Let's meet Maelee Daine at Aldrin Mendoza Richards, ang panganay at pangalawang anak ni Alden at Maine Richards ng Arrange Marriage: Destined? and Parting Time (AMD2).
IT WAS a year after that crazy day. It was chaos and at the same time nerve wracking, heart wrenching moment of their lives that they could and would never forget.
Why, you may ask? Muntik lang namang mamatay ang mommy nila sa panganganak sa kanilang bunso. Today is their youngest sibling's first birthday.
Maelee was watching Maine from a distance as she seated on her rocking chair situated next to the baby's crib, as her Mom watched everyone go in and out and about the entire garden area passing her like she doesn't exist.
Alam ni Maelee na ilang sandali na lang ay tutupakin na naman ang kanyang Mommy dahil ayaw itong payagan ng Daddy niya na magkikilos.
Maelee was watching her Mom sulking in her place when she saw her Dad came and gave her Mom a hug. Ayos. It's showtime! She smiled at herself and slowly put down what she has in her hands, balloon strings.
"How are you, love?" She heard her Dad asked her Mom lovingly. She smiled again.
She always sees them hugging, kissing and just up on each other faces all the time. Yes, they argue, they bicker, they fight, but there are more loving in the house than fighting.
It is not really a fight because her Mom will basically fall into a complete silence and her Dad will go crazy to find a way that would make them talk it out in a loving manner and it always ends up in a close door "conference".
Mind you, it is a privately closed door conference, if you get the drift. Gosh, my virgin mind.
How private is it? Don't ask, it will just give her nightmares to think of it. She may not have any experience in that department but she's not oblivious about it, Biology and Anatomy taught her that.
This is maybe the reason why they have this one year old bundle of pure cuteness and joy, Alliraine Maisie, who's celebrating her first birthday today.
Baby Ali was the Richards family's surprise gift. Forty-seven na kasi ang Mommy niya when she conceived again. Thanks to her Dad, who can't get his hands off her Mom.
"I'm bored!" Sagot nito nang may kalakasan sabay halik naman ng Daddy niya. Hindi na talaga naubusan ng pakilig ang ama nila sa ina nila.
She always sees and feels the love oozing out of her parents pores and she's always dreaming of having what her parents have in the future... and she knew it may not happen.
She knows that her dad's species, not only an endangered kind, but extinct. Sa madaling salita, wala nang katulad ang Daddy at Kuya niya.
With the guys that she had met in college? Hooo!! You're shit out of luck. Patunay na endangered na ang gentlemen at faithful na lalaki.
Most of them are either full of themselves, a human size jerks and/or a class "A" assholes with a brain of a mustard seed, puro mga self-centered, mayabang at maingay na lata lang.
None of them carries her dad's breed and characteristics. Sa paningin niya, ang Daddy at ang Kuya na lang niya ang natitirang matitino sa mundong ito. The rest, aasa lang siya sa wala.
Mahohopia lang siya like everyone says when they were hoping against hope, then at the end of the day it was just that, broken and wasted hope.
"You're bored? How come? Ali is a hand..." Her Dad said after that breathless kiss.
The daggers are shooting out of her Mom's eyes. She may be at a distance, but she could see that look, at alam na niya yun.
Hihintayin na lang niya na magtawag ang kanyanh Daddy ng tulong bago siya, o sila, lumapit. She was about to pull a toothy grin when her Dad yelled out their names. Here we go. Patay na kami nito.
"Aldrin! Maelee!" Mabilis pa sa kislap ng kidlat sa kalangitan sa gabing madilim ang pagtawag sa kanila ng Daddy nila. She simply waited a little more time, just for fun.
Baliw siya sa harapan ng pamilya niya pero hindi pa naman ganun kabaliw dahil hindi niya kayang maging ganito sa harap ng ibang tao.
She'd rather be in the background or a wallpaper. She'd rather be invisible than seen.
"Yes, Dad?!" Her Kuya Aldrin baritone voice echoed from behind her and came running towards her parents.
She almost burst into a fit of giggles when she saw her brother stopped on his track as he saw her mother's stare... she felt the dagger shot out. Then turned to her Dad and glared, a deadly glare.
ALDRIN stared straight at his father's eyes. Alden gave him a simple shake of the head.
"Oh...." Aldrin took all the might that he had to make that complete and smooth stop, but failed miserably as he almost tripped and fall face first. Good thing he didn't.
Napapailing na lang siya. Di na talaga sila nadalang mag-ama. Then he felt Maelee slowly inching towards them with an almost innocent smile. He knows her, she's as crazy as their mother.
