M A X E N E

KASAMA ko si mommy ngayon, para raw wala na akong takas o dahilan para humindi sa taong ito. Kikitain namin siya sa isang hotel na pinamumunuan ni Leonard Mendez, ang namamahala ng Diamond Hotel.

Ilang beses ko ng kinakagat ang labi ko sa gigil sa nangyayari sa akin ngayon, "I want to be on your best behavior Maxene." mom reminded me for the ntn time. I hate that I stand out too much. Siya ang pumili ng damit ko, pati alahas ko at sapatos ko. Pina-ayusan niya na rin ako kahit na kaya ko naman ayusin ang sarili ko.

Napatingin ako sa labas at napansin ang natural na ganda ng tanawin. Ang taas ng sikat ng araw at may mga kakaibang ibon akong nakita na parang swallow. I wonder if that bird is indeed a swallow. I'm amazed to see how black with a shade of blue it has on its wings. Pati ibon nagpapa-ombre. Reminds me of that one time I dyed my hair as a sign of me rebelling against my mother. Yet instead she demands to dye my hair back, she just let it be. Dahil bagay naman daw ang brunette-rose gold ombre sa akin. My plan to show her my rebellion backfired at me. Bwisit! "We're almost here." she says as our driver parks at the main entrance of the hotel.

Nang makababa na kami, sinalubong kami ng may-ari ng hotel. He greeted me and my mom with a warm welcome on his face, "Welcome to the Diamond Hotel." Mom just gives him a small smile at walks ahead of me. With that reaction alone, napansin ko kung bakit parang dinaanan lang ni mom yung lalaki, iyon ay dahil hindi branded ang sapatos niya. With one look mom already knows. But seeing his name plate, he is indeed Leonard Mendez. Ano namang masama kung hindi branded ang sapatos niya?

"I'm sorry if my Mom is like that." I don't know why I apologized.

"For what?" Leonard smiles like a child, I guess he didn't noticed how my mom acts around him, "In fact natutuwa ako at dito niyo binalak makipag meeting. Kasi si Leah, yung kapatid ko, she's a fan of your Mom's work. Halos lahat ng brand niya gawa ng mother mo. Ganoon na lang ang fashion taste ng babaeng iyon." natatawa ako habang kinukwento sa akin ni Leonard ang kapatid niya. Napaka-down to earth niyang tao, I can tell because he reminds me of someone. "I'm sure she'll freak out na malaman na bumisita ang isang Miranda Stewart-Campbell dito."

Hinatid ako ni Leonard sa isang pribadong kwarto kung saan nakatayo si mom na hinihintay ako, "You took your time well dear daughter." pagpuna niya at napatingin kay Leonard.

"It's just an honor to have you here Madam," Leonard complimented mom, "I can't believe na anak niyo po pala siya," napatingin muli sa akin ang lalaki at balik kay mommy, "You could pass as sisters po kasi."

A thin line forms at my mother's lips. Sa isip niya, alam kong nilalait niya si Leonard. Tingin pa lang niya sa tao alam ko na, can't she just accept his compliments?

"We'll take it from here." mom forces herself to smile and be polite as much as possible but Leonard insists on showing hospitality to his guests. He opens the door and inside there are three people in the room. One was near the window, one was the person who greeted us at the door and lastly, the one that put down his glass of wine on the table and approached us with that familiar ghost smile on his face. He looks at my mother with respect and then he looks at me.

"If you need anything, just let me know." that's Leonard's voice from behind and the guy in front of me just gives him a light friendly nod.

"You must be Travis Joseph Hayes." inilahad ni mom ang kamay niya at agad namang tinanggap ng binata iyon at tinugunan ang simpleng pagbati.

"Please, have a seat po." kung hindi ko lang talaga siya kilala baka maniwala pa akong gentleman siya, pero bakit kasi sa dinami-dami ng tao siya pa ang isa sa naging prospect ni mom sa akin?

