Behind Curtains

Kabanata 40

Kabanata 40

Valentine's

Hindi ko maintindihan kung paano naging higit isang ektarya... ang napagkasunduang four thousand six hundred square meters na ibebenta. At hindi ko rin alam kung paano nila napagkasunduan lahat... na... ibenta agad iyon, when Tito Benjamin almost had a total heart attack for the four thousand six hundred one. Dahil gustung-gusto niyang bilhin iyon, pero mas matigas nga lang si Mommy at hindi nila magawang lusutan.

Hindi ko alam kung paano sila nagkagulo ng sobra dahil doon, pero itong... sobrang isang ektarya... ay napaka kalma nila na nilalagdaan.

All I know is that now each of Lola's children will have twelve million pesos to their names. At sa time deposit ni Lola mapupunta ang sobra noon, kung saan... lingid sa kaalaman ng lahat, ay kasama rin ang pangalan ko at ni Mommy. I will have a million pesos to my personal account, too. And the remaining amount would be used to pay for the capital gains and estate tax.

Maliban doon ay halos wala nanaman akong maintindihan sa mga pinag uusapan. After everything were notarized and finalized, at nagsitayuan, nagtawanan, at nakipag kamayan na ang lahat, I stayed on my seat at hinayaan na ang sariling magpaka lutang.

Natulala ako ng ilang segundo bago inangat ang mukha. Nang nagtama ulit ang aming tingin, pinilig ko na ang ulo at patay-malisyang umiwas muli. He was talking fomally with the men, but his intense glares were still directed at me.

So, when everyone's chatters and laughters grew louder again, I took that as an opportunity to slip out. I asked Attorney's secretaries where the toilet room was at agad na tumungo roon. I texted Fabian as I walked out of the office.

Layla Lagdaméo:

Hey...

Tapos na kami.

San ka?

Engr. Fabian Sylvan:

Oh, good.

I'm nearby! See you in a bit ;)

Layla Lagdaméo:

Okay, just text me lang.

Engr. Fabian Sylvan:

Noted, ma'am. ;)

I rolled my eyes at that, at itutulak na sana iyong pinto nang may pumigil sa akin. A slight tug on arm made me take a step back. The grip was unprecented and sudden, I almost lost my balance as I tried to hang onto my center of gravity. Abot-abot ang tahip ng dibdib nang napansin ang lapit namin ng kung-sino. My eyes could only level his chest when I turned around. Ilang segundo rin bago ko siya tiningala.

The building hallway was only lit by the February noon. Vestiges from the Christmas cold still hang in the air as a soft breeze wisped between us amidst the incoming heat. Dark shadows still loomed in the building's bleak hallway. At kahit na tirik na tirik naman iyong araw, the deep yellow light from outside only made the old, dull place extra eerie.

I felt cold creeping on my neck. I needed to take a step back to regain my personal space. Wala sa sarili kong hinawakan ang aking braso, bahagyang nakaramdam ng kilabot sa mapusok niyang paghawak. Nang napansing sinulyapan niya ang galaw ko, inayos ko na ang aking tayo. Seryoso ko siyang tiningnan.