Chapter 29

Mom let us both talk alone in the living room kahit kanina abala siya sa pag-aasikaso kay Fabio. Binigyan pa niya ito ng juice at pagkain pa. Tinanggap naman niya iyon at kinain pa toasted bread na binili ni mama sa kalapit na bakery.

"Now, we're alone. What do you want? Why did you come after looking for me when I told you don't ever come to find us again."

He looked straight into my eyes. "Why wouldn't I? You haven't heard me yet."

"I've heard enough, and what I know is enough."

He smirked, shaking his head. "You don't understand, do you?"

"I do, in fact, you don't need to say it to my face. I know what you are trying to do, but you won't make me come with you back to Sicily."

"Hm..." he hummed, crossing his arms. "Do you wanna know something else? All the things I know that you don't know? Bet you don't want them."

"They are just lies, Fabio. I know it."

"How sure are you, huh?"

"Because it's what you do," I told him with a smug face. "You're a great liar. You're best at it, so there's no doubt you'll be telling me lies all over again. Could you just leave and forget about us?"

He shook his head. Nagmamatigas pa talaga. Ano ba gusting gawin nitong lalaking 'to? There's a lot of things he could pero bakit sa akin pa rin siya habol nang habol when in the first place, he doesn't want to fulfil his role of being a parent. So, para saan itong ginagawa niya? Pagpapakitang tao lang ba?

Para amuhin ako?

He let out a sigh. "I don't want to tell you this, but did you know you are staying at your friend's house because I paid her."

At that point, I laughed at the statement he said. "You're lying. Shaira knows what you did to me. She won't take any money from you."

"You think so?" he countered. "Let me show you something."

He scooped his phone out of his jacket pocket. He opened it and went through his bank application then showed me the transfer credit there.

"See? She received fifty thousand from me since the day you come to her. Well, a few days after that. Don't you realize that? You wouldn't be staying in an expensive condominium if it wasn't for me."

I smirked. "You're making that up, Fabio. You're just trying to make Shaira the bad one here."

"Then ask her."

"Why would I?" I questioned her. "She's not here and she's out of this conversation. You and I are talking here alone so don't put anyone else into this conversation."

"Oh, so we're not gonna talk about your romantic relationship with Alessandro?"

"Fuck you, Fabrizio," I cursed. "We don't have any—" Napatayo na ako dahil sa inis at itinuro ko ang pinto. "I think it's time for you to leave."

"Why would I? Is it true? So... you're the one who's lying here, Jacinta."

"You're gaslighting the situation, Fabio, or I'll call the cops on you."

"Call them," he said confidently. "I didn't do anything wrong. I was invited here to come inside by your mother, who is lovely I must say. You should introduce me to your father as well so we'll be a happy family."

And the moment he said that, papa showed up on the door step. Natigilan si papa at nagtaka pa ito sa nakikita niya. As he wonders and realizes who was the guest, biglang kumusot ang mukha nito.

"You're him," he spoke trying to intimidate him.

Tumayo naman si Fabio. Hindi ko nagugustuhan kung anong mangyayari dito. After my conversation with papa last night, he knew that Fabio isn't the man I wanted to come back with.

Kalmado pa naman si papa. Walang alam si Fabio sa kung ano man ang mangyayari, but before anything could happen, I stood between them para pababain ang tension sa pagitan nilang dalawa.

"He was about to leave," sabi ko kay papa.

"Did I say I am leaving?" sabat pa ni Fabio. "I don't think so."

"You hurt her," biglang sabi ni papa out of nowhere. "And how come you come here to my house."

"Sir," he said calmly, raising his hands up so papa would know he doesn't want to get into a fight. Matangkad si Fabio, but he gets threatened by my father. "I didn't come here to do anything bad, especially to your daughter, I come here because we need to talk. She left Sicily without telling me."

"Shut up, Fabio."

Kumunot ang noo ang Fabio at puno nang pagtataka. "Isn't that what happened, right? You left... and I still don't know why."

"Totoo ba 'yon, 'nak?"

I shifted my head to my father and I shook my head. "Sinabi ko sa 'yo kagabi, pa. 'Wag kang maniwala sa sasabihin niyan. He's just lying."

"I'm not lying, Jacinta," he defended himself. "I don't know where you get that. I don't know why you kept telling me I'm a liar when I've been truthful to you this whole time."

I laughed at what he said. "See? You're lying once again. Kulang na lang talaga sa 'yo ay sabitan ka ng medalya dahil diyan sa mga kalokohan mo."

"Ano bang ginawa niya, 'nak?" tanong ni papa sa akin.

"Hindi na, pa," sagot ko. "Let's just have this man out of our house."

"No, no, Jacinta. I won't leave. You can tell them what you know. I'll be listening..."

I swallowed. "There's nothing to tell here because you're gonna end up covering them with lies. All over and over again. It's just a waste of time."

"You said I had a relationship with Giana, right?" he spoke that making me freeze for a moment since papa was here to listen. Nilingon niya si papa. "She's accusing me of cheating on her when I don't ever do that when we're together."

Hindi makabigay ng komento si papa dahil halatang naguguluhan na rin siya.

"I'm not fucking Giana."

"Teka, teka," pagtigil ni papa at pumagitna ito sa amin. "Is this problem between the two of you was rooted by lying to each other."

"Ask him, papa. Siya ang unang manloko sa akin," sagot ko saka ako humalukipkip.

Napasinghal si papa kaya nilingon muli na may kasamang pag-uusisa si Fabio. "Explain yourself."

Humugot nang malalim na hininga si Fabio. As he should. Nagmatapang siyang pumunta rito sa bahay kaya ngayon ay kailangan niyang harapan si papa. Good thing, I wasn't alone this time.

