Pursue Her Heart

CHAPTER 23

DAYS PASSED. Mia’s days had become peaceful. Masasabi niyang tahimik ang buhay niya dahil hindi niya masyadong nakikita si Austin. Kapag kasi nakikita niya ang binata, parang nagpapanic ang sistema niya. Mabuti naman at abala ito sa kumpanya nito.

Minsan hindi na siya naihahatid ni Austin sa trabaho, pero ayos lang ‘yon sa kaniya dahil tahimik ang sistema niya. Ngunit inaamin niya, namimiss niya ang binata kapag hindi niya ito nakikita.

Napailing si Mia sa sarili. Mukhang lumalalim yata ang nararamdaman niya para kay Austin. She failed to suppress her feelings for him.

Huminga ng malalim si Mia saka napatigil nang makita niyang may kausap si Audrey sa labas ng gusali. Nakilala niya ang lalaki nang tumingin ito sa direksiyon niya. It was Alvin. She found that Alvin liked Audrey when she heard his conversation with one of their co-workers. Pero may asawa na si Audrey. Malamang reject ang kalalabasan ni Alvin kay Audrey.

Nakita na lamang ni Mia ang pagdating ng asawa ni Audrey. Later, Audrey ran towards her husband.

Lumabas naman si Mia nang gusali at nakita na lamang niya ang pagkaway at pagtawag sa kaniya ni Audrey. Lumapit naman siya sa kaibigan at tumango sa asawa nito bilang pagbati.

“Sumabay ka na sa amin.”

Agad naman na napatingin si Mia sa asawa ni Audrey.

Audrey’s husband nodded.

Ngumiti naman si Mia. “Thank you.” Aniya. She opened the back door of the car and stepped inside.

Habang humaharurot ang sasakyan, tahimik lamang si Mia at nakatingin sa labas ng bintana. Nakatingin sa mga dinadaanan nila. Ngunit hindi niya inaasahan ang itatanong sa kaniya ni Audrey.

“What is your relationship with Austin?” Audrey asked.

Mia frowned. “Alam mo naman na. Tinanong mo pa talaga.” Sabi niya.

“You two were an arranged marriage.”

Yeah, Audrey knew about that. Ito lang ang kaibigan niya kaya naman nasasabi niya rito ang mga gusto niyang sabihin. Ganun din naman sa kaniya si Audrey.

Nagkibit na lang ng balikat si Mia. “You can say that pero hindi ko alam sa matandang ‘yon.” After all, she won’t get married in the future.

Natawa naman si Emerson. “You call him ‘matanda?’ I’m looking forward to seeing his reaction.”

“Eh matanda naman na talaga siya.” Sabi ni Mia habang nakasimangot. They have an age gap of seven years.

Napailing naman si Audrey. “Call him that. And let’s see what will happen.”

Napasimangot si Mia. “I know what you mean. But it will never happen.” She crossed her arms. “Never.”

What happened to your plan of taking advantage of him? Her conscience asked her.

Napailing naman si Mia. Oo nga ‘no.

Lumingon sa kaniya si Audrey at nakataas ang sulok ng labi nito. “Alright. As you say so. Let’s see.”

Inabot naman ni Mia si Audrey saka kiniliti ito. Ang daldal, eh. Kung anu-ano ang sinasabi. “Nagka-asawa ka lang. Iba na ang takbo ng isipan mo.”

Audrey just stuck out her tongue at Mia.

Tumingin na lamang si Mia sa labas ng kotse.

“Austin never dated. He never had flings, either. That’s what I know,” Audrey’s husband says. Kaya naman napatingin si Mia sa asawa ng kaibigan.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Emerson shrugged. “In case you were interested in my friend.”

Pinagsiklop ni Mia ang kamay at naalala niya ang usapan nila ng kaniyang ina noong nakaraang araw.

“Anak, have you thought about it? Austin’s parents have talked to us. If you want, you two will get married after you graduate.”

And if she doesn’t agree, her stepfather’s hard work for years will be in vain. Ayaw naman siya ang dahilan kung bakit mawawala ang lahat ng pinaghirapan ng stepfather niya. Mabait ito sa kanila.

But… fear was in her heart.

“Our parents arranged our marriages. After I graduate, we will get married.” Sabi ni Mia.

“You’re sad?”

“Halata ba?”

Tumango si Audrey.

Malalim na napabuntong hininga si Mia. “You know what I feared the most, Audrey.”

“Sa tingin ko mabait naman ang fiancé mo.”

Gustong matawa ni Mia. Where the hell did the fiancé come from? Hindi pa nga sila nagkakausap ni Austin tungkol sa bagay na ‘yon. Sometimes, one word can lead a mistake to another.