I wouldn't really want to see him after that awkward encounter. But then of all people, why the hell did I end up meeting him again? I take a seat beside my mom and based on her reaction, she gives the guy a nine out of ten. Of course, she based it on how he wears his branded clothes down to his shoes. From his shoes, which is definitely a Louis Vuitton up to his trousers, his long sleeves and that perfume he's wearing is definitely a Ralph Lauren. His red velvet blazer is an Armani and his watch is a fine Rolex that is perfectly noticeable when he raises his hand to his-- I don't know, his servant or staff to pour me and my mom some wine.

"Isn't it too early for you to serve us this drink?" my mom asked, tilting her head beside as if she's observing him.

"Benjamin Franklin once said, 'Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried; with fewer tensions and more tolerance.'" Travis answered as he raised his cup and sips.

Kaagad namang napangiti si mom sa tugon sa kanya ng binata. This time she is very impressed. This young man is not just a fine-looking face, he sounds smart too. Seeing mom's reaction, this guy definitely gets the favor of my mother in less than an hour. That is a record, to think na mahirap i-please si mom. I think this guy did his homework. Kung ako lang ang nandito, lalagukin ko na lang yung isang bote at uuwi na. But I have to be on my best behavior, I gently shake my glass in a circular way and smell it. Mabango siya, in fairness. Saglit na naman akong napatingin sa binata at napansin ang pilyo niyang ngiti na para bang tinatawanan niya ako sa utak niya. I blinked to erase that scene in my head when his eyes looked at me like that. I took a sip of my glass of wine. Masarap. "This tastes familiar," I couldn't help but to comment as I carry myself with poise, "What's the name of this wine?"

"That's one of my father's favorite wine," sagot ni Travis sa akin, "Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grand Cru, 1990"

For some reason natawa ako kasi may accent ang French niya. I'm sure nahalata ni mom iyon, yet she is still looking at him with great respect. Now I'm confused, dapat nga turn off na siya, "I'm sorry kung masyadong mababaw ang kaligayahan nito ni Maxene." depensa ni mom para sa akin. Napatingin siya sa akin at binigyan ako ng matipid na ngiti, "Five languages lang kasi ang alam niya." dagdag pa niya at napatingin ako kay Travis dahil sa tono ng boses ni mom, parang dapat akong mapahiya sa inasal ko sa harapan ng binata, "It must have been difficult for you to learn seven languages, hijo."

Seven languages? For real? Lima pa nga lang masakit na sa ulo eh.

"French is just not my forte Ma'm." mapagkumbabang pag-amin ng binata, "I just hate French, no offense."

Mom gives him a small nod. Mom likes his humility and honesty, "That's understandable. But I'm impressed that you still understand French."

Matipid niyang nginitian si mom at sumagot, "I can say that I learn the best from my parents." mayabang, edi siya na may maayos na magulang. I can't help but roll my eyes, buti na lang hindi nahalata ni mom. "Learning seven languages is not that difficult when you take it by heart, I learned that from my mother," he says with a small smile like he's remembering nostalgic memories from the past because longing is obvious in his eyes.

"Yes, I saw your file," mom answered, "I'm very sorry that you lost her to cancer." Shit! Okay, hindi ko inaasahan iyon. Paano ba naman kasi, binuksan ko lang yung folder kagabi at hindi na ako nag-aksaya pang basahin iyon. Ang insensitive ko naman sa part na iyon.

"She's in a better place now, I believe that." his eyes were sad and happy at the same time, he gazed in my direction and I immediately looked away.

"As for your father," mom breaks the silence between our environment like she's in a business meeting, "I'm hoping to know when I could meet him."

"My father is a very busy man," magalang na sagot sa kanya ni Travis, "That's why he put me in charge for a while if this arrangement would work." he pauses leaning his back at the sofa, "My father is travelling the world. Mostly he's staying in England kasi doon po ang main office namin."

"So I heard," sagot ni mom sa kanya, "I would just like to know the famous former General Joseph Hayes, I heard so much about him." napangiti si Travis sa kumento ni Mom, bakit ba hindi na lang sila ang mag-usap. Am I even needed here?

"He's just an ordinary person." mapagkumbaba na ani ni Travis tungkol sa father niya.

"He's no ordinary, young man," muling sagot ni Mom pabalik sa kanya, "He holds a fine reputation in the military but then decides to take over your late mother's business. I consider that as loyalty. Your mother must be lucky to have him by her side."

