Chapter 5

Fabio didn't come to the vineyard today—so much relief for me.

Walang ideya si Andrei kung anong meron kami ng lalaking iyon. I wanted to keep it private because as much as I want it to conciliate with him, it's hard to do that. I want this birth to be peaceful and him not be around just to know that he became a father.

When in the first place, he doesn't want to be in—doesn't even bothered at all. Matanong lang at masiguradong hindi kaya, he goes running towards other women. And that's totally fine for me. Hindi ako naghahabol. Wala akong hinahabol sa kanya—ako pa nga itong lumalayo in the first place.

"Jacinta," pumasok si Andrei sa loob ng opisina na inilaan niya sa akin. "I'm sure you know something about this. I hope you can help me sort this one out and if it's possible you can send it back to me before you leave the office, that'll be fine. But if not, you can do it tomorrow. What do you think so?"

Tiningnan ko iyong papel na ibinigay niya sa akin at patungkol lang iyon sa business ni Fabio around the world especially in the Philippines and here in Italy.

I nodded at him as its part of my work. "Yeah, I can handle this. Maybe I can give this to you before my four today."

"That'll be great," he said. "I gotta go back to my office now. I have a minute in ten."

"Alright, sir."

He chuckled. "Don't call me sir," he said. "Just Andrei would be fine."

I smiled and nodded. "Alright, Andrei."

He winked and clicked his tongue, pointing his finger at me as he left.

When he left, I heaved out a deep sigh and think about the fact that I was lying to him. He's my boss, but my personal life shouldn't be their business as well. Hindi ko sinasabi ito sa iba dahil ayaw kong pagtuunan ito ng pansin. I've got other reasons why, but if things went sideways, I have to think of some valid reasons to keep my life in Sicily a peaceful one.

My day on the office continues just like a normal day. Mabuti na lang ay hindi dumating si Fabio at guguluhin ang buhay ko. But from what I've seen the other day, mukhang hindi naman siya interesado na sa akin dahil may ibang buhay siyang mas gusto niyang pakinabangan. And that's fine for me. He's gotta do what he wants in life and I don't care about it.

Since he doesn't care about me, why would I care the same way?

Inayos ko na naman ang mga gamit ko. Hindi na naman ako nakapagpaalam kay Fabio since he's busy kaya naman sa desk clerk na lang ako nakapagpaalam. Hinintay ko naman si Jann sa labas at hindi rin naman nagtagal ay kinita na ako nito at saka kami tumuloy sa vespa.

"How's your day?" tanong nito sa akin.

I smiled. "Everything is great... so far."

"Oh, good, good," he said, nodding his head. "I hope you're not having any difficulties in your work."

Umiling naman ako. "No, so far, there's nothing I should worry about. Hopefully... nothing would stop me from working here. Well, except when I gave birth. That's almost less than two months so I'll be pushing a human out of the body."

Jann laughed. "Yeah, yeah! That would be awesome. I'm excited for you."

Inalalayan naman niya akong makaupo sa vespa saka siya pumwesto sa harapan ko. Kapit na kapit din naman ako sa braso niya nang paandarin niya ito. The ride was safe—hindi mabilis dahil nag-iingat din magmaneho si Jann. As soon as we got into the city papunta rin sa bahay ay may nakasalubong kaming pamilyar na kotse.

Agad kong iniwas ang tingin mul sa direksyon ng kotse na 'yon. Pinagmadali ko naman si Jann na magmaneho pero dahil hindi rin kakayanin na bilisan talaga iyon ay feeling maabutan pa rin ako nito. Nagtaka naman si Jann kung bakit pero hindi ko rin naman sinasabi sa kanya kung bakit.

Pero nang lingunin ko sa likod ko ay wala na iyong sasakyan niya. Pero saktong pagkaliko ni Jann ay bumungad sa amin ang kotse na nakasalubong lang namin kanina. Bigla ring napahinto si Jann sa pagmamaneho.

"Are you okay?" tanong nito sa akin.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," sagot ko sa kanya.

He was about to take over the car when the person inside the car who stopped in front of us get out of it. Jann was surprised seeing him as he recognizes him as the business partner of our company. Napalunok na lamang ako ng laway dahil hindi ko naman ine-expect na makikita ko siya ngayon.

I would do anything right now just to get away with it. Pero hindi rin ako makaalis sa kinauupuan ko. His eyes went straight to me and he look so mad. Inalalayan na rin akong bumaba ni Jann at handa na nitong ipagtanggol ang sarili, but he knows that he cannot fight against Jann or else he will lose his job on the vineyard.

"What are you doing?" Fabio straight forwardly asked me. Nagulat pa si Jann dahil imbis na siya ang kausapin nito ay sa akin siya dumiretsyo. "You shouldn't be riding on a vespa on your condition," he pointed out my growing belly.

Nagmatigas ako. As if he really cares, right?

"Jann's driving us safely," pagrarason ko pa. "It's not like we're racing to other cars or whatsoever. I'm safe and I've been doing this for the past few days and there's nothing wrong with it."

"Do you know how many people have gone into an accident riding on a motorbike? And you're pregnant. You should be more cautious."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.

"Vi conoscete entrambi?" Jann asked. (Both of you know each other?)

"Si," tipid na sagot ni Fabio. (Yes.)

Sa puntong iyon, napatingin si Jann sa mukha ko at bumaba sa tiyan ko. Bahagya niya iyong tinitigan saka niya inilipat ang atensyon kay Fabio saka muling ibinalik sa tiyan ko.

"He's not the father, Jann," pagrarason ko upang masagot ang kuryusidad na namumuo sa isipan niya.

"Oh, alright," he uttered, nodding his head.

