Wala pang tatlumpung minuto ay nakauwi na si Vincenzo habang lukot ang mukha at malamig ang mata. Lihim na napatawa si Henrietta dahil sa itsura nito. What's with his face? Parang may kakalabanin, eh.
Nagtuloy-tuloy ito papalapit sa kanya at dinampi ang labi sa kanyang labi.
"Nasaan ang pinabili ko?" tanong ni Henrietta sa asawa at humalukipkip. Tinaas ni Vincenzo ang dalang plastic bag kung saan naroon ang binilin nito. He turned around and saw two people looking at him, one with a calm gaze and the other one was looking at him with contempt, as if he did something bad to this old man.
"This is my mom's friend, Uncle Caleb and his assistant, Kai," pakilala ni Henrietta sa dalawa. Napansin niya na parang may kakaiba sa titig ni Vincenzo at ni Uncle Caleb sa isa't-isa, pero hindi na siya nag-abala na alamin iyon. Kinuha niya ang grapes sa plastic at bago binigay sa maid ang patatas para hugasan iyon. She wants Vincenzo to do the cooking later.
"Nice to meet you, Uncle and Kai. I'm Vincenzo, Henrietta's husband," pormal na pagpapakilala ng binata ngunit hindi nito kinamayan ang dalawa. He just smirked inside when he saw the hostile look of Uncle Caleb. Tiningnan nito si Mila na waring nagsasabi na 'you approved this man?'
"He's a good man and I'm glad that Henrietta found someone like him," komento ni Mila. Mas naging mayabang ang tingin ni Vincenzo bago kinuha ang grapes sa kamay ng asawa para balatan ito.
"Mom, we'll go upstairs," paalam ng asawa bago siya kinaladkad pataas. Baka mas lalo lang lumala ang talim ng tingin ng Tito Caleb niya dahil sa ginagawa nito.
"Sige, sige. Ako na bahala dito."
-----
"Ang bilis mo, ah? Walang trabahong tatapusin?" Binuka ni Henrietta ang bibig nang subuan siya ni Enzo.
"Wala naman masyadong trabaho," sagot nito. "So, care to explain why they are here?"
"Well, sabi niya na hinanap niya raw ako ako para alagaan nang mawala si Mom. Hindi nga siya makapaniwala na buhay pa si Mom, eh. And I told him na huwag na s'yang mag-abala dahil okay naman ako," paliwanag ng dalaga at sumandal sa dibdib ni Enzo pagkatapos ay humikab.
"He likes your Mom, in a romantic way," he stated. Of course, lalaki siya. He knows when a man admires someone. They can see it in how they behave and look at a woman.
"Hmm. Pansin ko rin."
"What will you do then? Will you agree if your mom wants to have a second chance of love?"
Napaisip si Henrietta. Will she agree? What if mangyari lang ulit ang nangyari dito noon? Will her mother experience another betrayal? Pero mukhang hindi naman gano'n si Uncle Caleb.
"If that's what makes her happy again, why not? Meron na ako. Bakit ko ipagkakait sa kanya ang umibig muli? Karapatan niya 'yon at desisyon niya," sagot niya. Naramdaman niya ang paghimas ng kamay nito sa kanyang ulo.
"Hmm. He looked nice and I can see that he admires your mother for long. He won't take this measure if not. Hindi mo na ba uubusin 'to?"
Henrietta shook her head. "Hindi. Mamaya naman. Inaantok na ako," sagot ni Henrietta at siniksik ang sarili sa asawa. She smiled in satisfaction.
Perhaps, the sudden marriage between them is a blessing.
-----
Bumaba si Vincenzo nang makasigurong tulog na si Henrietta. Nakita niya sa patio ang matandang lalaki kaya napataas siya ng kilay.
Hindi pa ba ito aalis?
"What's your purpose on marrying Henrietta, Vincenzo? I don't believe that you don't have ulterior motives," diretsahang tanong ni Caleb nang maramdaman ang presensya ng binata sa kanyang likod.
"What do you think then?"
"You don't lack money, you don't lack connections, people please you. So why?"
Tiningnan ni Vincenzo ng seryoso at malamig si Caleb. Maging ang matanda ay ramdam ang awrang bumabalot dito. He heard a lot about him and most of it are bad things.
Kinuha ni Vincenzo ang yosi sa bulsa at sinindihan ito. He puffed out a smoke before opening his mouth.
"You might right but I still lack something in life— no, someone. I need her, Uncle Caleb. I need Henrietta in my life."
Hindi nagsalita si Caleb. Just like him, what Vincenzo expressed is what he felt to his now wife. Napapatanong tuloy siya sa sarili kung kailan nagsimula ang pagkagusto nito sa dalaga. According to Kai, Vincenzo and Henrietta's first meeting was when Helen celebrated her birthday. Doon pinakilala ng ginang ang dalawa. But it seems Vincenzo's feeling was deeper.
"We were the same, Uncle Caleb. We admired a woman for a long time. Ang kinaibahan lang... naging asawa ko siya." Namula si Vincenzo at tinapakan ang sigarilyo. "Anyway, if you're going to pursue, mom, you better be honest with her and my wife."
Hindi niya sasabihin na pabor ang asawa dito. Baka lumaki ang tenga at dito na manirahan.
-----
On another side of the town, a woman leaning on her chair while her eyes closed was listening to her assigned man's report.
A sly smile formed on her lips as she starts tapping the arm rest.
"Ang lakas talaga ng radar ni Helen. Agad s'yang umaksyon para hindi natin sila matunton."
"Huwag kayong mag-alala, ma'am. Ginagawa na po namin ang lahat para matukoy kung nasaan sila." Someone is blocking their system at may firewall na sobrang higpit kapag sinusubukan nilang alamin ng mas malalim ang tungkol sa Vanderbilt. Mukhang may tumutulong dito o kaya pinaghandaan ito ni Helen.
"Hmm. I hope to hear from you soon. Sayang naman ang pinunta natin dito kung hindi man lang natin sila makikita. I want to pay a visit," wika ng ginang bago gi-nesture na paalisin ang lalaki sa loob ng silid. The man bowed before exiting the room.
Sa loob naiwan ang ginang habang may iniisip.
She needs to find the jade. She needs to find the owner of it as soon as possible before the time end. May hindi alam si Helen tungkol doon.
May hindi ito alam sa kung ano ang p'wedeng magawa ng jade bracelet.
-----
© _eysteambun
BINABASA MO ANG
Henrietta's Blade
Romance"Divide your enemy so you can reign approach." Upon rebirth, she returned to the time when she was twenty-four years old. As she recalled the torture she had through, memories filled her head. Smarter, feistier, and more daring! She became the cold...
