Kabanata 28

ENEMY'S PROPERTY
Kabanata 28
''Someone''

February had already started about two weeks ago. Mas pinagtuunan ko pa nang mabuti ang pag-aaral at ang mga gagawin dahil mas lalong dumadami iyon. Aside from our individual papers, we have also been asked to make a decision about where we will have our internship, which will last for two and a half months.

The school has provided us with a list of companies, both local and out-of-province, where we can choose to have our internship. And as I was going through the options, I came across Javier de Leon's real estate company.

I couldn't help but smile as I looked at it. I feel a sense of pride for him, knowing that he built this real estate on his own. And despite being busy with the De Leon family businesses, he still manages to handle this venture.

Naitawag ko ang tungkol doon kay Javier. We talked about it, and then he suggested that I have my internship there. Although I haven't really made a final decision yet.

It took me a lot of contemplation and weighing before I made a decision. I wanted to work with my cousin . . . I also miss my father . . . And somehow I'm not really feeling good here in Santa Monica the past few days. These things led me to believe that perhaps having my internship in Manila is a perfect opportunity and will be beneficial to me.

Pero sympre ay kinausap ko rin si Mama tungkol sa internship ko. Hindi naman siya tutol kahit saan ko gusto. Aniya, hindi rin naman daw ako mawawala o maliligaw sa Maynila dahil halos buong buhay ko ay tumira kami doon. However, she did ask me where I would be staying during those months.

Javier and I ended up having another lengthy conversation on the phone, and when he told me he'd just buy me a condo near his company, I almost choked on my saliva.

''That's too much, Javier. I'll just find an apartment somewhere nearby!'' agap ko.

Ang gastos talaga nito! Pero siguro ay nasabi niya lamang iyon dahil alam niya rin kasing malayo ang bahay ni Papa. Javier's company is based at Taguig—Bonifacio Global City, to be exact.

''And where will you find such a place?'' he asked, his voice was a bit mocking.

Marahan akong natawa. Grabe naman!

"Just stay with me then if you don't want me to buy you a place. I have spare rooms here.''

I pursed my lips. I don't want that, either. Mamaya ay makita ko pa si Vernaise doon . . . I mean, I don't have anything against her, but I don't know what to feel. Baka bigla silang magkaayos tapos bumisita siya doon. We haven't even met officially yet.

''Pag-iisapan ko, Javier. I haven't fully decided on that matter anyway. At next month pa naman ang simula.''

''Aright,'' he sighed. ''Pag-isipan mo lang kung saan ka titira. But make sure to send your name as soon as possible to your dean. I will be waiting for you here.''

I chuckled once more. "I don't want any special treatment, Javier. Don't let anyone know that we're cousins. I simply want to gain experience and work like any other employee. I won't be there to waste time."

"Okay, I understand. You don't need to worry."

Ilang minuto pa nang pag-uusap ay binaba na rin namin ang tawag.

As I walked into school grounds on Monday, I couldn't help but notice the vibrant decorations adorning the surroundings. Many students were carrying red balloons or flowers, too. It seemed like some of them were already celebrating Valentine's Day, even though it was still a day away.

''Anya!''

My head immediately turned towards the voice. Nakita ko si Solenn, tumakbo papalapit sa gawi ko habang may dalang pulang kahon.

Ngumiti ako. ''Hi, Solenn!''

We go to the same school, but we only see each other here occasionally. But I guess since we're both graduating students, our schedules have become quite hectic.

''May gagawin ka ba bukas?'' tanong  niya.

Nag-isip ako. We only have one class in the morning. Kapag hapon naman ay wala na. But we still always stay around the school to finish our papers and other requirements.

''Bukas? Wala naman,'' sagot ko kinalaunan.

''Ayos! Sama ka sa'min, ah? Doon sa resort, overnight. Huwag kang mag-alala, ipapaalam na rin kita kay Tita Cattleya!'' sunod-sunod niyang sabi. ''Party tayo! Samahan ng mga single!''

I let out a small laugh when she playfully wiggled her eyebrows at me.

''Tsaka rest at bonding na rin natin. Lagi kang nasa bahay niyo, eh. Ilang beses na rin kaya kitang inaaya pero tumatanggi ka!''

I suddenly feel guilty. It's true that they kept on inviting me, but I realized that I always decline for various reasons, mostly because the schedule didn't fit. I will join them tomorrow to make up for it.

''Tayo-tayo lang naman. Si Kuya, iilang kaibigan, at si Jakob kung umuwi siya,'' she added.

