding because Acky's cousin is the one who'll marry that jerk. And again, Acky and I are just friends. So it's normal for me to get worried when I found out about her so-called wedding."

"Then why do you still hate him?" tanong ng kanyang ama na ang tinutukoy ay si Danny.

"I just don't like him. Hindi rin ako pabor na magpapakasal sa kanya si Eva. He doesn't deserve her."

"But you'd rather let him have Eva than Acky."

"Dad..." naiinis na tugon ni Zack.

"Seriously, son, are you still unaware how much you love Acky? Hindi ba't siya ang dahilan kung bakit tayo dito nakatira ngayon?"

Naguluhan si Zack sa sinabi ng kanyang ama. When his father, a former US Peace Corps staff member, retired, he chose to invest some of his money in a local television network in the Philippines. He didn't really expect the amount of money he shelled out would be doubled every year. Hanggang sa mabili nila ang buong kompanya na pinapatakbo nila ngayon. Lahat ng plano nila ay pinag-uusapan nilang buong pamilya kaya hindi maintindihan ni Zack kung ano ang ipinahihiwatig nito.

"You chose this place because we're just a few streets away from the Ross family," paglilinaw ng kanyang ama.

"They are our family friend."

"Yes, but none of us reacted the way you did when we found out they finally moved to another country," matamang tinitigan si Zack ng kanyang ama. "Sinasabi mong hindi mo mahal si Acky pero no'ng malaman mong dito na sila nakatira nataranta ka."

Napaisip si Zack at inalala ang reaksiyon niya noong malaman niyang wala na sa Amerika sina Acky. He did go to his parents' room and told them about the news.

Now that he thought about it, he did sound he was in panic then, but that was only because he was shocked to hear the news. Sinabi rin ni Zack na nais niyang sa Pilipinas tumira kung sakali mang pipili ang mga magulang niya ng bagong lugar na titirhan nila. And they agreed.