Chapter 2: I ONCE ASKED

“I love you Klio.” And before we’ve kissed, I woke up because of the noise of my sisters knocking the door of my room. Wait, what the f*ck did I just dream? Disgusting Leyra! At sinampal-sampal ko ang mukha ko. Ba’t napanaginipan ko ‘yon? Bago ko pa man marealize, my sisters are looking at me in shocked.

“Ate, what are you doing to yourself?” Reya asked, she’s the youngest she’s 5 years old

“I think it’s an exercise Reya, Ate is it good? “ tanong naman ni Kreya, she’s 7 years old. May taglay din talagang kabobohan itong dalawa kong kapatid manang mana sa Ate.

“Yes it is an exercise but it’s R-18 , so don’t try it if you’re not 18 already.” That’s how to deal with your baby sisters without giving them a sign of brutality. Joke lang loka-loka lang talaga ang Ate nila.

“So why are you here guys?” I asked them.

“Oh before we forgot…” Kreya exclaimed and look at Reya “Your Prince is waiting for you!” they both said with excitement drawn on their face.

“What?” I asked in confusion. “Ate let’s just come down and see it for yourself.”

Hinila na nila akong dalawa, ito namang mga kapatid ko may panes na laway pa nga ako eh. Pagkababa ko, I was shocked when I saw Mister f*cking Havero. He was wearing a long sleeves cuffed below his elbow, it was tacked on his pants with a weird rose design belt. His hair was like an e-boy who’s split on the center. His sharp gaze strikes me while he was smirking.

What the hell he’s doing in our house? Napatingin sa’kin si Mommy at Daddy.

“Lady, What’s the meaning of this? Who is this guy?” bungad agad sa’kin ni mommy.

“I’m Kliosate Atticus Havero, pleasure to meet you future mom. You’re so beautiful, no wonder where your daughter gets her beauty, that captures my heart.” He smiled looking at me. That smile always gave me cringe. Siguro noong nagpaulan ng confidence nalunod ‘tong hayop na ‘to.

“Is this your boyfriend, Leyra?” Dad asked me.

“No!” I insisted.

“He is not my boyfriend, Dad. I didn’t even know him,” I added.

“Then let me introduce to you and to your family your future husband, Leyra,” he said confidently as if wala yung parents ko sa harap namin.

“Wait, you’re an Atticus?” Dad asked him.

“Yes, Mr. Madrid.”

“Are you related to Señor Matias Atticus?”

“Yes I am, Actually I am his grandson.” Mom and Dad where a little bit amazed on what they’ve heard. So what’s with this f*cking Atticus?

“Mom, Dad what’s the matter?” I asked in confusion.

“Lady, your Dad works from their company. And the Atticus is the richest hacienderos in Las Haciendas.” Wait what? This f*cking Havero is the grandson of the well known billionaire in Spain? And, what? The richest hacienderos of Las Haciendas?

“I thought Dad’s boss is Espanyol?”

“Our ancestors came from Spain actually, we’re just well known in there, but this is our home,” this f*cking Havero added.

“Let me clear this, Mr. Havero. You may be one of the heirs of the Atticus but that doesn’t mean I already approved you to be my daughter’s boyfriend,” Dad said.

“He’s not my boyfriend, Dad!” I insisted.

“Good!” Dad quickly replied.

“You need to get to know each other first and formally court her. Understand?” Dad added. Napatingin ako kay Daddy ng sabihin niya ‘yon.

“Dad, no way!” inis kong tugon.

“Don’t worry Mr. Madrid. I understand everything you said,” he said while looking at me with that cringe smile.

“So, we’re all clear in here. We have important matters to do. I’m sorry but we have to go now.”

“Lady, fix yourself!” Mom added before they leave the house.

“Dad, this is a mistake!” I yelled, pero hindi nila ako pinansin. I looked at this f*cking Havero who’s looking at me with his lip bite smile. And now I’m stuck with this f*cking Havero in our own house. This is not happening!

“What do you want?” I asked him with an attitude and intimidating look.

“Have you forgotten? You asked for this, remember?” His confidence level might reach heaven.

“Excuse me?” I said and laughed out loud.

“Syringa.” He shows me the Lilac flower I threw to him, he really kept it. Kaya napatigil ako sa tawa, I remember what he said it symbolizes. I laughed again.

“Tang*na, naniniwala ka sa mga ganyan?” I laughed and look at him, and he’s now dead serious, kinabahan ako ng slight.

“Yes, just so you know I’m that kind of person, and once you’ve asked for it, I’ll give it,” he said and gave me a sharp eye contact.

“I didn’t ask. It’s just your nonsense paniniwala., I insisted and I’m now serious. He just smiled at me.

