CHAPTER 18
1748 Words
SUMILIP si Joseph sa niluluto ni Iris. “Hmm…smells good.” Aniya. Ngumiti naman si Iris at sumulyap sa kaniya.
“Can you pass me the vegetable?”
Agad namang kinuha ni Joseph ang gulay at ibinigay kay Iris.
“Thanks.”
Iris put the vegetable inside the pot and covered it. “Let’s wait until it will be cooked.” Aniya saka umikot paharap pero natigilan siya nang dibdib ni Joseph ang sumalubong sa kaniya. Hindi niya alam na nasa likuran niya pala ang lalaki.
Biglang bumilis ang t***k ng puso ni Iris dahil sa pagkakalapit nila ni Joseph. Dahil matangkad si Joseph, nag-angat siya ng tingin. Nagkatitigan silang dalawa hanggang sa ngumiti si Joseph saka pinisil ang pisngi niya.
“You’re cute when you blush.”
Mabilis na napahawak si Iris sa sariling pisngi. Ramdam niya ang pag-iinit ng pisngi niya. Nahiya siya kaya naman mabilis siyang umalis sa harapan ni Joseph. Pumunta siya sa sink saka naghugas ng kamay.
Mahinang natawa si Joseph dahil alam niyang nahihiya si Iris. He was about to tease her when his phone rang. Kinuha niya ang cellphone sa bulsa ng suot niyang pants saka tinignan kung sino ang tumatawag. It was Lorenzo.
“Iris, I have to take this call. I’ll be outside for a few minutes.”
Tumango naman si Iris nang hindi humaharap kay Joseph. But she noticed something about Joseph. Sinundan niya ito ng tingin habang palabas ito ng kusina. She noticed that Joseph's steps had no sound while walking.
Lumabas si Joseph sa apartment ni Iris saka sinagot ang tawag ni Lorenzo. “What’s the matter?” tanong niya.
He told Lorenzo before not to call him unless it was needed.
“Your grandfather wants you back,” Lorenzo said as he took a deep breath. Don might be upset right now.
“What for?” Joseph asked.
“For your marriage.”
Joseph clicked his tongue in annoyance. “I’m not going back. Should I just send Austin to kill the bride?” he suggested.
Napatanga si Lorenzo dahil sa sinabi ni Don Joseph ngunit hindi na siya nagtataka. Killing someone is easy for the Mafia Don. He could only sigh and shook his head. “She came from the Esposito family, Sienna Esposito. Don’t do anything you would regret, Don.”
Joseph scoffed. “My grandfather couldn’t control my father back then, but he didn’t have a choice but to let my father as the Mafia Don, since he doesn’t have any son except my father. Now, he was trying to control me too and he was using the marriage. My father was stubborn, but I’m more stubborn than my father.” Aniya.
“Then what should I tell him, Don?” Lorenzo asked.
“Just tell my grandfather that I’m more stubborn than my father. And tell him not to send his men here just to get me back. They might come back beheaded.” Malamig niyang saad. “And yes, tell him I’m threatening him. But considering that he was my elder, I would show him respect but never try to control me."
“Okay, I’ll tell him, Don.”
“Anyway, how’s my sister? She didn’t do anything stupid?”
Lorenzo sighed. “Don, she is your sister. You know her better than me.” Aniya sa nanghihinang boses.
Natawa ng mahina si Joseph saka seryosong nagtanong. “Anong ginagawa ngayon ng Manzo Family?”
“Don, they are quiet. They didn’t do anything. According to our spy, there was no movement of Riccardo. He was chilling and having a good time with his women.”
Napangiwi si Joseph. “He was already old and still having fun with women. Disgusting.” Aniya habang naiiling. “Okay. If that’s the case, tell Monti to come here to the Philippines.”
“Okay. I’ll tell him. Anything else, Don?”
“Look after my sister.”
Lorenzo sighed heavily. “Do I have a choice?”
Tumaas lang ang sulok ng labi ni Joseph. “Sadly. You have no choice.” Aniya saka pinatay ang tawag.
Bumalik siya sa loob ng apartment ni Iris.
“What’s the matter? Why do you look upset?”
Malalim na napabuntong hininga si Joseph. “My grandfather wants me back and wants me to marry the woman he chose for me.”
“Oh. Congratulations.”
Joseph looked at Iris flatly.
Natawa naman si Iris. “Sorry. But are you going back?” she asked. Nalungkot siya sa isiping aalis na si Joseph.
Umiling si Joseph. “No.”
“You’re going against your grandfather?”
“Always.” Tugon ni Joseph saka nagkibit ng balikat.
After cooking the dishes, kumain na sila. At pagkatapos nilang kumain, nagboluntaryo si Joseph na maghugas ng mga ginamit nila. Habang si Iris naman ay gumagawa ng cookies.
Iris glanced at Joseph. Hindi niya inaasahan na may alam rin pala ito sa kusina. She thought that rich people would’ve let their maids do all the chores, and they were chilling. Joseph proved her wrong.
Pagkatapos mag-bake ni Iris, she let it cool down before she let Joseph eat.
