Thirty-Eight

OF the wealthy friends, it was Señorito Brad who was more of the extrovert. He was the one on society pages, hobnobbing with other elites. They knew this in the hacienda, too. Eric was known to be extremely private, like in the end of the spectrum from his cousin.
And those same society pages also included the beautiful Helene Smith-Cardam, Señorito Enrique’s ex-fiancée.
Arianna had seen some of those society gossip articles because Tommy ‘borrows’ them from newspapers and magazines in the office and brings them home to show her.
And from the last one she had read, it said that the woman had just broken up with the wealthy businessman she’d replaced Enrique Quiroz with, and there were rumors she wanted to be back with her Ex, who was noted to be keeping to himself in his father’s hacienda for many weeks now.
The truth was that Yna was expecting a ‘break up’ in the near future because of that article. Wasn’t Eric’s reason for pretending to be in love with her was to make his Ex jealous? That was why she was confused when he did not insist they have dates in town, because this would surely spread the news that he was dating, and would reach his Ex’s ear.
But she supposed he had other ways to let his Ex know.
She was ready to endure whatever she needed to endure once he was back in his Ex’s arms. It wasn’t like she had illusions the pretend relationship would turn to reality.
His confession inside her bedroom was so unexpected and shocked her enough that it pulled her out of her meltdown, and helped calm her to meet his father.
It was because he’d been so convincing… and she so wanted to believe him… and if it was going to give her the strength to survive the next few minutes, she was going to continue believing him until later, on his promise talk.
He was holding her hand when they came out of her bedroom.
Her mother and Tommy wasn’t in the house, and after climbing down the stairs and walking out to the guests, she found her mother and brother facing Don Sylverio, politely talking to the older man about the arrangement of lunch and how it wasn’t just the men coming in here now, but also some of the staff in the hacienda offices.
Yna was surprised and actually pleased to see how calmly her mother was handling the conversation with the Señor. Tommy was standing quietly by her side. Señorito Brad was near them, but was talking to the Chairman. They all turned towards them as they approached.
And Arianna felt so embarrassed about keeping them waiting. She still trembled, though. And Eric released her hand only to wrap his arm around her shoulders to pull her closer to him.
It was the Don who talked first.
“Hello, Arianna…” he said in a soft voice, his eyes taking everything in, and his smile deepened. “Hija… I can’t believe how you’ve grown. You and your mother and brother have been keeping to yourselves and I haven’t seen all of you in a long while.” He raised his hand to hold Tommy’s shoulder. “This young man is growing up and looking more and more like your father.”
“Señor Sylverio…” she said when she found her voice. “I-I… I’m glad you visited us. We have yet to thank you for everything you’ve helped us with since Tommy started working in the fish ponds.”
“Ahhh… Hija… Sienna…” He turned to Tommy, his face sad. “Even you, Tommy. I have been neglectful. I’ve been busy in the last few years and I was always away… I didn’t know the kids are out of school and that you are living in a dire situation in that lot. I have to tell you, I feel so bad about it. It’s your boyfriend there who got wind of your situation before I could. And I must say… since he started talking about you… he just will not stop. I have to meet you the moment I come back because I only remembered a very young girl. How the years have flown, Sienna!”
There was that choked laughter from Eric and she elbowed him, caught him in that soft spot between his ribs.
“Ouch. I’m just saying… that’s my father telling you I can’t stop talking about you,” he stage-whispered.
She was too embarrassed to dig him with her elbow again, and her face felt so hot!
His father laughed. “Yna—I’ll call you Yna. Is that okay?”
She nodded. “Yes, Senor.”
“Oh no… call me Papa Sylver. My son is already calling your mother Mama. It would be unfair to me, don’t you think?”
“Huh?” she repeated like an idiot.
“Papa… let’s give her a few more days. It took a while before I can get her to kick the Señorito from my name.”
His father was watching Eric indulgently, she noticed this. When his eyes went back to her, his smiling eyes deepened, and they seemed to get moist a little bit.
“Let me hug you, girl, for a moment.”
Stunned, she let Eric push her towards his father. And she was enveloped in his warm embrace. He smelled of expensive cologne that was just right for fathers, and clean sweat.
“I have never seen my son this happy, Yna. Thank you so much. I am eternally grateful to you,” he whispered near her ear in a voice that sounded a little rough and emotional.
Then he let her go.
It was almost anti-climactic when she was introduced to Señorito Brad whose bland smile on his face told her nothing of what he was thinking.
And she was grateful that she didn’t know. At this point, she really didn’t care anymore.
She was glad that despite her own confusion about her relationship to his son, Don Sylverio accepted her and treated her as kindly as he had always treated her family.
And she didn’t know what Eric was really thinking, or that she thought he was insane. But they were going to talk.
And whatever her worries were about Señorito Brad, after Señor Sylverio’s approval, she didn’t think he would still talk about that shameful night.
After that, they came inside the house and had small talk about future plans. The Señor was interested about Tommy’s studies. Her brother said he was going back to school the next school year because there was no way their mother was going to let him skip again.
“I will enroll him myself,” Mama promised. “I barely managed to sleep well when I learned he didn’t enroll this school year.”
“How about our Arianna here? Can she go back to college? It’s supposed to be college now, right? I was told she finished Senior High.”
They were all quiet for a moment because they never really talked much about her taking college. It was like her mother and she were more concerned about Tommy finishing high school then going to a technical school to learn more about the science of fisheries.
“I’m fine. We can talk about my going to college after everything is settled with Tommy. I mean, I still don’t know what I really want to take and we haven’t enough savings yet—”
“Hija… I’ll pay for it. For your education and Tommy’s both. Surely you will not begrudge this of me? I’m a patron of more than a few non-profit organizations that handle scholarships, you know this. How can I not take care of my son’s girlfriend’s family?”
“But… but I’m just… it’s not like we’re ma-married.”
“Papa, you’re scaring her.” Eric was scratching his head. He relinquished his hat on the empty seat next to where he sat beside me. “I can barely make them accept a laptop and the phone.”
His father turned to Sienna. “Sienna, you know this. My son loves your daughter, and he likes your son very much. When your beloved Ramon died in that accident, he was doing work for the hacienda. He was one of the best worker and man I have had here, and you and I both know if he hadn’t passed, he would have been working like Chairman here. I am sorry I have been too busy but you know I promised him I will take care of his family. Paying for the kids’ education is nothing to me. I cannot bring my money to wherever I go when I die. But knowing it’s paying for a good future for these two is good investment for that money. I know they will not fail you, me, and their father’s memory. You know this is Ramon’s dream. He would want this. Alright?”
Put on the spot, their mother squirmed in her seat. “Don Sylverio… we’ll have to discuss this first as we do important things. I do know this is something Ramon would want for his children. But these two… are actually grown up and have their own minds. We’ll talk about it and we will get back with you next week.”
The Don opened his mouth.
“Papa, let them discuss it on their own. I’m sure they will decide the best for Tommy and Yna in the end. Mama Sienna is right about these two being smart.” Then he faced her. “And when you decide, I’ll be in full support of the decision. I’ll even go with you to shop for your books and school things. I’ll be the first one to take a picture of you in your school uniform.”
Yna knew she wasn’t the one surprised at him cracking a joke. Not her mother nor Tommy.
For a moment, the señor looked too stunned to make any kind of noise.
And it was the same way with Señorito Brad.
Then the Señor threw his head back and guffawed.
Señorito Brad reluctantly followed, looking at his cousin with such a strange expression on his face, as if Eric had grown a horn in the middle of his forehead.