30 Days with Fina by JellOfAllTrades

Chapter 26

I tidy myself up after sleeping beside Fina's bed and proceed to clean up the remnants of the midnight snack Fina and I ate last night.

Because we stayed up late, Fina is still asleep. And Tita Nani has already left us to do her work. I returned to my seat and yawned. I don't know if Fina felt my movements earlier but she soon opened her eyes.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." I greeted her.

"Good morning, glory." Fina chuckled.

"What?" I rubbed my still sleepy eyes and removed the so-called morning glory. "Ikaw din, hoy, may muta ka pa."

Fina rubbed her eyes too. "Ano ba yan, mutain pala tayo."

"Kakagising lang eh,"

"Ang sarap pala magising ng magkasama, noh?" Fina mused, sitting upright.

"Consider it a hospital perk," I answered, helping her stand up. Fina can go to the bathroom now provided that we help her walk the small distance and that we stay by the door at all times, ready to barge inside in case something goes wrong.

After doing her morning rituals, I assisted her back to bed and started to prepare her breakfast. Fina is still eating soft food so the usual oatmeal and soft bread are starting to bore her, so to make things a bit different, I decided to put some raisins in her oatmeal. She found this to be quite sweet and fun since she thought its funny to make stories about the raisins to be drowning flies--if I were that, I'd be disgusted to think that the food I'm eating is drowned flies. But I guess that's just Fina's way of coping up with the boredom.

While eating breakfast with her, my phone started to ring. Taking a peek at the name of the caller and seeing it's my brother, I rejected it, not wanting to look rude to Fina.

"Bakit di mo sinagot?" Fina asked.

"Si kuya lang naman. Pauuwiin lang ako nun para kausapin si Mamita." I answer.

My phone started to ring again and when I checked it, it's my mother. I stared at it, wondering why Mamita would want to talk to me and thought maybe they're with the family lawyers again.

"Sagutin mo na," Fina urged. "Baka importante."

Cursing myself internally for not being able to say no to Fina, I accepted the call and put the phone against my ear.

"Hello," I answered nonchalantly.

"Jellane, bakit di mo sinasagot yung tawag ng kuya mo?" Mom asked.

"Pinapakain ko si Fina, ma." I just answered.

"Okay lang ba kung iwan mo muna siya?" Mom asked. "Ngayon na kasi yung family reunion, hahanapin ka ng mga pinsan mo."

"Oh," Was my only response, facepalming at my error. This reunion is the very reason we went here for vacation and here I am forgetting about it.

"Umuwi ka na muna para makapag-ayos at saka ka humabol sa may Villa Paraiso okay?" Mom instructed. "Mauuna na kami doon at tayo ang host ngayong taon, magaayos pa kami."

"Formal ba tayo o casual?"

"Semiformal. Basta green ang isuot mo."

I nodded. "Okay, I'll be there later before lunch."

"Magiingat ka." And with that, the call ended.

I turned to face Fina and saw her still munching on her bread, looking at me questioningly.

"That was my mom," I said to her. "Pinapauwi niya ako kasi aalis na sila for the reunion later sa Villa Paraiso."

"Eh di uwi ka na. Okay lang naman ako dito eh."

"Wala kang kasama," I pointed out. "Naglalaba na si Tita Nani tapos namamasada si Tito."

"Okay lang naman ako magisa," Fina chuckled. "Sige na, punta ka na ng reunion niyo."

"Sure ka ha?"

"Ano ka ba, may nurses naman na pwedeng tumingin sakin saka etong tablet mo oh, andito pa." Fina pointed to Kier's tablet computer that I've lent to her. "Sige na, okay lang ako."

"Okay, pero babalik kaagad ako ng five."

"Jell, wag mong tinitipid ang oras mo kasama ang pamilya mo. Minsan na nga lang kayo mag-reunion aalis ka pang maaga." Fina lectured.

"Okay, fine. Seven o'clock ba pwede na ako umuwi?"

"Pwede naman na siguro."

"Eh di seven ako babalik dito."

"Umuwi ka kaya muna? Andito naman na si mama by then." Fina argued.

"Aba, ayaw mo na ba ako kasama?" I pouted.

