C H E S K A
"CHESKA. CAN WE TALK?"
"Oh, hi aunt Lov---"
"Cut it, Cheska. How can you do that?" Napangisi ako.
"Simple lang. Gray is MINE. Not hers." Unti-unting nangunot ang noo ni Tita Love.
"Pinlano mo ba ang lahat ng to?"
"Of course not! Eksaktong nandun din ako sa beach resort nung magananap ang aksidente!"
"You're really good at lying, Cheska. Kung tanga ako ay paniguradong mapapaniwala mo ako" ngumisi din siya.
Ngayon ay alam ko na kung kanino nagmana si Asteria.
"Edi wag kang maniwala. Hindi naman kita pinipilit." Pang-aasar ko.
"Gray is Aster's husband, for pete's sake Cheska! Ngayon mo pa naisip mag-eskandalo, huh?! Alam ng buong angkan na kasal si Gray at Asteria! Nag-iisip ka ba?!"
"Will you please stop shouting at my daughter?!" Biglang singit ni Mommy.
"Oh here comes the great mom of all time! Wow! Just wow, Chlarize! You're tolerating what your daughter's doing?! Are you even a mother?! You're not educating your daughter. As far as I know, that's a mother's responsibility too."
"Shut up, Love. I'm just supporting her----"
"Pero hindi yun ang nakikita ko. Kinukunsinti mo na ang anak mo kahit alam mong mali. Should I file a case?!"
"What's happening here?"
"Oh hi hubby!" Agad akong yumakap kay Gray na kadadating lang.
Kawawang Gray, masyado kang clueless. Mother-in-law mo ang kausap ko.
"Ahm, I think we should go. Thanks for the good 'talk', Aunt" may halong pang-iinis ang tono ng pananalita ko at niyaya sina Gray at Mommy paalis.
Maya-maya pa ay dumating na din si Aster at namumugto nag mga mata niya.
I'm slowly winning.
A S T E R
Nagpapahinga na ako ngayon pero hindi pa tapos ang party. Nauna lang akong magpahinga dahil biglang sumama ang pakiramdam ko. Si hudas ang kasama ko ngayon ay kanina pa siyang tahimik.
"Pst. Tahimik mo ata." Puna ko.
"Don't mind me..just rest."
"K." I heard him sighed.
May problema to e.
"Ano----"
"What did you feel when you saw him again after thinking that he was already dead from the accident?" deretsang tanong niya.
"H-Ha?"
"You heard me. Answer it." Pagdidiin niya. Ibang-iba siya ngayon. Hindi siya yung Lester na makulit at jolly.
"Why do you wanna know? To hurt yourself? Why so martyr, Lester?" biglang seryosong sabi ko. Akala ko ay magbabago ang ekspresyon ng mukha ngunit nagkamali ako. Nanatiling nakakunot ang noo niya at seryosong-seryoso siya.
"It hurts, right? Knowing that the man who used to love you more than everything has now completely forgotten everything about you abnd all he thinks is that Cheska is his wife and not you." Sabi niya sabay biglang ngisi.
"Ano ba talagang pino-point out mo? Naguguluhan ako---"
"I mean, hindi ba dapat kalimutan mo na siya since ikaw nakalimutan na din niya. You should open your heart to someone else---"
"To someone else or to you? Masyado kang mapaghangad. Hindi kita mamahalin okay. I don't care if you got offended by my words but I'm just telling you the truth. I'll never love someone else nor you." Tumayo ako sa kinauupuan ko at pumasok sa kwarto.
Bwisit na yan
