21 - Photographs

RJ's POV

It's been three weeks since the night I met Hannah and Camila. Up until now, I still don't have the courage to ask Charm about Celestine's father. Hindi ko kasi alam paano ko uumpisahan. I want to ask her more about that Calatagan escapades she and her friends had, but how shall I do that?

Today, I am set to have a meeting with Charm and Chloe in my office. Ayos na ang ganito kesa naman umusok na naman ang ilong ni Mendoza Girl kapag na-late na naman ako.

"Sir, nandito na po si Ms. Charm." My secretary called my attention.

"Let her in." I ordered. After a while Charm came in to my room in her motocross gear and I cannot blame those guys for calling her a hottie because she is indeed hot in that gear.

"Hi, wala pa si Chloe?" she asked.

"She said nasa meeting pa raw sya, didiretso daw sya agad dito pagkatapos" I replied. "Sit down, mukhang bike ang dala mo" I replied

"Yes, ayoko kasing ma-late. Baka rin abutin na ako ng traffic kung uuwi pa ako to change and get my car." She replied.

"Hindi ka ba napapagod? Gabi na rin tayong nakauwi from La Union kahapon, tapos nag-practice ka pa. Baka magpakamatay ka kapag natalo ka sa comptetion." I said.

"None of your business Faulkerson, Jr. and for your information nag back out na ako sa competition." She said.

"Why is that so? You got chickened-out?" I teased

"Of course not, I never get chicken-out. Hysterical lang kasi ang Nanay ko dahil sa mga beliefs nya. Since the competition is three days before the wedding ayaw akong tigilan na mag-back out na lang sa competition." She explained.

"She just want to make sure. Wala namang mawawala kung susunod ka kahit hindi ka naniniwala." I said.

"Mabuti na lang hindi big event yung competition. Nanghinayang lang ako sa opportunity na makasali, pangdagdag din sa portfolio ko as a motocross rider. Pero ngayon pa lang sinasabi ko na sa iyo na hindi mo ako mapipigilan sa competition ko in Cebu. That is very important to me kasi walang gender distinction, male and female magkalaban." She said and I can't help but to contentedly listen to her.

This motocross stuff really gives her a different aura, I could see how she loves this extreme sports and it begins to interest me.

"Kelan naman ang competition na yun?" I asked.

"Matagal pa naman, six months from now." She replied.

"You really love motocross, kitang-kita ko ang excitement mo kapag yun ang pinag-uusapan eh. Ganyan ka rin ka-vibrant kapag si Celestine ang topic." I said.

"Motocross and Celestine are my life. But of course, priority ang anak ko." She said.

"Baka naman pag-laki ni Celestine, yan din ang kahiligan. Your daughter is pretty and fits to be a beauty queen matangkad pa sya for her age, malamang nagmana sa tatay nya yun. Mukhang malakas ang dugo ng tatay ni Celestine, hindi nya nakuha ang pagka-morena mo, buti na lang kahit papaano may hawig sya sa iyo." I said.

She smiles and just said, "Anyway, siguro we could start checking on the old photos para makapili na tayo na isasama sa video. Dala mo ba yung mga litrato?" She then asked and obviously swaying on the topic I am about to start.

"Yes, but these are all scanned photos kasi pinadala lang ni Tita Jo via email. I also had the recent ones in my mobile, but I already have it transferred in my laptop. Nasaan yung mga photos mo?" I asked.

"Nandito sa flash drive. I also have them scanned para hindi ko na bitbitin yung photo album ng Nanay ko. Chloe will have it scanned anyway." She said then she gives the flash drive to me.

"Dito tayo sa round table para mas makita nating mabuti." I said.

We started viewing on her photos in my laptop, marami rin syang na-scan na pictures and I could say na her name suits her. Bata pa lang sya, charming na nga talaga sya. And, she is prettier now than before, kahit pa mukha syang one of the boys ngayon.

Some says that pictures are the best medium to bring back the memories and I am seeing that now with Charm because in every picture that flashes on the screen she always has a story about it.

"I really admire your friendship with Hannah and Camila" I said.

"And Olga of course, she is my bestfriend." She said while her eyes are glued at her high school graduation picture with her three precious friends. Sayang hindi ko nameet si Olga, she seems nice at magkamukha sila ni Charm.

"Anong kinamatay ni Olga?" I asked.

