The Billionaires Blind Date

Kabanata 1

Kabanata 1

“Date”

“Congratulations to the Graduates of 2025” malakas ng bati ng Head Dean bago sabay sabay na nag palakpakan ang lahat at nag liparan sa ere ang mga gaduation Cap.

“Congrats sating lahat!”

“Graduate na tayo! Finally!”

“Tapos na rin ang pag aaral!”

Nakiyakap ako sa mga kaklase kong nag babatian at nag iiyakan.

Sa wakas! Graduate na ako! Handang handa na akong maging pabigat sa bahay at mag ambag lang ng kagandahan! This is the best feeling in the world!

“Lovieeee!” Nilingon ko agad ang direction ng boses ni Safiya. Sya at si Anya lang naman ang tumatawag sa akin ng ganon. “Congrats’s babe!” Sabay yakap nya sa akin.

“Congrats Amore!” Naka ngiting bati ni Anya at sumali na rin sa yakapan namin.

“Congrats satin! Tapos na ang kalbaryo sa wakas!” Bati ko pabalik sa kanila.

“Which only meanss. . . It’s time to party!!” Sigaw ni Sofia, people who heard her cheered. Mukhang pag party din ang iniisip ng iba.

“Ito naman si party agad.” Kantyaw ko sa kanya.

“True Saf, Let’s celebrate with our family muna.” Ani Anya.

“Of course I know, tonight is for family, tomorrow is for boys!” Masaya nya ulit sigaw. I rolled my eyes, pero nangingiti sa sinabi nya.

Of course we deserve to party, sa mga pinag daanan namin bago kami nakapag martsa. Akala ko kami ang mauunang matapos bago ang mga requirements namin. Ka muntik-muntikan na naming maka meet up si Lord.

“Oo bukas.” Tango ko dahil nag aaral palang kami ng finals ay usapan na namin iyon.

“Great! Sa Condo ko na kayo pumunta ha! Maaga palang.” Daldal ni Safiya, hinawakan nya ang kamay namin ni Anya at iginiya para mag lakad na papunta sa labas ng Convention center to meet with our families.

“Doon na tayo mag breakfast or brunch so we can spend more time together at para mapag usapan natin ang plano natin Amore.” Sabay bumaling sa akin ang dalawa at agad nawala ang ngiti ko ng maalala ang usapan namin.

“May mag babackout ata.” Pang aasar ni Anya at agad humigpit ang hawak ni Safiya sa braso ko.

“Loviee!” She whined with matching pag padyak pa, aba!

“Usapan na natin diba? Sabi mo you’ll help me! For the sake of our friendship nalang please? You know ikaw lang ang pwede kong itapat kay Uno!” Agad akong napangiwi sa pangalang halos isang buwan ng nang stress sa’kin.

Sino nga ba si Uno? Ano nga ba ang usapan?

“Jusko Safiya, bakit ngayon mo pa naisipang mag inom? Hindi ba to makakahintay ng tatlong araw?” Reklamo ko habang nilalagyan ni Safiya ng tequila ang baso namin ni Anya.

“Finals na bukas, baka dito pa tayo sumablay!” Hawak ni Anya ang reviewer nya at pilit na nag babasa kahit puro alak at snack lang ang nasa harap namin.

“Nandito lang naman tayo sa condo, and mas effective daw mag aral pag lasing. Dali na shot muna” ngiting ngiti si Safiya, kami namang nag rereklamo ay kinuha pa din ang baso at ininom ang laman.

Gumuhit sa lalamunan ko ang init ng tequila kaya agad akong kumuha ng lemon.

“Baka tequila at lemon lang ang maisagot ko sa exam.” Reklamo ko ulit.

Apat na taon kong pinag hirapan tong accounting at first time naming iinom ng finals. Pareho kaming kabado ni Anya dahil nag mag party man kami or uminom, it’s always on the regular days, ngayon pa talaga namin naisipang sumugal ng inom sa finals kung kelan graduating na kami!

“Don’t look so grim! Let’s treat this as a celebration! Let cheers for my future CPA’s Anya and Amore, and to me a—a” napatingin kami sa kanya dahil biglang nanginig ang boses nya.

She looked like she’s about to cry. Like legit cry.

“To me, a future house wife!” Halos iniyak nya na ang pagkakasabi nya ng housewife, agad syang sumalampak sa sofa sa likod namin dito sa living room nya.

Nagkatinginan kami ni Anya.

“ I don’t wanna be a wife!” Reklamo nya habang para syang bulateng binuhusan ng zonrox sa sofa.

“Lasing na ba yan?” Tanong ko kay Anya.

“You know she’s always like that. You can never tell with her.” Sagot nito. “ Ano bang nangyayari sayo Safiya? Ikakasal ka na ba?”biro ni Anya.

“YES! I can feel it! This time wala na akong takas!” Mas dramatic pa syang umiyak kuno.

Alam kong dapat worried na kami but she’s always like this, dramatic. Pero mamaya akala mo walang nangyari. This girl has the shortest attention span, before you know it, nakalimutan nya na ang iniiyak at at nag kakakanta na sa gitna.

“Is this another marriage date?” Anya asked and we heard her muffled “yes”.

Sabay kaming napabuntong hininga.

Safiya has always been carefree and liberated. She does want she wants at laging laman ng tabloid. She came from a rich and very socialite family kaya sakit sa ulo ng mga ito ang mga pinag-gagagawa nya.

One of their ways para matigil ito is to make her attend marriage blind date all the time. Mula ata ng tumuntong kaming 18, halos buwan-buwan na syang may blind date at mas lalo rin lumala ang mga pinag gagagawa nya.

