CHAPTER ELEVEN

SANTI'S WORDS OF WISDOM

May 19, 2021

FINN

"Chloe?" Zack muttered in disbelief upon seeing the face of her sister again. His body automatically rushed towards her and embraced her.

"Z-Zackary?" 

"Y-Yes it's me. I'm sorry if I don’t visit you frequently." Zack said with teary eyes while caressing the cheeks of her sister. 

"W-wait, why do you look thinner than before? You're even much skinnier than me. Do you eat on time?" Zack asked worriedly while touching the arms of Chloe. 

We were all surprised when Chloe suddenly yelped in pain because of what Zack did. Zack quickly withdrew and stepped backwards as worriedness struck his face.

I don’t understand the way she reacted to Zack's simple act of his concern for her. As if she felt a pain by that

We fell into silence and no one was speaking while Zack's still standing in front of his sister staring at her in what seems to be disbelief and wariness. Not until we heard the chair of Santi screeches on the floor when he stands up and raises his hand gesturing to Zack.

"Why don't we just eat, son?" He looked so anxious even when he tried to plaster a smile, "It's not good to make the food wait, you don't want it to get cold, won't you son?" He continued.

I sighed secretly, I can't stop myself from feeling uneasy towards his behavior. I know it's not right to judge someone you just met, but I developed a bad impression towards him the moment I caught him peeking through the door of my friends, especially that they're women. It's strange, and inappropriate.

Zack flinched because of Santi's words as he held the back of his sister with full caution, leading her in the vacant chair. Chloe seemed distressed but still managed to put up a faint smile to us when we greeted her a happy birthday. She looks so delicate and weak, when Zack helped her get her food she only wanted a little portion and told him that she wasn't hungry.

I was so fixated on her but Santi caught our attention again when he cleared his throat, "Why don't you tell me what your friends' jobs are or what their interests are?" He asked cutting Zack from asking lots of questions to his sister who seems not listening to his words.

Zack turned to us, "Uh... they're all successful now on their careers." 

We all understood how uncomfortable he is right now, like something's bugging him so Gabby initiates to answer first.

"I'm an overseas cook, sir!" Gabby proudly said with full enthusiasm.

"Cook? Oh, so you're a chef then?" 

"It does look like that, but I'm just a helper or an assistant of the chef. But at least I also do the cooking." Gabby snorted in his own pun, so everyone just tried to laugh and smile just to support him.

Santi laughed too, but they all stopped laughing because his laugh turned out to look like a mockery and not a genuine one, "That's why you look so stressed and older than your age because you work overseas, I see.” He nodded, “So you just came home?'

"Uh yes... I went straight here." Gabby answered, still trying to smile.

Santi raised an eyebrow, "Why did you go straight here? Don't you have a family to go home first?" 

Gabby's lips agape and was baffled for seconds, he seemed out of words. Even though we were silenced, we all know how sensitive Gab is, when it comes to his family.

Zack intentionally tapped his fork on his plate that caused us to look at him, "It's not like that, grandpa. He was just so excited for our reunion." He broke the silence.

Santi tilted his head, his lips smirked as he nodded. I can't help but to wonder how he can afford to smile for so long? Can't he feel any pain or fatigue?

"Listen, son -- Gabriel right?" Gabby nodded politely, "You have a big body built, it's just a waste that you're just a cook. I can see you being an athlete instead, did you ever consider that?" He chuckled before continuing, "This is just my observation, you don't look happy either, do you have any problems? To your family? Or marriage?" My jaw dropped, how did he sense that? "But don't mind me young man, maybe I'm wrong about your failing marriage. I don't even know if you're married yet."

When I turned to Gab, his eyes twitched. I saw him clasped his hand into fist. I immediately put my hand into his, preventing him from doing whatever he's thinking.

"Yeah, we're really fine. Perfectly fine." Gab said, I can sense his sarcasm. Especially when he pressed his lips into a firm smile and nodded several times at Santi.

Santi guffawed and didn't look at Gabby anymore as he turned his attention to Jackie, "How about you, girly? What's your job? Do you work on gay bars? Or a stand up comedian?" He paused, "Ah! You're someone who pays for a guy in exchange of--"

Jackie slammed her fists on the table when she stood up I saw that her face was burning in anger, "With all due respect, sir. I am a decent teacher, and I have a damn name-- Jacques. Please remember that name." After she said those, she stormed out of the room. I don't have any idea where she's going. He really insulted Jackie’s gender, that’s so disgusting of him.

I'm contemplating whether to follow her, but I don't want to draw any attention to myself. In regards to Zack.

Santi laughed again, and I shook my head without him noticing. I couldn't believe him, he just insulted and offended someone but he doesn't even feel bad about it.

"He's softer than a doll, eh? I was just joking, I didn't mean to--" He just shook his head, "He's just sensitive." 

I scoffed.

He turned to Zack and smiled as if waiting for his grandson to smile too. Zack gave him a faint smile, I blinked in disbelief. He just tolerated his grandfather because of what he did.

"I'm sorry, but really I'm just like this, I tend to joke a lot. Right, Zack?"

"R-Right."

I want to tell him that joking doesn’t mean you can insult and degrade someone, but I didn’t say anything in regards to Zack.

