Love Me Like I Do

15.

Kahit anong pilit ko na makita si daddy at makausap siya agad ay hindi ako pinapapasok ng secretary pati ng mga guards. I feel like a stranger to our own company. What happened? Kailan lang ba ito nangyari? Masyado ba akong nagwalwal sa buhay ko kaya ngayon ni mga pangyayari sa pamilya ko hindi ko alam?

I tried calling mommy but she can't be reached. Hindi ko alam kung anong iisipin ko sa nangyayari. Are we losing?

"Manang, tumawag na ba si mommy?" Tawag ko sa yaya naming dinala ni mommy galing Pinas. Mas komportable raw kasi siya kapag may kausap siyang Pilipino rito dahil naiibsan ang stress nya.

"Eh hindi pa hija eh. Baka uuwi na iyon maya-maya. Matulog ka na lang muna. Gigisingin na lang kita pagdating nila." Manang Lusing gave me an assuring smile. At siguro sa pagod sa paghihintay at pag-iisip ay pumanhik na ako sa kwarto ko.

But in between my sleep, a thug woke me up. Narinig ko ang mga kalabog ng baso, plato at ng kahit ano pang babasagin sa ibaba. Napabangon ako at dali-daling bumaba.

"You dared to do that?! Really? I'm calling my attorney to speed up the divorce papers!"

Walang sinabi o ginawa si daddy. Naupo lamang siya habang nakatingin sa kawalan. I don't know what's going on dahil walang sinuman ang nagsasabi sa akin sa mga nangyayari.

And why would daddy invite Azi and tita Amalia?

"Blythe, what are you doing outside your room at this late hour?"

Nasa garden ako ngayon at nakatulala lang. I've been here for hours. I can't sleep after witnessing and hearing the divorce thing.

"Mom, ano po bang nangyayari? Please explain to me." I said sadly.

Bumuntong hininga muna si mommy bago nagsalita. Umupo sya at hinawakan ang mga kamay ko.

"20 years ago, I fell in love with your dad. But he was in love with another woman. Syempre nasaktan ako. But I waited patiently until they broke up dahil nagcheat 'yong babae. I was there when your dad was in pain until he told me that he's going to marry me. Ako na ata ang pinakamasayang bride na naglalakad papunta sa altar no'n. Nangyari ka and for 10 years I thought okay na talaga ang lahat. I saw his effort to make everything work. But 5 years ago, he met his ex again. Apparently, the girl needs his help in raising her child dahil may sakit iyong bata at kakatanggal niya lang no'n sa trabaho. Walang ibang naisip na paraan kundi pauwiin sila sa Pilipinas. When I found out about that, I was threatened. Watching your dad with that woman knowing that he was so into her before I entered the picture really makes me uneasy. We've been in to a lot of fights for that. At ngayon malalaman ko na lang na binahay nya pala sa Pilipinas pati rito sa Los Angeles ang babaeng iyon?"

My mom cried the whole night and I was there comforting her. I saw how broken she becomes. And anger grows within me, loathing my dad's woman. She's been inconsiderate of everything.

Life never became easy with me. Though I had Azrieel on my side, I get broken whenever I see mom in her depression, parang gumuguho ang mundo ko. I started to take over the company as soon as I was 18. Sobrang dami pa rin ng problema sa kompanya. There's even a prediction that we will lose everything in 3 years time. Of course, I cannot let that happen.

I tried my very best to gain back the reputation of our company. Chloe and Andrew's connections really made a great help para mapagtagumpayan ko ang laban na iyon. Azrieel is always there to support me on everything I do. Until we took college together.

After 1 year and a half, the company's performance was doubled compared to the year when it was still stable. And we even expanded on different states. Inayos ko rin ang eskwelahan na itinayo sa Pilipinas dati nina papa dahil medyo napabayaan na ito.

For almost 2 years of being the head of the company, I succeeded.

"You are now one of the Business tyrants and the youngest of all. How did you achieve the top, Miss Lauren?" Tanong sa akin ng isang journalist sa isa sa mga interviews ko.

