CHAPTER 13

1993

Lena's POV

Bumalik na dapat ako sa Guimaras agad. Kung alam ko lang na malala na pala ang situwasyon ni Don Isong ay umuwi na ako. Ngunit naduwag ako. Aaminin ko na kung puwede lang ay hindi na sana ako aapak ulit sa isla. Pero paano ko tatalikuran ang taong nagmahal at nag-aruga sa akin sa loob ng mahabang panahon?

He took me in to his own home at the expense of being rumored as a dirty old man. Pinag-aral niya ako sa ibang bansa nang nag-kolehiyo. Si Don Isong ang dahilan kung bakit nagkaroon ako ng magandang buhay. Kaya ngayon pa ba ako magpapaka-duwag kung kailan ito na ang huling pagkakataon para makapagpaalam ako sa kaniya?

Isang oras ang byahe mula sa Maynila papunta sa Iloilo. Mula naman sa Iloilo tungo sa bayan ng Aguadulce sa isla ng Guimaras ay humigit kumulang tatlong oras. My bestfriend, Valerie, said I was foolish for going home. Dapat daw ay si Don Lorenzo na lang ang dinala ko sa France, o di kaya ay sa Estados Unidos. Mas maganda ang healthcare doon.

I knew about the first heart attack almost two years ago but he ordered me not to come home. The second one was fatal. By the time I heard the news, the old man had expired already.

Atty. Guillen and her driver picked me up from Iloilo airport. Pagkatapos ay dumiretso na nga kami sa isla para makahabol sa libing.

"Hiling ni Don Lorenzo na 'wag ipaalam sa'yo ang tunay niyang kalagayan, hija," paliwanag ng babaeng nasa mid-forties yata.

I looked out of the window, forcing myself not to weep. Instead, I concentrated on the scenery. 

The road going to Aguadulce was as familiar to me as the palms of my own two hands. Ghosts of my younger self welcomed me from everywhere. Scenes from my past overtook me. Voices that I've long since heard called out to me. Not that the townspeople were particularly kind to me then, but they do say absence makes the heart grow fonder. And I had always been fond of this place.

Ipina-renovate na pala ang lumang kapilya at mas maganda na itong tingnan ngayon. Napaliligiran ang mga puno ng kalatsutsi ng mga tanim na sa pagkakatanda ko ang tawag ng mga taga rito ay golden rosary.

Bagong-pinta naman ang palengke ng Aguadulce at may mga negosyo na itinayo na wala pa nang umalis ako, halos limang taon na ang nakalilipas.

"Ms. Garcia, narinig mo ba ako?" banayad na tanong ni Atty. sabay haplos sa kamay ko. I blushed a little as she caught my inattention.

"Pasensya na po, Atty. Medyo napagod lang ako sa biyahe. Please do call me Lena. Masyadong pormal ang Ms. Garcia."

"Of course. I should have known you'd be exhausted," she said kindly.

"For the past few years, Renz has been taking the lead in managing the plantation. Don Lorenzo had been taking the backseat even before he became sick," she explained patiently to me.

"I understand."

"What I am trying to tell you is that you must know, Don Isong had always meant for you to take an active part in the business when he is gone." She pressed my hand to emphasize her point.

"Atty., alam din po ni Don Isong na wala akong interes sa pamamahala ng negosyo ng mga Peñalver. At mas lalong wala rin po akong karapatan."

It was a lie of course. I tried very hard to please the old man that I learned the ins and outs of the business. Native chocolate o tablea ang pangunahing negosyo ng mga Peñalver. Kilala ang Chocolateria del Peñalver locally at nagsimula na rin sila mag-export abroad ilang taon na ang nakararaan. Iilan din na mga sikat na café ang kumukuha ng supplies sa kanila. Sa sobrang ganda nang takbo ng negosyo ay kahit ang half-French na si Valerie alam ang tungkol dito.

The woman smiled and sighed a little before leaning back on her seat. "Was it two years ago when he last visited you in France, hija? Ang kuwento niya ay magsisimula ka na raw ng sariling café mo."

I blushed at what she said. Don Isong did propose a business for me in Manila a few years ago. I knew exactly how his daughter-in-law would react to that so I vehemently refused his offer. "Ahhh... hindi po."

Before we knew it, we had come to the bend in the road that led to the property of the Peñalvers. It felt like deja vu. Parang kailan lang nang dinala ako ni Tatay sa Guimaras, but that was twelve long years ago. The same bougainvillea flowers were in bloom though. The mango trees have grown even taller and stouter but aside from that, there were very few changes. Kung sana ay ganoon din sa mga tao.

A tall man was standing just below the five-step stairs that led to the veranda surrounding the main doors of the mansion. I would have recognized him anywhere, and for years and years, I looked for him in every crowd wanting to catch sight of him even if it was only a figment of my imagination.

His hair's now longer than the low fade haircut he sported in high school. His medium stubble made him seem older than his twenty-six years. Renz had tanned, probably from working long hours side by side with his people that manned the plantation, and his muscles seemed a testament of the hard work he invested too.

"Hi," I said casually as I exited his grandfather's lawyer's car. I slowly took off my Ray Ban aviators and passed a hand to gently comb my hair which I still wore long and slightly curled. Sana naman hindi ako mukhang ngarag.

He ignored me and shook Atty. Guillen's hand instead.

That simple disregard made me feel like a little high school girl again but I pasted on a smile. Chin up, Lena.

"Renz, this is Lena. But I'm sure you already know her." I was grateful to her for immediately acknowledging my presence.

"Good morning," he replied and led the way inside. Maraming pumunta para makiramay sa pagpanaw ni Don Isong dahil kahit larawan siya ng pagiging istrikto ay madami ang natulungan at nabigyan niya ng trabaho. They looked at me curiously but I don't think they associated me with the probinsiyana who left all those years ago.

Don Lorenzo Peñalver I or what was left of him lay inside his coffin with a look of peace on his face that wasn't there when he was alive.

Dapat ay dati pa ako umuwi. Pero ang sabi naman ni Atty., hindi niya ginusto na ipaalam sa akin ang totoong karamdaman niya. Namatay siya na hindi ako nakakapagpaalam. I covered my mouth with a hand, failing to suppress the cry that wrenched out of me.

"Let's talk in the library." I felt Renz's hand on my back for a brief second but he removed it immediately.

Kakaupo lang namin nang pumasok si Nang Sol. Natutuwa naman ako na makita siyang nandito pa rin. Naging mabait siya sa'kin dati kahit nang bata pa ako. I wish I could say the same for Nang Bolet. Hindi talaga ako gusto ng mayordoma ng mga Peñalver dati.

"Nang Sol..." mahinang tawag ko nang nailapag niya na ang tray na dala.

"Ikaw pala 'yan, Lena! Ang ganda-ganda mo 'day," she said excitedly before remembering our common grief and the other people in the room. I took her hand pressed it warmly before she exited, promising myself I'd go to the kitchen to talk to her later.

I immediately found Renz's eyes coldly perusing me before turning his attention to Atty. Guillen again. "So... why is she here?"

Parang tinapunan niya na rin ako ng tubig sa sinabi niyang 'yon. He was clearly furious about my presence.