AGS 4: The Best Man's Wedding

Chapter 19: Luncheon

Aware kami sa closeness ng family naming lahat. Kuya Ronie, Clark, and Leo are friends since childhood. Then Leo and William are both Vergaras. Clark and Patrick are friends since their teenage days. Calvin is a friend from college, and now, officially a part of the Lauchengco family kahit medyo malayo man ang connection.

Married na si Kuya and Jaesie last year. And now, it was Patrick and Melanie's turn. Worst, I could feel the pressure because Mum has a plan we had no idea when she's gonna drop.

We were in a luncheon, special table para sa aming lahat na pamilya. Nakahiwalay kami sa ibang visitors. We were at a twelve-seater table. It was covered with white linen and gold satin. Four white-rose centerpieces were displayed above it.

Kaharap lang ng table namin ang family ng ikinasal. Uncle Bobby and Auntie Liz were sitting on the center end of the table. Sa kabilang end ang newlywed na sina Patrick and Melanie. Ang parents ni Mel, busy naman sa ibang VVIP kaya mauupuan lang kami kapag natapos sila roon, especially farm nila ang location ng wedding.

Dad was sitting at the end of the table. Jaesie was beside him then Kuya and Mum bago ako. Ang katabi ko, si Clark then si Eugene sa kabilang dulo.

Everyone was fully aware that Leo and Kyline were already engaged for more than four years. Malaki na si Eugene. Their youngest son, Luke Anakin, already knows how to piss someone off kahit two years old pa lang. It was a good thing na hindi iyon kasama rito because that kid is a tiyanak.

Though Luan is absolutely a heartbreaker in the making because of his cuteness, he really knows when to drop some truth bombs when it's not needed. Eugene, on the other hand, is a softie and a ray of sunshine kahit pa kamukhang-kamukha ni Leo sa mas light complexion lang gaya sa mama niya.

Eugene is that kid na kapag may sinabi siyang masama, he would suddenly cry while saying his sorry for hurting someone else's feeling. Si Luan, kapag may sinabi siyang hindi maganda, parang deserve pa naming ma-offend.

Sa barkada ni Kuya, sina Leo at Patrick pa lang ang may anak pero dalawa na sa unexpected groom ng barkada ang ikinakasal.

Kuya never told us he had a plan to get married. Si Mum lang naman ang nag-i-insist na magpakasal siya since he was twenty-five. Now, he already had Jae, the holder of Dad's favorite daughter, which I never had kasi favored lagi si Kuya ni Dad. Akala ko, gender issues lang at mas gusto ni Daddy ng lalaking anak kaya hindi ako favorite. But when Jaesie came to our family, saka ko lang nalaman na hindi pala gender ang dapat kong problemahin.

Patrick is the playboy among the group. Malamang kasi siya ang habulin ng chicks sa kanilang lahat. Now he was tied to Melanie, mukhang hindi niya problema ang mga babaeng umaaligid sa kanya. After all, si Melanie pa nga ang dahilan kaya na-expire ang marriage certificate nila kasi ayaw magpakasal sa kanya. He could cheat, actually. But Patrick looked like he had no plan to do so, or else, hindi na niya makikita sina Mel at Damaris (baby nila) kahit kailan.

Ang weird ng atmosphere sa table. Siguro kasi compared sa wedding ni Kuya, wala pa kaming idea sa next na ikakasal last year. Now, it's either si Leo o si Clark. Whatever reason, for sure, may say na naman si Mum—at iyon ang inaabangan namin.

Last day of January, hindi na pinaabot ng February ang kasal na inaasahan naming lahat. It was Patrick's decision kasi habang tumatagal, lalo raw niyang nararamdamang ayaw na siyang pakasalan ni Melanie. Not sure about Mel pero halatang jino-joke time lang niya ni Patrick. Sa ganito kaengrandeng wedding, duda akong ika-cancel niya 'to.

"I'm really excited sa susunod na ikakasal," parinig ni Mum kaya pare-pareho kaming napahinto na mga umiinom sa mesa.

Inatake agad ako ng kaba at sinipa-sipa ang binti ni Clark sa tabi ko habang poker faced lang, kunwari walang narinig.