"Ayn, what is going on?" my mother demanded as she burst into my office unannounced, unwelcome, and unapologetic.
I was talking to a client over the phone and I immediately raised my hand to silence her. "Yes, Mr. San Jose, my secretary will give your secretary a call as soon as the proposal is ready. Yes, Sir, that would be appreciated. Thank you, Sir."
I put the phone down before I looked at Berenice Covarrubias Albarracin, the woman who gave birth to me; the same woman who's named after the Princess who ruled Judea between BC39 and AD92 and who's currently brandishing a newspaper like it was some sword she'd readily use to slay a dragon.
"Hi, Mom..." I said trying to deduce what my mother was so upset about. I gestured at the newspaper in her hand. "What bad news did that paper give you?"
As if on cue, my mother marched to where I was seated and then slammed the paper down on my table. "Explain this to me!" she bit out.
I looked at the paper's headline. "Inflation At An All-time High..." I read out loud before I frowned at her. "Mom, I took up engineering and not economics—"
"Hindi 'yan! Look!" My mother pointed at the upper left side of the paper. "Castor Adrianus Saenz Marries Ayn Rand Albarracin..."
What the fuck...
I stared at the heading before closing my eyes hoping that it would magically disappear when I open my eyes again. Unfortunately, it didn't.
"The Saenz aligned on Sunday when Twin Dragon's Atty. Castor Saenz married Albarracin Incorporated's eldest daughter Engr. Ayn Albarracin!" my mother read the first line out loud. "You got married?!"
"Mom, please, let me explain—"
"How can you do this to me?! How can you do something so despicable to your mother?!"
I rose to my feet. "Mommy—"
"Don't you know that I dreamed of planning your wedding since the day you were born?! And you took that dream away from me by getting married in secret, you ungrateful daughter!"
Excuse me, what?
"Did I ever show any inclination that I was against you marrying Castor?" my mother dramatically asked. "Answer me!"
"No, Mom, but—"
"No buts!" she yelled. "How could you do this to me, Ayn? This is worse than a betrayal! You broke my heart!" she emotionally said hitting her chest with her fist.
Truth be told, Berenice Albarracin could have been an actress had she not met my father.
I sighed. "Mom, please listen—"
But my mother's theatrics was far from being over.
"You did not tell your mother that you are getting married?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. "You did not bother telling your own family about this extremely important event in your life? Did we do you wrong? Do you have some deep-seated anger toward us? Why would you forget to invite us to your wedding?"
I turned away from my mother because I was starting to develop a headache.
"H'wag mo akong tatalikuran, Ayn!"
"Mom, can you please give me ten minutes?" I said massaging my temples. "Please, I just need ten minutes."
"Fine, tatahimik muna ako—"
"No, Mom, I want you to leave," I issued.
"What?!"
"You are upset, I am upset, I don't want both of us to burn this building down. So, can you please leave?"