''Pero may pasok pa bukas diba?''

''Half day lang, alam ko. Ang gara ng school diba? May pa-holiday kapag Valentines, paano yung mga walang jowa? Medyo nakaka-offend!''

Muli akong tumawa. She's so jolly and fun to be with.

''Okay, sige, sasama ako bukas. Wala naman akong gagawin.''

"Great!" she exclaimed with a cheerful tone. "I'll just drop by your classroom tomorrow before lunch to get you. Susunduin tayo ni Kuya.''

Tuwang-tuwa siya at sa pagpalakpak niya ay nahulog pa ang box na dala niya. Mabuti na lamang at maagap kong nasalo iyon bago bumagsak sa lupa. I carefully handed it back to her.

''Gosh. Thank you! Papagalitan ako nito ni Javier . . .'' she murmured.

My forehead creased. ''Ni Javier?''

"This is one of Javier's gifts for Vernaise," she giggled, batting her eyelashes. "Sa akin lang nakapangalan. Alam mo na, mahal na mahal. Kahit walang okasyon ay may regalo. But it's a bit more extravagant now, especially since it's Valentine's tomorrow!"

My lips parted slightly. It just shows how much Javier truly loves her. Despite their current situation, where they may not be talking anymore, he still finds ways to show his affection and care, both in the simplest and grandest gestures.

''See you tomorrow, Anya! No turning back, okay? Mapagtanim ako ng sama ng loob—I hope you'll remember that.'' 

I nodded, a chuckle escaping my lips. I waved my hand at her, signaling my agreement and good-bye.

Masyado ata akong maaga dahil wala pa ang professor namin. Pero naroon na ang ilang kaklase kaya medyo maingay na.

Papasok pa lamang ako, agad nang nagtama ang tingin namin ni Lukas. Nakasunod ang kanyang mga mata sa'kin habang naglalakad ako papalapit sa kanyang gawi. I only arched my eyebrow at him.

My eyes drifted to the seat next to him—my seat—when something caught my attention.

Huminto ako sa harap ng aking upuang may iilang regalo na nakapatong. Nangunot ang noo ko habang tinitingnan ang mga iyon. Walang pangalan kung kanino galing pero may pangalan ko, nagpapahiwatig na para sa akin nga ang mga ito. Napansin ko ring iba-iba ang sulat kamay.

''Uy, from secret admirers!'' sigaw ni Rona, nanunukso.

My cheeks immediately heated up, especially when our other classmates joined in. It feels like we're suddenly transported back to high school with all this hullabaloo.

''Anya! Hanapin mo ang kay Terrence diyan!''

''Baliw,'' si Terrence.

The professor had already arrived, so I set the gifts aside for the meantime. I took my seat and shifted my attention to listening and focusing on the class.

''Nasa Maynila si Kuya, noong isang araw pa dahil pinatawag ng aming pinsan. Pero uuwi siya mamayang gabi,'' bulong ni Lukas sa gitna ng aming klase.

I don't know why he's suddenly whispering in class though. He doesn't do that.

Still, I nodded slowly in response and uttered, "I know . . ."

Carlos would still inform me regularly, but lately . . . his messages have become bland and cold. It all started when he saw me with Hector on the fourth of February, and now it's already the thirteenth! Hindi ko alam kung ang dahilan lang ba ay sobrang abala nga lang siya sa trabaho o may iba pa. Pero kung ganoon nga . . . Ang haba naman niyang magtampo!?

He messaged me this morning, greeting me and letting me know he would be home this evening. I didn't reply, though. Hindi ko kasi mahanap ang pakialam ko.

We had our lunch outside of the school because the cafeteria was jam-packed. Si Terrence, Rona, Peter, Lukas, at ako—kaming lima ang magkakasama.

''Next week na kailangang ipasa ang application kung saan tayo mag-i-internship. Nakapili na ba kayo kung saan kayo?'' tanong ni Rona. ''Sa Maynila kami ni Peter. We will rent a condo. Baka gusto niyong makihati para tipid?''

Oh, wow. They'll have it there as well. Mas lalo pa tuloy akong naenganyo. Iniisip ko kasi na baka dito sila, and somehow it'll feel a bit lonely without seeing them.

''I'll have mine in Manila, too!'' masiglang wika ko.

Ramdam ko ang marahas na pagbaling ni Lukas sa gawi ko kaya napatingin din ako sa kanya. His eyebrows furrowed, leaving me wondering what could be his problem.