“Okay then, I asked you to leave me alone!” He just smirked at lalapit na naman sa’kin, sisigawan ko na sana siya pero nilagpasan niya lang ako at dumiretso sa mga kapatid ko. Akala ko sa’kin lalapit eh, sorry naman may pagka-assumera rin naman ako minsan.

“Do you want to play?” he asked my sisters at ito namang mga kapatid ko tuwang-tuwa at nakipaglaro rin.

Since this guy won’t leave. I decided to leave him. Ako na mag-aadjust, nakakahiya naman eh. Tignan ko lang kung makapagtiis ka diyan sa mga kapatid ko.

Hours had passed siguro naman nakauwi na ‘yon. Bumaba ako para icheck and to my surprise nando’n pa rin s’ya tuwang-tuwa nakikipaglaro sa mga kapatid ko, akalain mo ‘yon di siya nainis at na bored. Pinagmasdan ko lang sila. After 2 hours di pa din sila tumitigil kung ano ano na pinaggagawa ng mga loka loka kong kapatid sa kanya may pinagmanahan talaga ‘tong dalawa. I love you sisters. Maya’t maya tinawag ko na silang dalawa para tumigil na, ako na nainip sa pinaggagawa nila.

“Kreya! Reya! Come here! Stop playing na!” I told them at agad-agad naman lumapit ang dalawa.

“You go to Nannies na and take a bath. Ang babaho n’yo na! Mommy would not want to see you like that when she comes home.” Agad naman nakinig ang dalawa at bago pumunta sa mga maids eh naghug muna sila kay f*cking Havero. Iba rin ‘tong mga kapatid ko ni sa akin di nga magawa ‘yon.

“At ikaw, pwede ka nang umalis!” usal ko sa kanya na sobrang pawisan kakalaro sa kapatid ko. I admit sobrang hot n’ya pagpawisan pero ayoko pa rin sa kanya. Seryoso siyang nakatingin sa’kin, nilagpasan n’ya lang ako.

Before he leaves, he said, “I’ll be patient, Love.”

Another day.

Hindi siya tumigil umaga pa lang nandito na siya wala siyang ginawa kun’di makipaglaro sa mga kapatid ko, kun’di naman tutulungan niya si Mommy sa Garden sabagay pareho silang mahilig sa bulaklak, he even gets my Dad’s attention at mukhang nagkakasundo na sila. He always do that every day, kahit may pasok kami after our class diretso agad siya sa bahay para gawin lahat ‘yan, dude he never fails. And I saw his good sides sa mga ginagawa n’ya. But the most interesting part is di niya ako pinapansin kahit sa school. Ano kayang trip nang lalaking ‘to. Isang araw nakita ko siya sa school and I confronted him.

“Hoy!” pasigaw na tawag ko sa kanya, hindi siya lumingon.

“Hoy! Klio, bingi ka ba?” Finally he turned to me.

“I have a name! Anyways, finally for the first time you’ve called me by my name. Yes, my Love?” he said with his signature smile.

“I just want to ask. Anong trip mo?” I asked with attitude.

“What do you mean?”

“Kinukuha mo yung tiwala nang pamilya ko tapos ako hindi mo pinapansin?” Wait, tama ba yung sinabi ko? Ay bahala na basta ‘yon na ‘yon.

“Wait, are you jealous because I got their attention or jealous because you can’t have my attentions?” he laughed.

“N-noooo! C’mon Klio, let’s be honest in here. Alam naman natin na wala ka talagang gusto sa’kin kasi kung meron man dapat kinukuha mo na ang loob ko pero wala ni hindi mo nga ako pinapansin. So nagtataka lang ako kung bakit mo ginagawa sa pamilya ko ‘to? May balak ka bang masama sa pamilya ko?”

“I am a man of words, Leyra. Have you forgotten? I told you before, that once you’ve asked something from me, I’ll give it to you.”

“You’ve asked me to leave you alone, so I’d give it to you. But now it looks like you’re asking for my attention, huh?” Ang tanga ko talaga sinabi ko nga pala ‘yon.

“And besides I want to win the heart of your parents first before I win yours. So, in the right time we won’t have a hard time to become legal. “He winked. Grabe ang lakas talaga nang loob. Iba talaga pag may dugong espanyol.

“Don’t worry, Leyra. Starting tomorrow my attention is all yours. “He smiled and he was about to leave but I yelled at him.

“You don’t need to do that because right now, I asked you to leave me and my family alone!” He stopped from walking away for a while.

“You’re a man of words, right? Now, prove it!” He turned to me and to my surprise I saw tears falling from his eyes. He’s crying. I repeat. F*cking Kliosate Atticus Havero’s golden tears are falling.

“Okay.”

The only words he said and walked away.