Chapter 8

NAGTAGIS ang bagang niya nang muling makita ang taong ipinatapon niya sa ibang bansa. Ibang-iba na ang itsura nito kumpara noon. Matured na rin itong tingnan.

“Hey, uncle Ethan, Relax ka lang. I’m a good boy now. Don’t stress yourself, okay?” 

Gumalaw ang panga ni Ethan matapos marinig ang sinabi ng kanyang pamangkin. Marahas siyang bumuntonghininga bago dahan-dahang lumapit sa sofa. Pasalampak siyang umupo roon habang matamang nakatitig sa pamangkin niya.

“Fix yourself, Ivan. You won’t like what happens when I run out of patience.”

“Okay, okay, uncle. I’m sorry. I was an asshole back then, but I promise I’ve changed.”

“Don’t test me, Ivan. If you ever pull that stunt again, I’ll make sure you regret every decision that led you there. You can forget about coming back to the Philippines, because I’ll do everything within my power to make sure you face the consequences of what you’ve done. Remember this, I’m giving you one warning, and I won’t take this matter lightly again. At huwag na ‘wag mong guguluhin ang babae ko!”

Tumayo siya. Hindi na niya hinintay pang makasagot si Ivan. Batid niyang sinusundan siya nito ng tingin pero hindi siya lumingon. Kumirot bigla ang ulo niya. Dagdag sakit sa ulo na naman itong pamangkin niya. Sana lang talaga totoong nagbago na ito. 

“Is everything all right, Son? How have you been? Don’t you have any plans to get married? Aren’t you going to give me a grandchild, Ethan? I’m getting old, and I want to see my grandchild before I leave this world. Isa pa, walang magmamana sa lahat ng ari-arian natin kung hindi ka magkakaroon ng anak. And one more thing. Choose your wife wisely, Ethan. I won’t tolerate a gold digger in this family. You know how I deal with liars, and I suggest no one gives me a reason to show them.”

Napalunok si Ethan. Kararating niya lang galing opisina iyon agad ang bubungad sa kanya. Mabuti na lang at nasa library sila kaya walang nakakarinig sa kanila. Huminga siya nang malalim bago pinagsiklop ang mga palad. Ayaw niya rin muna sabihin sa kanyang ama ang tungkol sa anak nila ni Bella. May gusto pa siyang parusahan bago niya ipakilala ang bata. Isa pa, paniguradong hindi nito matanggap ang ina ng anak niya dahil sa laki ng agwat ng status nila sa buhay at sa edad nila. 

“Dad, if all you want is a grandchild, I can give you one. But can we not rush things? It’s hard to find a woman who’d give me a child without expecting me to marry her,” pabiro niyang sagot sa kanyang ama.

Dahil sa sagot ni Ethan ay masama siyang tiningnan ng kanyang amang si Leonard. Nasa fifties na si Leonard. Ipinaubaya niya ang kompanya sa kanyang anak na si Ethan mula nang pumanaw ang butihing asawa na siyang ina ni Ethan. Subalit makalipas ang apat na taon, muling tumibok ang puso niya—’yun ay si Alicia. Ang madrasta ni Ethan na siyang may pakana ng lahat kung bakit iniwan siya ng babaeng pinakamamahal niya.

“Nagawa mo pa talagang magbiro, Ethan? Umayos ka! Dahil kung hindi, tatanggalan kita ng mana! Ibibigay ko ang lahat kay Ivan, naiintindihan mo ba ako?!”

“I’m sorry, dad. Don’t worry, Dad. You’ll meet her someday. Just not yet. There are things I need to settle first . . . and I’m not ready to talk about her.”

“So, you mean to tell me you’ve already found yourself a woman? And you haven’t even had the decency to introduce her to me? When exactly do you intend to bring her home? Or are you planning to keep her hidden from this family?”

“Dad, please, not now! I’m tired—”

“Bakit kasi hindi na lang si Eluna? Tell me, what exactly is wrong with Eluna? She’s beautiful, well-educated, and comes from a respectable, wealthy family. A girl like her is more than worthy of marrying into this family. Yet you dare turn her down without a second thought?

