“Hey Papa, what made you call? How are you?” masayang bati niya sa ama. Mula nang umalis ito almost five years ago, minsan pa lang itong umuuwi. During her mother’s burial. At noon nakita niya na nakapag move on na ito. Dahil unlike her, nagawa na nitong magpatawad.
“I am booking my flight to Manila right now,” masaya ring sabi nito.
“Really? That’s great,” na-excite naman siya. Noong huli kasi itong umuwi ay umalis din ito agad. “For good na ba, Pa?” she was hoping.
“No definite plans yet,” sabi nito. “Alam kong marami na akong utang sa ‘yo. Babawi ako, anak.”
Tahimik siyang napangiti... She missed him.
“How’s your sister?”
“We’re okay, Papa… It took a while but we are okay. I realized na wala siyang kasalanan.”
“That’s my girl.”
So he was coming at the end of the month. That would be great because it’s summer, and it’s a great time to go places.
She’s hopeful. Sana naman ay manatili na ito sa bansa. Kahit sanay siyang mag-isa, walang araw na hindi niya nahiling na sana buo ang kanyang pamilya. Pero dahil namatay na ang kanyang ina, naging sana ay kasama niya ang kanyang ama na lang ang hiling na iyon.
“Your Tito Rafael is coming to the country!” Excited niyang sabi sa kapatid. “Do you remember him?”
Umiling ang bata.
“He’s my father!” Napayakap pa siya kay Jeanie.
“How about my Daddy? Is he coming back too?” humikbi-hikbi ito. Ramdam niya ang labis na kalungkutan nito.
“Jeanie,” aniya. Hinawakan niya ito sa magkabilang balikat. “Your daddy is in heaven already, kasama ang mommy mo.”
“She is your mom too, we’re sisters, ‘di ba?”
“We are, yeah - you’re right.” Niyakap niya ito ulit. “Don’t be sad so if they see you from up there, they will not be sad too,” she cheered her up.
Ngumiti na rin ito dahil sa sinabi niya.
“I love you, ate.”
“I love you too, Jeanie.” Sa wakas ay nasabi din niya.
That’s one thing Jeanie needed, to know and feel that she was loved.
After that call from her father, she started preparing for his homecoming. Inayos niya ang bahay niya, namili siya ng mga kakailanganin nito.
“Do you remember Sean?” Kaiser asked her, nando'n ito para sunduin si Jeanie.
“Of course, hindi ako makakalimutin!”
He was Kaiser’s younger brother. Mas magaan loob niya rito pero ‘di rin niya naka-close. They were not her family, wala siyang need na makipagmagaanan ng loob sa mga ito. She would never forget na anak sila ng lalaking ipinalit sa kanila ng kanyang ina.
“Good, he is coming back. Next month, first week.”
“So?” Puno ng pakialam ko tone ang boses niya.
“I just thought you might get interested. Well, that may mean he can share sa salitan nating pag-aalaga kay Jeanie.”
“No, I’m fine with the schedule. You might just give your schedule to him.” Okay na sila ni Jeanie. Walang dahilan para bawasan ang bonding time nila.
“Well.” He shrugged, halatang nagtataka ito. Hindi pa ba sapat na close na sila ni Jeanie para matapos na ang pagtataka nito?
“Anything else?” masungit na tanong niya, kanina pa naghihintay si Jeanie sa loob ng sasakyan nito.
“No,” he looked at her for a moment then he said no again after she gave him a what look.
Ang weird naman ata nito. Noong isang gabi bago ito umalis ay nakatingin din ito nang gano’n sa kanya. As if he wanted to tell her something pero sa huli, hindi rin nito sasabihin.
‘Whatever.’
Binuhos niya ang pansin sa paghahanda sa pagdating ng kanyang ama. She couldn’t wait to feel that old feeling. ‘Yon bang pakiramdam na may tatay ka?
She really missed him. At her age, naglo-long pa rin siya na magkaroon ng father figure.
***
“Kuya, ate Princess’ dad is coming too,” sabi sa kanya ni Jeanie matapos niyang ibalita dito na uuwi si Sean.
“Really? That would be great,” he answered while driving.
“She’s so happy. I’ve never seen her smile the way she did when she told me about it.”
Napatawa siya. Parang malaking tao ang kapatid niya for such observation.
“Do you like her?” tanong pa nito na ikinagulat niya.
“Like what?”
Umiling ito. Wala itong balak ulitin ang tanong nito.
‘No, I don’t!’ he thought. ‘I just don’t have a choice because she is your sister.’ Obligado siyang kausapin ito at pakisamahan alang-alang kay Jeanie.
‘Alang-alang kay Jeanie?’
‘What about those looks?’ His mind teased him, reminding him how he’s starting this habit to stare at her unconsciously. Well at least for a while only, when he notices it himself, binabawi rin niya.
“I don’t remember her dad,” narinig niyang sabi pa ni Jeanie. “Do you remember him? Is he kind?”
“I don’t remember exactly,” he answered. Wala naman siyang pakialam noon kahit nakita niya ito sa burial. Just a short this is – she is – he is. Sa gano’ng paraan lang din naman niya nakilala si Princess.
Kung hindi nangyari ang aksidente, mababaon din sa limot niya ang ate nito. That was how irrelevant Princess was to him.
“She really seemed happy,” ani pa ng bata.
“Why didn’t you ask her?”
“Because I’m shy.”
Napangiti siya. Sometimes this little sister of his really just brings smile to his lips. Siguro dahil never siya nagkaroon ng kapatid na babae until she came plus nagkaroon din siya ng step sister sa katauhan ni Princess.
“Do you really like Pamela?” Andami namang tanong nito.
“Yeah, I do. I like her,” natatawa na siya, his sister’s question sounded like one from a showbiz talk show host.
“I don’t.” And when he looked at her, nakanguso ito.
Alam naman niya ‘yon na ayaw nito kay Pamela. It was obvious.
“Why not?” He’s interested to know though.
“I like my sister for you.” Whoah! like where did that come from? Did just a five-year old girl say that?
Nagulat talaga siya. “I mean, she’s not your sister, right? Because you have different parents,” paliwanag nito.
“Jeanie,” he tried to take it lightly. “I have a girlfriend, a fiancée in fact. She’s gonna be your sister-in-law.”
“When?” Disappointed ito.
“In the near future”
“When is it in the near future?”
“Don’t have a date yet.” Have they even thought about it? No, hindi pa nga.
Fiancee niya si Pamela dahil sinabi nito. He did not even give her an engagement ring because he did not propose. She just said yes out of the blue. Hindi na niya ito kinontra. Naisip niya na doon din naman ‘yon darating sa tamang panahon. He likes her, maybe that’s enough.
“Okay,” the little girl said. “Does kuya Sean have a girlfriend?”
“I don’t know, why do you ask?” His full attention was on his driving.
“He might like my sister.”
He burst into laughter. Sumimangot naman si Jeanie.
“Jeanie, did you even ask your sister if she has a boyfriend?” He never thought of that too, wala naman siyang nakikitang boyfriend nito. Kahit sa burial ay wala itong pinakilalang kasintahan, or baka ‘di lang niya napansin.
“Why are you interested?”
“Because she might not be happy to know na nirereto mo siya sa mga kuya mo kung may boyfriend na siya,” paliwanag niya.
“No, she doesn’t have one,” kumbinsidong-kumbinsido ito.
He just shrugged. Nanahimik na rin ang bata. When he looked at her again, nakatulog na pala ito.
He did not think na pwede palang maging gano’n kakulit ang kapatid niya. So that was how it felt to have a little sister, may nangingialam sa lovelife mo.
That was cute.