Chapter 3

Pagkatapos naming kumain, agad kong itinulak nang kaunti ang plato ko at kinuha ang phone ko. I was already planning to escape upstairs bago pa magkaroon ng panibagong topic si Dad na kailangan kong pagtiyagaan. Sapat na sa akin ang malaman na ang lalaking kasama ko kagabi ay hindi pala basta stranger kundi Ninong ko. Ayoko nang dagdagan pa iyon ng mahabang family bonding na siguradong mauuwi sa sermon.

“Aakyat na muna ako,” sabi ko habang tumatayo.

“Sandali, Thea.”

Napalingon ako kay Dad na kakababa pa lang ng baso niya sa mesa.

“Ano?”

“Samahan mo muna ang Ninong Rafa mo.”

Napakunot ang noo ko. “Bakit?”

“May aasikasuhin kami ni Mara. May food tasting kami para sa kasal.”

Napatingin ako kay Mara na tumango naman. “Sandali lang naman kami.”

“Then why do I have to stay?”

Dad chuckled. “Eh, bakit hindi? Singilin mo na rin si Ninong Rafa mo sa mga utang niya sayo sa tuwing birthday mo at pasko.”

Napatingin ako kay Ninong Rafa.

He looked mildly amused.

“Anong utang?” tanong ko.

“Basta malaki utang sayo niyan,” sagot ni Dad, natatawa. “Ilang taon siyang wala rito. Ni hindi man lang nakadalaw. Kung kailan dalaga ka na doon pa lang nag pakita ulit"

Ninong Rafa shook his head while smiling. “I told you, Terence, babawi ako.”

“Dapat lang.”

I couldn't help but smile a little. Mukhang matagal na talaga silang magkaibigan dahil ang gaan ng pakikitungo nila sa isa't isa. Hindi iyong formal na family friend na kailangang mag-ingat sa bawat salita. They talked like men who had known each other for years.

“Pero Dad,” reklamo ko, “masama pa rin pakiramdam ko.”

Tumingin siya sa akin.

I stared back. Then he slowly raised an eyebrow.

I immediately sighed. “Fine.”

“Thank you.”

“Pero kapag sumakit lalo ulo ko, kasalanan mo.”

“Drink some water.”

“Wow. Very helpful.”

Mara laughed softly before tumayo at inayos ang bag niya. “We should go. Baka maabutan tayo ng traffic.”

Tumango si Dad at tumayo rin. “Rafa, make yourself comfortable. You know this place.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

I looked between them. “So aalis talaga kayo?”

“Yes,” Dad answered. “May food tasting kami. We won't be gone long.”

“Okay.”

Then he looked at me before walking toward the door. “And Thea?”

“What?”

“Don't disappear.”

I gave him an innocent smile. “I won't.”

He narrowed his eyes at me, obviously not believing a word I said, before finally leaving with Mara.

I waited until narinig ko ang pagsara ng main door at ilang segundo pa bago tuluyang nawala ang tunog ng sasakyan nila sa driveway.

And then the mansion became quiet.

Too quiet.

Napabuntong-hininga ako at dahan-dahang umupo ulit sa upuan ko. Across the table, si Ninong Rafa naman ay tahimik na umiinom ng kape, completely relaxed as if wala kaming awkward history from last night.

I stared at him then he glanced at me.

I immediately looked away.

Okay. This was going to be awkward.

“Where are you staying?” tanong ko, just to break the silence.

“Your father prepared one of the guest rooms.”

“Ohhh.”

Tahimik ulit.

I tapped my fingers against the table, trying to think of something else to say. The problem was, every time I looked at him, bumabalik sa isip ko iyong nangyari kagabi. The club. His face. His hands. The kiss.

And now he was sitting across from me at our dining table like some perfectly normal family friend.

My Ninong.

Jesus Christ.

I cleared my throat. “So… you've been in the US for how long?”

“Almost 19 years.”

“That's a long time.”

“It is.”

“And ngayon lang ulit kayo nakabalik?”

“Yes.”

I nodded, unsure what else to ask. “Do you like it here?”

He smiled faintly. “I haven't had enough time to decide.”

“Fair.”

Another silence. I glanced at him again, and this time, nahuli niya ako.

“Something wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

“You keep looking at me.”

Napatingin ako sa kaniya nang diretso. “I wasn't.”

He raised an eyebrow. I immediately looked away. “Baka may iniisip lang ako.”

“About?”

“Nothing important.”

He gave a quiet laugh, and I felt my cheeks warm for reasons I refused to acknowledge.

This was stupid.

I stood up and grabbed my phone. “I'll show you around.”

He looked at me. “You don't have to.”

“Dad told me to keep you company, remember?”

“I remember.”

“So come on.”

Tumayo siya at kinuha ang coffee mug niya. “Lead the way.”

I started walking toward the hallway, trying my best to act normal.

Unfortunately, normal was becoming increasingly difficult when the man following me was the same man I had kissed less than twelve hours ago.

And worse?

He was now officially my Ninong Rafa.