"Loko," Fina pinched my nose and I leaned away. "Matulog ka din naman sa bahay niyo. Ginagawa mo akong dahilan para makapagtago ka sa Mamita mo eh."

"Hindi kita ginagawang dahilan," I said. "Mas gusto lang talaga kita kasama ngayon."

"Well, samahan mo muna yung family mo ngayon." Fina said. "Sige na, alis ka na."

"Tinataboy mo na ako ha!" I laughed.

Fina laughed, too. "Shoo! Layas! Alis!"

"Sige na, aalis na ako. Wag kang magkukulit dito ha?" I kissed her on the forehead. "Tawag ka kaagad ng nurse pag may nararamdaman. Ite-text ko si Tita para siya na magpakain sayo mamayang lunch."

"Kaya ko naman na eh," Fina pouted.

"Wag ka na makulit, tatawagan ko pa rin si tita."

Because she's still pouting, I kissed her again on the forehead and said goodbye.

I went back to the ancestral house and found it empty except for Manang Pacing who's busy sweeping the floor.

I made my way to my room and chose my clothes for the reunion later. While in the bathroom, I felt the absence of the old golden ring on my pinky finger when I absentmindedly tried to take it off, forgetting that I've already given it to Fina.

Looks like I'm going to take my time adjusting to its absence when I've been wearing that ring for years.

After changing to a plain green blouse topped with a blazer, jeans, and my black boots, I called for a tricycle to bring me to the Villa Paraiso, a hotel situated along the Maharlika Highway outside of the Calauag town proper.

When I got there, cars are already parked outside and you can see the crowd of people just outside the glass windows of the Villa's reception hall.

I prepared myself for the family greetings and then entered the premises.

There are about a couple hundred people inside the hall because the Folloso family tree can be dated back to the early 1900s and there are about twenty to eighty people in just one branch, identifiable by the color-coding.

Our branch of the family, wearing green is the Genaro-Folloso clan. Our great grandfather had about five children and the eldest is our grandfather, the husband of Mamita. The other siblings, I still haven't memorized their names but I do see them every reunion. The two of them are still alive and the other siblings have already passed away. But even though some of them are gone, their branch of the family is well represented, having had at least three children of their own so the Genaro-Folloso clan itself is already a good sixty or seventy people.

Our great grand uncle's family is represented by the color blue and their branch is around the number forty. There's also the red branch of the family with around sixty people and the smallest branch, the oranges who are only around thirty members since our great grand aunt there only had two children and those two children only had three children each.

I went to our clan and is welcomed by a loud roar as my cousins and second cousins saw me.

"Jellane!" Kuya Janus greeted me with a bear hug. He even ruffled my hair. "Ang laki mo na!"

"Maliit ka lang!" I chuckled, looking at our similar heights.

Kuya Janus is the firstborn son of uncle Rick, the eldest of mom's brothers. He took over the family's architectural firm after his father passed away due to liver complications ten years ago.

"Tingnan mo ito, pusong lalaki na, ay!" Kuya Rommel, held me by the shoulder. He's Uncle Ronnie's eldest son and Laurence's brother. Despite living in the neighboring town of Lopez, he hasn't visited us in Calauag that much because he is already busy preparing for the upcoming Mayoral elections. I suppose this reunion is a good way to reconnect family ties and possible election support.

"Kuya naman, walang ganyanan." I slapped his hands away because he wanted to tear my blazer away. Kuya Rommel just laughed at me.

Meanwhile, I said hi to my other cousins who just came from Laguna and Cavite.

"Jellane," Mom saw me and eyed my boots. "Bakit iyang boots mo ang suot mo?"

"What? Bagay naman ah?"

Mom shook her head. "Hindi ko talaga maintindihan ang style mo."

I chuckled. "Gwapo naman ako tingnan eh, okay na yan."

"Gwapo ka jan. Maganda ka." Mom insisted.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Gwapo ako and you can't do anything about it."

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. So subjective siya. Kung maganda ka para sakin, maganda ka. Wag ka na umangal." My mom argued with her lawyer's argument.

"Okay, okay." I chuckled again. She can be charming that way.

