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J U S T I N
After Pat was gone, I was left with no one else but Mr. Chua.
He was standing beside my bed, looking down at me with a hard look on his face. Suddenly, the room felt a lot smaller and colder.
"You know, Justin, I wanted to give you a chance," he said, looking at me straight in the eye. "Gusto kong malaman kung ano ang nakikita sa iyo ng anak ko. Kung bakit ka niya pinili over her friendship with Pat."
He paused.
"I know you feel that Carla and I disapprove of you because of your status. But that's where you're wrong," he said as he sat at the foot of my bed. "Pareho lang kaming nagsimula sa baba. Kung ano man ang narating namin ngayon, pinaghirapan namin 'yong mag-asawa. Nagtulungan kami para bigyan ng magandang buhay si Aubrey. Sino ba naman ako para magmataas sa iyo? When I was in the exact, same position thirty years ago?" he asked sternly.
"We didn't like what Aubrey had to go through just to be with you. 'Yang dalawang batang 'yan, maliliit pa lang 'yan hindi mo na mapaghiwalay. Halos tunay na anak na ang tingin ko kay Pat at nasaksihan ko ang sabay na paglaki nila. Paminsan-minsan, may tampuhan. Pero lagi silang magbabati at babalik sa dati," mahabang kuwento niya habang nakatingin sa labas ng bintana. "Pero dahil sa iyo, nawala na lang nang parang bula 'yong pagkakaibigang binuo nila nang matagal na panahon. At kahit saang anggulo mo tingnan, ang anak ko ang nagmukhang masama. Dahil siya ang babae. Siya ang mang-aagaw," he said, throwing a piercing look at me.
"Tell me, Justin. If you were in my shoes, what would you do?" he asked.
I stiffened in place, suddenly put on the spotlight. "I . . . I . . . I don't know, Sir," I admitted, my voice shaking. Hindi ko inaasahang ganito ang magiging takbo ng usapan namin. I thought he came here just to threaten me again.
"Hinayaan ko kayo. Kasi nakita ko namang masaya sa iyo ang anak ko. Nagulat na lang ako, isang araw, sumugod sa opisina ko ang nanay mo dahil daw nawalan ka ng scholarship."
Ano? Hindi ko alam na ginawa 'yon ni Mommy.
"Justin, kung ikaw ang gustong makatuluyan ng anak ko, bakit kita tatanggalan ng scholarship? Kapag hindi ka makapagtapos at hindi makapagtrabaho, paano na lang si Aubrey? Siya ang magtatrabaho at bubuhay sa iyo?" he asked.
"Carla and I tried to talk to the Board regarding your situation. We requested for a re-evaluation even when it was already common knowledge around Patterson that you are going out with our daughter," he explained. "I am highly against politics and using my influence for my own benefit. But I thought of Aubrey, and I know that she would be devastated if you left. She would be losing two people in a year, and I don't want that for her. So, even if it goes against my moral conduct, we asked the Board to take another look at your documents and review them,"
"Needless to say, our request was granted. But their decision remained the same. You failed four classes. Two major and two minor. The subjects that you passed? You barely got a 3.0."
