KABANATA 5

ATHENA'S P. O. V

Just like what Trevor said, we went down straight to the dining room at exactly fifteen minutes after we had our call. Muntik pa kaming maligaw. Hindi naman kasi siguro namin kasalanan kung bakit napakalaki ng bahay na ito at baguhan lang kami dito, 'di ba?

"I'm so glad you made it here. Buti at hindi kayo naligaw." biro ni Trevor nang sa wakas ay makarating na kami sa malawak na dining room. He even laughed a little after saying those words.

He was already sitting there, with bunch of foods prepared on the table.

Jane on the other hand, laughed too, but in a sarcastic way, as she utter the words, "Not funny."

Napansin ko sina Gilda at Ayana na nakatayo ilang hakbang lang ang layo sa mesa. Nakasalubong pa ang paningin namin ng una, bagay na lalong hindi nagpa kumportable sa akin.

Pakiramdam ko tuloy ngayon ay lagi silang nakatingin sa akin. They seem to be watching every step I'm making. Lalo na si Gilda.

But when I turned my gaze at Trevor, I noticed him staring at me, too. Nagpapalipat- lipat ang paningin niya sa aming dalawa ni Gilda. Sa tingin ko ay nahalata niya na ang may hindi kagandahang nagaganap sa pagitan namin ng kasambahay ni Mama.

"Gilda, Ayana, kindly leave us for a while. May kailangan kaming pag usapan ni Athena in private. If you won't mind, please?" sabi nito.

Wala namang sabi- sabi na mabilis silang tumalikod.

Pero bago pa man sila tuluyang makaalis ay nagsalita na ako.

"No! Please, stay." utos ko. Then I turned my attention back to Trevor. "Let's just talk about that private matter after we have this meal. Besides, may gusto akong puntahan mamaya at gusto ko na samahan mo ako doon. Kayo ni Jane. Doon na lang tayo mag usap."

Hindi na siya nagsalita pa ng kahit ano, bagama't halata sa tingin niya ang pagtatama at tila pagtatanong kung sigurado ba ako sa mga ginagawa ko. Even Jane seemed so surprised.

But I just nodded slightly at them.

Then I look at Gilda and Ayana once again.

"Come and join us. Sobrang dami rin kasi ng inihanda niyong pagkain, hindi naman namin makakayang ubusin lahat ng ito. Ayoko ring mapunta lang sa basura ang sosobra dito kung sakali. Wala rin naman si Kuya Wilson. So...?"

Agad kong nabakas ang pag aalinlangan sa mukha nilang dalawa. And I was able to confirm it when they looked at each other's faces, seem hesitant.

"Sige na po, umupo na kayo. Madalas sabihin sa akin ni Lolo na masamang pinaghihintay natin ang pagkain. It could bring... bad luck, according to him." sabi ko at marahang tinaliman ang tingin sa dalawa. Pero ngumiti rin ako agad pagkatapos niyon.

At kahit parang nag aalinlangan ay umupo na rin naman silang dalawa nauna pa si Gilda.

Pagkatapos noon ay nagsimula na rin kaming kumain. Wala nang nagsalita pa.

Not until Trevor broke the silence between all of us.

"So, tell me, Athena. How's the feeling to stay inside the most exclusive room prepared especially by your mom on this such a massive house?" nakangiting tanong ni Trevor. At base sa tono ng boses niya ay parang excited siya na hindi ko maipaliwanag.

"Exclusive na pala iyon? Napaka minimalist kasi ng itsura kumpara sa pagkaka describe mo. Napaka overstatement masyado ng 'exclusive'." rinig kong bulong ni Jane.

Pasimple ko siyang siniko at pinanlakihan ng mga mata, as if I am warning her.

"Wait... What? What do you mean?" takang tanong ni Trevor. Nagsimula na ring kumunot ang noo niya. "That room is the most exclusive and special among all the rooms in this huge house. Mas mahalaga pa iyon at mas maganda kumpara sa mismong kwarto ng pinaglalagian ni Miss Nina noong nabubuhay pa siya. Hindi ba kayo nagtataka na sa buong third floor ng bahay na ito ay iyon lang ang bukod tangi at nag iisang kwarto na nandoon?"

What the...? Third floor?

"Argh, my goodness. Bakit kasi parang napaaga yata ang inom mong kumag ka? Mukhang hindi ka pa sanay uminom. Iyan tuloy at lasing ka na, sabog ka pa." Jane exaggeratedly said.

Lalo namang lumalim ang pagkakakunot ng noo ni Trevor.

Ako naman ay hindi na magawang makapagsalita pa bunga ng halu- halo kong nararamdaman.

"First of all, hindi third floor ang second floor. Pangalawa, maraming katabing kwarto ang 'exclusive' at nag iisang kwarto na ipinagmamalaki mo. Maraming katabing kwarto iyon, sa totoo lang. Nasa pang dulo pa kami. At pangatlo, napaka minimalist naman kasi talaga noon. Kung ihahambing mo sa bahay na ito, siguro, ang rate ng kwarto ng iyon ay pang maid's quarters lang. Ganoon!" sunud- sunod na bulalas at reklamo ni Jane.

Ilang sandaling matahimik si Trevor. He seemed to fall into thinking something... strange? Or...?

