The Antiquity of Us (La Fortuna Series #2)

Kabanata 1

Kabanata 1

Pervert

Everything I did, my twin sister did better.

Undeniably, she was more polite, more talented, and more elegant than me. Kahit saan mo siya ilagay, kaya niyang umangat sa lahat. A stellar star, she was—a woman gifted with all things fine. Maganda, kahanga-hanga, at halos perpekto pa. Ako? Wala.

Maliban sa magkamukha kami, kumpara sa kaniya, wala na akong panama. Despite that, I loved her still. With all my heart. More so, because we were all we had. But sadly, happy times didn't last.

"Baby, press the brush more to make the strokes look fuller," Mommy told me.

Nakaupo siya sa stool chair na nasa gilid ko at pinagmamasdan ako habang nagpipinta. Tipid akong tumango at sinunod ang payo niya.

"Like this, Mom?" Nilingon ko siya.

She smiled. "Yes, honey. Ang galing mo!"

"T-thanks..."

"Now, add brown to highlight the tone better."

Tumango ulit ako. "Okay, Mom."

"That's right, Ionna. So nice..."

The paintbrush stilled in my hand. Tatlong taon na simula nang tawagin niya ako sa pangalang 'yan ngunit hindi pa rin ako nasasanay. Something inside me still flinched when she referred to me with a different name.

How do you get used to it, anyway? To somebody's life? To somebody's identity? To somebody's name?

"That's perfect, Yona," my Mom said after I finished painting. Tumayo siya at hinalikan ako sa pisngi. "I'll go downstairs. Clean up first, tapos bumaba ka na rin."

I flashed a sweet smile. "Sige, Mommy."

Nang makalabas na siya sa silid ay bumuntong-hininga ako. I glanced outside and saw that the sun was high up. Ang sinag nito ay tumutusok sa malalaking French windows ng kuwarto at nagbibigay ng tanglaw sa kabuuan nito. I stared at the canvases displayed all around and admired how they were all receiving the sun's rays. Iilan doon ay ang akin, ngunit karamihan ay kay Ionna.

Ibinalik ko ang mga mata ko sa canvas na nasa harap ko. The hues, undertones, and highlights were all Ionna's art style. Ang matatayog na tore ay kinulayan ng pinaghalong itim, puti, at abo. Ang puno sa gilid nito'y bughaw naman at ang mga tao'y iba't-iba ang kulay. The painting was London in the Medieval Era and everything in it screamed Ionna Sebella.

How I wished it didn't.

"Ano pong meron?" tanong ko nang maabutan si Mommy sa kusina.

Katatapos niyang mag-bake ng lasagna at amoy na amoy ko ang bango nito. She glanced at me and raised a gentle smile.

"I baked some lasagnas, darling!"

"I see that, Mom. Pero para saan po?"

"Ionna, don't you know what date today is?"

Ngumuso ako. "August 10?"

"Yes! And it's—"

"You and Dad's 20th anniversary."

Of course, I knew about it. Palagi kapag ganitong araw noon, pumapalaot kami gamit ang barko ni Lolo at nagse-sea travel. For the last three years, though, we haven't done it. Bakit nga naman namin 'yon gagawin kung puro masasamang alaala ang naibibigay no'n sa 'min?

Napakurap-kurap siya bago ngumiti. "You're right. It's our anniversary so... I will have to ask you something, honey."

"Ano po 'yon?"