''Sa Maynila ka?''

Tumango ako. ''Bakit?''

He didn't answer. Quietly, he redirected his attention back to his food. My eyes squinted in confusion. I wanted to ask him, but since he was already preoccupied, I decided not to pay any further attention to it.

''Around BGC kami, Anya. Saan ka?''

I smiled sheepishly. ''Same.''

''Uy, ayos!'' ani Rona at napapalakpak pa.

Nakangising napailing na lamang ako.

''Ikaw, Terrence?'' tanong ko.

His lips curled upward in a gentle expression. ''Dito lang, Anya. Hindi rin kasi pwedeng iwan si Mama at ang tindahan namin. Wala kasing kasama dahil nasa barko pa si Papa.''

I nodded in understanding. Terrence's family owns a considerable number of hardware stores, particularly in the southern part of Santa Monica. Initially, I had no idea that he came from a wealthy background. Terrence is incredibly humble, never showing off his wealth. Nalaman ko lamang ang tungkol doon nang magkwento si Rona.

I carried the gifts I received on my way home. Most of them were chocolates. I removed the paper greetings and placed them in the refrigerator. Binilin ko na lamang rin kina Ate Flor na kainin nila iyon.

''Georgianna,''

Nilingon ko si Mama na pumasok din sa kusina. I approached her, enveloping her in a warm embrace and planting a gentle kiss on her cheeks.

''Solenn called me this afternoon. May lakad daw kayo bukas?''

''Opo, Mama. Okay lang ba sumama? It's overnight po, but I don't think we'll be partying too much since we have school the next morning."

"Yeah, sure, I don't mind. I'm actually happy that you'll be with them. I've noticed that you don't go out much, so it's a good opportunity for you. Plus, the resort is safe, so you don't have to worry either."

''Thank you, Ma!''

She smiled at me, gently stroking my hair as she asked about my school. Ilang sandali rin kaming nag-usap bago napagpasyahan umakyat na.

That night, I turned off my phone and set it aside, allowing myself to sleep soundly. I didn't even bring it with me when I went to school the next morning.

Solenn informed me that she would visit my class tomorrow during lunchtime, so I don't have to worry about finding her. I'll just stay in my class and wait for her to come to me. Kung kailangan ko namang tumawag sa bahay, may telepono at numero sa resort.

The noise in our school was quite overwhelming. Sa gate pa lamang ay kita ko na ang iba't-ibang pakulo ng schoolmates ko para sa Araw ng mga Puso.
 
As I entered my classroom, I let out a heavy sigh upon seeing the state of my chair once again. May punpon pa ng bulaklak!

Naroon na rin si Lukas. At hindi nakapaglas sa aking mga mata ang aksidente . . . o pasimple niyang pagsiko sa bulaklak kaya nahulog iyon sa sahig. Tinitigan niya lamang iyon pero nang masulyapan ang pagdating ko ay agad niya ring pinulot at binalik sa desk na tila ba walang nangayari.

I don't know why, but I suddenly saw Carlos in Lukas. They are indeed brothers. There is no doubt about it.

''Kanina ka pa?''

''Yeah,'' he answered shortly.

''Nakita mo . . . kung sino ang mga naglalagay nito?''

He shook his head and said, "You don't need to know them either."

I didn't know whether to laugh or what, but in the end I found myself smiling amusingly. He's like an overprotective brother. Umupo na lamang ako at nilagay ang mga iyon sa ilalim ng upuan.

''I couldn't contact you by the way,'' he told me after a while.

I swallowed hard. ''I . . . forgot my phone.''

He scrutinized me with a focused gaze, causing me to avert my gaze and pretend to be busy writing something in my notebook.
 
"I was trying to contact you yesterday evening," he stated, his tone implying that he knew I was being untruthful.

"Oh . . . I fell asleep early . . . Why . . . Was there something you needed?"
 
He hesitated for a moment, then responded, "No, it's my brother who needs something.''

Napalunok ako at tumahimik na lamang. Lukas did not ask me anymore. Ganyan naman siya. Kapag alam niyang ayaw kong pag-usapan, hindi na rin naman siya nangungulit.

''Anya, may gagawin ka mamaya? Lunch muna tayong lima!'' si Rona nang tapos na ang klase namin sa umaga.

''Aren't you and Peter gonna have a date since it's Valentines?''

Humalakhak siya. ''Pwede naman ang group date, uso naman iyon! At tsaka lunch naman. Mamaya pa ang solo date namin.''

