I removed my airpods from my ears when a mansion, proudly standing in the middle of a vast land, came into view. It's really old and antique yet it still looks like it has been well-taken care of. The mysterious and nostalgic aura of the past was still there.
God, I so missed this place.
This is owned by my grandmother, Mom's mother, lola Anna.
Staring at the decorations outside made me realized that it's already December. Oras na naman for a family reunion.
Malaki ang pamilya namin sa side nila Mom. She has two sisters and a brother. Siya ang panganay. Every one of them started to move-out from this house the moment they entered their married lives, leaving Lola alone together with a few workers. Our grandfather already died years ago so that makes it even harder.
Imagine having a huge land and having a big family, but not even single one of them is with you.
It makes my heart break whenever I think of that.
Wala rin naman kaming choice because my cousins and I study in universities in Manila. Ang trabaho nila Mom at ng mga kapatid niya ay nandoon din.
To make it up to her, pumupunta kaming lahat dito when there are big occasions like this one. We have to clear all of our schedules, go here in Laguna, and make time for our families to celebrate Christmas and New Year together. No excuses, no exceptions.
Mom and I got out of the car. The fresh breeze immediately greeted me. We went to the trunk to get our things out when I heard noisy footsteps getting louder.
"Summer!"
Hindi pa ako nakakaayos ng tayo ay niyakap na ako ng pinsan kong si Jurie, tita Arlene's daughter, na ka-edad ko lang which is 17. Nasulyapan ko rin ang iba ko pang pinsan na papatakbo dito.
I gave her a hug too. "Hey, Jurie."
"How could you get your nails done already?" she pouted and looked at my hand. "I thought we're gonna get matching designs!"
"Blame Mom," I joked.
Mom turned to us and waved. "Hi, Jurie."
"Tita!" Lumapit siya kay Mom at nagmano. "Can you recommend me a toner? My current one's not working on me. 'Yung kagaya na lang po no'ng kay Summer."
Mom is a woman of her late 40s, but she still looks elegant and classy as always. She's a dermatologist and she runs her own clinic kaya madalas silang magkausap ni Jurie about things like that.
Tito Arch's three sons also came to us. Una akong niyakap ng bunsong si Thor. Sumunod naman ang kapatid niyang ka-edad ko lang din na si Taison. "Ang tagal niyo ah."
Oo nga pala. They arrived here two days earlier than us.
"May inasikaso pa si Mom eh," I answered.
"Summer."
I turned to the tall guy beside me. Like the sun, he generously showed me his warm smile. Of course, I smiled at him too. "Kuya Tyron."
He's still as kind as always.
When we pulled from the hug, I noticed how Taison and Jurie gave me mischievous looks. And I know what they're implying.
They still can't get over the fact that I used to have a crush on kuya Tyron when I was 8. Ang bata ko pa noon!
Naalala ko tuloy 'yung sinabi nila sa akin noon na itigil ko na 'yon kasi bawal daw. Later in life ko nalaman na bawal pala talaga kasi incest.
I mean, normal lang naman magka-crush sa mga pinsan 'diba? Who's with me?
