THE MAN WHO TEMPT ME (Taglish)

Chapter 16.1 (Forever)

"BAKIT SA BAGUIO NAKATIRA ANG FATHER MO TAPOS IKAW MAG-ISA KA LANG SA MANILA?" she asked nang nalampasan na nila ang Lion's head ng Kennon Road. Muli pa nitong nilingon ang landmark na nalampasan na nila.

"Mas gusto niya sa Baguio. Ako naman ay mas convenient na nasa Manila kasi nandoon ang mga main offices ko."

"Lagi mo rin siya dinadalaw?" she curiously asked.

"Dati," he answered, "pumupunta ako sa kaniya ng once a month before pero nang naging busy ay naging once every three months na lang."

"You should spend more time with him. How old is he?"

"Turning sixty," he said smiling, "three months from now."

"You really should spend more time with him at pa-senior na pala siya. Kung malapit lang siguro ako sa Cebu ay lagi rin ako dumadalaw pero malayo ako eh," she felt sad when she said that, naalala ang pamilya. How she missed them.

She grew up spoiled being the youngest and only girl. Laging nasa isip na may apat na kuya siyang tagapagtanggol. Na kahit lagi siya nangungulit ay hindi siya napapagalitan dahil hindi siya pwede patulan. She was loved and adored and she really missed them.

"Bakit sa Manila ka nag-work, marami ka naman pwedeng pasukan na trabaho sa Cebu, 'di ba?" he asked her.

Natahimik naman siya, naisip na pareho lang naman talaga sila ng sitwasyon ni Brix. He have businesses he needs to run kaya nasa Manila ito, while she wants to be independent kaya siya sa Manila rin nag-decide magtrabaho.

She sighed first before she answered, "kapag sa Cebu kasi ako ay wala na ginawa sila daddy at mommy kung hindi pilitin ako i-manage 'yong negosyo namin do'n."

"At ayaw mo?" he asked, nananantiya, "ayaw mo 'yon at boss ka do'n?"

"Negosyo nila mommy at daddy 'yon. Gusto ko mayro'n rin ako mapatunayan kagaya nila kuya. I just want to try first working with other people, 'yong mapatunayan na kaya ko naman maging independent," she said sadly.

That was one of her reasons. Her parents spoiled her too much na parang tingin ng mga ito sa kaniya ay hindi na siya pwedeng hayaan mag-isa at baka hindi niya kayanin. Mula maliit pa siya ay pinatutunayan niya sa pamilya na kahit babae lang siya ay kaya niya rin maging tulad ng mga kuya niya. She could be independent too. She could stand on her own feet too.

He smiled with what she said and touch her hand, bahagyang pinisil nito ang kamay niya then he asked, "wanna know the real reason kung bakit bihira lang ako mamasyal sa father ko?" Brix asked her and she nodded.

"The real reason kung bakit bihira ako umuwi dito sa Baguio ay dahil lagi ako kinukulit ni papa na mag-asawa na. He was bored, I think. Gusto na raw magka-apo."

"Oh..." she went speechless. Ayaw niya na mag-follow up question dahil baka kung saan pa mapunta ang usapan nila.

Naalala ang kaganapan na nangyari kanina. She was almost, almost made out with him. Hindi niya alam kung saan magpapasalamat. Kung kay Brix ba dahil nagawa nito mag-kontrol ng sarili o sa sports car nito dahil hindi siya magiging komportable doon kung sakali. She turned red after thinking those moments.

"Natahimik ka bigla..." he smiled, "natakot ka naman agad."

She smiled, then nakaisip kung paano babaguhin ang usapan, "paano mo ko papakilala sa kaniya?"

"As my girlfriend of course."

HE SMILED UPON HEARING HER REASONS KUNG BAKIT AYAW NITO SA CEBU MAGTRABAHO. Halos pareho lang sila ng mga dahilan kung bakit sila lumayo sa lugar na kinasanayan nila.

Ali wants to prove her worth to her parents by being independent at gano'n rin siya. He stayed in the Philippines and made billions to prove to Hail and their mother that he can live comfortably without them, without Petrov's prestigious name and influence.

"Wanna know the real reason kung bakit bihira lang ako mamasyal sa father ko?" tanong niya sa dalaga. He wanted to divert the attention of Ali. Nahalata niya kasi na nalungkot na ito isipin ang pamilya na nasa Cebu.

Tumango naman si Ali, she nodded while looking at the houses and compounds they passed through. Nang sabihin niya na gusto na kasi ng ama niya magkaapo ay tanging ‘oh’ lang ang naisagot nito. Ali went silent afterwards, parang natakot magbigay ng komento sa bagay na iyon.

When Ali changed their topic tactically ay napangiti siya ng lihim. Ali is definitely naive but she was smart.

"As my girlfriend of course," sagot niya sa tanong nito kung paano niya ito ipapakilala sa ama.

She smiled pero halata niya na parang nag-aalangan ito. May kung anong iniisip.