And for what? Some woman you picked up from God knows where? Do you even know what kind of family she comes from? What her background is? Or are you so blinded by your own feelings that you’ve forgotten who you are and what this family stands for?”

Marahas na bumuntonghininga si Ethan. Lalo yatang sumasakit ang ulo niya dahil sa pinagsasabi ng kanyang ama. Ito na nga ba ang sinasabi niya, hinding-hindi nito matatanggap ang babaeng napusuan niya. Noon pa man, mataas na ang standards nito pagdating sa mga babae. Kaya nga nagawang magrebelde ng kapatid niyang si Clark dahil tutol ito sa babaeng pinili ng anak. Habang ang daddy at mommy naman ni Ivan ay naaksidente noon sa isang plane crush.  

“Dad, how long are you going to keep controlling my life? I’m not a child anymore! I’m old enough to make my own decisions, especially when it comes to who I want to marry! Do you have any idea how frustrating this is for me? By now, I could’ve been married with children of my own. I could’ve had a family, maybe even four kids by now. But instead, I’m still here, putting my life on hold because you refuse to let me make my own choices!” 

Hindi na napigilan ni Ethan ang pagtaas ng emosyon. Hindi niya alam kung bakit bigla siyang nagkaroon ng lakas ng loob na sagutin ang ama. Siguro dahil napupuno na siya. 

“Listen to me carefully, Ethan. I did not raise you to make reckless decisions about something as important as marriage. You may think you’re old enough to choose your own woman, but that doesn’t mean I’ll sit back and approve of just anyone you bring through that door. If this woman is truly worth choosing, then bring her before me and let me be the judge of that. Otherwise, don’t expect me to take this little romance of yours seriously.

You may have the freedom to choose whom you love, but do not mistake that freedom for my approval,” patuloy na wika ng kanyang ama.

Napalunok si Ethan. Nagsisisi tuloy siya kung bakit pa siya umuwi ng mansion. Dahil noon pa man, wala na itong bukambibig kundi ang anak ng kumpadre nito. Simula nang mamatay ang mommy niya, unti-unti na ring nagbago ang kanyang ama. Kaya nagduda siyang masyadong binibilog ng madrasta niya ang ulo ng kanyang ama.

Kumuyom ang mga kamao ni Ethan bago muling sinagot ang ama. 

“Have you ever stopped to ask me what I want? Just once, Dad! Have you ever cared enough to listen to what makes me happy instead of constantly telling me what I should do? You keep saying you want what’s best for me, but have you ever considered that what you want for me might not be what I want for myself?

I’ve spent my whole life trying to live up to your expectations. I’ve held my tongue, followed your rules, and tried so hard not to disappoint you. But no matter what I do, it’s never enough, is it? You still want to control everything, even something as personal as who I choose to spend my life with!”

Tumigil muna siya sa pagsasalita nang mapansing natigilan ito.

“So, dahil kaya mo nang tumayo sa sarili mong mga paa, sumasagot ka na?!” galit na tanong ng kanyang ama.

Pero sa halip na matakot ay nagpatuloy lang siya sa pagsasalita. 

“I’m tired, Dad. I’m so tired of having to fight my own father just to have a say in my own life! Why can’t you just let me be happy? Why does loving someone have to turn into a battle with you? I’m not asking you to agree with every decision I make. I’m just asking you to respect me enough to let me make them! And do you know what hurts the most? It’s not that you disagree with me. It’s that you’d rather see me marry someone you approve of than see me genuinely happy with someone I love.” 

“Ethan!” 

“I’m your son, Dad. Not your property. You don’t get to decide every single thing about my life just because you think you know better than I do. I want a family of my own. I want to fall in love, get married, and build a life with someone I choose. And I don’t want to wake up ten years from now, regretting all the time I wasted trying to be the son you wanted instead of the man I wanted to be. So please, Dad . . . for once in your life, let me make this decision for myself. Because I can’t keep living like this. I can’t keep sacrificing my happiness just to make you happy.”

Tuluyan nang napasandal si Leonard sa headrest ng sofa habang umiiling. 

“Then pack your things and leave my house, Ethan!”

As usual, kung ano ang ginawa nito sa kapatid niya ay ganoon din ang ginawa sa kanya.