"Dad?" Gusto niyang pektusan ang kapatid dahil sa bagal nitong paglapit sa kanila, just like him, she stopped on her slow tracks, too. Unlike him, she did it with grace and elegance.
Galit ang mga titig ng Mommy nila. His Mom's beautiful eyes are throwing daggers and spears. He inwardly winced but outwardly groaned.
Salitang tinitigan ang kapatid at ama niya. She just shook her head and smiled bigger this time. Parehong tameme ang mga ito.
"Oh, Mom, let me have Raine for a bit. I'm done anyway, right Kuya?" Sometimes, he just wanted to tie his beautiful sister upside-down but he couldn't. Maelee is too beautiful for that.
"Dad, may I rest for a while and take Mom's spot watching Ali?" Pinaikot-ikot pa ni Maelee ang leeg.
Aldrin knew that she's the smart one. Yeah, right. In Aldrin's eyes. Maelee just single handedly took their mother with her sweet, sweet, more than a diabetes sweetness smile, like she did right now.
Aldrin couldn't do anything but stared at his sister with contempt and groaned it out. She giggled. He rolled his eyes. His Dad on the other hand, ogling over his wife. What's new?
"Sure, honey. If it is okay with your Mom." He and Aldrin hushly smirked. Nice save, Richards. He thought as his Dad continued to ogle over their mother.
Maelee is still waiting for Maine's response, and since Mom is not saying anything, it is best to just do it yourself and move along.
He signaled his sister and Maelee took the sleeping Ali from their mother and kissed the toddler on the forehead. Maine simply smiled at her and kissed her. Aldrin's heart melted at the sweet sight of the two woman in his life.
"Thanks, Baby girl." Maelee just nodded at Maine and sat down where she was sitting.
Alexa was just watching them the whole time not saying a word. Mahirap nang madamay. Siya ang pangatlong anak ng mga Richards, Alexa Aldene.
"No problem, Mom." She replied smiling, oh so sweetly. Aldrin smirked. Only Maelee.
"Oh! Mom, I was finishing the tables and checking the food that is being set up on the chafing dishes. I'm not sure if the water is hot enough but I have a whole lot of sternos under the gift table. Tita Allyn left to get some more of the table skirts, and I think that's all." Maelee let out a victorious smile. Maine looked at Maelee with complete satisfaction and turned to her husband and son, miled and said...
"Nice save, you two. Sending your strongest and wittiest ally to thst war to fight your battles? Good job! You won this time." Maine winked at her husband and kissed him on the lips and Aldrin on the cheek.
Maine walked towards the gift table without turning back to them. When Maine was out of earshot, Alden and Aldrin let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew..." In unison. Natawa siya dahil sa mga hitsura nila ng Daddy at kapatid.
"Nice save, Lee." Aldrin pat his sister's shoulder. "Thank you." he added, which he regretted saying those two words as quickly as he uttered them.
Nakita niya kaagad ang pilyang ngiti ni Maelee at bigla siyang nagsisi. Siya na lang sana ang kumuha kay Baby Ali kanina. Damn it! He inwardly cursed.
"What do you mean thank you, Kuya? May bayad yun 'no." She giggled as she said it. Alden laughed. Aldrin grimaced.
He may have saved himself from his Mom's claws but not from Maelee's grip, but he was somewhat happy in a way, because it wasn't him that said anything first.
"Sabi ko nga." Is all Aldrin could muster. He knows she got him. He turned to his all toothy grinning father. "What are you grinning at, old man?!" He snarled at his Dad, annoyed as hell. Alden shook his head but was still chuckling.
"When are we gonna learn? I just hope you'll find a girl that is not like your sister and your mother." Aldrin shook his head some more as he heard his Dad's statement.
It is all true. He was praying about that himself, but he knows, psychologically speaking, it will be too hard. You may try your best to steer out of what you were used to, but father and son all know, he will end up marrying someone who acts like his mothers for men and like his fathers for women.
Their grandfathers had found women in their lives just like the mothers, and so as their grandmothers. Their great grandparents, according to the stories are the same, too.
It is a vicious cycle of life. They idolize them as much as they thought they didn't.
"Dad, if that is the case, you know I love Mom so much, but I don't want to marry anymore. She's scary." Pabulong niyang sinabi yung huli sa ama. Natawa silang pareho. Bahagya pa silang nagulat nang biglang magsalita ang 13 year old na si Alex.
"I will never be like Mommy, she is scary." Natawa na lang sila dahil sa comment nito.
"It's okay, sweetie, you don't have to. You can be who you wanted to be." Alex smiled, kissed their Dad and went inside the house. She's maybe done being outside.