Mia sighed again as she leaned backward. “Looks can be deceiving, Audrey.”

Some people are good at disguising themselves. Austin was not an exemption. Hindi pa niya ito masyadong kilala kaya hindi niya alam kung ano ba ang tunay na ugali ni Austin kapag hindi sila magkasama.

Pagkatapos siyang maihatid ni Audrey at nang asawa nito, imbes na pumasok si Mia sa loob ng gate. Naglakad siya patungo sa malapit na parke sa kanila. Hindi naman ito malayo.

Umupo siya sa parke at pinanood ang mga batang naglalaro kasama ang kanilang mga magulang. She suddenly remembered her childhood. She can say that it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either. Nakita niya ang isang kumpletong pamilya na nakaupo sa may bench. At nakikita niya ang saya sa mukha ng bata.

Before, she never had this experience. It was only her mother who would accompany her to the park or to the place she wanted to go. Her father never accompanied her to the place.

After her mother married Johan, doon niya lamang naramdaman ang tunay na pagkakaroon ng pamilya. Her stepfather was a good man and treated her like his own daughter. Johan never forced her to do something she didn’t want to do, even this engagement with the Esquivel.

Mia took a deep breath.

She was afraid of getting married, because once you are married, you will never have the same freedom you had when you were still unmarried. But she doesn’t want her Papa Johan to lose his hard work for many years.

It was complicated for her. She was being pressured by herself.

Pero sa tingin niya kailangan nilang mag-usap ni Austin. Ngunit abala naman ito. Paano sila mag-uusap?

“Pwede bang makiupo, hija?”

Nagulat si Mia nang may biglang nagsalita sa tabi niya. Isang matandang lalaki pero hindi naman ganun katanda. Mukhang hindi nalalayo ang edad nito mula sa kaniyang Papa Johan.

Tumango si Mia. Lumipat siya sa kabilang dulo ng bench.

“You looked like you were in deep thought.”

Hindi komportable si Mia sa ibang tao pero… napatingin siya sa kaniyang katabi. Hindi naman ganun ang nararamdaman niya sa lalaki kaya naman sumagot na lamang siya para hindi naman siya masabihang bastos.

Talking to strangers was sometimes not that bad at all.

“I am engaged, but I don’t want to get married,” Mia said.

“Arrange marriage?” the man asked. Looking at the girl, she looked young. So, he guessed it right.

Tumango si Mia. “Yeah.”

The man leaned on the backrest of the bench. “Nowadays, love comes after marriage. Pwede naman kayong mahulog sa isa’t-isa pagkatapos ng kasal ninyo. My wife and I also arranged married, but we learned to love each other after our marriage. We respected and were faithful. That’s when love will bloom. It will start with respect for each other. If you fear getting married, then the more you need to face it. You must face your fear bravely. Step forward, hija.”

Napatango si Mia. “Thank you po. May pag-iisipan ako.”

“Marriage life is not easy. But being alone was not easy either. It’s up to you how you will face and balance your marriage life. Wala namang mawawala kung sundin mo ang puso mo. O di kaya isipin mo ang kinabukasan. Hija, hindi mo naman siguro gugustuhing mapag-isa na lang hanggang tumanda ka."

Natawa na lang si Mia at hindi sumagot.

"My wife is here. Mauna na ako sa ‘yo, hija.”

Tumango si Mia saka sinundan ang tingin ang lalaki. Nakita niya ang asawa nito. Maganda kahit may edad na at halatang mahal nila ang isa’t-isa. They even held hands and walked away.

Mia smiled. Parang nakita niya tuloy ang kaniyang ina at ang kaniyang stepfather. Even at their old age, they were still sweet. Para bang nagliligawan pa lamang sila.

Nang makauwi si Mia, sinabihan siya ng ina na inimbita sila ng magulang ni Austin.

“They would like to have lunch with us this weekend.”

Tumango si Mia. “Sige po.”

“Anak, Austin’s parents will talk about your engagement. Remember, you’re a human, not a tool for marriage. Kaya naman sabihin mo kung ano ang nasa puso mo. Huwag mong pilitin kung ayaw mo.” Sabi ni Johan.

Ngumiti si Mia. “Sige po.” Aniya.

“Ayaw kong dumating ang araw na makikita ka namin ng Mama mo na umiiyak dahil ka masaya. We want you to be happy. If you don’t want to marry Austin, I can make amends.”

Tumango si Mia saka umakyat sa hagdan.

Nang makapasok siya sa kaniyang kwarto. Pumasok sa isipan niya ang mga sinabi ng lalaki na nakausap niya sa parke.

The man was right. If you fear something, you need to face it bravely.