''Ah, may lakad ako eh . . .''

''Ay, wow! May date?''

Muli kong nakita ang mariing titig ni Lukas. Napakurap ako at nakaramdam ng kaunting kaba. Ayan na naman kasi siya sa mga tingin niya na para bang pinapagalitan ako sa kung ano.

I didn't have the chance to respond to Rona, as my attention was immediately drawn to Solenn, whom I spotted outside. Hindi pa man siya tuluyang nakakalapit sa room namin ay agad na akong tumayo at inayos ang mga gamit.

''Sorry, sa susunod na lang. Babawi ako.'' I smiled at my friends and waved at them. ''Mauna na ako.''

I stole one last glance at Lukas before leaving. I could sense his brooding gaze following my every move until I was out of sight.

Tinulungan ako ni Solenn sa pagbibit ng mga dala-dala ko. Iuuwi ko na lang dahil hindi ko naman pwedeng iwan. Nakakahiya naman at sayang kung itatapon. They were all anonymous, but if they were given to me personally, hindi ko tatanggapin ang mga iyon. Wala na nga lang akong panahon na tumanggi dahil kusa nang nakalagay sa upuan ko.

Rhys did pick us up at school, but there were so many people outside that it took us a while to spot his car.

Nang makasakay ay agad din kaming bumyahe papunta sa resort. We have our own personal rooms, according to Solenn. Ang mga kaibigan naman nila, aniya'y bahala na sila sa buhay nila at may pambayad naman daw ang mga iyon kaya hindi sila libre. Tawa lamang ako ng tawa kay Solenn.

Wala akong dalang ibang gamit sa bag ko, damit lang pang ligo at pantulog. Itong school uniform ko ay ipapalaundry ko na lang sa baba. Ito rin kasi ang gagamitin ko ulit papasok sa school bukas.

We'll have our lunch by the sea, at tuloy-tuloy na iyon hanggang mamaya. That's why I took a quick shower and changed my clothes. Kinalaunan ay kumatok na rin si Solenn, na pareho ko ay bagong ligo at bihis na rin.

When we went downstairs, lunch was already prepared. My cousins' friends were also there. We were seated at a large table near the seashore, in a more secluded and peaceful area of the resort. It was crowded on the other side, mostly with couples and families celebrating, but here it was just us.

Erik, Axel, Fredd, Dina, Lara, and a couple were introduced to me. Jakob, who just got home from Manila yesterday, was also present. Agaw na agaw ng pansin si Axel and Erik na sobra ang kulit. Their jokes and banter were nonstop. I also found out that these people were friends with Javier. Suddenly, I wished he was here.

"So, Anya," Axel trailed off, "since you are here . . . does that mean you don't have a boyfriend yet?"

Everyone turned their attention towards me. Solenn called this "Single's Day". There was a couple present, but they said they were still in the flirting stage and not yet in a relationship.

''Don't worry, Anya. Your secrets are safe with these people. Natago nga iyong kay Javier, eh.'' Solenn chuckled. Ngunit agad ring sinaway ng kapatid. 

"Uh, I don't have a boyfriend," I trailed off, feeling a bit nervous. "But I do have someone—"

Jakob's scoff interrupted me mid-sentence, causing me to fall silent. Our eyes met, and I couldn't help but notice his raised eyebrow and lingering gaze. My heart pounded upon seeing his lips curling into a playful smirk.

''Hmm. You have someone . . . a suitor? What are you doing here then?''

"Oo nga, Anya. Hindi ba dapat nagde-date kayo?" Dina chimed in.

I bit my lip nervously. "H-he's busy, so . . ."
 
I knew my cousins had no idea about Carlos . . . and I. That's why I carefully chose my words—not too vague, but as general as possible. One wrong slip of the tongue, and my cousins, especially Jakob, might be able to read between the lines.

"Oh, excuses! He might not really be into you if he's making excuses like that!" she exclaimed, which sparked a small debate among the whole group.

Napatampal ako sa noo nang medyo naging maingay ang usapan—generally about having a suitor. My male counsin was just silently listening, habang si Solenn tawa rin ng tawa at nakikisabay na rin.

"It's understandable if it's a normal day, but today is different. It's a special day! Ang araw na ito ay isa sa mga pagkakataon niya para ipakita ang intensyon niya sa'yo," muling pahayag ni Dina. "Be careful, Anya. That man might not be serious about you."

Napanguso ako.

                    
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