Rightfully Yours, Mistakenly Mine

Maingat ang bawat hakbang at may palingon-lingon pa siyang nagtungo sa kungsaan nagmumula ang bulungan. Nais niyang maglulupasay dahil unang araw pa lang niya sa bahay buhat nang huling beses siyang pumirmi ay ganoon na agad ang mauulinigan niya.

"What's going on?" she mumbled as she meddled to the old ones' conversation upon hearing her name. Her heartbeat won't let her be at peace, as if it is telling her to feel fear.

"Oh, there she is! Sweetie, come over here," her mom called, tapping the space beside her.

Sa tono pa lang ng boses nito ay batid na niyang sila lang matutuwa sa kung anoman ang pag-uusapan nila-bagay na ikinalukot ng kan'yang mukha hindi pa man sila nagsisimula.

She consciously combed her hair as she tried to hide her trembling fingers.

"Is this-Is this about the man I am..." she paused and gulped. Tanggap naman na niya na bilang lumaki sa pamilya na ang negosyo ay buhay, balang-araw ay siya naman ang nakalinyang itali sa kung sinoman na matipuhan nila. Labag man o bukal sa loob, ang mahalaga BUSINESS FIRST!

"Yes, darling," the woman replied, even without waiting for her to get done with her query.

"But I don't know that man!" she blurted out and flinched away.

"Oh, come on, Bella. There is no sense of knowing who the man is. All we have to make sure is how established he is!" Her dad nodded, smiling in all stretch.

"Biruin mo, kung hahayaan ka lang namin na pumili ng kung sinong makilala mo kungsaang lupalop ka man makahanap, baka kung hindi abutin ng siyam-siyam e tumanda kang dalaga. Hija, hindi sa lahat ng oras ay bata ka na pagbibigyan namin at aabutan ng pera! Hindi pinupulot ang piso-"

"'Pa, ng mga mayayaman, oo."

"Ayon na nga. Hindi ka mayaman!"

"Bakit po?! Nalugi na ba tayo?" Bigla ay nagtaasan ang mga balahibo niya sa katawan. Hindi pa siya handang mag-alsa balutan!

"But why do I have to do this? I am not the eldest!" she opposed, looking at her siblings' frames hanged on the wall.

"Well..." The old man stood up and faced the paintings. "As you can see, all of them are already married."

Nilingon siya nito at tila nangungumbinsi na tumango-tango. "Kung gusto mong umahon sa lusak ay kailangang ikaw mismo ang gumawa ng paraan."

Her knees weakened upon hearing his response. She could not think they are really serious about throwing her to an arranged marriage.

'At least they have told you beforehand,' her mind reminded her.

"Remember the last penny you had expended to your caprice? Honey, you had already got your part-fair and square." He then turned to the maids behind her.

"Pakilabas na ang mga gamit niya. Simula sa araw na ito, hindi na siya Rodriguez."

Nanlalaki ang mga mata na tinakbo niya ang kwarto at humarang sa daraanan ng mga katiwala.

"No, no. I am staying." She stopped them and stand firmly in front of her door.

"Oh, yes. You are moving out." The man roared and approached them.

"Papa-"

He raised his hand to halt her. "Upon spending every cent that I have given you, you are no longer my daughter unless you get back here having a name on par with mine, Belle," he declared and left the note on the table meters away from her.

"Señorita?" untag sa kan'ya ng isa sa mga katulong at iniabot ang piraso ng papel.

She hissed and snatched it from the woman, raised it on level to her face. "What is his name? Read it for me!" she demanded, all red and madly stamping her right foot.

"Romeo Santana," bulong ng babae, takot na baka siya ang mapagbuntunan ng inis ng amo.

"I hate the name! I doubt the man is already in his filthy fifties!" She crumpled the note and throw it down the stairs.

"Belle! Don't you dare run away from your wedding!" Her dad warned after accidentally catching the litter.

"What was the date written on it?" She turned to the maid standing silently.

"Sa Wednesday na ho, Señorita."

"On Wednesday," she repeated. "Wednesday?!" she then exclaimed.

"Opo, Señorita."

She grabbed her calendar and gazed to the entrance of their palace-like mansion. "Damn! That is today!"