Just A Little More

The Dinner

2. Just A Little More

...

"Si Shan ba? She's in her unit tuloy ka na lang " nakangiting bati sakin ni Dally.

Kasalukuyan akong nakaupo at naghihintay dito sa lobby.

"Hindi na, hihintayin ko na lang sya dito"

I'm here at Della Square, a condominium complex where Shan is staying, it takes 2 hours para makarating ako dito mula samin. I busied myself sa pagbabasa ng libro when someone called my name.

"Re?" it was Shan. Tumayo na ako at sinalubong sya. She's wearing a casual dress that highlights her beauty. Sabagay kahit ano na man ang suot nya, she always look great, I smiled inwardly.

"You are here?" it almost sounded a whispered. She's not looking at me right now which I find it strange.

"About earlier. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have--"

"It's okay" I cut her off. May kasalanan din naman ako.

"We have a lot of time to talk about it but right now we can't afford to be late, right?"

"You know that you don't have to do this"

I give her a reassuring smile. She's always like this, being considerate. My classmates were right when they said that she's a beauty inside and out.

"But why are you waiting here, you should have just go directly to my unit, kanina ka pa ba?"

"Naku, kanina pa sya dyan ma'am. I told her na umakyat pero pinili nyang maghintay dyan" Dally interjected.

Hindi na ako umimik pa. Shan threw questioning look at me but instead of saying anything I held her hands at nagpaalam na kay Dally.

Nasa harap na kami ng sasakyan ni Shan nang bitawan ko sya saka muling hinarap. I tried to suppress myself from grinning. She's pouting like kid. Tinaasan nya ako ng kaliwang kilay while crossing her arm.

"I feel like na napipilitan ka lang makita ako"

"You're imagining things" I can't help but to smile dahil sa pinapakita nya.

"Stop smiling. And why are you dragging me? At least hold my hand like a normal couple do" she's still pouting. Fine, she's adorable.

"Let's do that sometime. Maabutan tayo ng traffic pag hindi pa tayo umalis"

It was twenty minutes drive papunta sa kanila. Pero dahil naabutan kami ng traffic sa daan ay halos half hour bago kami nakarating.

We are welcomed by their maids and lead us to the dinning hall. In the head of the long dinning table is where Mr. Villa Gracia seated, in his right side there's his wife and the two older Villa Gracia.

The house of Villa Gracia is seriously intimidating. They are quite popular too, for having a reputation of inhospitable presence.

It's been almost a year when the last time I stepped a foot in this room. The moment I faced them I knew back then that they didn't like me, and they didn't failed to show it.

"Sorry we are late" Shan apologized as she smiled to everyone.

"We don't mind naman just like how we wouldn't mind if she didn't come"

"Ate!" Shan warned her.

"Enough the two of you" Mr. Villa Gracia said in his formal tone. "Take your sit" dagdag nito.

In response, I greeted them in a formal tone. I didn't hear anything from them but their eyes says it all.

We started eating pero hindi pa ganun nagtatagal nang magsalita si Mrs. Villa Gracia.

"I heard you were living with your aunt. What about your parents?"

Hindi ko alam kung dapat ko bang sagutin ang tanong nya because I'm pretty sure they already had the answer in her question.

"Maybe they left her in her aunt because they couldn't fed her. Seriously? People nowadays are being irresponsible"

"Ate, ano ba?! If you don't have anything nice to say then just keep your nonsense remarks to yourself"

"Why not? You know these people tend to blame the government and wealthy family for not being able to eat three times a day". sabat ng panganay na Villa Gracia.

"Right, I also heard that you are the running valedictorian, tell me how many are you in class huh? They said that students in public school are undisciplined and disrespectful. Well, that's not questionable though ano pa nga ba ang aasahan mo when they weren't raise well by their parents" puno ng pangungutyang dagdag ng Ate ni Shan.

Bago pa muling magsalita si Shan ay inunahan ko na ito. Ito ang iniiwasan ko, ang magkasagutan sila.

"Fifty one kami sa klase" marahang panimula ko. "I'm not certain if we are really undisciplined or disrespectful. Students from public school and from private school had differences. Isa na siguro ang dalawang salitang yun".

"Of course there's a huge difference! We would never let get labeled with the likes of you" she exclaimed.

Isang pabagsak na tunog ang nagpatigil samin, kasabay nun ang kaunting paggalaw ng baso sa harap ni Shan.

"I have enough of this" she looks furious. Marahas niyang inalis ang napkin na nasa lap nya saka tumayo.

"We shouldn't have come here". malamig niyang turan saka naglakad palabas.

I sighed heavily. I knew this will gonna happen.

"I'll talk to her" paalam ko at sinundan na palabas si Shan.