"You don't want me to introduce you as my girlfriend?" tanong niya. Kung ayaw ni Ali ay wala naman problema, he doesn’t want her to felt pressured in their relationship.

Hindi sumagot si Ali at waring may iniisip lang na nakatingin sa kaniya.

"It's okay if you're still not comfortable. I could introduce you as a friend, a very special friend."

She grinned, "just tell your father that I am special for you, Brix. It's okay if you tell him about me as your girlfriend or as your friend. As long as I feel you really love me, that I am really ‘that’ special, it will suffice. I would be happy."

He gave her a look and that dreamy look on Ali's face was very evident. She was looking at him like he's everything for her.

"Ali's in love with you and when she learns you are using her to be happy for a while ay sigurado masasaktan siya."

Remembering what Ethan said made him lose the smile on his lips. What Ethan said was really right, he shouldn't pursue Ali if he knew na hindi pa tapos ang problema niya sa ina at kay Irina. Masasaktan talaga ito kung sakali.

He focused on his driving at ilang liko na lang ay mararating na niya ang bahay ng ama nang muling may naisip itanong si Ali.

"When did you realize that I am no longer a plaything, that you're already in love with me?

Napatingin siya rito at naalala na kasama iyon sa topic nila kanina bago sila nauwi sa... He immediately erased the thought.

"I don't really know. I just realized that this is my first time having this kind of emotion, that is the reason why I know that I'm in love. I even got jealous with Jason. It never happened before, I never got jealous."

"Really? Not even with your older brother? Wala ka nakaramdam na nagseselos ka sa atensyon ng parents niyo? O baka nataon na dahil ikaw ang bunso ay ikaw ang nakakakuha ng maraming atensyon?"

"Not even with Hail." He never got jealous of him. He never did.

"Hail? Is that his name? Nice name. Cute."

"Yeah. That's how we call him. His real name is Mikhail, the Russian version of my father's name," he smiled, "and he's really cute. He's so nice too," he chuckled after saying the adjectives Ali used.

"Strange. My father's name is Miguel," she said with a smile.

"Mine is Michael," natawa siya dahil doon. Their father's name are same in meaning, magkaibang version nga lamang.

"You never told me your real name, Benedikt Rurik," Ali said smiling. Nang-aasar na nakatingin sa kaniya.

"Argh... I really don't like those two names. How do you know it?"

Kibit-balikat lamang ang isinagot nito kung paano nalaman ang buong pangalan niya, "why you don't like your names?" she asked.

"It reminds me of my mother, she's the only one who loves calling me with those two names."

"Where did those names come from?"

"From my grandfathers. Papa's father is Benedicto and my mama's father is Rurik. Of course, Svetlana, my mother didn't like the sounds of Benedicto and even doesn't like it's English' spelling. She made my name’s spelling very Russian."

"Your mother's name is beautiful. Svetlana."

"And she's very beautiful too," maliban sa ugali. He wanted to say pero mabuting hindi na muna malaman ni Ali ang ugali ng ina.

"Sweet..." she giggled then asked, "magugustuhan kaya ako ng father mo?"

"He will. You're an amazing woman, Ali." May pagka-bipolar ka nga lang kadalasan. He smiled on his thought. No need to tell her that at baka mainis na naman.

"I hope na pwede na rin kita ipakilala sa family ko, Brix."

Napatingin siya rito. Parang may takot na naramdaman. For the first time of his adult and confident life ay para siyang biglang naging alanganin sa sitwasyon. Parang natakot siya na hindi magustuhan ng pamilya nito. What if hindi ako pasado sa mga kuya nito? What if may gusto silang iba for Ali?

"I'm really looking forward for that day, love," nasabi na lang niya na naging dahilan para ngumiti ito ng pagkatamis-tamis.

"And I am really looking forward too na makilala si Hail at ang mother mo."

He inhaled deeply hearing that from her. He gave her a glance. How he wished that it could happen too.

NATIGILAN SI BRIX nang sabihin niya na sana makilala niya rin ang ina at nakakatandang kapatid nito. May mali ba sa sinabi ko? Bakit parang ayaw niya?

"What Hail looks like? Is he as handsome as you?" naisip niya na lang itanong.

He smiled with her question, "I will show you some pictures later. Marami do'n kay papa," he said and smiled again.

"May asawa na ba si Hail?"

"He's engaged to some daughter of our mother's family friend."

"Russian too," she felt insecure with that information, "do you think they will like me even if I ain't Russian?"

Is that the reason kaya parang natigilan siya kanina? Ayaw kaya ng mother niya sa hindi Russian.

"I don't care if they like you or not, Ali. You're the only one I want."

She looked at Brix then said, "how I wished that we could stay like this for–"

"Forever is just a word, Ali," he cut her words instantly, "I don't compromise our relationship with false promises of that word."

"Then..." she said in her insecured voice, "then how can you guarantee that we could stay like this?"