Serendipity (Tagalog)

Chapter One

Lumabas ako mula sa kwarto ko nang sunud-sunod ang naging pagtunog ng doorbell sa unit ko. Agad kong pinihit ang doorknob nang makita ko ang family lawyer naming mula sa peephole.

"Good morning, Alex!" nakangiting bati niya. Bumaba ang tingin ko sa mga yakap niyang brown envelope bago ako kunot-noong tumungin sa kanya.

"Is it really a good morning, Attorney?" diretsong tanong ko. I motioned her to the couch and we both sat on it as remained quiet. Alam kong hindi naman siya pupunta sa unit ko nang ganito kaaga para lang kumustahin ako. This must be important. "Get straight to the point, please."

"Alex..." sambit niya sa pangalan ko. Ibinaba niya ang envelope sa coffee table bago siya seryosong tumingin sa akin. "You are getting married. Ipinagkasundo ka ng lolo mo sa apo ng matalik niyang kaibigan."

"WHAT?!" sigaw ko. Napasinghap ako sa harap niya at napatayo. "What the hell!"

"Alex, please... I need you to calm down," mahinahon niyang sabi at itinikom ko naman ang mga labi ko bago itinaas ang kamay sa sentido ko. My head suddenly hurts. Sinubukan kong pakalmahin ang sarili ko pero masyado akong galit at naguguluhan.

How can I calm down!? It is impossible, this is impossible! I just turned eighteen yesterday! Can anyone please tell me that this is not happening?!

"Attorney Beatrice, is this some kind of a sick joke? May camera ba rito? Am I being pranked?" natatarantang tanong ko. Hindi siya nagsalita kaya lalo akong kinabahan. "Please tell me that this is a joke! Please..." pakiusap ko.

"I'm sorry," iling niya. Marahan niyang pinisil ang kamay ko at nanginginig kong kinuha ang envelope na inabot niya sa akin. "You should read that."

Pilit kong kinalma ang malakas na tibok ng puso ko habang sinusubukan kong intindihin ang nilalaman ng mga dokumento.

Napalunok ako nang makita ko ang pangalan ni Lolo sa tabi ng isa pang pamilyar na pangalan. Alonzo Frederico Pangilinan. He is my lolo's best friend.

"But... why?" I asked in a low voice. My heart feels heavy because I feel betrayed by my grandfather.

How can he do this to me? And why?

I just cannot believe that he is doing the same thing that he did with my mother! Hindi niya pa ba nakita noon na walang magandang idinulot sa amin ang ganitong setup? Did he not learn from the past? Hindi pa ba sapat sa kanya ang pagkawala ng mga magulang ko para matuto mula sa pagkakamali niya noon!?

"Your lolo wanted to make sure that you will be in good hands," maikling paliwanag ni Attorney at napangiwi naman ako.

It does not make sense! I do not need this! Kaya ko ang sarili ko. I do not need anyone to take care of me.

"I am perfectly fine on my own. I do not need a husband who is probably more immature than me!" I reasoned out as I disappointedly slumped on the couch. "May magagawa pa naman siguro ako. May magagawa ka pa naman siguro, Attorney. 'Wag mo akong pabayaan," pakiusap ko sa kanya.

"Well, actually... our law protects us from getting married without the consent of the two individuals who are being fixed in a marriage," paliwanag niya sa akin at seryoso akong nakinig sa mga sinasabi niya. "Consent freely given is an essential requisite in marriage. Absence of this shall render the marriage void from the beginning," pagpapatuloy niya.

"That is good to hear," relieved kong sabi.

"I will help you," paninigurado pa ni Attorney Beatrice sa akin. "They cannot force you into this marriage unless you agree on your own will."

"Thank you so much, Attorney. I owe you," pasasalamat ko sa kanya bago ako pansamantalang pumunta sa kitchen para kumuha ng kape sa coffee maker. "No, that is never going to happen. I will not let them control my life. Ilalaban ko 'to kahit maubos ang lahat ng mayro'n ako."

"Are you not checking your e-mails?" tanong niya pagkatapos niyang ibaba ang mug sa coffee table. "I thought you were notified about your bank accounts. These are all frozen as of this moment."

"What?! No way! Lolo is being so unfair!" galit kong sabi. "Sumalangit nawa..." bulong ko pa.

I hate this! Ginigipit ako ni Lolo sa sitwasyon na 'to para mapapayag ako! I hate this! I cannot believe that he still has this power over me even when he is not here anymore!

"This is something that I cannot control because he authorized this before he died. His instructions were very clear," sagot ni Attorney Beatrice sa akin. "But I will try to do something about this. Don't worry,” she assured me.

"This is so unfair!"

"Well... you're his only heiress, Alex. Alam mong sa'yo maiiwan ang lahat ng properties at assets na mayro'n siya kaya gusto niyang makasigurado sa taong papakasalan mo," paliwanag ni Attorney Beatrice. "That was what he told me when I asked him about this setup."

I am an only child, just like my mom. Of course, that makes me my lolo's heiress. But what I don't understand is this absurd marriage setup that I am being forced into. I can decide for myself and I do not want to settle down just yet. I am not ready for this!

"Ibigay na lang natin ang mga properties at assets sa mga relatives namin. I do not want any of it! As long as I get to keep this condo, basta makakain ako ng tatlong beses sa loob ng isang araw, that's fine with me."

"Why are you going to give your properties and assets to your relatives? They do not need it and you know that," she pointed out.

She is right. My relatives are not greedy. They did not even question Lolo's last will and testament when he decided to leave everything that he owns under my name because they are all successful in their chosen fields. They are simply not interested.

"But they will know what to do," I reasoned out. "I'm a Psychology major, Attorney. I am not into those whatnots because it is not my thing."