"Jacinta thought I was cheating on her with my ex-girlfriend, Gianna," he started, trying to be so convincing. "But I'm not cheating on her your daughter and I'm telling you the truth."

I smirked. "Don't get fooled, pa. Gianna's pregnant."

Mas lalong nanlaki ang mata ni papa nang sabihin ko 'yon. Pansin ko ang pagkuyom ng kamao niya at kung hindi niya mapigilan, lalanding talaga 'yon sa mukha ng Italyanong 'to.

"But it's not mine," he reasoned. Or maybe he was just trying to get away with it. "It's not mine, Jacinta."

"Remember, I found pictures of her ultrasound and it had written on it the words For you. Basically, she showed up unannounced just to bring that news to us—to you."

"Could you please let me explain first?" he pleaded. "If you want to know the truth, listen to me."

I rolled my eyes. Hindi nila ako masisisi kung bakit hirap na hirap na akong magtiwala sa ibang tao. Ilang beses na akong naloko kaya naman bakit pa ako magpapaniwala lalo na't alam ko naman ang mga nangyari?

"She visited us that time because she was invited by my parents. She was there at the right time when they arrived. My parents found out she was pregnant, so she came and I didn't know that. But that was it. I'm not the father of her child—my good friend was. That can be proved with a DNA test if you want. Like what we did back in Sicily."

Hindi ako sumagot. If he's telling the truth, maybe he was just trying to bend the lies and the truth together.

"Are you Matteo's real father?" papa questioned him.

Tumango si Fabio nang buong determinado. "I am. I still have the DNA test we did a few months ago before she gave birth. I still have it."

"Show me," utos ni papa sa kanya.

Muli siyang may kinuha sa bulsa ng jacket niya at inabot kay papa ang ang papel kung saan naglalaman ng DNA result na isinagawa namin noon. Papa reviewed it and he was nodding upon seeing the almost hundred percent results there.

"Ano ba talagang pinag-aawayan niyo o ayaw niyo lang ang isa't isa?" tanong ni papa. Hindi iyon naintindihan ni Fabio.

"It's different this time, pa."

"What was the question again? Would you mind repeating it for me?" he kindly asked my father.

"I was just asking, what was the real problem here? Is it because of something else or you don't really like each other?"

He sighed. Ay, akala mo pasan niya ang bigat ng mundo.

"I don't know... it seems like your daughter has a problem with me. In fact, I was really trying my best to support her and our family back in Sicily and then I just found out she left just because she assumed I was cheating on her."

"Because you are."

"See?" he pointed his finger at me, but father shove it away. "But I'm not leaving until we didn't come to terms."

"J-just stop lying, Fabio—"

He grunted, looking above washing his hands on his face. Napailing-iling naman ito nang ibalik ang tingin sa akin.

"I don't know how to please you, Jacinta. I came to the Philippines to look for you and get you back, but you're the one who keeps pushing me away. I've heard you've been struggling so hard, and yet—"

"And yet, I'm okay," pagpapatuloy ako. "I don't need a man like you, Fabio."

"I am trying to fix us. What we have, Jacinta. Don't you want that?"

Hindi ako sumagot. Iniwasan ko lang siya ng tingin. Pansin ko naman si papa na nababahala na rin at hindi alam kung anong gagawin.

Napangisi si Fabio. "You don't want me because you wanted Alessandro."

"O, sino naman 'yon?" takang tanong ni papa.

"Pa, paalisin mo na 'yan," tugon ko. "'Wag mo na papasukin 'yan ulit dito."

"Jacinta."

"Tara na. Le's go," sabi ni papa at tinapik ang braso ni Fabio at dinala na ito papalabas ng bahay.

Nang maiwan ako sa salas ay doon ko lang napansin na nakatayo malapit sa hagdanan si mama karga-karga si Matteo. Lumapit ito sa akin.

"Narinig ko lahat nang pinag-usapan niyo," kwento ni mama. "Hindi mo na ba talaga pagbibigyan 'yong tao alang-alang na lang para sa anak niyong dalawa?"

"Kung sustento lang din pala niya ang kaya niyang panagutan, hindi na lang... many would want that, pero hindi ako."

"E, ano ang gusto mong mangyari? Nagpakumbaba na 'yong tao."

"Hindi natin sure," sagot ko. "Pwedeng nagsisinungaling pa rin siya. Ayoko na rin kasing maniwala sa mga sasabihin niya... nakakasawa na."

"Naiintindihan kita," aniya. Hinagod ni mama ang likod. "Pero may nabanggit siya na pangalan kanina, a? Sino naman iyong Alessandro?"

"Kaibigan ko iyon sa Sicily," sagot ko.

"Kaibigan lang ba?" muli niyang tanong sa akin na pawang may ibang kahulugan.

Napangisi ako saka ako tumango. "Kaibigan ko lang 'yon si Ale."

"Kaibigan din ba ang turing sa 'yo?" Hindi ko siya nasagot doon. "Siguro, may mga dapat ka ring malaman mula sa sarili mo bago mo isipin ang sasabihin ng ibang tao. Alam kong may mga pagkakamali rin kami sa tatay mo sa 'yo, pero sa panahon ngayon, ito na lang din ang maitutulong naming sa 'yo... at kung ano man ang kailangan mo, nandito lang kami..."

The world is full of lies, being a fool and getting crazy about it is something someone would do, but someone can get away with those by not wearing one. I may be wearing one, two, or so... and maybe mom was right, I need to figure that one out or it's gonna be too late for me.

#BirthOfLiesInSicily #BOLISChapter29 #WTS9