Nakita kong pumikit si Travis at ngumiti, "They're lucky to have each other, that's what matters in a relationship." he evaded my mother's gaze for a while as if he remembered something that he shouldn't pero kaagad din naman bumalik ang tingin niya sa amin para mas mukhang engaging ang pag-uusap sa pagitan namin. He smiles gently yet his eyes are blank. I wonder why I feel like he's hiding a lot of faces under that almost perfect face of his. He's such a mystery.

"Maxene, why don't you engage in a conversation with Travis?" my mom pulls me back from my reality again.

"I couldn't think of any at the moment Mom." I answered politely as I could, attempting to look back at Travis. I couldn't help but to bite my lip fighting myself not to be intimidated by him. Gaano ba kalalim ang mga matang iyon na kulang na lang malunod ako?

Mom laughed awkwardly, "Nahihiya ka ba dahil nandito ako?" hinaplos niya ang ulo ko. Matagal ng hindi ginagawa sa akin ni mommy iyon, "I'm sorry for my conservative daughter." ani mommy kay Travis, "I just wanted to meet the possible candidate fiance for her, ganoon ko kasi kamahal 'tong anak ko na ito." If you say you love me mom, you'll let me go. You'll set me free.

"It's fine, no need to rush things out." magalang na sagot ni Travis kay mom.

"If I may ask," mom paused, "Nagka-girlfriend ka na ba hijo?" napatingin ako kay Travis at natawa siya sa tanong sa kanya ni mom.

"No girlfriends," he answered. Imposible. Yung itsura na iyan? Walang girlfriend? Pwede nga siyang maging artista sa itsura niya. Malumanay pero matalas na mga mata, tamang kapal ng kilay, matangos na ilong, may konting kahabaan ang buhok, may magandang jaw line at facial asset niya yung kapansin pansin na nunal niya na naka-align sa kanang bahagi ng sentido niya sa tuwing titingin siya sa kaliwa niya. I bit my lip rolling my eyes at him hearing his answer from my mother's question. Bigyan ko siya ng barya, maghanap siya ng lolokohin sa labas.

"Really?" My mom looks at him amusingly, "Why so, kahit flings wala?" again, sila na lang kaya ni Travis ang mag-usap.

"I have no time for girlfriends," he paused as he drinks his wine, "Mataas po kasi ang expectation ni Papa sa akin, I wouldn't want to disappoint him." edi siya na ulirang anak.

"You should learn from him Maxene, I can tell he's a very fine young man with a good influence." suhestyon sa akin ng nanay kong bugaw. Ang sama ko mag-isip.

Tiningnan ko si Travis at nakita kung paano umarko ang labi niya at nginitian ako. Sa totoo lang, okay naman siya para sa akin. Yun lang kasi hindi maganda ang first meeting namin. Hindi ko alam kung paano ako makakalusot ngayon pero may goal ako na dapat ko maabot ngayon. I looked at Mom and I put up my best smile on my face, "I think he's okay." napatingin ako ulit kay Travis na parang hindi niya inaasahan ang naging reaksyon ko, "I hope magkasundo tayo." inilahad ko ang kamay ko sa kanya, "Friends?"

Natawa si mommy sa inasal ko, "Silly daughter, since you say that he's okay for you, from this time on, siya na ang fiance mo."

Napatingin ako kay mom, "Masyado naman nating minamadali yung tao Mom, why can we be friends first?" ani ko kay mommy ngunit hindi ko inaasahang kukunin ni Travis ang kamay ko at hinalikan ito, parang may kung anong kuryenteng bumalot sa katawan ko nang dumampi ang labi niya sa kamay ko.

"I guess, I just skipped the part of being your friend." he says with a playful voice and smirks at me. I'm not sure if I'm smiling at him but it seems like he got the reaction he wanted to see from me. Napalunok ako nang umayos siya ng tayo sa harapan ko. Ang tangkad ng lalaking ito, nakakainis! Pakiramdam ko ang liit ng tingin niya sa akin, "Since you have accepted me, can I call you Mine?" he says as if his words hold no meaning. Pero bakit pakiramdam ko biglang uminit ang mukha ko sa banat niya na iyon? Hindi talaga ako naniniwala na hindi pa siya nagkaka-girlfriend! Mga galawan niya, hokage-moves yan! It took me a lot of force just to convince myself to be a good sport yet my instinct tells me that he is laughing at me behind that pokerface of his. Nakakainis!

