Chapter 5 NEW FAMILY, NEW LIFE

Chapter 5 NEW FAMILY, NEW LIFE

After the wedding, Dina immediately went on to live along together with the Ballestros. Dina has her own room because the Ballestros already knew Rico’s intention is not to sleep with Dina but to marry her so that Dina will be under his responsibility and wouldn’t have to endure all the blame anymore… Rico will take care of Dina, feed her and make sure she has a home. However, despite Dina and Rico having “no strings attached”, the two old Ballestros are still hoping that one day they will learn to like and love each other as a couple. They think it is possible especially that they are now living under the same roof… that is why when they saw Rico kissing Dina on their wedding day, they are extremely delighted and hoping to have a grandchild as soon as possible… hopefully… hopefully…

“Let’s eat.”, Rico called on to Dina inside her room. Dina just went on to ignore Rico as if she never heard what he had just said or just acting as he wasn’t even there. For this reason, Rico was annoyed and went inside Dina’s room to confront her.

“WHAT are you doing?!”, Dina hissed as she saw him inside her room.

“I said let’s eat.”,Rico insisted. He needs to change Dina’s unhealthy lifestyle. It is not good if Dina would continue locking herself inside her room. Dina needs to see the world… POSITIVELY! He needs to help Dina change her ways, it would have been easy if Dina is cooperative but looking at her, she is unwilling and she is not like a tamed sheep that will obey whatever you tell her to do. She would definitely go against you and would really take accountability of her actions and all the things she wanted to do. Rico must definitely show her who is the boss, and he needs to do it in a more aggressive and forceful way. Due to this reason, Dina is even more distant and hostile to him… but he still needs to do it, because if he won’t… Dina will forever blames herself and would shoulder the guilt… she might end up getting depressed and might do horrible things to herself.

“No. I am not hungry.”, Dina answered back.

“You will eat… even if you don’t want it or not want it---“, Rico was interrupted.

”Why are you forcing me to eat?! Who gave you the authority to order me around?! It would have been good if you just let me be---“

“I am your husband! Your father entrusted you to me! Right before your very eyes he said that you will be my responsibility and I know you heard it as well!” , Rico interrupted Dina with his loud tone too. Dina fell silent because of Rico’s roaring voice.

“What is it to me if I heard it too?! Are you my father---!”, Dina wasn’t able to finish what she was about to say.

”I may not be your father but I am his substitute. My words are as effective like you father’s word. He entrusted you to me so, therefore you must listen to me!”, Rico was firm with his words. Dina was in disbelief, she gnashed her teeth in anger and she wanted to punch the man in front of her.

“Are you crazy?! I will never listen to you whatever it takes! I will not follow---“, Dina’s anger was interrupted when Rico began to talk again.

“If your father is really important to you… you should have listened to him, even just once. He is no longer with us anymore, are you still rebelling against him? I am sure he doesn’t want to see you like this. This is also a way for you to make up with your father especially for those times that you have refused to listen to him.”, Rico ended their conversation before leaving Dina alone in her room. Dina reflected on her actions. She felt the pain Rico’s words had brought her. She cried.

“Dad… dad….”, Dina cried in grief as her tears continually fell on her cheeks.

While everyone was about to eat, Dina arrived. Everyone was so surprised to see Dina pulling a chair, signaling that she is now ready to share a meal with them. Rico seemed to be expecting this already and was somewhat happy because he was able to convince Dina to eat together with the whole family.

“My child, I am glad that we are able to eat together like this. Let’s be like this from now on.”, Rico’s father happily said to Dina as he gave her a warm smile. Dina looked at him with her sad stares as a reply because she still felt awkward to see that she is now going to share her meal with different people… she realized that she belonged to a different family now.

“Don’t be shy, my child, okay? We are your family now.”, Rico’s mother smiled as she tried to make Dina feel welcomed to the family. Dina nodded as if she was accepting what they were saying.

”Thank you, mister and missus---“, Dina wasn’t able to finish her words.

“Dad… Please call me Dad, my child.”, Rico’s father said when he cut-off Dina’s words.

“And please call me Mom.”, Rico’s mom smiled warmly at Dina. Dina stared at the old couple. Their words are so comforting and Dina felt satisfied as if she is well-fitted to be in the family… this is the feeling that she had almost forgotten already due to her father’s death and before everyone had been constantly blaming her.

“Y-Yes Dad… Mom…”, Dina answered shyly in a low voice.

”You should eat a lot, okay?”, Rico smiled at her. Dina answered him back with a sharp glare on him.