“Well, you can just turn it down then, like you always do.” Anya suggested but her cries got louder.

“No!” She whined again, umupo sya mula sa pagkakahiga at hinarap kami. Her eyes and nose are red.

I guess this is serious.

“Ngayon wala na akong takas! Yung mga naka date ko before are all just boys! Mga madaling tanggihan, besides they are not an asset to our family so its okay to turn them down. Pero iba ngayon!”

“Ano ba’ng pinagkaiba? It just the same blind date” I said.

“Just say no and date around again, until you find your true love.” Si Anya. One thing we know about Safiya, despite of all her escapades and issue’s she still wanted to marry for love.

How ironic.

“Lovie’s, you know I’m not supposed to know kung sino ang ka blind date ko, pero sa sobrang excitement ni Dad, nasabi nya. And its UNO! THE DAMN JUAN MIGUEL PERFECTO!” May galit nyang sigaw.

Nagkatingin kami ni Anya. Understanding dawned on us. And Safiya is right, iba na talaga ang usapan kapag si Uno na ang damay.

In Safiya’s words “ The Damn Juan Miguel Perfecto”. No explanation need. The name alone speaks for itself.

“Are you serious? How? “ litong tanong ni Anya at parang trigger ito kay Safiya, her dramatic episode is gone at parang handang handa na syang makipag chismisan.

“Diba! Like that guy is from the creme of creme of the crop, kaya takang taka din ako paanong napasali yun sa match making agency.”

Match Making Agency.

Hindi talaga ako masasanay sa trip ng mayayaman na to. We’re from a middle class family pero iba talaga ang level nila Safiya. Even with Anya’s influential family, Safiya is still in the top.

“And you can never force that guy, kaya for sure ginusto nya yun kaya sya nasali sa match making.” Ani Anya.

“That’s exactly my point! Kaya nga wala na akong takas eh! All the boys we’re easy to turn down, kasi deep inside, I know Dad would only allow me to marry someone richer. But it’s different with Uno. Kahit tumanggi ako, one word from Uno and my marriage will happen in snap of a finger.” Parang takot na takot si Safiya sa kwento nya.

I only got to know Uno noong first year kami. He graduated in the same school as us. First year kami and he was the SSG president then. Narinig ko pang President din sya before college. I rarely see him at halos makalimutan ko na ang itsura pero I know he is handsome as hell!

Kinuha ni safiya ang ipad nya at ng iniharap samin ay naka full-screen na ang mukha ni Uno. I think this was the photo he used noong running as President sya before kami pumasok ng first year. Mukhang ID picture. He isn’t even smiling in this picture. Sobrang seryoso ng expression pero para pa ring model.

It should be illegal to look this good, be rich and smart. Juan Miguel Perfecto is as perfect as his surname and nobody can argue with that.

“Alam kong wala na tayong masyadong balita sa kanya, but I heard he’s already the CEO of one of their companies. At kung noon ay matigas na ang ugali nya, for sure lalo na ngayon!! Ano nalang ang mangyayari sa akin if he decided he wants to marry me?” Safiya started her dramatic cries.

She’s got a point. One year lang namin naabutan si Uno and he was the SSG president then. Tandang tanda ko noon how no one can cross him. If he puts his mind to a certain school project or event he will see to it that it will be done.

No Professors or other students can stop him.

But as powerful and stubborn as Uno is, he’s also very respectful and he listens to opinions. Hindi mo nga lang sure kung susundin or icoconsider nya ang opinyon mo but he listens.

“You know Safiya, maybe you can talk to him. Kilala natin ang side ni Uno, but back then didn’t he listen to the voices of the students a lot?” Panimula ko. I saw Anya nodding.

”I think, if you showed him that you sincerely do not want him, he will actually listen. One thing I observed about him, Uno is not entirely cruel.”

Bumuntong hininga si Safiya sa sinabi ni Anya.

“Yeah, I get your point. Ang kelangan ko lang gawin ay tignan sya mata at sabihin na ayokong mag pakasal?” Tanong nya samin. Sabay kaming tumango ni Anya.

Good thing na mukhang magkakaroon na ng solusyon ang problema nya.

”Yeah no. Did you forget how I’m f*****g scared of that guy?”

Yeah, nevermind.

Muling nag drama si Safiya.” I can’t even force myself to look him in the eyes, tapos sasabihin ko pang hindi ko sya papakasalan? Believe me, If he asks me on that date to marry him, I will be going home mute and engaged.”

Muli ang pag da-drama ni Safiya. Napakamot nalang ako sa batok sa pinag gagagawa nya.

Well, if someone as rich as her can’t do anything about it ano pa kaya kaming mortal na nilalang? Might as well comfort her at wala naman kaming maiaambag na solusyon.

“It will be alright Safiya, surely we will come up with something.” Alu ni Anya sa kanya.

“Sa ngayon, ano bang magagawa namin para maging okay ka? We have an exam coming kaya dapat nasa disposisyon—“ napahinto ako ng pag sasalita ng biglang bumangon sa Safiya at tumitig sa akin.

Para syang bangkay kanina na biglang bumangon. Her red and sad eyes earlier are now twinkling with hope.

What the hell?

“Tama! Ikaw nga! Ikaw ang sagot!” Mabilis ang gapang nya papunta sa akin. Hinawakan nya ang magkabilang braso ko at niyugyog ako.

Pakiramdam ko umangat lahat ng tequila sa lalamunan ko.

“Safiya, stop!”

”Alam ko na ang solusyon!” Masayang balita nya sa aming dalawa.

“And what is your solution?” Anya asked.

“Amore will go on the date in my place!” Masaya nyang balita.

What the f**k???