"Pero pa, hindi ko nga po siya kilala eh. How can you ask me to do something like... like that to him, it's such a lame to me dad, if it's for your own good then I will not follow you." I said calmly but kitang-kita sa mata ang galit.
"It's not for my own good Reb, it's for our own good." He rebutted giving emphasis on the word "our".
"Then if it's for our good then bakit ikaw lang 'yong sasaya kapag gagawin ko ito? Pa! I'm now 25, can't I do my own things which can make me happy? Can't I have my freedom to choose?" I said shouting.
"I'm sorry, I have made up my mind." He said while turning his back to me.
I chewed anxiously on my thumbnail unable to keep still.
Music, laughters and joyful noise filled up the whole room and it struck me. It seems like nandito ako sa isang engagement party. No. No. No!
Another ripple of distaste rolled through me, making me queasy, kinuyom ko ang aking mga kamay sa hawak kong bouquet ng pulang rosas which nestled against the sleeve of my burgundy red sheath I wore.
"Anak. Rebeckah." Papa pleaded. "What Carlo Ruiz wants to do isn't surprising. You are a beautiful lady, after all, and he's young, red blooded man, so natural lang na gusto nyang ikaw ang..."
"Pero pa," I interrupted, "It's such an intimate thing to do. I mean, paano nagawa ni Mr. Ruiz na magpakasal sa taong makikilala pa niya mamaya."
"Hay nako Rebeckah, be reasonable enough. It's not I'm asking you to sleep with him. I'm just asking you to marry him for our business!" My blood rises when I heard his reasons on why I should marry Mr. Ruiz.
"Talaga ba papa, gagawin mo 'yan para lang sa business natin? Paano ako pa? Hindi ako masaya at hindi ako sasaya kapag gagawin ko ito. Nakalimutan mo na ba pa? Minsan mo akong sinabihan na huwag na huwag akong magpapakasal sa taong hindi ko kilala pero ano 'to? Do you really want me to sacrifice para lang masunod ang mga luho mo?" I said, tears are forming on my eyes.
"Shut up Rebecka... "
"So what papa, aside from the fact that this whole thing is totally archaic, a fact upon which I won't even comment at length right now—hasn't it occured to you that marrying him is next to sleeping with him is going to figure into the deal?"
His eyebrows furrowed throughfully. "Oh," he replied blandly. "Oh, yeah. Then I, uh, I guess I am asking you to sleep with him but only under the sanctity of marriage." He hastened to qualify his words.
"See? You jump directly to the conclusions without knowing first the objectives!" I hissed.
"Nagawa ko lang naman to kasi akala ko okay sa'yo." He said.
"Paano mo nasabing okay sa akin pa? Sa tingin mo ba okay sa akin magpakasal sa taong hindi ko mahal?" I replied coldly.
"Kasi, nagtry lang ako kasi baka ma in love ka rin di kalaunan katulad ng nangyari samin ng mama mo."
"Iba yung sa inyo ni mama, pa. There was an urgency that is not exactly consistent in this situation and besides you said it was love at first sight with you and mama."
"Hindi mo ba naisip Reb na baka mahalin mo rin si Carlo?"
I hunched my shoulders uncomfortably. "Pa..."
"Yes anak," papa answered fixing my side bangs.
"He is our business rival as you said."
Papa made a face, and said softly, "He is just doing his job."
I chuckled but there wasn't a little of good humor in the sound "He is doing his job indeed. His whole reason for existence is to take advantage of failing companies and our business is number one on his list! Kaya paano mo nasabi sa akin na kailangan akong magpakasal sa taong kalaunan ay kukunin din sa atin ang kompanyang dapat ay atin."
"Makinig ka Rebeckah, Carlo has told me in no uncertain terms na aagawin nya sa atin ang kompanya. At sinabi din nya sa akin na kapag kasal na kayo ay hindi na nya hihigpitan ang hawak nya sa ating kompanya. Instead of taking it away from me—from us, he'll leave it to me and invest substantial amount of money to turn things around. Para sa inyung kasal, you and I got to keep our company.
"Ano? Nasa middle age pa ba ako pa?" I asked.
"Anak, marriages of convenience still applicable in this day and age precisely for reasons like this——economics. That's not unsual anymore." He said in fluent dollars.
"Pero..." I sighed heavily. "Paano ba ako makakasiguro sa pag papakasal sa kanya? Hindi ko siya kilala, hindi ko rin siya maiibig ng ganun ganun lang. And marriage, that's for forever." I said.
"I hate to ask you even if consider this, Rebeckah," papa said, jarring me from my musing. "Pero ikaw nalang talaga ang tanging chance para sa ating kompanya na manatili sa state nya ngayon. If you don't marry him, we'll lose everything. At least consider it anak." He said, a bit pleading.
"Okay papa, I'll consider everything you've said. I'll think about marrying Carlo." I said and walked out and went to the back balcony.