"Brain tumor, malala na yung sakit nya nung ipinaalam nya sa amin. Nabanggit ko na ba sa iyo na pinsan ko sya?" She asked.

"Yes at sabi mo pa, she was your best friend because you grew up together." I said.

"Yeah, since namatay sa aksidente ang parents nya, sa amin na sya tumira. Kapatid ni Tatay ang Papa ni Olga. Parang anak na rin ang turing ng parents ko sa kanya." She said.

"That explains bakit magkamukha kayo. Pinsang buo mo pala sya. Mas kamukha mo pa sya kesa sa ate Nica mo." I said.

"Malakas ang dugo ni Teodoro Mendoza eh." She said smiling. A very rare instance that I get to see her smile that reaches her eyes.

"Bakit walang picture nyo ni Celestine? I'm sure she'll be delighted to see her picture in our videos." I said.

"Ayos na yung pictures ko na lang. Your relatives does not know her background, mas mabuti na yung ganon para less ang komplikasyon. Ano na lang ang sasabihin nila sa iyo once they learned that you marry someone na may excess baggage." She said and it hits me straight to my heart.

"Again, I apologized. I don't intend to make you feel that way." I sincerely said.

"Sus, tutoo naman yung sinabi mo nung gabing yun. Hindi naman natin talaga maiiwasan ang iisipin ng mga tao." She said. "Buti na lang arranged marriage lang 'tong sa atin, walang emotional investment kaya hindi tayo masyadong maaapektuhan ng mga mapanirang bagay." She further said.

"There is something I would like to ask you. Again, you may not answer it if you don't want to. At least you are aware that I want to know about it." I said.

"Ang dami mo talagang pasakalye Faulkerson Jr., itanong mo na lang kasi. You don't have to tell me not to answer it if I don't feel like answering it, dahil kahit anong pilit mo, you will not know whatever it is that you wanted to know if I don't want to tell you about it." She uttered.

"Do you know who is Celestine's father?" I finally asked while my hands are shaking in excitement. I really hope to get a concrete answer from her.

"It is not important anymore if I know Celestine's father or not. What we will have is just an arrangement which will eventually end maybe in about a year or less. Stay in your lane and do not go beyond that. I'm sorry as I could not trust you such sensitive information much about my daughter." She told me and I understand so I did no insist anymore. Probably there are other ways to know who is Celestine's father.

We just continue scanning her pictures and choose which are the photos that can use for the wedding video. We came to see mine afterwards. She was a bit laughing when she sees some of my toddlers photos.

"Grabe ibang-iba ang itsura mo nung maliit ka, kesa ngayon, kung hindi dahil dito sa dimple mo, I would say na hindi ikaw ang mga nasa pictures na ito." She said

"Kahit naman si Rizza at Kuya RD eh, ibang-iba rin ang itsura." I said. I could see how she is delighted viewing my old photos.

"Paano ka lumaki nang ganyan, grabe buto-buto days mo oh." She said in amusement while we view the pictures one by one. Then she suddenly stops laughing when she sees a picture of me with Kuya RD. "Si Kuya RD mo, hindi ba sya pupunta sa kasal? Sabi mo sya ang gusto mong maging best man." She asked.

"He begs off. Sabi nya he does not want to see me in a situation na dapat ay para sa kanya and I respected that. Hindi rin naman madali para sa kanya ang mga nangyari. Come to think of it, dapat pala si Kuya RD ang nandito ngayon kung hindi sya tumakas papuntang LA." I replied.

"Oo nga malamang mas peaceful ang buhay ko kung si RD na lang." She said.

"Oh well what can you do? You cannot argue with fate." I replied.

She just continue scanning the pictures and did not mind what I just said until she pause in one photo, actually, my photo in a beach. She stares at it for a long time, and there are times that she'll looks at me and stare again in the photo.

"Where was this picture taken? Your shirt looks very familiar." She finally speaks.

"That was in Batangas, when my Dad and I had a project in one of the resorts in Calatagan. The one I was telling you about when we went out with Hannah and Camila. Hindi ko naalala na may naipadala pala akong picture na ganyan kay Tita Jo." I replied.

"When was this taken?" She asked again and my heart begins to beat to fast. Sagot na ba sa mga tanong ko ang reaksyon na meron sya ngayon?

"Five years ago." I softly replied looking straight to her eyes

"It was you?" She said