PORTION 44

TJ's POV

Mama and I went out of the room at the same time, and I saw Petot and Sam, naghahanda na sa lamesa para sa hapunan. I saw Jaybi, Tom and Nathan playing with each other in the living area, and just saw Al from the comfort room, too. It made me wonder where Zack and Inay were. Without thinking twice, I decided to find them first. I looked over the whole house but I couldn't find them, and the last thing I needed to look at was Inay's room. I was about to knock, but I saw that the door was a bit open so I took a peek. I saw them together, they were standing in front of Inay's pictures.

"Oh apo, hinahanap na ba kami roon?" Nang mapansin at makita ako ni Inay ay agad niya akong tinanong.

I opened the door and smiled, "Ah, hindi naman po. Wala lang po kayo ron kaya hinahanap ko po kayo."

"Ay, siya! sige na tayo e' pumunta na roon, ako e' pasal na, tayo'y magsi-kain na," yaya pa ni Inay saka lumabas ng kwarto habang si Zack kasunod na rin.

Hinintay ko na lang si Zack na makalabas bago sinaraduhan ang pinto at saka ko sinabayan siya sa paglalakad.

While Inay was walking not far from us, I asked Zack, "Why are you there?"

"Petot asked me, sunduin ko raw si Inay, because we're about to eat. I knocked for how many times, but Inay didn't say anything. Then, I realized the door was not locked so I opened it and figured out, she's in the bathroom. Tapos nakita ko yung picture niya ro'n sa loob ng kwarto, tapos ayun nag-explain si Inay sa akin."

“Ay, Inay mo na rin?” tanong ko ulit.

“Inay daw itawag ko sa kanya, eh masunurin ako kay ayun!”

“Masunurin pa nga, sinong niloloko mo ah?” biro ko, kaya napatawa na lang siya.

After that, we got here, in front of the dining table again.

"Kain na tayo!” Mama said.

We sat down and started to eat.

"Ay, siya nga pala!" Inay remembered something. "Eh, kanina kase gan’re. Ako'y natanong naring si Zack, kung paano ba raw kami nagkita nung aking asawa."

"Hala!" kinikilig na Petot.

"Then, what po?" Al being curious.

We're eating while Inay is talking.

"Ako'y bente anyos nuong ako'y makita ng aking asawa ro'n sa isang duyan kung saan ako'y kinuhanan niya ng litrato."

“Ay, ganda naman ng Inay natin, palaban!” Sam said, the reason why we laughed.

“Sinabi mo pa, Sam,” sabi pa ni mama nang nakataas ang kutsara niya, at sunod na nag-joke habang seryoso ang mukha, “Kaya alam ko kung kanino ako nagmana, eh.”

“Nice joke, Tita!” banat ni Nathan kaya nagtatawanan ulit.

Si Petot naman ang sunod na nagsalita, “`Ma, papayag ka po nun? Kung ako sa ‘yo ma, naku, ‘di po ako papayag dun!”

“Ginatungan mo pa talaga, Petot,” sabi ko sa katabi ko.

Mama looked at Nathan and gave it a smile that you wouldn’t want to see, “`Di ka na makakapunta sa bahay namin, ‘di na kita tatanggapin dun. Nasa gate ka pa lang, ramdam mo ng ‘di ka-welcome.”

“Tita naman, joke lang eh.” And gave Mama a smile, the sweetest he could, “Masyado kayong seryoso, mabilis kayong tatanda niyan, nakakapangit yun. Tita, ‘wag ganun!”

I could see how my Inay was shocked to look at Nathan, “Ay, Nathan, iyo ata eh sinasabe na kapag matanda ay pangit.”

“Huh, Inay? Hindi po sa ganun.”

“Ay, hindi ka na rin makatutongtong sa pamamahay kong ito sa susunod na taon,” biro ni Inay.

“Inay, hindi nga po sa ganun ang ibig kong sabihin,” banggit ni Nathan na parang papa-iyak na, kaya nagtatawanan na lang kami rito.

“Magsi-kain na kayo, ako eh tutuloy na sa aking kwento,” pag-iiba ni Inay. Kaya pinili namin n i-continue ang pagkain. Napakamot muna siya bago nagsalita ulit, “Nasaan na nga ba ga ako?”

"Inay, yung picture po. Do'n po sa kwarto niyo?" Zack said, the first time we heard him speak since we sat down to eat our dinner.

"Aba'y yun nga!" Inay answered Zack's question. "Eyun daw e' love at first sight, na hindi ko inakala na tutuo pala. Sabe ng Inay (mama ni inay) sa akin “kung ang lalaking iyon eh may gusto talaga sa iyo, papuntahin mo rito at ika'y akyatin ng ligaw” ng makilala namin siya.”

And that's why I figured out why Inay said that Al should serenade her once again though he did that already before.

"Then, ano na po nangyari?" Tom asked, curiously.

"Eydi iyown! Aba'y nagpunta sa amen. Ako, pati ama't inay ko'y kanyang niligawan. Pinagsibak ng kahoy si itay, laging may pagkaing dala para kay inay at may malalim na mga kataga sa kanyang mga sulat para sa aken. Hindi lang iyon, marami pa iyong ginawa bago pa makuha ang matamis kong uo."

All of us here are smiling widely because of Inay, kanya-kanya kaming patagong kinikilig.

"Inay, tunay ba?" Jaybi habang kinikilig.

"Abay sana gay-un nga, e' hinde eh!" Inay forbid.

"Bakit po?" I asked.

This is the first time that Inay shared their love story to us, kahit minsan naman 'di pumasok sa utak ko ang tanungin siya pero kung maisip ko man, nakakahiya magtanong.

