“Papa!” mahigpit na yakap ang isinalubong niya sa ama, she missed him a lot. Mahigpit din ang yakap na tugon ni Rafael sa kanya.
Naging mabilis ang paglipas ng mga araw. Sinundo nila ito ni Jeanie sa airport.
“Princess, anak!”
She smiled. She loves hearing that word – anak!
“Pa, are you here for good?” She already asked him that, pero gusto niya kasing oo ang isagot nito, last time he answered there’s no definite plan yet.
“I’m still thinking about it. It will depend on -” Kinarga nito si Jeanie at ‘di na tinapos ang sinasabi nito.
“Depend on what?” maybe if she will know, she’ll make it happen
“What a pretty little girl,” tuwang-tuwa ito okay Jeanie, hindi man lang siya sinagot. “You look like your mother!”
“Thank you,” was the only reply from Jeanie, nahihiya ito sa papa niya.
When he got his luggage, dumiretso na sila pauwi sa bahay niya.
“I’m really happy that you’re getting along together,” her father said, she just gave her sister a sandwich.
“It was not easy,” she admitted.
“I know, that’s why I’m proud of you. I may not be able to teach you how to have a forgiving heart but you’ve learned it yourself,” sabi nito.
“Hindi pa. Hindi pa po,” ‘yon lang ang nasabi niya. Hindi, hindi pa siya nagkakaroon ng forgiving heart. Walang kasalanan si Jeanie sa kanya kaya siguro nakuha nito ang puso niya. But her mother would never.
“Anak, it’s been long. Ayokong katandaan mo ang galit na ‘yan. It won’t help you.”
“And I thought you understand -” gusto niyang magtampo. “She left you too.”
“Because I wasn’t the right one for her.”
“Does that mean I’m not also the right daughter for her?”
“No,” sansala nito. “That’s why she came back for you. I believe she came back because of you.”
“She didn’t,” aniya, where was this conversation leading to? “Sana bumalik siya nang mga panahong mas kailangan ko siya. Hindi noong kaya ko nang mag-isa,” there was that old pain again, sumusundot sa puso niya. “She came back to tell us that she’d found a new family and that doesn’t include us.”
Her mom came back to ask for her forgiveness. To try to fill those times when she needed a mother and she was not around. That she loved her and not a single second in fourteen years did she ever forget her.
‘Yon ang sabi nito. Pero ayaw niyang maniwala. Pinabayaan siya nito. ‘Yon lang ang alam niya.
Hindi talaga siya nito naisip. Dahil kung oo sana bumalik ito agad. Dahil paano kung habang wala ito ay namatay siya, may babalikan ba ito para hingan ng tawad? Para sabihang hindi siya nito kailan man nakalimutan?
Everything would not make sense if she did not survive those fourteen long years na wala siyang ina!
“I would never forgive her.”
Nalungkot ang ama niya sa sinabi niya pero ‘di nito iyon pinahalata.
Tahimik lang si Jeanie. Nakalimutan niyang nando’n ito kasama niya. She seemed like crying.
“I’m sorry,” agad niya itong pinuntahan.
“You hate mommy.”
“No. It’s just that. You’ll understand when you grow up. Ate loves you.”
Tumahimik lang ito. Baka nagtatampo or what. She’s a baby. Magkakabati din sila.
Her father changed the topic. Nagkwento ito ng mga naging karanasan nito matapos itong umalis. Noong
umuwi kasi ito noong burol ng kanyang ina, umalis din ito agad, wala silang oportunidad noon na magkwentuhan at magkumustahan except through phone calls.
“You know, I just missed you, anak,” sabi nito. “I regretted those times na wala ako sa sarili ko para alagaan ka.”
She smiled. Iyon ang pagkakaiba. Napatawad na niya ang kanyang ama.
“Well I just hope you’ll stay here for good.”
“I’m thinking of that” hindi pa rin sigurado ang sagot nito.
“Okay,” she tried to smile again. Why did she have a weird feeling na may hindi ito sinasabi sa kanya?
‘Baka guni-guni ko lang. He’s here with me now. ‘Yon ang mahalaga.’
***
“Welcome back, bro!” Kaiser hugged his younger brother.
“Thanks, Kuya,” he hugged him back.
Noong mangibang bansa ang kanilang ina, sumama ito. He’s a mama’s boy. Ayaw nitong nawawalay sa ina.
“So, how’s mom?”
“She’s fine. Really fine. Susunod siya rito,” tugon nito.
“That’s good news,” after several years ay muli silang magkakasama. Maliban syempre noong burial pero dahil hindi naman planned ang visit na ‘yon, kaya saglit lang ang mga ito sa bansa. But this one was planned so he would be expecting a longer stay.
Hindi siya dumadalaw sa mga ito sa ibang bansa dahil busy din siya sa buhay niya.
“So how are you and Pamela?” he asked.
“We’re doing good,” he answered as he placed his luggage in his car.
“When will we hear the wedding bells? You’re thirty-one. No plans of settling down eh?”
“Meron naman,” napatawa siya. He started the engine. “Well, hindi pa nga lang napag-uusapan.”
“Baka naman ‘di ka seryoso sa kanya.”
“Of course I am serious about her. We’re engaged, you know.”
“I see,” tumingin ito sa bintana then turned to him again noong tila may maalala ito. “So how’s your relationship with our two sisters?”
“As long as I can remember, we only have one sister,” aniya. S’yempre alam niyang si Princess ang isang tinutukoy nito. But he never wanted her to be his sister or step sister whatsoever. Hindi gano’n ang tingin niya kay Princess.