"Then I guess I should leave you two, para naman makilala ninyo ang isa't-isa." payo sa amin ni mom at napatingin ako sa kanya. Binigyan niya ako ng susi.

"What's this Mom?"

"As promised, you can live on your own." I can feel my lips smiling.

"I have my own condo?" I couldn't contain my glee. My mom nods at me with a small smile on her face.

"I'll have everything arranged within the day, expect all of your stuff to be in your unit before this day ends."

Hindi ko alam pero sa saya ko, napayakap ako kay mom, "Thank you for this Mom.'' I'm glad that I'm slowly getting the independence that I want for myself. Little by little Maxene. Little by little.

"But for now, you two should spend some time together." tiningnan ni Mom si Travis, "Ikaw na ang bahala kay Maxene, Travis." bilin ni mommy sa binata at tinanguhan lang siya nito at umalis na rin agad sa kwarto.

Tiningnan ko si Travis at nakita kong tinanguhan niya yung dalawang tao na kasama niya kanina dito sa kwarto, looks like he's signaling them to leave.

Now it's time to drop the good girl act.

T R A V I S

I really didn't expect that this interview would go well. Ang inaasahan ko nga ay hindi siya papayag, pero mukhang may ibang plano ang babaeng 'to, "Wow, VIP lang?" she crossed her arms intimidating me, mukhang kanina pa siya nagtitimpi sa akin, "Tell me, sino ka ba talaga?"

I let out a small chuckle, "Is that how you treated a guy who just saved you twice?" I raised her an eyebrow.

"Hey, for your information, that's the first time I saw you. Hindi ko nga inalam ang pangalan mo noon dahil para saan pa?" taas kilay niyang sambit. Ang maldita niya talaga, parang kanina lang nagpapaka-good girl siya sa harapan ng mommy niya. Funny. Tapos ngayon, dinaig niya pa ang bata kung magmaktol sa harapan ko, "Hindi ko naman inakala na isa ka pala sa prospect ng mahal kong ina."

Hindi niya alam? So hindi man lang niya binasa ang profile ko? Hindi ko alam kung bakit parang nainsulto ako sa part na iyon. Samantalang ako, pinag-aralan ko ang files niya. I removed the two buttons of my shirt before I could snap. Keep your cool Travis. "You really don't remember, do you?" I assess her reaction because I'm convinced that she's lying in front of my face, "The first time I saw you was three years ago, I was still in highschool. You stumbled and accidentally poured your ice cream on my shirt."

"I really don't remember." she denied. She's so stubborn. Mukhang mahihirapan akong pakisamahan ang babaeng ito, pero hindi siya makakalusot sa akin. Aalamin ko ang sikretong tinatago tago niya then I'll use that to my advantage.

I tilted my head and smirked, mocking her, "So you won't ask how I noticed it was you?"

Her eyes narrowed. I can say that she's trying to read my thoughts, "I really don't know what you're talking about." she's obviously avoiding this interrogation.

"I can say that you're lying," I let out a chuckle and see the reaction I'm expecting to see, "You do remember, right?" I teased and saw how I pissed her off.

"Edi ikaw na madaming alam!" she snapped. Kung sino ang unang sumabog, talo.

"Pikon ka naman?" muling lait ko sa kanya.

"Papatulan kita, paano mo ako nakilala dati? Sige!" her round hazel brown eyes look straight at mine as if she's trying her best to intimidate me, "Sagot!"

I avoided her gaze, closed my eyes and shook my head. I remembered that one thing in her profile that she didn't share online, "You cosplay, right?" I used this card and saw how surprised she was.

"Paano mo nalaman iyon?" she asks like a clueless little girl.

"I do covers. Just pass-time." though that's a half lie, dahil itinigil ko na ang paggawa gawa ng covers. Ginagawa ko lang naman iyon dati dahil mahilig yung kaibigan ko noon sa Anime theme songs. I suddenly remembered when we were still kids.

