Chapter 3

Faithful

Hanggang ngayon na naglalakad na ako papunta sa altar kung saan nakangiti namang naghihintay sa akin si Castiel sa dulo ay iniisip ko pa rin ang bagay na ito...

It's been three years since I arrived here in Cebu. Noong unang beses kong makilala sina Castiel at ang kapatid niyang si Haniel. At naging maganda pa rin naman ang naging buhay ko sa mansyon ng mga Villarama rito kasama ang dalawang magkapatid at ang lola nila. I also learned a lot from Madam and his grandsons. At kahit pa makulit din ang dalawang apo na Villarama ay natutuhan ko pa rin silang pahalagahan... I learned to care for them and to love them...

After our engagement party, ang sumunod ay bumalik naman si Castiel sa pag-aaral niya. He was currently in his second year in college and also taking up a business course. He's already good with his studies and I just sometimes guide him, while I also try to personally tutor his younger brother Haniel. Pero minsan ay nanggugulo pa sa amin ni Haniel ang kuya niya at nagpapa-tutor din sa akin. Kahit alam naman niya talaga ay gusto pa rin magpaturo. Tingin ko nga ay mas magaling pa siya sa akin noong nag-aaral pa ako. Hindi ko lang din talaga alam minsan kung ano ang nasa isip niya at kung bakit parang kinukuha pa niya ang atensyon ko at nakikihati pa sa kapatid niya na siyang may kailangan naman ng tulong sa pag-aaral dahil bata pa si Haniel.

I tried to make myself more useful while I was in the care of the Villaramas in Cebu. Ayaw ko na wala akong ginagawa. And all my life I thought I was just going to be the next CEO of the Montes Real Estate, but then I ended up marrying the future CEO and heir of the Villaramas instead...

Sinabihan din ako ni Mommy na pwede ko nga na i-guide si Castiel para sa future niya. "Bata pa kasi si Castiel, hija. Kaya medyo hindi pa ganoon ka seryoso... That's why you're there to help him, right?"

Tumango na lang ako kay Mommy habang magka-video call kami. Nakita kong ngumiti siya sa akin.

Malaki ang tiwala sa akin ng parents ko. They believe na napalaki nila ako nang maayos. Kaya naman ayaw ko rin silang biguin sa akin. So the past two years I just did my best and prepared myself to be a better wife and deserving of someone like Castiel Villarama who's the heir of the Villaramas...

Walang araw na wala akong ginagawa habang nasa puder ako ng mga Villarama. I also started helping out Madam in managing their hotels and resorts business here in Cebu. One day ay pinatawag niya na lang ako upang kausapin tungkol sa negosyo.

"You studied business, right, hija?"

I nodded. "Opo..."

"Great!" She smiled. "I talked to your dad. And he's told me that you're actually good. Well, he's trained you. Kaya naman hindi na nakapagtataka na you're just as good as him."

Bahagya naman nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa sinabi nito. Umiling ako. "I'm not as good as my Dad, po..." I said. And I was shocked to be compared to my dad who's so great in my eyes. Marami pa akong kakainin at pagdadaanan bago ako umabot sa punto na kung nasaan ngayon si Daddy. That was why I wanted to work in the company after I graduate...

"It's all right, hija." She gave me a reassuring smile. And then she sighed. "I'm already old. But my grandsons are still young. Wala akong ibang maaasahan sa kanila at ang Daddy mo lang, ang pamilya ninyo." She said.

And I thought of her other daughter. May isa pa silang anak ni Senior Villarama. Iyong pangalawa nila na anak na babae...

Umiling siya. "At malaki na rin ang nagagawa ngayon ng Daddy mo para sa amin ng mga apo ko. We only get to manage our hotels and resorts here in Cebu, because he also looks after the rest of it in the country... Iyong sa ibang bansa naman ay inaasikaso rin ni Hazel..." She mentioned her daughter, if I remember the name correctly. I've been studying about their family now, too. I have to memorize it so that it would also be easier for me to know the Villaramas and their family's history.

Pagkatapos ay tumingin sa akin si Madam. "And you're here, too. Pinagkatiwala ka rin sa amin ng Daddy mo. Ni minsan ay hindi niya pinabayaan ang pamilya namin." She said as she smiled.

Bahagya na rin akog ngumiti. My Dad is also a shareholder or a stockholder of the whole of the Villarama Group of Companies. At mukhang nagkakasundo rin naman sila kahit ng pangalawang anak ng mag-asawang Villarama na siya ngayong Chairman ng Villarama Group. Si Hazel Villarama.

I heard Madam sighing again. "I'm sorry, hija. Kung wala ka siguro ngayon dito sa amin ay malamang natutulungan mo na rin ang Daddy mo sa pag-m-manage ng business ninyo. Harold told me that you've been wanting to follow his footsteps since you were young." She smiled.

Ngumiti rin ako. "I was just amazed by how Dad was able to manage and maintain a huge company and its employees..." I said.

Nakangiti namang tumango sa akin si Madam. "So now, if it's alright with you, hija. I want you to start helping me too with the business here in Cebu. I would like you to help me in managing and maintaining our hotels and resorts here."

Tumango naman na ako at hindi naman yata maganda kung tatanggi ako. Especially that I want to be helpful to their family. Kaya gagawin ko ang makakaya ko para sa pamilya rin nila. At gusto ko na rin magamit ang pinag-aralan ko.

Madam smiled at me. "Thank you, hija."

