Free From The Cage

Chapter 11

Dinner is very akward. They kept on telling me how good that guy is. He's on his masters now and taking it up in the states while handling their branch there. So it means he is older by me by 5-6 years? Kasi malapit na din daw syang matapos sa kanyang masters. By the end of June this year he will be home for good.

"Kie? Maybe that's the right time that they need to meet each other."

"Let's decide it if the time comes, let's eat our dinner first." I don't know what to say, during that dinner, I keep on thinking that maybe my mom didn't back out on the marriage. Do I still have a hope?

After dinner, we went to the living room and my mom and the couple are still talking some things when Jeff arrived.

'life saver ka talaga Jeff' that's what I thought, tamang tama, I want to get out of their conversation.

"Oh, Jeff, what brings you here? Have some dinner first." Nakipagbeso si mom kay Jeff while Jeff looks at  me like telling me that we need to talk.

"I'm done na tita, you don't need to worry. Actually, dad send this document and I also need to talk to Ice tita."

"Oh, okay."

"Sige mom,tita and tito. We're just going upstairs and talk."

"Okay, hija" tita answered while tito just smiled and nod at me.

Then I saw Jeff nod at them and follow me in my room. It's no big deal for Cris and Jeff to go inside my room cause they are always here even before when we were young.

"What brings you here?" Asking him while I raised my left brow.

"Bakit hindi mo prangkahin si tita na ayaw mong matuloy ang kasal?"

"What for? Kahit naman sabihin kong ayaw ko, siya parin naman ang masusunod."

"That's the problem with you Ice! You don't know how to fight for yourself. Think atleast of your self. Is following her can really make you happy? All these years after tito passed away, you became like this. Ice, please move on from the past, don't let yourself live on that past, focus on the present, don't you think your daddy is happy on what you are doing knowing that you're not happy at all? Please, don't hurt yourself. Cris and I didn't say anything about it because you want it, but seeing you now, I don't think we can still be quiet about it." Sabi niya na may tonong naiinis.

"Are you done? You shouldn't worry about it. I can handle it by myself." I answered him while looking at him coldly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say those things, but please don't hurt yourself. You know what I mean."

"Did you also notice it? Or Cris said it to you?"

"I did notice it."

"Am I really that visible?"

"We know you Ice."

"Do you think he also notice it?"

"I don't think so, based on how he treats you, he doesn't know it already, for now."

"Good for me." I signed heavily.

"What I am going to do, Jeff?" Clouded with all the problems I have right now, i looked at Jeff and saw him sighed heavily. He come to me and hugs me.

"Whatever you'll choose , whatever decision you'll make, we'll be there for you. Even if you're going to hurt in the process, we'll still be there for you okay?"

"Thanks Jeff."

Jeff didn't stay for too long, he just came here to comfort me. Knowing he's busy with his school work, i let him go and thank him again for being with me today.

'Whatever tomorrow brings
I'll be there, with open arms and open eyes, yeah
'Whatever  tomorrow brings
I'll be there. '

Kanina pa nagriring ang phone ko, on his third call, sinagot ko na.

"Rav."

"Ice, kanina pa ko tumatawag sayo."

"I'm sorry, napatawag ka?"

"Can you help me with something?"

"What kind of help?"

"Basta."

"Okay."

"Then, come here at the park, I'm waiting."

Mabilis akong kumilos at nagbihis. I wear a maong shorts paired with my white plain v-neck shirt and a white sneakers. I also get my small brown sling bag for my wallet and phone. I went downstairs only to find out that tita Giselle and her husband were gone, and only my mom is in the living room.

"Umuwi na sila Tito at Tita?"

"Yes, can we talk?"

"Ahm, I need to go somewhere mom, we can talk later pag uwi ko mom."

"Where are you going?"

"Just a friend asks me to go somewhere" I looked at my wrist watch, 7:00 pm is the time. "I will be back at 9 mom." Then I kissed her cheeks.

"Okay, I'll wait you then."

"Okay mom."

I decided not to bring my car and walk. Malapit lang din naman and I used the time to think about my plan. I'm going to confess to him now. It's now or never. If we both like each other, then I will talk to mom to stop the marriage. The moment I saw him, I became more nervous.

"Ice. Good thing you're already here. Come."

"Can we talk, Rav?"

"Sure, sakay muna tayo"

"Saan nga pala tayo pupunta?" Pagkatanong ko lumawak ang ngiti sa mga labi niya.

"In a restaurant near the beach, I want to ask her to be my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? Who?"

"Amanda Smith" he answered me with a big smile on his face.

"Kailan pa? I don't know." I really tried my best to hide my emotions, and I really tried my best to stop myself from crying. Ayokong umiyak habang nasa byahe ako kasama siya.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell, I just want to tell it to you kung kami na. Diba sabi mo before, if I will have a girlfriend in the future dapat ikaw unang makakaalam so I set a meeting with the three of us so you could know each other."

"Yeah, I said that." Why do I said that before?

"I met her last year. We always see each other through common friends. Then, we started to hang out ng kaming dalawa na lang and then nagkagustuhan. Hopefully, she'll say yes to be my girlfriend. What do you think?"

"Of course. She will say yes." I gave him a sweet smile hopefully he will not notice pain in my eyes.

"Ano nga palang sasabihin mo? Di ba may sasabihin ka?"

"Wala, nothing important. May ipapakilala sana ako sayo kaso nevermind na lang. You will going to have a girlfriend soon."

After that conversation, I looked at the window watching the streets trying to keep myself compose. You still need to hide it Ice. You can do it.