"Gilda..." biglang tawag ni Trevor sa pangalan ng kasambahay gamit ang banayad ngunit mariing tinig. And right now, I could confirm to myself that there's really something Gilda is up to. "I wanna talk to you later right after this meal. Pwede?"

Tumingin ako kay Gilda para tingnan ang reaksiyon niya.

And all I can see now in her face is fear. And uncomfortableness. Pero agad ding nabura iyon, at sa halip ay naging parang wala siyang emosyon.

Tumango lang din siya at hindi na naglabas pa ng kahit anong salita.

Nagsimula na ulit kaming kumain. At sa buong panahon na iyon ang ginagawa namin ay wala naman nang nagtangka pa na magsalita ulit.

"I'm done." sa wakas ay sabi ni Trevor. Tumayo na rin siya matapos uminom at mag punas ng bibig. "Gilda, Ayana, I'll be waiting in the lawn. And, uh, Athena, you just go and prepare yourself. Aalis na tayo agad pagkatapos ko silang kausapin sandali. This will be quick, so please, move quickly as you can, too."

Hindi na ako sumagot at ngumiti na lang ng tipid. 

Pagkaalis na pagkaalis ni Trevor ay binalingan ko ng tingin si Gilda.

I want to ask her on what's going on. But I was about to open my mouth, when se suddenly stood up.

"Tapos na rin ho kami." sambit niya.

Iyon lang at walang anu- ano nang hinila ni Gilda si Ayana patayo at palabas ng dining room kahit halata na hindi pa tapos kumain ang huli.

"Weird," sabay naming sabi ni Jane.

"Mauuna na ako sa taas. Hintayin na lang kita. Tapusin mo ang pagkain mo, then I want you to go with me, too. Tayong tatlo nila Trevor." nakangiting sabi ko sa kanya.

Napangisi naman siya agad at tumango. Parang mas excited pa yata siya kaysa sa akin.

Tumayo na ako at nagsimulang baybayin ang daanan papunta sa kwartong pinagdalhan sa amin ni Gilda kaninang pagka dating pa lang namin. Sa kwartong hindi ko alam kung doon ba talaga ako dapat.

Nadaanan ko pa si Nick na kausap sina Gilda At Ayana.

There's something telling me to eavesdrop on their conversation. But thank goodness, I won against my nosy curiosity!

Dumiretso na ako sa kwarto ko at naghanda ng damit na pwede kong suotin.

Pagkatapos kong ihanda lahat ng kakailanganin ko ay umupo na ako sa kama ng dahan dahan.

Then I took a deep breath, as if I am letting go of something heavy formed on my chest.

See you later, `Ma...

TREVOR'S P. O. V

After some time of talking to Gilda and Ayana, I was finally able to suit myself. I went down back to the dining room, just to see if Athena's still there. But instead of her, I saw nothing there aside from her best friend, the girl named 'Georgina', pero nagagalit naman kapag tinawag na 'Georgina'. Mga babae nga naman. 

"You're still unfinished with your meal, I see. Halos ikaw na ang umubos ng lahat ng iyan, ah? Tell me, paano mo napagkakasya lahat ng iyan sa tiyan mo?" I asked her, grinning nauthily.

She didn't answer my question, nor even bothered to greet me. She just glare at me sharply. 

"So, where's Athena?" I asked her again.

But she didn't answer. Again, too.

I took a deep breath.

Heck. Why does it seems like I am talking to a deaf, mute young child?

"Kailan mo ba sasagutin ang mga tinatanong ko---?"

"If you'll stop your freaking questions, you moron."

My jaw dropped when she suddenly blurted those words.

Damn? It's the freaking first time someone talk to me the way she just did. Especially, a woman. But this Georgina is really different.

"Sasama ka ba sa amin?" tanong ko ulit sa kanya. Even though I know that she'll be snobbish as she is. Since the first time we met, until now.

"Yeah," she simply said.

"Then, why are you not getting ready yet?"

"Because my stomach's not ready yet?"

Heck. Her stomach is not ready yet?! What kind of stomach does she have?! Or maybe, may alaga siya o kung ano man na naninirahan sa loob ng tiyan niya. A dragon, perhaps? Or tons of worms that--- eew.

"Can we go already?"

I suddenly shift my attention from Georgina to Athena, who suddenly spoke out of nowhere.

I can see that she just finished her shower.

And uh, as usual, she's wearing a thick, oversized clothes matched with her thick eye glasses.

"Athena, are you sure you don't want me to remind you that today and the next days are not a winter season. It's summer time. So, I'm thinking. If you would ever want to change your clothes for a better, which I meant is something... you know, more comfy. More loose yet not that thick. You may also want to lessen the length and---"

"Eh, kung iyang pangengealam mo na lang kaya iyong bawasan mo at lubayan mo na ang haba ng suot ko, `no? I'm sorry, but I am really contented with myself. I want you to be my mom's lawyer as you are, and not a freaking fashion designer of mine."

I wasn't able to speak out after that.

I felt my ego crashed so hard!

"`Told you. You'll not going to like what is it when you mess with the queen of savageness. " Georgina, who seems trying to make me annoyed, said with a silly grin on her face.

And the next thing I knew, I am totally alone. Still standing here in the dining room with nothing aside from myself.

Argh. I really can't believe what's going on! Did these two ladies just slap me hard in the face, saying that I am already old as is, and was already loose my charm?!