Gaze

Chapter 1. Gaze

IT WAS a sunny day when that special day happened. Romano was smiling since the hour he woke up. Lalo na kaninang seremonya ng kasal. Ngayo'y nasa wedding reception na sila't nakikinig sa mga mensahe ng malalapit na tao sa buhay nila ng kaniyang napangasawa.

"Hey," tawag sa kaniya ng babaeng pinag-alayan niya ng habambuhay. Bumaling siya rito. "Kung lalaki ang magiging anak natin, panigurado, magmamana sa iyo."

Natigilan siya. Kasabay niyon ay hinimas-himas nito ang tiyan saka ngumisi. Napakurap-kurap naman siya't bahagyang naguluhan. Pero bumilis ang tibok ng puso niya nang kutuban na siya sa susunod nitong sasabihin.

"Yes, we did it, Rome. We're pregnant already."

He's so blissful upon hearing her say more about it. That she's seven weeks pregnant, that she's certain about it since she had herself checked up without him knowing.

He immediately stood up and realized that everyone was staring at them; smiling. Napansin din niyang si Yuri ang may hawak ng mikropono. He guessed that his sister was already wishing them a blissful marriage.

"See? I told you to just take a video of me and show it to them afterwards. Our newlywed here are both drowned in their own world."

Natawa ang mga bisita, maging ang kaniyang asawa. He smiled, staring at his sister, too. He was glad that she could already face people now. Hindi gaya noong may pinagdadaanan pa ito't takot makisalamuha.

Bumalik ang tingin niya sa kaniyang katabi.

"This is real, right?"

When his wife nodded, he didn't notice a tear fell from his affectionate eyes as he stood up, shouted a "Yes!" so happily, then, he went onto the mini stage.

"Sis, I'm going to be a father," masayang bulalas niya sa kaniyang kapatid. Her jaw dropped and when she got it, she jumped out of joy. Nagtitili rin ito habang isinisigaw na magiging tita na ito, at siya naman ay magiging tatay na.

Nahagip ng paningin niya ang bandang sulok ng venue at nangunot ang noo nang ang humihikbing si Glaze ang nandoon.

"Baby, why are you there?" he mouthed silently. Nakapagtatalang nandoon ang asawa niya't iba na ang suot na damit. Was there some kind of tricks to prank him? For what?

He scowled when his gazes went back to his bride. His eyes widened in surprise when he realized that he married the wrong person. Could that possibly happen?

'Tangina!

He gulped nervously. "Kase?"

Nakangiti pa rin ito habang nakahawak sa bandang sinapupunan...

BUMALIKWAS ng bangon si Romano at namamawis habang iniisip-isip ang napanaginipan. Lately, he always dreamed about a wedding-his wedding-wherein at first, he perfectly knew he's with his childhood best friend, Glaze, but would end up being wedded with the latter's twin sister, Kasey. Eversince they met half a year ago, he started having those weird dreams.

He grew up in the province and had a vacation in Manila from time to time. Doon niya nakilala si Glaze, at naging magkaibigan sila nito. Kung dating bata pa siya ay ilang araw lang ang itinatagal niya sa Maynila, mula nang makilala si Glaze ay buong summer vacation, pati na Christmas vacation ay ginugol na niya sa siyudad, kung saan mayroon silang bahay roon at nakatira ang tito niya bago lumipad sa ibang bansa. Sa bahay na iyon siya nakatira ngayon.

He also didn't think twice when he decided to go study and live in the city. Aside from it would help his adoptive sister to not be with him-since she's still fighting her own battles-he would always be with Glaze, who was in high school back then and was schooling in the same University where he enrolled for college. Magkaiba nga lang sila ng daan dahil sa college department siya noon.

Despite the age gap, they still became best of friends.

He was already in fifth year in college when she entered her freshman year. Unlike him, who's taking engineering, she'd be taking business-related course.

Excitingly, he went to their place to accompany her in her first day in college.

Laking-gulat niya nang maabutang may kasama itong babae na kamukhang-kamukha nito, pwera lang sa kutis. Mala-krema si Glaze habang ang kasama nito'y medyo morena. Pati na ang buhok kung saan tuwid na tuwid ang mahabang buhok ng kaniyang kaibigan habang alon-alon naman ang sa kamukha nito.

Pinakilala siya rito, at nalamang kakambal pala nito iyon. He never knew that. He only knew she had a sibling who went to her dad when her parents separated. Since they're only living in together, there's no need for an annulment. That their mom got married with Dominic Paner, so Glaze's surname was changed from Quiroz to Paner while Kasey remained a Quiroz.

Nang ipakilala siya nito kay Kasey ay hindi mawaglit ang tingin niya sa dalaga. Halatang naasiwa pa ito noon pero itinamang 'Monami' ang itawag rito dahil iyon na ang nakasanayan nito.

"Iyan kasi ang nasa birth certificate ko. Pero noong bata ako, I was using 'Kasey Grazia'. High school na noong ginamit ko ang 'Monami'."

Naalala niyang paliwanang nito noon. That day, he forgot about accompanying Glaze around the campus, and wanted to talk to her twin sister more. He liked her soft voice. He could listen to her talk about whatever she'd say... all day long.

He shook his head and got up the bed. There's no point of thinking about that.