“Of course, Princess is not our sister but she’s our step sister, or maybe,” kumislap ang mga mata nito.
“Do you want her to be your sister-in-law?” pilyo nitong tanong.
“What?”
“She’s beautiful,” dagdag pa nito. “Well, not your kind of type, but she’s beautiful.”
Oh, what was his brother talking about? Whatever he was up to, he’s not happy with it. Halata ‘yon sa mukha niya. And he wondered why. That woman, she’s not even worth being their conversation’s subject.
“Ikaw bahala,” sagot lang niya.
“Is Jeanie with her now?”
“Yeah.”
“Good, can we go there?”
“No – I mean yes, of course. Why not?”
“I heard Tito Rafael’s here too.”
“Yeah, how did you know?”
“I heard nga, eh.”
And so they went to Princess’ house.

***
Naglu-lunch sila ng kanyang ama at ni Jeanie nang may kumatok sa pinto. Pero base sa memoryado na niyang tunog ng sasakyan na huminto, ‘di na niya kelangang sinuhin kung sino ang dumating.
“Jeanie, open the door. Ang kuya mo ‘yan,” utos niya sa bata. Jeanie was tall enough to reach the door’s knob.
She continued with her food at napalingon na lamang dahil sa reaksyon ni Jeanie.
“Kuya Kaiser! Kuya Sean!”
Oh, so the younger Choi was also in the house. Tumayo ang kanyang ama para salubungin ang mga bisita. She did not. Nagpatuloy siya sa pagkain. Dahil ba sa mga ito mai-interrupt ang pagkain niya? No way.
A little bit of greetings from the two men and her father bago nabaling sa kanya ang atensyon ng mga ito.
“Hey, Princess!” kinawayan siya ni Sean.
“Yeah, hi!” she greeted back. Sabay naman niyang nakilala ang magkapatid pero noong mga panahong ‘yon, mas mukhang friendly si Sean. Busangot kasi si Kaiser, siguro dahil mas panganay ito kaya mas seryoso rin.
“You’re in time for lunch,” she added.
“We brought foods,” kinuha nito sa kuya nito ang tinake out sa fast food chain. “Drive thru, you know the fastest way to buy food,” he grinned bago naupo sa tapat niya.
“Kaiser, join us,” anang ama niya sa binatang kausap ni Jeanie.
“Yeah, Tito. Thanks.” Kinarga nito si Jeanie. Napatingin siya, tulad ba niya eh mas magiliw na rin ito sa bata? Baka nga pareho na silang nasanay na kasama ito. Hindi na tulad ng dati na lagi silang nagbabangayan kung sino ang mag-aalaga.
And so, they’ve eaten lunch together.
“So, what’s keeping you busy these days?” Tanong ni Sean sa kanya, nasa maliit niyang sala sila pagkatapos kumain.
“I resigned. Almost a year na akong jobless,” she said. “Kahit masama loob ko noong una, well, sa tingin ko nag-eenjoy na akong alagaan si Jeanie.” Tumingin siya sa bata na nilalaro ng kanyang ama.
“That’s nice to hear. Last I heard from Kuya, ayaw mo sa bata.” Kaiser who’s sitting with them did not comment, parang kung may anong kumukuha ng atensyon nito base sa pagkakatingin nito sa iniinom nitong juice.
“Palagay ko tinubuan ako ng puso,” it surprised her na magaan ang loob niya kay Sean. ‘Di kasi ito antipatiko tulad ni Kaiser.
“We have a charming little sister,” sang-ayon nito. “Hindi nakakapagtaka iyan.”
“You’re right,” aniya. “And because she’s innocent, wala siyang kasalanan kung -” she realized na nag-oopen up na siya. So, she stopped there.
“It’s okay,” he said. “Hey Kuya, what about dinner with Pamela and Princess?”
“I don’t think that’s a nice idea,” Kaiser commented after drinking his juice.
“Why not, it could also be a date? You and Pamela, me and Princess -” natawa ito sa reaksyon niya, pinandilatan kasi niya ito like what was he talking about? “Joke lang. But seriously, might as well be a good chance for me to get to know you and Pamela better,” paliwanag nito.
“They don’t like each other, bro.”
“Really?” he turned to her. “Why? I’m curious?” tatawa-tawa ito.
“Huh?” was all she could say. Wala naman siyang sinasabi na ayaw niya sa girlfriend nito. Wala siyang dahilan para sabihin pa rito na ayaw niya kay Pamela. Hindi naman siya magiging apektado kung magkatuluyan man ang dalawa. Like hello? Family member ba siya?
Pero paano nito nalaman? Gano’n ba siya ka-obvious?
“Never mind. I still insist with the dinner. Tonight?” ulit nito, sa kanya nakatingin. Parang wala namang choice kundi um-oo na lang. After all, mukhang mabait naman si Sean. Why not give the guy what he’s asking for? “Yes, that’s good. So kuya, ikaw na bahala kay Pamela. I’ll fetch Princess at seven tonight.” Then he called his father. “Hey tito Raffy, okay lang, ‘di ba? Taking Princess out for dinner?”
“Yeah sure, just don’t make her cry.”
Huh? Cry agad? Parang dinner lang eh. But that’s not what caught her attention. He called her father by his nickname? Close ba sila to know that?
She dismissed the thought. Nagkataon lang siguro. They met at the burial anyway, hindi nakapagtataka ‘yon.
Wala rin namang nagawa si Kaiser kaya pumayag na ito sa dinner.