Wedding Ditcher

TWENTY FIVE

Paano siya nasali dito?

"Wha... what?" my eyebrow raised in confusion. "Teka lang pa, bakit nasali si Kieffer sa usapang ito? Anong kinalaman niya dito?"

He bowed his head a little and sighed, his hands on each side of his hips. "I am not in the right place to tell you this, pero dahil nabanggit ko na rin naman sa'yo, mas mabuting na ring malaman mo habang maaga pa."

"Ang alin?"

"Your mother married your boyfriends father."

I got out of bed tired, rubbed my eyes and stretched my arms. Reaching for my phone only to find out it was already afternoon.

Hindi ko alam kung anong oras na ako nakatulog, what I'm sure is the clock was nine in the morning and my eyes were still wide open.

Agad akong naligo, nagbabakasakaling mawala ang pagod sa katawan ko, baka sapian na naman ako ng katamaran.

Lumabas ako sa kwarto at tumungo sa kusina. Napangiti ako nang makitang may pagkaing nakahanda para sa'kin. Maddy makes sure I have something to eat when I wake up, before she leaves for work.

I was scrolling on my phone while putting a spoon in my mouth. I got no calls or texts from anyone but a dozen of emails from work, from Maddison mostly. She's just doing her job like what I told her , better do my mine as well.

Binuksan ko ang aking laptop at nagsimula, the time was quarter to six. Maddy usually arrives at six, at least pagdating niya nakikita niya akong nagtatrabaho.

Gaya ng sinabi ko, she came at exactly six. Nasa sala kasi ako naka-upo hindi sa kwarto. She dropped her leather bag on the couch and walked her way towards the kitchen and took a glass of cold water.

"Pahingi na rin ako, thanks!"

Padabog siyang nagsalin ng tubig ko. "Paalala lang kamahalan, you're living in someone else's roof not in your palace, you don't have a servant here." masungit niyang binigay sa'kin ang baso.

Siraulo rin 'to e, nagagalit kasi inutusan pero sinunod naman ang inutos ko. Pwede niya namang hindi sundin at hayaan na ako mismo ang kikilos para kumuha ng maiinom ko.

Inabot ko ang baso na binigay niya at nilagay muna sa lamesa sa harap ko. I did not even utter a word, hinintay ko lang na pumasok siya sa kwarto niya.

Sinundan ko siya ng tingin patungo sa kwarto niya dala ang kanyang bag saka kinuha ang tubig sa mesa at inubos, agad ko ring binalik ang atensyon sa aking trabaho.

I noticed Maddy's door opening, whilst my eyes glued on the screen of my laptop. I hear the cabinets open and close in the kitchen. Habang nakikitira ako rito, nasaulo ko rin ang mga daily routines niya mula umaga hanggang gabi. Kapag naka-uwi na siya galing trabaho, diretso siyang magluluto pagkatapos niyang magbihis.

"Alam mo Ever, pwede kang magluto dito kung gusto mo. Wala naman dito ang papa mo na pinagbabawalan kang magluto sa kusina."

The kitchen utensils were making some noise when I turned to her. "Gusto mo matulad ng kusina namin itong apartment mo?"

She rolled her eyes. "Nasa vocabulary mo ba yung word na 'careful'? Ayaw mo lang aminin na hindi ka marunong magluto."

"Paano naman kasi ako matututo, 'di ba nga bawal akong magluto ng kahit ano sa kusina namin."

"Kahit kanin lang ayaw mong matuto? Ang easy lang nun alam mo 'yon? Rice cookers were invented for a purpose." aniya habang naglalagay ng oil sa kawali.

"Edi turuan mo ako!" I yelled.

The faucet was running when she yelled back. "Sa wakas! 'Yan lang naman ang hinihintay kong marinig."