“Hmm…” Napatango-tango si Joseph nang malasahan niya ang cookies na gawa ni Iris. He thumbs up. “Taste good. Mas masarap pa ‘to kaysa sa mga nabibili sa mga café.”
“Tsss! What a sweet mouth you have.” Saad ni Iris.
Joseph smiled. Habang kumakain siya ng cookies, tinignan niya ang relong pambisig. “It’s already nine in the evening. I should go so that you can rest.”
“Thank you.” Wika ni Iris. “Oh, take your cookies. Sandali. Ilalagay ko lang sa lalagyan.”
Then Joseph received a message from Austin. ‘Milord, we’re here.’
Pagkatapos ilagay ni Iris ang cookies sa transparent na lalagyan, tinakpan niya ito at inilagay sa paper bag. She walked Joseph to the door to see him off. Then she gave him the paper bag.
Joseph smiled. “Thank you, Iris.”
Kapagkuwan napansin niya ang itim na kotse na nakaparada sa labas ng gate. Nagtaka siya. Napansin na niya ‘yon kanina noong lumabas siya upang kasuapin si Lorenzo sa tawag. He had keen eyes, so even at long distances, he could see the person inside. Naiilawan ito ng ilaw mula sa lamp post kaya nakikita niya ang taong nasa loob pero hindi niya maaninag ang mukha nito.
Humarap si Joseph kay Iris at inilapit ang mukha niya rito. Nakatalikod siya sa kinaroroonan ng kotse kaya parang hinalikan niya si Iris. “Be safe. Lock your door and don’t open it for strangers.” Aniya.
Tumango si Iris at pasimpleng napahinga ng malalim.
Joseph smiled and showed the transparent container. “Thank you for the cookies.” Umayos siya ng tayo. He waited for Iris to lock the door from inside before he left. Nilapitan niya ang kotse na nakaparada sa labas pero bigla na lang itong umaalis.
Tumaas ang sulok ng kaniyang labi. Maya maya ay umilaw ang van na nasa hindi kalayuan. The van approached him and the door opened.
“Milord.” Austin greeted him.
Sumakay si Joseph sa van.
“Milord, you looked happy.” Komento ni Andrew.
“Am I?” Joseph asked, and looked at the twins.
Tumango ang kambal.
“You were smiling happily, Milord.”
Joseph chuckled. “Don’t mind me.” Aniya. “By the way, have you seen the car earlier?”
Tumango si Austin. “That was David Santos’s car, Milord. I saw his plate number and looked for it.”
“Make sure he can't get close to Iris,” he ordered.
Andrew bowed his head. “Yes, Milord.”
Sumandal si Joseph sa kinauupuan. “Let’s go.”
JOSEPH was daydreaming and kept on thinking about Iris. He was smiling, remembering what Iris did for him. Iris cooked for him and baked some cookies.
“Andrew, is Don, okay?” tanong ni Austin sa kakambal. “He was smiling.”
Nagtaka naman si Andrew habang nakatingin sa Mafia Don. Nasa may pavilion ito. “Did he hit his head?”
Natawa naman si Amadeo na nasa likuran ng kambal. “He didn’t hit his head. He was just daydreaming. Don’t disturb him.”
“Why was Don daydreaming?” Monti asked. Kakalapit niya lang sa tatlong nag-uusap.
“Ask him later,” Amadeo suggested and shrugged.
“When are you leaving, sir?” Austin asked Amadeo.
“Later.”
“You’re so annoying.” Deretsong saad ni Austin saka umalis.
Napailing naman si Andrew. “Sorry about that, Sir. My twin brother was just like that.”
Amadeo chuckled. “Your twin brother was straightforward. I understand.”
Andrew slightly bowed his head and left.
Monti sighed. “Don Joseph was only here for two months, but I think he changed. He’s not like that before. He wasn’t smiling at that.”
“What kind of smile?”
Umiling si Monti. “I don’t know, but I think it’s not normal. Should we call a doctor?”
Amadeo looked at Monti flatly. “No need to call a doctor. Let me ask you, why did Joseph ask you to come here?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t tell me his reason.”
Amadeo sighed. Tinapik niya ang balikat ni Monti. “Nevermind. Just do whatever Don Joseph asked you to do.” Sabi na lamang niya. “I’m leaving.”
Sinundan naman ni Monti ng tingin si Amadeo.
“Monti.”
Mabilis na humarap si Monti sa Mafia Don. “Don?”
“What’s the matter?” Joseph asked.
Umiling si Monti.
“Stay here. I have to go somewhere.”
“To where, Don? Should I come with our bodyguards to protect you just in case of accidents?”
Joseph smiled and shook his head. “No need. I have a date. I don’t want to scare her.”
“Date?”
Tumango si Joseph habang nakangiti. “Yeah, a date.” Aniya saka umalis.
Napasunod na lamang ng tingin si Monti kay Don Joseph. Parang ibang Don Joseph ang kaharap niya dahil talagang may nagbago rito. Don Joseph was smiling, but the Don Joseph he knew was not the smiling type of guy.
“What has happened in these past two months?” Monti asked himself. He was confused. Napailing siya.
Habang si Joseph naman ay masayang lumabas ng mansyon at sumakay ng kotse. He was looking forward seeing Iris.
- Writer