Zack turned to us as if telling us that he's sorry through his eyes.

I looked at the others instead. Maddy's full attention is on her plate, Lizzie's just holding her spoon but not eating. While Gabby still looks so pissed.

"How about you, miss beautiful? Do you have a job, or something?" My stomach churns because of how disgusting the way he just called Maddy.

I noticed how Maddy tenses once again it made her stop from eating, she looked at Lizzie first but Santi pointed at her again as if telling her that she was the one he was implying.

When Maddy spoke, I noticed how Santi's finger started prancing on the table again. If I know how to read morse code, I would've thought that he's doing it.

"I'm an artist. A painter to be more specific. I didn't continue college, I just felt like it wasn't for me. Fortunately my parents still support me and I hope you don't have any problem with that." She said continuously not making eye contact with him.

"That's good, just like this generation always reasons, you should follow your dreams." He chuckled, "You seem like you are from a wealthy family, that's why you can pursue anything even how little it'll be. I don't have any problem with your passions, huh? But do you know, I have a friend, Julius, who is almost the same age as you. He's all about drawing, thinking that his passion can save him from poverty. But look at him now, he's just a common delivery boy. His absurd passion didn't bring him any luck."

'"Really? Because I think that being a delivery man is a decent job that he should be proud of." Maddy retorted as she stared blankly at him. Santi was taken aback.

"JUST, a delivery man." He emphasized the word ‘just’ as if telling Maddy that she’s wrong. When Maddy was still about to respond, Santi immediately cut her off, "Anyway, my point is, if you're rich you can do and pursue anything you want. But if you're just poor, even how hard you struggle in work you can never go up."

"Don't take me wrong, it's just me, a seventy one year old man, giving advice to all of you." He paused and turned to Zack, "When you are at your age, you must consider taking a risk and jumping into practical and big opportunities in your life. Because when you get old, that’s the time where you’ll question your life decisions -- if you make the right choice or not. You’ll also feel like your time is ticking.” I watch him shove a spoon on his mouth,

“Look at my grandson. He stopped going to school many times, if he's not my grandson I would've thrown him in that lake. He knows that he’s poor then adds the fact that he's a tool he still continues making a fool of himself. He doesn’t have a dream at all. He’s like a complete empty shell. I don't want you to be like him."

"He should be grateful that I'm his grandfather, I'm willing to rescue him everytime he makes bad decisions in his helpless life. If his uncle didn't take him away from us, maybe he's now also a successful police officer." Finally he ended his damn speech.

Zack looked so embarrassed, but he still smiled at his grandfather even when he just insulted him too. I couldn't believe him.

We didn't speak or even replied to him. I think we're all done here but it's hard for us to stand up and leave Santi.

If he’s not older than us and if I’m someone who can talk down to an old man like him I would've done it.

It’s funny how we still should respect elders even with that kind of attitude like Santi’s.

A moment later, I thought he's done but his attention moved to Lizzie. I gritted my teeth preparing myself.

"Do you already have a child and a husband? I just noticed the ring in your finger, and based on your not so perfect body." He chortled, “I’m just kidding.” He continued.

I exhaled deeply, preventing myself from blowing up.

Just when I thought that he'd stop, he began talking again.

He laughed at her and winked, "But really, I’m just an observant person. You're ages aren't far from each other but you look like the oldest in the group. You should be more aware of your body, do some work-outs, so your husband won't get tired of you. Just a piece of advice, you know. I'm sure you don't want your husband to find someone else."

I wanted to punch him in the face but I’m the type of person who can control anger as much as I can. So instead I stood up because I couldn't stay in the same room with him anymore.

I caught all their attention, especially Santi.

"Where are you going, son? I don't know anything about you yet."

I stopped in my trance, I sighed first before swallowing all my pride as I turned to look at him.

"I'm a psychologist."

He fell out of silence, his lips downturned and I saw how his face tenses. I'm sure that I gave an impact to him to stop him from being a narcissistic old man.

He tried to open his mouth for how many times before he got the urge to speak now, "A psychologist? I thought you're better than them.” He scowled, “A psychologist doesn't have a room in this world. In our generation that job is a complete joke--"

"Maybe because your generation is not smart enough to acknowledge that a brain can have illness too, just like every part of our body. With all due respect you were a policeman, I expected you to be more open minded in this kind of discussion but I can't help but to feel disappointment in your words. Adding the fact that you have a granddaughter who you claim has autism, I'm sorry but I think you should've known better." I ended. 

I forced a smile towards him.

He fell into silence, I don’t have any idea what he’s thinking but I can see humiliation in his face, which I never intended to. 

Meanwhile I saw Gabby wiggled his eyebrows at me like a proud dad.

It took him seconds before he spoke again, "Chloe, why won't you go upstairs. We're done here." He changed the topic, his jaws clenched and he gave up his stares at me.

Chloe quickly stood up and exited the room in an anxious manner, Zack was about to follow him but Santi motioned his hand stopping him.

Santi's fingers prances again, but when Chloe completely disappeared in the room that was also the time he stood up making loud noises from his chair.

"Now, if you excuse me." The last words he said before leaving the room.

When he left, all of us let out a sigh of relief.