This man is plastic! Earlier, he was just like a bull, ready to fight and he keeps on shouting at me. Now that we’re in front of his parents, just look how he’s acting like an angel. Look how silly he is, smiling like an idiot! The truth is he never smiles like that… what he always wear is an ugly frown!, Dina thought annoyingly. While thinking, Dina was surprised when Rico suddenly widened his eyes as if threatening her just to make her get some food on her plate.

Plastic!, Dina thought as she went on to put some food on her plate. Even though Dina is sad, she didn’t notice that she was already eating a lot. She can’t point out if the food Rico’s mother had cooked is really delicious or if she was just really starving... then Dina suddenly realized, she had not eaten anything for few days already. She was not eating well because no one cared for her. No one even invited her to eat. It has been few days already that she had not been eating well, sometimes she just let time slips by without putting any food on her mouth… she was almost used to it already. Her tears suddenly fell. She missed this feeling, she missed her former family and she is sad because she knew it will never be like before anymore. She can’t go back to how they were used to be. Everyone and even Rico wondered why Dina suddenly cried.

“Why, my child? Is there something wrong?”, Rico’s mom worriedly asked Dina. Rico’s dad is also worried. Rico was just wondering. Dina shook her head as her reply to them.

“I just missed my dad…”, Dina sad in a low tone and for some reason why, she can’t stop her tears from falling continuously. She kept on crying. Rico’s mom stood and went over her and hugged her immediately. Dina wept louder… she was not able to do this when her father died because she felt like she has no right to cry because everyone was blaming her. When her dad died, no one comforted her that is why when Rico’s mom hugged her, it was the first time as if someone had comforted her… it was the feeling she wanted to feel again… the care and comfort of which she had almost forgotten how it feels like already. Rico’s dad begins to cry as he was touched when he saw his best friend’s eldest daughter’s tears. Rico just went on to look at his crying father and then he turned to Dina… he is confused but at the same time, he also felt pity towards Dina.

Ever since Dina’s father died, she never had a good sleep but that night she was able to sleep really well. She cried a lot and somehow it eased the pain and burden she had been enduring these days… this is also the reason why she felt closer towards Rico’s parents. It was easy to accept them. Dina felt that Rico’s parents are just like her parents right before the horrible things happened that almost ruined her life.

Rico’s parents are very caring that is why it was really easy for Dina to loved them back in return. The Ballestros was easy to care for because they are warm and accommodating… well, except Rico. Dina gets along very well with everybody except Rico because they still always argue. It’s because Rico is always the villain to everything she does and to anything she wanted. However, in the end, Rico always wins and Dina ends up doing what Rico wanted her to do, making her reflect on her actions as Rico keeps on insisting that he is her father’s substitute. Dina thought, maybe Rico was actually right because just like her dad, Rico keeps on contradicting all the things she wanted. Rico and her dad are surprisingly very alike to each other.

Even though Dina has a new family now, she still feels the presence of her former family. She belongs with a different family now… She is now a Ballestros. She has been given a chance for a new life and to make up for all her mistakes she has done towards her father.

Rico also forced Dina to go back to school, it seems like her father would also do the same if ever he is still alive. Dina’s home now is really far from where she used to live before, her previous university is also far away that is why Rico decided to transfer Dina to a nearer school by using his connections as a lawyer. It is not yet too late to make up for her missed classes at school because she is not a slow learner.

“OKAY! Okay! I get it! I’ll go back to school again! But promise me one thing… there is only one thing in this world that I don’t want you to oppose!!!”, Dina hissed at Rico when she was finally forced to agree after arguing with Rico about school.

“It depends. What would that be?”, Rico said coolly while Dina looks like smoke is already coming out of her nose. Although Rico may looked relax on the outside but deep inside, his blood is already boiling of annoyance too.

“I will join the basketball club and you are not going to stop me!”,Dina said. Rico just stared at Dina and after a few moments he showed her a simple smile. Dina was shocked to see Rico’s reaction and because of this reason her heart skipped a beat and her cheeks turned red.

“Sure. You’re free to do that.”, Rico casually answered. Dina got even more surprised of his answer that he would allow her to play. Her cheeks even turned redder as she felt the excitement of going back to school. She really missed playing basketball.

“YAHOOOOO!!!”, Dina cheered happily and hurriedly went back to her room. Rico was so amused with Dina’s reaction, he was not expecting that she will be this happy when he agreed to let her continue playing basketball.

When Dina shut her door, she felt her heart. It was beating really fast and she also feel the heat of her cheeks. She stared blankly in wonder.

Why am I feeling this way?!, Dina thought as she remembered Rico showing his gentle smile earlier.

It was the first time Rico did that to me… he smiled at me without people around us… it wasn’t a plastic smile… BUT a genuine smile…,Dina thought but immediately took it out of her mind.

Wow! I had not been playing for so long already… I am so excited to play basketball once again!, Dina thought, removing Rico on her mind.