Dreams Beyond Love (Albay Trilogy)

Albay 41

Conference

Umupo ako sa aking dating pwesto sa hapag sa aming bahay katabi si Inigo at kaharap ang aking buong pamilya.

Napagdesisyonan na namin ni Inigo ang lahat at sasabihin nalang namin ngayon sa aking pamilya ang aming napag-usapan.

"Family, I know that all of you are expecting our marriage but then we've both decided to call off the engagement, our apologies." I said with finality.

Nakita ko ang pagluwa ng mga mata ni Papa at paglapag sa mesa ni Mama at Tita Tatiana ng kubyertos na hawak nila, si Uncle Benjamin at Auntie Tessie naman ay gulat at aking mga pinsan at si Kuya Calvin ay hindi ko mawari kung natutuwa sa sinabi ko.

"What? Are you insane? Why are you canceling your engagement?" Medyo tarantang tanong ni Papa at tumigil sa pagkain.

"Pa, nine years have passed and something should be improving but look, nothing happens in that long period of time" Ani ko habang kumakain.

"I'm so disappointed, Chantelle" Umiling-iling si Papa at uminom ng tubig.

"I know, Papa" Seryoso kong sabi at ngumiwi, alam ko naman na 'yan ang sasabihin nila.

"What suddenly came up to your mind, darling?" Tanong ni Tita Tatina habang umiinom ng wine.

"Tita, I'm no longer happy with my life ever since you've deciding about my future and then this family wants it to be worst by forcing me into a marriage that I never even asked for" Bumuntong hininga ako at humiwa ng manok.

"Inigo?" Tanong ni Mama kay Inigo na nasa aking tabi.

"Yes Tita, Chantelle deserves to be happy, I want her happy" Simpleng sagot ni Inigo at tumango.

"Pero bakit ngayon lang? Bakit hindi pa noon, Hija?" Tanong sa akin ni Uncle Benjamin.

"Uncle, kasi ngayon lang ako natauhan" Napapikit ako sa tangang sagot ko.

"What a silly answer" Halakhak ni Tita Tatiana.

"I now realized that you all manipulated me, you already planned my future when I was too naïve and young to decide for myself. But now that I've grown, I want to make decisions on my own and this family has nothing to do with it" Nag-angat ako nang tingin sa kanilang lahat. Bakas ang pagkamangha sa aking sinabi.

"When I want to cancel this engagement it will be cancelled and that's final" I determinately said and Papa stood up swiftly causing the of the sound of the cutleries on the table.

Nag-angat ako nang tingin sa nakatayong si Papa at may bakas ng galit ang kanyang ekspresyon.

"What is your reason, cous?" Nagtatakang tanong ni JC sa akin.

"Like I said, I'm not happy anymore, this is not what I want JC, this is what Papa wants" I sarcastically said. Making more tension between me and my father.

"Is it because of Joaquin, MC?" Crisha butt in. I calmed my self, I gave her what-are-you-doing look.

"Hah! That poverty-stricken boy? Is he your reason, Chantelle? Because of that farmer that suddenly became an artist? You really have no taste in boys, you always choose the cheap one" I felt insulted with that.

Joaquin isn't that poor! At wala akong taste sa lalaki? So what do you call Inigo? Isdang nahuli ko laot?

"Inigo isn't cheap" Paglilinaw ko.

"He is excluded of course, Inigo is a very wise and wealthy gentleman, he perfectly suits you" Papa chuckled.

"We didn't raise you like that, you didn't even consult to us first before deciding, nine years have been wasted because of your stupid reason!" Papa walked out so do Mama.