And this past three years Madam Villarama was been nothing but all good to me. Tinuruan niya rin ako hindi lang sa mansyon at pati na rin sa business ng mga Villarama rito sa Cebu. And after some time of training ay natuto na rin ako at nasasanay na nga rin sa buhay ko sa Cebu kasama ang mga Vilalarama kagaya ng sinabi sa akin noon ni Mommy.

At mahigit isang taon ko na ring minamanage din ang ibang parte sa business nila. And I was also hands on na madalas ko pang bisitahin ang mga hotels at resorts. Lalo na kung wala rin naman akong masyadong ginagawa. Castiel and Haniel also got busy in school and Castiel at the university. Dito lang din nag-aral ng college si Castiel sa Cebu. Although his family also wants him to study abroad. Pero ang balak din ng pamilya ay saka na siguro kapag pagkatapos na lang daw naming maikasal...

At parang wala na rin kasing panahon pa si Castiel, parang napipilitan pa tuloy siyang mag-mature na agad at maging handa na for the big responsibility that's waiting for him and is even already on his shoulders...

Minsan ay naaawa rin ako kay Castiel. Dahil sa isang malaking responsibilidad na naghihintay na sa kaniya.

But then I realized that he can just do it. Especially if he has time like this to even wander around in one of their hotels, even though I thought he's supposed to be at the university right now.

Sakto rin kasi na nasa isang V Hotel din ako nang time na iyon. And I just saw Castiel checking in with a girl... Specifically he was with his classmate, Erica.

Hindi pa kilala si Castiel ng lahat ng staffs sa mga hotels at resorts nila. Hindi pa siya napapakilala nang husto ni Madam. At ako pa lang ang naipakilala bilang katulong na rin niya ako ngayon sa pag-m-manage ng business nila.

"Does that guy frequent here?" I asked the staff at the front desk. Nandoon kasi ako at hindi lang ako napansin ni Castiel, probably because he was so focused with what he's doing with Erica...

Minsan ko lang nakilala si Erica na classmate niya noong birthday niya.

Bumaling ito sa akin at mukhang nagdadalawang-isip pa na umiling. "Uh, I don't think so, Ma'am... I mean, ngayon lang po yata sila nag-check in dito." She said.

Hmm. Maybe he also checks in their other hotels, too. I might just try to check as well. He's a naughty guy...

Pero natahimik din ako at natulala roon sa front desk ng hotel. I'm not really needed here and even acting like a receptionist. Pero gusto ko lang din makita ang ginagawa ng bawat empleyado sa mga trabaho nila...

I sighed. Pagkatapos ay nagpaalam na rin akong aalis na.

Bumalik ako sa mansyon dahil tapos na rin naman ang trabaho ko sa araw na iyon. Although I'll still have some paperworks later in my room. I'll read the employees reports and sign some documents. The madame has already thanked me for helping her a lot in managing their business. Ayaw ko na rin kasi na ma stress pa siya and she's already old. Dapat nga ay nagpapahinga na lang din siya ngayon sa bahay. I grew up without meeting my grandparents both sa sides nina Mommy at Daddy since wala pa ako nang nawala na rin ang parents nila. So I mostly grew up with just my mom and dad. Although may na meet na rin naman akong ilang relatives sa side ni mommy dati.

When I arrived home I checked on Haniel first. He's already home from school. Weekend kinabukasan at wala rin naman siyang assigned homework after I checked his school notes. Kaya naman pumayag na rin ako na makipaglaro na muna sa kaniya.

Sa kalagitnaan naman ng paglalaro namin ay napatingin ako sa oras. Gabi na pero wala pa rin si Castiel sa bahay...

Winala ko na lang iyon sa isipan ko at inisip na lang na pwede namang gawin ni Castiel ang anong gusto niya...

But then I was still kind of bothered so I asked my mom some questions later that night after playing with Haniel and having our dinner together. Kaming dalawa lang ang nagsabay sa pagkain dahil na-late na ng uwi sina Madam at Castiel.

"Mommy, can you say that you're faithful to Daddy? And so as Daddy to you? What doesn't it mean to be faithful to someone, anyway..." I asked my mom. At halos wala pa ako sa sarili ko na nagtatanong.

"Why you ask?"

Hindi ako sumagot kay Mommy. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit ba ako nagtatanong nito sa kaniya ngayon...

But Mommy on the other hand continued in answering my question. "Anyway, being faithful to someone especially your spouse is important, Hasmine. Masisira ang buhay ng mag-asawa at pamilya nila kung wala iyan. And to answer your question, of course I have been faithful to your Dad. At ganoon din siya. Hindi kami magtatagal nang ganito na mag-asawa at nagsasama palagi kung hindi, Hasmine... Did I answer your question? And why are you suddenly asking this?"

"Wala naman po, Mommy." Umiling na ako. "I was just curious, I guess."

I saw my mom smiling at me through the screen of my iPad. "It's alright, anak. You can ask me anything. I'm your Mom. And I will try to answer your curious questions as much as I can." She smiled.

Napangiti na rin ako. "Thank you, Mommy."

"You're welcome! How have you been there?"

"I'm fine here, Mommy. Kayo po ni Daddy?"

"Okay lang din kami rito ng Daddy mo, anak. Don't worry about us. Just focus with yourself there and the Villaramas, okay?"

Tumango ako kay Mommy. "Opo." I smiled to my mom reassuringly.