Alden's gaze followed her, so as Aldrin, till she was behind the sliding glass door and disappeared.
"Okay, Maelee, what do you want?" Baling niya sa kapatid. Ngumiti si ito dahil sa tanong niya.
Alam ni Aldrin na nasilo siya ng kapatid, but who's complaining? She looked at her dad, he smiled at her and simply nodded.
"Okay. You played a hard bargain and I am sorry to do this to you." Seryoso nitong panimula. "Inayos kitang kausap but you left me with no choice. I want to work outside our company." Aldrin was caught off guard. He intently stared at her.
Tama ba ang narinig niya? She didn't stutter. Tama ba ang determinasyon na nakikita niya? She didn't blink. Tama ba ang tapang nakikita niya sa kapatid? She didn't flinch
"What?! Are you insane?!" Di makapaniwala sa narinig mula dito. "Bakit ka magpapakahirap na magtrabaho sa iba kung sa company natin ay sigurado ka na?" He still can't believe what he heard from her.
Parang nagpapaalam lang siyang pupunta sa bahay ng Tito Nikko niya o di naman kaya sa Momshie Ivy nila.
"Ask for something else. Hindi magmamakaawa ang isang Richards sa kahit na kanino!" Madiin na sabi ni Aldrin. Matiim at seryosong nakatitig sa kapatid. Ganun din si Maelee sa kanya, nagsusukatan sila.
Parang ngang natakot pa si Aldrin sa klase ng titig ni Maelee dahil yan na yan ang titig ng ina. Oh, damn!
Bahagya pa siyang napaatras na hindi nagpapahalata. Hindi pa rin natitinag ang dalaga. Maelee first broke the intense silence, though.
"Well, you don't have a choice." Nakataas ang noo nitong sagot sa kanya. "I love you and all, Kuya because you are my only brother and I know you only wants what's best for me, but that's it, you are just my brother, you are not Dad or Mom to tell me which I can and can not do, where to go and not to go." Matapang nitong dugtong.
He stared at her. One thing for sure he read from her eyes, Maelee will not back down. She may be shy and a total wreck outside their home but this is different. She's not giving off a weak vibe.
She may be younger than him but she was taught not to give up on what she believed in. Turo yan ng Mommy nila. Be tough, be courageous, be assertive, but be gracious and elegant about it.
Aldrin was left speechless. What she stated is all true and there is nothing he can really do about it. He can only do so much as a brother, and she is really growing up.
"You don't send your grade A warrior to do a baby's job." They both jump when they heard Maine's voice from behind them. "Are you going to play hard to get, Richards?" Mained continued as she took Ali away from Maelee. Both mother and daughter are smiling so wide and sweetly, but Maelee's eyes still show determination.
"We were played?" Aldrin said in utter disbelief, waiting for his Dad's comment on the matter but he was quiet.
He looked over to his side and saw a cunning smile and he did not like it one bit. Pati ba ang daddy niya ay nakiisa na rin ba sa Mommy niya at kapatid niya? Outnumbered na nga sila sa bahay na ito, four is to two, magso-solo flight pa siya?
"No, son. YOU got played." Alden remarked. "I said yes to her quite a while ago. Your Mom agreed to it, too. Your Lolos and Lolas were fine with the idea, ikaw na lang ang hinihintay ng lahat. So, what is it gonna be? It's either that or she's moving to Bacolod, alone, which means, you are not allowedb to follow her or anywhere near her. Pick one." His dad was on it all along.
Aldrin knew if his Mom got on board with this plan, it would work out like magic.
Aldrin took a deep breath and harshly released it. He gave up. Ayaw din naman kasing malayo ni Maine kaya mas mabuti nang kahit na hindi sa company nila ito magtatrabaho, but she's close by.
Ang konsolasyon niya ay makakauwi ito gabi-gabi, if not every weekend dahil may sarili namang unit silang magkapatid.
"Damn it! A Richards was betrayed by another Richards. I should've know that this was a setup. A trap." He crunched up his nose and squeezed the bridge of it. He felt his head was going to explode. Talagang naisahan siya ng pamilya niya.
"Okay, fine. You got what you want. You mess this one up or something not good comes out of it, you are coming back to our company, whether you like it or not. No buts and no excuses. And Mom, labas ka na dito. Hindi ka na makikialam. Promise?" He said with finality, tumango ang ina.
"Still depends on how you handle it Dennison." Malumanay na pagbabanta ni Maine, napatango na lang si Aldrin.