"Pwede mo namang pag-aralan ang mga kailangan mong matutunan," sagot niya. "I am sure that your relatives will be willing to help you learn. Lalo na at hindi mo pa alam i-manage ang mga naiwan sa'yo ng lolo mo. In the meantime, I will let you borrow one of my cards so you will have money that you can use since all of your accounts are frozen."

"You know what, Attorney? I never asked for any of these. The properties, the assets, the money... none of these things matter to me," sabi ko naman at malungkot akong ngumiti. "Ayoko ng properties, ayoko ng maraming pera, ayoko na si Lolo ang pumili ng asawa para sa akin. You know what I want? A complete family. Give me that and I will do anything in this goddamn contract just to have one."

My parents died in a car accident. Based on some accounts from the witnesses, they were fighting inside the car while driving. Then, the accident happened. They fell off to the cliff and died upon arrival in the hospital where they were brought by the locals who found them.

I was one year old that time. They left me with our house helps that is why I was safe from the accident. Since then, my lolo—the father of my mom, took me under his care.

From my grandfather’s stories, he recounted that my parents used to fight a lot when they were alive. My dad never really loved my mom. They were just drunk when something happened and that night resulted to me being born.

Not so much of a happy past right there, I tell you.

"Attorney, you were there when my parents were still alive. You saw how they both suffered in a marriage that caged them," sabi ko pa. "That is why I do not understand this. Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit ipipilit na naman ito ni Lolo."

"I understand where you are coming from," sabi naman niya at marahan niyang pinisil ang kamay ko. "If this is hard for you, I am sure that this is also hard for the other person who is involved."

"Speaking of... who is the guy, Attorney?" I asked out of curiosity. "Not that I am interested, I just want to know," bawi ko agad.

“Well, if you say so," makahulugan siyang ngumiti sa akin at napailing na lang ako. Kinuha niya ang isa pang brown envelope mula sa bag niya at inabot niya 'yon sa akin. "That is my copy of his contract. His grandfather's conditions for him are stated there if you are also curious about that. This is confidential, Alex. I am only showing you this because you deserve to know."

"You can trust me," paninigurado ko bago ko binasa ang lahat ng nilalaman ng contract na para sa lalaking gustong ipakasal ni Lolo sa akin.

"His family will not lose everything but he will?" napasinghap ako at agad na bumaling kay Attorney Beatrice dahil sa nabasa ko. "Itatakwil siya ng mga Pangilinan?" dagdag ko pa.

Pangilinan... reminds me of someone I know. But it's impossible! I am being silly.

"It is way worse than the conditions stated for you."

"This is too much...”

Attorney Beatrice is right. The conditions stated for him are way worse. His family is even at stake, he will lose everything.

"My lolo and his lolo are really something, huh?" I even shook my head in disbelief.

"They made a pact, Alex. Sinisigurado lang ni Sir Alonzo na matutupad ang kasunduan nila ng lolo mo. I was there when he promised your lolo that he will take care of you."

"I think I remember that day. 'Yon ba ang araw bago pumanaw si Lolo? Noong may bumisita sa kanya sa hospital? Sabi niya pa nga sa akin, best friend daw siya ni Lolo."

"Yes, Alex. That is him."

"Nakita ko rin siya sa wake at burol ni Lolo, tingin siya nang tingin sa akin noon. It was as if he was observing me and it creeped me out. But now, I understand..." Tumatawang napailing si Attorney Beatruce sa sinabi ko at napaisip naman ako. "You will still help me, right? Kahit pa siguraduhin ng lolo nitong Timotheo na ikakasal kami, gagawa ka pa rin ng paraan, 'di ba?"

"Of course," nakangiting sagot niya. "Before I became your family lawyer, I was your mother's best friend and your ninang. I will protect you."

Malapit si Attorney Beatrice sa pamilya namin mula pa noon at isa siya sa mga nag-alaga sa akin noong nawala ang parents ko. Mommy niya ang family lawyer namin dati but she retired five years ago kaya si Attorney Beatrice ang kinuha ni Lolo nang maipasa niya ang bar exams.

"Ninang Bea, I am speaking to you right now as your inaanak and not as your client," malambing kong sabi at tumango naman siya kaya nagpatuloy ako. "Ano’ng masasabi mo rito kay Timotheo? Hindi ba siya mukhang... I don't know, kurimaw?" tanong ko at muli siyang tumawa.

"What is that term, Alex? What do you mean by kurimaw?" tanong niya pa.

"Pangit ba siya, Ninang?" diretsong tanong ko at napailing naman siya.

"Ang batang ito talaga," sabi niya pa bago niya ako sinagot. "He is actually a very fine young man. Gwapo at matalino."

"Interesting," sabi ko naman at binasa ko ang pangalan niya sa dulo ng contract. "Timotheo Lance Sandoval Pangilinan."

"Oh, you do not know him? Sa Serendipity University rin siya nag-a-aral, he is taking up Management. I heard that he is pretty known around the campus..." she trailed off.

Umiling ako sa tanong ni Ninang Bea. Hindi ko kilala ang Timotheo na 'to. Ang alam ko lang, itong mga Pangilinan ang may-ari ng Serendipity University kaya kilalang-kilala sila rito.

"Well, baka hindi mo siya kilala sa full name niya. Mas kilala raw kasi siya sa university niyo as Timothy Pangilinan? He is in a band," paglilinaw ni Ninang Bea at nanlaki agad ang mga mata ko dahil sa narinig ko.

"HA?! A-ano?"

"Timothy Pangilinan, Alex. Kilala mo na?" tanong ni Ninang Bea at mabagal akong tumango.

Unbelievable!

Why Timothy of all the people?!