Mula Noon Hanggang Ngayon

~15

"Ipinatawag ko kayong dalawa dahil may mahalaga akong sasabihin sa inyo." Ni hindi man lang magkaharap ang dalawa. Mr dela Vega could feel the tension from his two children and he wasn't too surprised as his wife was of the reason.

"Dapat na talaga nating sabihin sa dalawang bata ang lahat, Luis! Muntik na akong himatayin sa puso sa sinabi sa'kin ni Ella kagabi! I had no idea, at all!"

"Calm down, my dear. I will really tell the children. Hinihintay ko lang ang resulta ni Francis from Harvard. It's time for them to know..."

"We adopted Francis 7 years ago when your Lolo Anton called me for it. He thought it was time to prepare an heir to the company and Francis was of the right age and background..."

    As his father was speaking, para namang bumalik kay Francis ang pakiramdam ng una siyang makarating sa mansyon. He was terrified then but also excited. He was feeling terrified now too but not excited anymore. He was sure na nag sumbong na si Ella sa mga magulang. He would be thrown out of this house any moment from now because of one stupid mistake he did last night.  He couldn't even make himself look at his adopted father. Their mother didn't want to join them. Nagdahilan itong sumasakit ang ulo. Hindi niya masisisi ito. They were so good to him, at iyon pa ang iginanti niya.

   Ella couldn't tell at all kung anong nararamdaman niya habang nagsasalita ang ama. She didn't intend to make her Mum know about her feelings for Francis. Basta na lang iyon lumabas and she couldn't take it back. Her parents must be very shocked to learn about it and disgusted of her. But if they would shun Francis from the family for something that wasn't his fault, hindi siya papayag. It was entirely her burden at ayaw niyang madamay ito.

   Tiningnan ni Mr dela Vega ang batang itinuring niyang kanya mula simula. "I told you that I wanted you to protect Ella. You did a good job on that one. "

Hindi makatingin si Francis sa kanyang ama. Hiyang - hiya siya sa sarili.

"And I know you know about it too." He turned to look at his only biological offspring. "You, Ella, on the other hand knows something that Francis doesn't ."

Nag - iwas ng tingin si Ella habang nag - angat naman ng mukha si Francis sa pagkakayuko.

"Ella knew that the whole dela Vega Corporation will be given to you Francis. That she will not hold a position in the company. A woman in the family was never allowed to." Napatayo si Francis.

"But that's unfair to her!" Ngayon ay alam na niya kung bakit isinubsob nito ang sarili sa pag -aaral at kung bakit nasaktan ito ng husto ng makapasok siya sa Harvard. It sealed their fates.

"I know. But that's tradition."

"But, Dad----"

"Sit down, young man." Mr dela Vega told Francis in a voice that he knew too well to disobey.

"Let me finish. It has always been like that in the family. And there is one more thing that the two of you don't know."

Ano pa kaya ang hindi nila alam?

"Hindi ka pa legal na dela Vega, Francis."

Pareho silang hindi nakapagsalita. Kung may bomba man na sumabog sa harapan nila ay siguradong hindi mapapansin. Sa wakas ay nagawa nilang salubungin ang tingin ng isa't -isa. Bakas sa mga mukha nila kung gaano nila hindi inaasahan ang narinig mula sa ama.