"You're not an Otaku, aren't you?" she asks randomly that kept me away from that memory.

"I just like their music, that's all. My father is half Japanese-half American." I stated casually, "But I'm not an Otaku."

Tiningnan niya ako mula ulo hanggang paa. Mukhang tinitimbang niya kung nagsasabi ako ng totoo o hindi. She's smart, but one thing is for sure, she will never outsmart me. "Well, hindi kita nakikita sa events, so paano mo ako napapansin?"

"I'm invisible in public places like that and I tend to be as invisible as I can be." I confessed, keeping my cool.

"But you're not answering my question." she asks like a curious child.

I shrugged clicking my tongue, "Let's see, I wear a hoodie and I cover my face with my bangs-"

"Parang yung mga nakikita ko lang yan sa isang adult anime ah." nagulat ako sa sinabi niya na parang miski siya hindi niya inaasahang mabitawan ang mga salitang iyon sa harapan ko. Napaka-impulsive niya, hindi muna niya iniisip ang sasabihin niya bago siya magsalita.

I couldn't stop myself from laughing at her, "You're unbelievable!" kakaiba ang bunganga ng babaeng ito, nanonood siya ng ganoong anime? "How dare you stereotype a person like me to that kind of character?" I shake my head trying my best to calm myself from laughing at her. Ang sakit ng tiyan ko sa kakatawa.

"My bad, I guess." she shrugs as if she doesn't care, putting up a prideful facade.

"Not unless you're into that kind of genre?" I teased, calming myself down and raising an eyebrow. "You pervert." I grinned.

"Now you're being judgemental." she defended herself as she put her hand on her waist, "Do you know that how you judge someone is a reflection of your own behavior?" she raised an eyebrow. She knows her argument very well. I'll give that to her, "Baka ikaw ang pervert." she hissed, rolling her eyes at me.

I let out a small chuckle, mukhang napapasobra na ako, mamaya maulit na naman yung nangyari dati. Kailangan kong baguhin ang takbo ng usapan namin, "Are you hungry?" I asked, tilting my head beside observing her.

I see her looking at her clock, "Actually I'm not scheduled to eat until noon. It's still ten in the morning."

"Edi samahan mo na lang ako kumain," yaya ko sa kanya, "Besides, your mom clearly say, na ako na ang bahala sayo. I wouldn't want you to roam around without me."

"So am I being watched?" she asks defensively, raising an eyebrow, "Can you at least give me some space for myself?"

"Why, do you have some places to be?" I smirked crossing my arms observing her eyes filled with uncertainties. Hindi pa siya tiwala sa akin at naiintindihan ko iyon, kaya rin niya siguro ako dinadaan sa pagmamaldita niya. Halata rin naman na napilitan lang siya sa arrangement na ito, "Don't bother," I tell her as I convince her, "Mas mabuti nang maging honest tayo sa isa't isa."

She smiled, shaking her head, "I'm not sure what you're talking about." she's still lying in front of me but I'm starting to figure her out little by little.

I chuckled inwardly, "I know you don't like this arrangement, but we are in this arrangement." I paused, meeting her eyes, "So tell me what's your deal Maxene Angela Campbell? Tell me what I need to know para kung mag kagipitan, I could support you."

"Why would you do that for me?" she asks, her voice almost falters. Her eyes looked at me warily. This look on her face was almost the same face that she gave me back then, but she's trying to put up a strong front hiding what she really feels inside. This is not her drunk vulnerable face. Iba man ang pinapakita niya sa harapan ko ngayon, ngunit ang emosyon ng mga mata niya ay katulad noong gabing iyon.

"Because I wouldn't want to see you jump that cliff again." anuman ang nagtulak sa iyo para gawin iyon, sisiguraduhin kong hindi mo na ulit gagawin o iisipin iyon, "I'll help you in anyway, huwag mo lang ulit gawin iyon."

Halata sa mga mata niya na hindi niya inaasahang marinig ang mga salitang iyon mula sa taong kakikilala pa lang niya.

Or maybe this is just my way of redeeming myself from the shadow of my past.