Ibinaba ni Inay ang kanyang kutsara at tinidor, "Aba'y bago iyon makatungtung sa pamamahay ng inay, eh halos habulin iyon ng taga ni itay!"

At dahil doon, 'yung mga kinikilig naming mukha, nawala, napalitan ng tawa.

"Eh sabe ko pa nga eh, “kundi rin lang ikaw, yaeh na!” aba eh pero ako'y pinaglaban nuon. Eh rineh sa batangas, eh ang babae ay barako. Kaya pinaglaban namen ang ameng pagmamahalan!" pagpapatuloy ni Inay sa kwento niya, "Ala eh kahet na ganuon date, ay mas nanaisin ko pa rin ang date."

We all know that Inay is happy while sharing their love story, and it didn't surprise us because she's happy before and now.

"Inay, bakit?" Al asked.

"Dahil kamo ang pag-iibigan date ng magkasintahan ay sadya ka namang puro at tutuo," Inay said.

No wonder why we are like this today.

After that night, we went to bed and woke up early. We woke up early to take a shower and headed to our final destination here.

We all know that we have chapel here on our barangay but we always chose go to National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio in Barangay San Pedro, Santo Thomas, Batangas. Where in, dinadayo talaga namin 'to pero hindi lang kami, sadyang pinupuntahan 'to ng maraming tao.

As the priest talked about the bible, I couldn't help but look around me. Where all I can see are hope, joy, peace and love.

But to think about it, the world is testing us. Al and Petot, Petot's past was coming back but they did a great job. Jaybi and Sam, being tested by destiny. And how about us? Will someone return or will destiny itself destroy us?

Petot's POV

Sometimes, I don't know what's on Sam's mind and think about coming here. We just came back from our long 3 days and 2 nights vacation there at my Inay's house. And instead of resting, we came here.

She's inside of this big building of theirs, while me, I'm just here outside and looking at it because I'm too tired to go walk with her.

All I know is she is rich, but didn’t know that this rich. ‘Cause they both always say that they are not, her Lola especially. Growing up, nakita ko na ayaw nung Lola ni Sam na ihalubilo siya sa yaman ng pamilya na meron sila. But these past few years, unti-unti siyang nae-expose sa pamilya nila, pamilya Smith. We were both shocked when we figured out that they are so f•cking rich!

Her uncle is a licensed professional teacher as well as the owner of our university, Prof. Smith. Her Auntie is a Prosecutor, Auntie Jane. And last but not the least, her father which is in the UK, is a d•mn CEO there. They are rich but their family has a lot of good people.

"Excuse me?" All of a sudden, someone approached me.

"Yes?"

She hugged me, out of nowhere.

"Um, sorry? Nagkita na ba tayo? Kilala ba kita?" And from that question of mine, agad siyang kumawala sa pagkakayakap sa akin.

She's just looking at me right now, carefully looking, and I don't know why. Another woman approached.

"Mom?" While looking at this lady who approached first.

She then looked at me, and she just hugged me too.

“Why everyone is—” I stopped when I felt that this hug was so familiar.

Why is this hug so familiar to me!? That seems like I haven't received this since ages.

I hugged her back, and I felt so different. It's different from everyone’s hug that I have received these past few years. Yung unang yakap, 'di ko talaga kilala pero ito, may yumakap na sa akin na ganito. . . . pero bakit 'di ko matandaan kung sino?

"Ash?" Tanong naman nung mom niya.

I just realized that this girl, because of what her mother said, is crying now. Napahawak na lang rin ako sa mga pisngi ko at do'n may luha na rin. We left hugging each other and tried to wipe all the tears.

"Why are you all hugging me?" while wiping my own tears.

"It feels like I know you . . ."

That shocked me, they answered me at the same time and like they are sharing the same thought.

I frowned, anong meron sa mag-inang 'to?

"How old are you?" They keep saying the same.

I don't know why but I answered them, "19?"

Suddenly my phone rings, and stops all the conversation we are having. Kinuha ko ang phone ko sa bulsa ko, nakita ko na si Sam ay natawag.

“Excuse me,” I excuse myself to answer the call.

"Where are you? Huy, babae! Kanina pa kita hinahanap, aber? Umuwi ka na 'no? Daya mo, ah!" Pagka-sagot ko, agad akong nabungangaan ni Sam.

Oh ‘di ba, siya na nga nagpasama siya pa ang galit!

"Gumala lang ako saglit, teka nga! I'll meet you there in a minute." Then hang up.

I went back where I met these two strange women, but there was no one there anymore. I tried to look around, trying to find them and there, not far, I saw them going into the building. So, I ran immediately.

"Mom, you're 20 years or should I say, more than 20 years there in the UK. Imposible na makilala 'yun!" Ash protested.

"I don't know," walang ganang sagot nung Mama niya. Her mom looked at her, "And you? 4 na taon, no! 3 years old. We will not use Korean age. You were 3 years old back then, yet in just a glance, you easily recognized her?"

I can hear them.

"Petot, what are you looking at?" And here's Sam, ruining everything.

"Nothing. Let's go!" And grabbed her hands before I walked away. I asked her to change the topic, too, "So, what happened?"

"I said my farewell as his student, and 'di ko na chinika 'yon. I know he's busy, furthermore, may date pala sila ng asawa at anak niya."

I nodded as an answer, "So, uuwi na tayo?"

"Um."

I took a deep breath, I feel like I don’t want her to know that.

"So kanina, sino pala tinitingnan mo?"

"Oh my back hurts! I'm tired, uwi na tayo." And put my hands on my back, bent a bit, pretend like I'm tired but actually I'm really tired.