THEODORO RAVONTE III [SPG]

CHAPTER 2

Wearing my red backless dress, I looked myself in the mirror. Nakalugay ang mahaba at kulay itim kong buhok. Mas lalong nakita ang kaputian ko dahil sa suot.

I decided not to wear any makeup since I want my face to be natural. Isa pa, hindi ko na kailangan na magpaganda dahil wala namang papansin sa'kin doon.

Narinig kong bumukas ang pinto ng aking kwarto at niluwa no'n si Aling Berta, one of our maids.

"Ma'am Celeste, bumaba na raw po kayo sabi Madame Emilia," aniya.

Ngumiti ako. "Sige po," sagot ko. "bababa na po ako pakisabi kay Mommy."

She slightly nodded her head before stepped outside my room. I grabbed my clutch at nagmamadaling lumabas ng kwarto. Knowing Mommy, she hates getting late on every occasion and party.

Nang makababa ako'y nakita ko sila Daddy, Ate at Mommy. My Mom looked at me. Matalim ang tingin niya while my sister, Farah, raised her eyebrows at me.

"Ang tagal mo talagang bata ka kahit kailan! I told you to move faster!" may diin ang bawat salitang binitawan ni Mommy.

"Bakit pa kasi isasama pa 'yan sa birthday party ng mga Ravonte? She's not even welcome to that party! Hindi kailangan ng presensya niya roon!" segunda na sambit ng Ate ko.

"I-I'm sorry po, Mommy." iyon na lang ang nasabi ko bago napayuko.

"Ano pang ginagawa mo riyan? Huwag kang magpa-awa dahil hindi ka kaawa-awa!" singhal ni Mommy kaya nagmamadali akong bumaba.

Nauna silang lumabas ng bahay namin habang ako'y nakasunod lang sa kanila. Malungkot akong ngumiti. Hindi na bago na ganito ang trato ng magulang ko.

In my eighteen years of existing in this world, they never treated me like their own child. Anak nila ako, pero kahit kailan hindi ko naramdaman 'yon. I feel like I don't belong here, but I can't do anything about it since they are my family after all.

Nang makarating kami sa mansyon ng mga Ravonte ay halos malalag ang panga ko sa ganda ng mansion nila. It was a Mediterranean design mansion.

So elegant and beautiful with a red tiled roof, made of clay and bricks. It looked like Roman times and stucco walls. And large wooden doors with ornate carvings.

Mas lalo akong humanga sa ganda ng mansion nang makapasok sa loob. It looked more amazing and beautiful inside. May magandang chandelier sa mataas na siling. Maraming tao dahil kaarawan ni Mr. Ravonte Jr. ngayon.

Siya ang nag-iisang anak ng mga Ravonte. Taon-taon ay laging ganito ang pagdiriwang ng kaarawan niya. And this is the first time that I came here. My Mom didn't let me come here in the first place.

Ayaw daw niyang mapahiya na may anak siyang kagaya ko. At sino ba naman ako para suwayin siya?

"Emilia!" tawag ng isang Ginang nang makita kami.

"Camaille!" masayang sambit din ni Mommy bago niyakap ang Ginang.

Camaille Inna Ravonte is the wife of Theodoro Ravonte Jr, the one who has a birthday today. Maganda ang Ginang. Even though she's already in forties, her beauty is beyond. Wide eyes, red lips and s-shade eyebrows. She's wearing a v-neck long sleeve black see-through dress.

"I'm glad that you came," anito bago lumipat ang tingin sa Ate ko. Her smile grew. "God! You're so gorgeous, Farah! As I expected, you're really beautiful and stunning." masayang sabi nito at si Ate Farah naman niyakap nito.

"Thank you po, Tita!" my sister smile, sweetly. "where's Tito and Theo?" my sister asked.

"Oh, here they are!" a woman said as she looked at the two man who's walking towards us.

Napako ang tingin ko roon. I saw two man, who's both tall and handsome. Theodoro Ravonte Jr, together with his only son, Theodoro Ravonte III. Parehas lang ng tangkad ang dalawang lalaki.

Mr. Ravonte looks handsome in his black tuxedo. Matanda na rin ito, pero gwapo pa rin. Kamukha niya si Theo, ang anak niya. The only different is that Mr. Ravonte is smiling when he saw my family while his son, Theo, looks serious with his poker face.

"Mr. Cohan, it's good to see you!" ani Mr. Ravonte nang makita si Daddy.

My Dad smile at him. Tinapik nila ang balikat ng isa't-isa at nagkumustahan. They all looked happy, while here I am, feeling not included.

Napayuko ako. Maybe I shouldn't come here in the first place. I was the one who begged my Dad to come here since I don't have anything to do. Mabo-boring lang ako sa bahay namin. Nagalit pa nga si Mommy ng nalaman na sasama ako.

Mapapahiya lang daw siya dahil sa'kin. Malungkot akong ngumiti at nagtaas ng tingin. Unang tumama sa aking paningin ay ang mga asul na mata ni Theo. He's looking at me.

The way his blue eyes scanned my whole body from head to toe sent me shiver down to my spine. Seryoso ang mga mata niya. Ang hirap basahin ng tingin niya.

Halos mahilo ako sa uri ng tingin niya. His blue eyes looks like a deep ocean, sa sobrang lalim pagtiningnan mo, para kang malulunod. Para kang mauubusan ng hininga.

"Oh! Your youngest daughter here," Mrs. Ravonte said as she looked at me. "how are you, Hija? Ngayon lang kita nakita rito."

Ngumiti ako. "Good evening po, Mrs. Ravonte! Okay lang po ako," magalang na sagot ko.