Maelee grinned and lunged at him with a big, thigh hug and a lipsticky kiss on the cheek. Maging si Maine ay ngumiti na rin.
"Thank you, Kuya." She said in a happy tone. "Papayag ka rin naman pala, Kuya, ang aarte mo pa." Tukso ng kapatid sa kanya. Aldrin just shook his head.
He was gonna give in to her anyway, he was just waiting for Aliraine's birthday party to be over, kaya lang naunahan na siya ng drama ng Mommy nila. Well played, family, well played. Shaking his head in defeat and smiled back.
TWO weeks after the party and Maelee is back in her own place. She's staying at her Mom's old condo unit. It was fully renovated now. Her best friend Riki is the one living across hers where her Dad used to live.
Aldrin lives in the same building but on a different floor. He's two floors above Maelee, their Mom made that happen. Ayaw kasi ng ina na maya't maya ay kinukulit siya nito o asarin ang mga kaibigan niya.
They owned the building. Alden bought the whole building just to save her Mom's unit from being sold out, it's not because she can't afford it, but because she ran away at that time. It was a long story. Her parents have a roller coaster kind of love story.
She woke up early and got herself ready. She showered, picked out her clothes to wear last night, changed, ate breakfast, washed the dishes, brushed her teeth, brushed her hair, again, and put on some light foundation and lip tint. She is now heading out the door.
She got in her Red Prius as soon as she could. She's too excited to head on out the road. She is going to Manila where her second interview would be.
She was so ecstatic when she got a call two weeks ago, telling her about this interview. She is going to meet up with the General Manager/HR Director of the company, Mrs. Erica Villasis. She have a very stern voice but she can sense the sweetness in it, parang mommy niya.
She finally got there and was inside the building in a fraction of the time. Rikki, her bestfriend, told her of other ways to get to the Scottsdale Empire in no time.
Rikki's Uncle Ramon knows every street in Manila, Pasay, Makati and everywhere and wherever it leads to. He knows what road to take to get here and there or how to avoid traffic.
Sabi nga ng Tita Cindy niya, Mommy ni Rikki, kuto daw ng Manila ang Tito Ramon nito at naturuan ng mabuti ang mga pamangkin. She's so lucky to have a friend like Riki.
She's been her friend since college. Her bestfriend's family lives in Romblon, right now Rikki is staying at her grandparents house in Manila, she's a twin. But she started her freelance job, Rikki decided to stay close by and that's why she lives across her.
How she wished to have a twin para hindi siya nag-iisa. She's not alone, though she felt the feeling of being alone sometimes, yun lang.
She pulled in to one of the slots and parked. She took a deep breath and checked herself on the visor mirror. She got her two eyes on the right place, her nose, her lips... yeah, she's okay.
She chuckled at herself. She's being silly at the moment but the reality is, she's nervous and excited.
This is her natural reaction when she's nervous, excited and/or stressed. She doesn't fidget or anything but her mind is making all kinds of jokes to calm her down, which she can't afford to utter loudly, not a single bit.
She shook her head to shake off the silly thoughts and got out of the car. She needs to toughen herself and show her Kuya Aldrin that she can make it out anywhere despite the last name.
She can pretend not to know them. And besides, her Dad helped her with it. Everyone in the HR department of Faulkerson Groups of Companies are already briefed that she is just an intern there. A mere employee that is trying to explore the world of possibilities and learn from all angles as much as possible and just to happen to have the same last name of the FGC CEO.
Alden and Maine understood why she wanted to be independent and her parents did not hold that against her. They were actually proud of her and what she believed in. She smiled at that thought. Thanks, mom. Thanks, Dad. I'll make you proud.
She got to the building and the guard let her in, quickly... no fuzz. He said good morning to her and she responded too with a sweet, shy smile.The old guard just shook his head and smiled back more.
"Ma'am, pakisabi na lang po ang purpose n'yo diyan sa receptionist namin para mabigyan ka ng visitor's pass." Manong guard said smiling still.
Maelee looked at him and saw the lines in his face that says the years that had gone by in his life. She turned to where his hand has motioned her to.
"Thank you po, Manong." She said respectfully as she inched closer to the reception desk. "Hi, I'm Mae..." She wasn't able to finish her sentence as she saw a very familiar face.
"Ms. Maelee, what are you doing here?!"
---------------------
End of BTNTF One
Thank you for reading the chapter. Please leave your thoughts, comments or just to say Hi, tap the 🌟 to vote, and let's share the story and give good vibes.
💖 ~ Ms J ~ 💖
05.08.18
Before The Next Teardrops Fall
©All rights reserved
May 8, 2018