Undestined (ON-HOLD)

CHAPTER 4

Friends

Nang matanaw kami ng mga Samaniego ay tumayo ang mag-asawa, sumunod si Kuya Phantom at ang huli ay si... Pharaoh. I'm not yet used to calling him by his name. This is crazy!

Magiliw na nagkamayan sina Daddy at Tito Phillip, maging sina Kuya at ang magkapatid at nagbeso naman sina Mommy at Tita Veronica. Ako lang ang parang na-estatwa sa kinatatayuan ko.

"It's been a while, Enrique," ngiting bati ni Tito Phillip. Tinanguan naman siya ni Daddy at tinapik sa balikat.

Sa nakikita ko sa kaniya ngayon ay talagang hindi na ako magtataka kung saan nagmana ng kagwapuhan at kakisigan ang kaniyang mga anak. Oh well, they have an Italian blood. Maging si Tita Veronica ay half Italian. No doubt that they got their own charisma and oozing confidence around people.

Nang matapos ang batian nila ay nasa akin na ang atensyon nilang lahat. Oh God, here we go. I don't know why I'm nervous as hell!

"Is this Eriyah? Sei bellissima! Come stai, bella?," (How lovely! How are you doing, beautiful?) Tita Veronica smiled sweetly at me. She reminds me of Mommy.

I know how to speak Italian dahil nagkaroon din ako ng mga kaibigang Italian na nagbakasyon din sa Florida and Daddy told me that I need to learn different foreign languages para hindi ako mahirapang makipag-usap sa mga foreign investors when I become the CEO of the company in the future.

"Grazie, signora. Sto bene!," (Thank you, madame. I'm doing good.) I said confidently. I frowned when I saw how Pharaoh smirked at me. Inirapan ko siya kaya lalo siyang ngumisi. He's getting into my nerves again!

She seems impressed. "Maganda na nga, matalino at edukada pa. You have a perfect daughter, Leona," tugon niya kay Mommy na nakaakbay sa akin.

Maging sina Tito Phillip at Kuya Phantom ay napangiti sa akin. I smiled back at them. The older Samaniego seems nice, prim and proper than the annoying jerk beside him with his smirk plastered on his face again! Hindi ko lang talaga matandaan ang mga panahong mga bata pa kami. God, that was 13 years ago!

I'm not doing this to impress them nor because Daddy told me to be good. I just thought that it's the proper way to address them. An etiquette, they say. Besides, they seem very nice.

But with Pharaoh, I don't think I can be like that when I'm around him. Lalo na't magkikita kami araw-araw sa school. It'll be hell, for sure. I need to talk to him privately.

Matapos ng ilang sandali, umupo na kami sa mahabang lamesa at tinawag ni Kuya ang waiter na kukuha ng aming mga order.

Hindi ko alam kung nananadya talaga ang tadhana at magkatapat kami ng upuan ni Pharaoh! Mukhang mawawalan aagad ako ng gana. At sa nakikita ko, halatang tuwang tuwa pa siya sa ayos namin. I rolled my eyes at him.

Buti na lang ay hindi ako nakikita ni Daddy ngayon. For sure, I'm dead 'cause he wants me to get along with this crazy jerk.

Nahihiya na lang din ako kina Tito Phillip at Tita Veronica pati na kay Kuya Phantom dahil mabuti ang pakikitungo nila sa akin.

After 15 minutes, dinner is served. I'm salivating already. We're eating in an Italian restaurant kaya mukhang sanay sila sa mga pagkain dito. It's not my first time to eat such Italian dish but I must say that it tastes so good.