Ngumiti siya sa'kin at napunta na naman ang tingin sa kapatid ko. My sister went to Theo, who's still checking me. Nagawi lang tingin niya sa kapatid ko nang pinalupot nito ang kamay sa braso niya.

"Theo, let's go." my Sister smiled at him.

Theo just smile at her before starting walking. While my Mom and Dad together with Mr. and Mrs. Ravonte went off too.

"I really like Farah for my son, Emilia. They looked so good together," rinig ko pang sambit ni Mrs. Ravonte bago umalis.

So, I was left alone again.

I roamed around the house, don't know what to do. Ngumuso ako ng mapagtantong sobrang hindi ako welcome sa mga ganito okasyon. Para akong nawawalang bata sa isang malaking lugar.

I took a deep sighed. As usual my family didn't even care to tell me kung saan sila nakapwesto. Sa sobrang daming tao, hindi ko na alam kung saan pupunta. There's a grand staircase sa gilid ng bahay. I want to go there, so I can be alone.

Baka naman mapagalitan ako dahil mukhang bawal pumunta sa taas. Bago pa mag-decide ang katawan ko na pumunta roon, natagpuan ko ang sarili ko sa mga nakahilerang pagkain. Kumuha ako ng cookies then I poured it with chocolate on the chocolate fountain.

Napangiti ako sa lasa. Masarap! Nang maubos ang isa ay ibang dessert naman tinikman ko. Dito ko nilibang ang sarili para hindi ma-boring.

"Celeste, what are you doing here?"

Napatingin ako kay Daddy nang tawagin ako. He went towards me. "Dad, I'm sorry but I can't find you." paliwanag ko.

"Halika na at baka magalit na naman ang Mommy mo," ani Dad bago ako hinawakan sa kamay at dinala sa upuan nila.

Si Daddy, minsan nag-aalala sa'kin pero when Mommy was around he acted like he doesn't care. Buti pa si Daddy kahit paano, eh ramdam ko 'yong care niya for me while Mommy and Ate Farah, wala talaga.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit. Sometimes I asked Dad why they're acting like that. Ang sinasagot lang palagi sa'kin ni Dad ay intindihin sila. I got used to that. I thought, gan'yan lang sila Mommy kasi bata pa ako.

Akala ko magbabago rin sila but I was wrong. Mas lumala pa yata ang heartred nila sa'kin habang lumalaki ako.

Naalala ko pa noong Grade 8 ako. My Mom got angry at me because I had four line of 7 in my grades. Pulos, 79 ang grade ko sa Math habang 85 ang pinakamataas na grade ko.

"Ang bobo-bobo mo talaga kahit kailan! Iyan na nga lang aatupagin mo, hindi mo pa magawa ng maayos! Saan ka ba nagmana?!" singhal ni Mommy.

Pulang-pula ang mukha niya dahil sa galit at kulang na lang ihampas niya sa pagmumukha ko ang report card ko. I was now crying because I disappointed her again.

"Huwag mo akong iyakan na bata ka! Hindi mo ako madadala sa ganiyan!"

"What's going on here?" I heard my Daddy asked.

I tried not to sob pero huli na. Lagi na lang ganito si Mommy sa'kin. Kaunting pagkakamali ko lang ay nagagalit siya. Everytime na inaaway ako ni Ate Farah, ako pa rin ang may kasalanan.

"Kausapin mo 'yang anak mo! Napakabobo!" singhal ulit ni Mommy bago umalis.

While my sister Farah came into our house with a big smile plastered on her lips.

"Mommy, look! My grades are all line of 9 and I'm the top 1 in my class!" she exclaimed while running towards Mommy.

Mommy welcomed her with a smile too. "That's my baby girl! Napakagaling mo talaga, Anak! That's why I'm always proud of you!"

I always envied my sister. She got it all. Beauty and brains. Our family supported her in everything that she does, while I'm the black sheep in our family.

Tanga, bobo, inutil, at walang ginawa kundi ang kahihiyan sa pamilya namin. I wish I was her too, para kahit papaano maramdaman ko man lang kung paano mahalin, because I never felt that.

I only have two people who love me. And that's Trevis and Chelseah, my two best friends. The only people who love and supporte me all these years.

"Thank you everyone who greeted me today. I really appreciate that but today's event is not only for me," anunsyo ni Mr. Ravonte habang nasa stage.

He's standing while his son and wife are both sitting at the back. Mrs. Ravonte's smile didn't fade. Mukhang excited siya sa sasabihin ng asawa. Habang si Theo ay seryoso pa rin ang tingin. Ang hirap basahin ng asul niyang mata.

"This event is for my son and the eldest daughter of friend of mine. Their engagement party. Cohan and Ravonte's friendship has been there for a long time. And we really want our son and their daughter, of course, for the future of our company. So, may I call Farah Sheanaea Cohan, my future daughter in law." natawa ng bahagya ang lalaki sa huling sinabi.

"Stay here, Celeste," Mom said before they all stood up and went to the stage.

Sinundan ko lang sila tingin habang ang ibang tao ay mukhang masaya dahil sa anunsyo. So, Theo is my sister's fiancé? Kaya pala close sila.

Nang makarating sila Mommy sa stage ay nagpahayag sila ng sasabihin. Hindi ako naka-focus doon dahil nakakahilo ang dalawang pares na asul na mga mata ang nakatingin sa'kin. Theo's eyes scanned me again. They way his jaw clenched when my sister called him

He stand but his blue eyes never leave mine. Napalunok ako dahil doon. He's kinda a hard and rough person. His eyes are unreadable.

Nag-iwas ako ng tingin bago tumayo. Kakapusin ako nang hininga sa uri ng tingin niya. I need to breathe! As I walked outside the mansion, I heard people clapping their hands.