"I am nothing without those people who helped me through. My success is not done by one person. It is done by bunch of people who believed in me and my strength as a leader. They gave me power to attain my desired goals. They trusted me and all I did was to prove them right."

"Oh, pinalabas na pala 'yan? That's the nth time you got an interview." Napadaan si mommy sa likod ko habang nanonood ako sa TV.

Ngumiti lang ako sa sinabi ni mommy. She smiled back tapos pumunta na agad sa bar counter ng kitchen para kumuha ng wine. Eversince, nagdivorce sila ni dad, hindi na sya nakakatulog nang hindi umiinom ng wine.

"Mom, get over him." Sabi ko habang umiiling iling. Years has passed pero sobrang nasasaktan pa rin si mommy. Ako? Yes, I am hurt but do I have the time to mourn for our broken family? No. I don't and I'm thankful. Dahil ayaw kong nag aaksaya ng mga luha sa mga taong di rin deserve ang mga luha ko.

"Kayo pa rin ba ni Azrieel? Why don't you invite him over dinner?" Why now? Eversince na naging kami ni Azrieel hindi sya naging interesado sa whereabouts ni Azrieel so I seldom invite Azrieel over at usually wala siya rito sa bahay.

"I'll ask for his sked. May pinagkakabusyhang business kasi sya sa Pilipinas."

I looked at mom dahil hindi siya nagrespond. Iyon pala ay uminom siya ng wine.

"Okay. Tell me nang makapagluto ako ng mga Pinoy foods."

"Yeah sure."

Time for the dinner with Azrieel came. Nagluto ng kare-kare, adobo, sinigang at iba pa si mommy. She's good at this. Sobra.

"So what's your business Azrieel?"

"It's a furniture shop po, ma'am, sa Taguig."

"Gaano na katagal?"

"Magtatatlong taon pa lang po."

"Oh I see. How's Philippines?"

"No'ng pag uwi ko po last year, okay naman po. Medyo tumataas ang market at nagiging active na rin ang Philippine economy sa foreign investments."

"That's good to hear. Your parents?"

"My father died when I was still 5 years old. My mother is in the Philippines. Inaasikaso niya po iyong business niya roon." My mom just nodded.

"Of course, what else will she do to the money given to her? It will be unwise to spend it all without investing it." Something's off sa sinabi ni mommy. Kilala niya ba si Tita Lia?

"Do you know her, mom?" Nakisali na ako sa usapan.

"Of course. She's Amalia De Travis. My- ahem- best friend."

I didn't know that. Our parents are best of friends.

"I didn't know that. Bakit ngayon mo pa sinabi?" I excitedly said. I looked at Azrieel and he just gave me a smile. I sighed. How sweet his smile is.

"So when do you plan on going back to the Philippines, Azrieel? You know to monitor your business and to perhaps make it to the next level of furniture industry."

Tiningnan lang ako ni Azrieel habang nagsasalita.

"Kung kailan gustong umuwi ni Lauren sa Pilipinas." I was shocked.

"But our company needs her."

"Mom, hindi naman po sinabi ni Azrieel na agad agad. Of course, hindi ko po pababayaan ang kompanya. I'll work from the Philippines and will go here anytime I am needed. But that's after I settle everything. I'll make sure na walang magiging problema."

My mom nodded and smiled. I was relieved.

To sum it up, the dinner was fine. Azrieel stayed longer and mom went to her room immediately after dinner.

Nasa living room kami ni Azrieel, cuddling.

"Kamusta na pala si Tita? Is she fine now?" Nagkasakit kasi si Tita Lia at nasa hospital siya for 5 days now. But Azrieel wasn't there dahil nandito siya. Pinapauwi ko nga eh kaso ayaw niya. I can't reprimand him to go there kung ayaw niyang talaga.

"She's fine." I nodded.

Nanood lang kami ng movies hanggang sa napagdesisyunan ni Azrieel na umuwi na dahil late na masyado.