KASEY couldn't believe that her twin sister really asked her that favor. Tutal ay wala namang pasok, puntahan daw niya si Romano at samahan sa plano ng lalaki na itu-tour sana ang kakambal niya sa pinagtatrabahuang entertainment agency. Alam niyang miyembro ng sikat na dance troupe si Romano noon at palaging naiimbitahang mag-perform sa mga events, mapamalaki man o maliit, kaya hindi na siya nagtakang pagiging pananayaw rin ang naging trabaho nito nang makapagtapos isang taon nang nakaraan. Malayong-malayo sa kurso nitong inhinyero.

He was now one of the professional choreographers of that successful agency. Mabuti na lang at sa Montreal Agency ang punta nila dahil kung hindi, nunca pagbigyan niya ang kakambal niya. She kind of heard na maganda raw kasi sa kumpanyang iyon kaya kuryoso siya.

Kalalabas pa lang ni Romano sa pinto ay kapansin-pansin na ang pangungunot nito ng noo. Alam na kaagad nito na hindi siya si Glaze.

Napakurap-kurap siya nang mapansing katatapos lang nitong maligo at nakapambahay pa. Mukhang napaaga siya ng dating. Mabilis na pinasadahan niya ito ng tingin. He's wearing his home slippers, shorts with garter and just a plain white t-shirt. His hair was still a bit damped, too. Simpleng damit pero nagmumukhang imino-model ng lalaki.

May itsura naman talaga ang mokong. Hindi na lugi ang magiging girlfriend, Puri niya rito sa kaniyang isipan. Balita kasi niya'y wala itong girlfriend, o baka may nililigawan na siguro.

Since he's a dancer, his body may not be ripped but he's fit. Mukhang mahihiya ang mga taba na lumapit dito. Medyo matangkad din ito kaysa sa kaniya. Medyo. Dahil may katangkaran din naman siya.

Naputol ang pamamansin niya sa physical features nito nang magsalita ito.

"Why are you here?" tanong kaagad nito nang makalapit sa gate.

"Can't you open this first?"

Nagkandahaba ang leeg nitong tumingin sa likuran niya bago bumalik sa kaniya. "Where's Glaze?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't she call you?"

"For what?"

Mukhang wala nga itong kaalam-alam. "Just open the gate first."

Hindi ito kumibo.

"Wala akong pasok. Siya naman, mayroon pala silang tatapusing group project kaya sinabihan niya akong puntahan ka." Parehas na silang nasa ikalawang-taon sa kolehiyo ni Glaze.

"Bakit?"

Hindi pa ba nito gets? "Ako ang sasama sa iyo. Bilisan mo nang mag-ayos para maaga tayong makauwi."

Nagtataka pa rin itong nakatitig sa kaniya. Mukhang hindi makapaniwalang siya ang nasa harapan nito.

Disappointed?

She let out a sigh. "Fine. I'll just go home. Sasabihin ko na lang kay Glaze pagkauwi niya na ayaw mo 'kong kasama."

"What? I didn't say that," he defensively replied.

"So, can I come with you?" medyo tumaas ang boses niya. Excited.

He answered yes.

Kahit hindi sila gaanong malapit ni Romano ay kaswal naman ang pakikitungo nila sa isa't isa. Aaminin niya na noong una ay naaasiwa siya, pero kalaunan ay nasanay na rin. Halos hindi kaya mapaghiwalay ang kakambal niya rito noon, at dahil nagca-catch up sila ni Glaze ay palagi siya nitong kinakaladkad sa tuwing may lakad ang mga ito.

"Where's your car? You can park inside."

Didn't he know she couldn't drive? "I can't drive," paalala niya. Si Glaze ang marunong na magmaneho sa kanilang dalawa. Anito'y disi-seis pa lamang ay marunong nang mag-motor, seventeen nang mag-aral itong magmaneho ng sasakyan. Iyong manual pa bago nag-automatic. Habang siya ay bisikleta na nga lang, natatakot pang manduhin.

"Ah, yes. Come in." Sumunod siya rito sa sala. "You can wait for me here. I'll be back in a few."

Tumango siya. Ilang beses na siyang nakapunta sa bahay nito. Sa labas pa lang ay hindi maipagkakailang galing sa maykayang pamilya. Noong hindi pa na-renovate ay maganda na raw ang bahay na iyon, sabi ni Glaze. Pero ngayon ay mas gumanda at lumaki raw. Bagong gawa na kasi ang bahay nang makatuntong siya roon, dalawang taon na ang nakalipas. From classic to modern design. Medyo nasasayangan lang siya sa espasyo sa may harapan ng bahay. Masyadong malaki iyon para maging garahe lamang.

If she'd stay there, she would plant some orchids or roses. O kaya nama'y iba't ibang mga halamang kahali-halinang tingnan.

Wait, why was she thinking about staying in there? As if she'd live with him? She shook her head to drive away those thoughts.

Nasa hagdan na ito nang bumaling sa kaniya kaya nawala na rin sa isipan ang pagtatanin ng mga halaman o mga bulaklak doon. "Ah, yes, would you like to have some juice?"

Umiling siya. "Bilisan mo na lang nang makaalis na tayo."

Nag-iwas siya ng tingin dahil titig na titig ito sa mukha niya. Napabuntong-hininga siya nang makapanhik na ito.

Gusto niyang isiping para sa kaniya ang kakaibang kislap na nagdaan sa mala-abong mga mata ng lalaki, pero naalala niyang kakambal niya si Glaze. They're identical. And based on what she observed, Romano had feelings for her twin sister.

So, no. Those affectionate gazes were not for you, Monami, Aniya sa isipan.