"Hop in my car," utos ni Fabio sa akin.

Umiling ako. "No. I'm comfortable on Jann's vespa. I don't have to join you in your car. Jann can get me home and you can go wherever you like right now. You don't have to mind me—or whatever. You don't even care."

"I do care," his tone was so deep I can sense that he was serious with this negotiation.

"Tell that to those girls who you were with the other day," I muttered. I'm not sure if he heard it, but he could possibly read my lips. He's always good at it.

"You're pregnant and it's dangerous for you to keep doing that," paninindigan nito.

"And what else are you gonna do? Buy me a car?" I laughed.

"Do you want your own car?" he questioned.

I didn't answer, but Jann slowly raised his hand. "I would do anything for a new car." Pero hindi siya pinansin nito.

"Jann, I'll take Jacinta with me now," he looked at him.

"And why are you deciding it for me?" I questioned him. "Just like what I said, Jann's driving us safely."

But Jann looked at me. "I think you should go with Sir Fabrizio," he said.

"No, we'll be fine," sagot ko pa.

Pero si Jann na mismo ang nag-alis ng strap ng helmet ko sa akin at kinuha iyon. Saglit lang ay hinawakan na ni Fabio ang kamay ko at dinala niya ako sa tapat ng sasakyan niya. Pinagbuksan ako nito ng pinto at hinihintay na makapasok ako sa loob.

"Go on," he said. "I'll take you home."

Hindi niya pwedeng malaman kung saan ako nakatira. Kung wala akong choice, I might just let him drop me into Ale's bar.

"It's safe and better inside," he said. "Please get in the car so you could go home now and take a rest."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. Wala akong choice kung hindi ang pumasok sa loob ng sasakyan niya. That's only when Jann bid his goodbye and left us both. Fabio closed the door on my side and roam on the other side and get on the driver's seat.

As soon as he started that car, sinabi ko na lang sa kanya na ibaba niya ako sa bar ni Alessandro. Hindi siya nagbigay ng response sa akin or what. He just drive and as I recognize he wasn't going the same direction where Ale's bar is, I know he knows it, but he's driving on a different direction.

"This isn't the way to the bar, Fabio," I told him.

"I know," tipid nitong sagot.

"You're coming home with me."

"Huh?" I wondered. "I'm not coming home with you."

"You have no choice."

"I have," I said. "And that I decided not to come with you. Do you want me to speak in Tagalog or Italian so you could understand what I was saying?"

Hindi siya sumagot. Diretsyo lamang ang pagmamaneho niya. Kahit naman akong angal ang gawin ko, hindi niya ako sasagutin ng maayos. He would just put his attention driving until we reached his almost-mansion in Sicily. Hindi ko alam na may binili siyang bahay rito, but he explained he bought it a few years ago and only stayed there when he's wanting to relax and all. Napakayabang.

Automatic na bumukas ang engrandong gate. Nang makapasok din kami ay kusa itong sumara. Nang iparada ni Fabio ang sasakyan sa parking area kung saan may ilang sasakyan ro'n ay hindi ako kumilos kahit sinabi na niyang bumaba na kami. Nanatili ako sa kinauupuan ko at tila nagmatigas pa.

"I'm not leaving my seat," I told him. "I thought you'll bring me home so that's the only time I will get off this car."

"I will get you home later," he said. "For now, I'd like to invite you inside."

"I'm okay staying here," I replied, not even looking at him. "Why are you even doing this?"

Napangisi ito. He rests his hand on the steering wheel. "I'm not really sure if that baby is mine, but I'd like to make sure that I'm here to support you. Even if it's not mine at the end of the day—"

Ako naman ang napangisi sa sinabi niya. "And you would be happy that this wouldn't be yours so you could continue flirting with other girls just like what you did to me?"

"We didn't just flirt," he answered. "A lot of things happened between us and you know that."

Natahimik ako sa sinabi niya kasi kung tutuusin, tama siya. And I know for the fact that this is his child, but I'm not gonna make it easy for him if he wants to be part of this child's life. He was away for about eight months and he'll just show up just because he saw I was pregnant.

"Don't you want me to take the responsibility?" he asked, I didn't answer. "Most men wouldn't step up for it and here I am and you keep pushing me away."

"But that doesn't mean it's valid," I said.

"Come on, let's just go inside, and then I'll take you home later."

Bumaba na siya ng sasakyan at saka siya umikot sa tapat ng pinto sa tabi ko. Binuksan niya iyon at kinuha niya ang gamit ko. He was about to get my hand so he could assist me, but I just shove his hands away from me. We then walked inside the house. Hindi niya ako inunahan sa paglalakad kung hindi sinabayan pa niya ako. As soon as we get inside, the only thing I recognized that it was quiet and it seems like he's living alone here.

"Do you live here alone?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No..."

"Oh, you're living with your girl?" Ngisi ko pa.

"No," he answered. "There are house staffs... they should be elsewhere. But whatever, you can stay in the living room if you want or if you're hungry, you can go to the kitchen."

Napasimangot ako sa sinabi niya. "Hindi naman ako patay gutom, 'no. Buntis lang ako."

He chuckled. "I didn't say that. I'll be back in a second, I'll just get something in my room."

Iniwan niya akong mag-isa sa salas kung saan nagsimulang dumating naman ang mga house staff na tinutukoy ni Fabio. They were just serving me apple juices, wines, and other beverages. It was followed by some snacks which when was put on the table in front of mine, I didn't hesitate to grab some crackers and cheese on it.

And when I was eating, I thought about what Fabio and I could do. I'm not sure how this will go, but I hope letting him back in my life wouldn't be the biggest mistake of my life.

#BirthOfLiesInSicily #BOLISChapter5 #WTS9