Chapter Twelve
Visitor
I don't know which is more painful. Ang sunod sunod bang paglapit ng bisita sa mesa namin para batiin si Yari at ipakilala ako nito, o ang katahimikan sa tuwing iniiwan na nila kaming dalawa?
For someone who already showed interest to a girl, Yari is surprisingly dry.
"Bakit pala... ngayon ka lang?"
He looked at me and smiled a bit. "Galing akong Ilocos..."
"Trabaho? Workaholic mo naman, it's your Dad's birthday."
Natawa sya sa sinabi ko. "You didn't tell me you're going with Tito Enrico."
"I figured you'll be busy. See, galing ka pang trabaho."
He looked away and smiled before looking straight at me. "Are you done? You want to take a walk?"
Tumango ako at inayos ang dala kong purse. I would really want any reason to get away from visitors coming to our table. Alam kong iniisip na halos ng karamihan ay ako ang date ni Yari at ayaw ko namang maging atribida para linawin sa kanila ang bagay na iyon.
We went to a garden adjacent to the hall. Kahit pa marami ang nakatingin sa amin ay mas mabuti na iyong isipin nilang may importante kaming pinag uusapan para naman matigil na ang kakalapit nila sa amin.
"I heard from Mom that you started managing your businesses. You're still studying, right?" panimula ni Yari sa usapan.
"Yes. Kaya ko naman. Just the finances and a little bit of directing operations..."
Tumango sya, nangangapa ng mga salita.
"Ikaw? How's your manufacturing business?"
"Eveything's fine, although I have not visited the plant in Pangasinan since last summer. I'm busy with something else. Lahat ba ng shops nyo ang minamanage mo?"
Patuloy lang kami sa marahang paglakad sa garden habang nag-uusap. Both his hands are in his pockets. Nilalamig ako pero hindi ko ipinahalata. I know what's going to happen next if he noticed and I don't want that.
"Just the flower shops. It's the easiest to handle among all our enterprise. I don't have much vacant hours kaya hindi pwedeng lahat. Ineenjoy ko rin ang mga bulaklak kasi alam mo na, babae..." I chuckled.
"What are your plans after you graduate?"
"I'll manage our ranch and the fruit plantation. I really just have to wait 'till I graduate, dahil wala akong oras sa ngayon. Gusto ko kasi ay kapag pinamahalaan ko na ang mga iyon ay nasa negosyo lang ang kabuuan ng oras ko. I even made Dad promise that once I got off the stage, he'll give me full authority over those two..."
"You're one hell of a dedicated business woman. I really thought you'll pursue something from the field of arts and designs. Niko told us stories about what a great artist you are..."
Niko and I went to a surplus shop in Baguio last summer. I made him purchase a painting worth thirty thousand pesos. Pahirapan pa ang pagkakapilit ko sa kanya na bilhin ang magandang painting na 'yon.
Wala naman akong ganoong halaga. He does. He spent half of his vacation money for that painting. Only to know weeks later that it can be sold for a whopping four hundred thousand. From what he told me; the painting now hangs in their parents' bedroom.
"I can't consider myself an artist, I guess I just have... good eyes."
That was the last time I saw Yari that year. The dinner with the Sys never happened. Bumawi lang si Mom sa sumunod na mga selebrasyon nila gaya ng birthday ni Mili. I didn't attend because it was then our final examination.