I mingled with my cousins and brothers who decided to start the party themselves. Kuya Ken has invaded the DJ's turntables and is scratching the party music away. Kier has joined the bar and is mixing his famous concoctions.

There was a pat on my shoulder and when I turned, I saw Mary holding a glass cocktail.

"You want?" She offered but I just shook my head, not wanting to return to the hospital drunk. "Wow, himala, tumanggi ka?"

"Baka malasing ako. Ayokong bumalik ng hospital na amoy alak." I explained.

"Sa hospital ka na tumira," Mary chuckled. "Lakas ng tama mo kay Ate Fina ah?"

"Kaibigan ko lang yun," I reached for a glass of ice tea on the table.

"Sure ka?" Mary teased, making her eyebrows dance at me.

"Wag niyo nga kaming gawan ng issue,"

Gerald came and placed a glass of brandy in front of me. "Drink, ate Jell."

"No, thank you." I pushed it away to Christian, our cousin from Laguna.

"Sino ba yang kinalolokohan nitong ni Jell at ayaw uminom?" Christian asked, taking the brandy.

"Si ate Fina, yung student gov president namin dati." Gerald answered.

"Ano, tinamaan ka?" Kuya Janus asked. "Balita ko playgirl ka sa Manila ah?"

"Tigilan niyo ako ha!" I objected, frowning at the attention.

"Dude, last Christmas halos laklakin mo lahat ng alak sa bahay." Christian said, recounting the Christmas our families spent together in Laguna. "Malakas nga talaga tama mo kung napatigil ka niyang uminom."

"Di naman ako tumitigil eh. Ayoko lang uminom kasi ayokong magamoy alak ako sa kaibigan ko." I explained. "Respeto na lang sa kanya kasi may sakit sa liver tapos eto ako magiinom? No way, bro."

"Kelan ka pa natutong rumespeto?" Kuya Rommel joked that made us all laugh.

"Gago, kuya. Walang ganyanan!"

"Mukhang nagkakatuwan kayo jan ah?" Mom came and tapped my shoulder. "Jell, hanap ka ni Mamita."

Everyone in our table jeered at that.

"Hinahanap na ang paboritong apo!" Kuya Janus cheered, earning a good laugh from my other cousins.

"Ayoko, ma." I answered to my mother.

"Sige na, Jell. Ilang araw na siyang tanong ng tanong tungkol sayo."

"Then let her be," I replied. "I don't want to talk to her until she takes back the plan to sabotage those innocent people."

"Jellane,"

"Ma, please. Not now."

Mom looks at me but I kept my word and drank my iced tea. She left afterward and I just saw her talk to Mamita at the other table.

"What was that for?" Christian asked.

"Ginalit ni ate Jell si Mamita," Rence answered.

"Actually, ako yung galit." I corrected him. "Nagiinarte lang si Mamita."

"Alam mo, ikaw lang nakakasuway kay Mamita," Kuya Janus pointed out. "Di namin yan magawa eh. Whatever she says, we do."

"And that's exactly what made me her favorite," I said, taking a sip of my ice tea and partly wishing it's alcoholic. "Ako lang ang matigas ang ulo na hindi sumusunod sa sinasabi niya."

"Lakas ng loob eh." Mary said. "Walang takot mawalan ng mana!"

They jeered again at what Mary said.

"Mayaman na kasi kaya walang takot kay Mamita!" Christian added. "Balita ko nagiinvest na siya sa stock exchange eh."

"Oh?" Kuya Rommel asked, surprised.

I glared at Christian. I told him about that gig a few months ago and it's true that the money I'm earning is from the stock exchange but not all of it. I've decided to give my friend's idea of a bar a shot and I've been earning fair good money with it. I've learned how to play my money and I'm doing great.

"Tigilan niyo na ako, pwede?" I asked again, uncomfortable with the attention.

"Pero seryoso, Jell. Parang ang laki ng pinagbago mo." Christian said.

"Ano naman?"

"Well, di ka na umiinom." He pointed out my glass of ice tea. "Tapos wala kang girlfriend at the moment."

"Kung hindi niya nga talaga girlfriend si ate Fina," Gerald said and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Nagsisimba na din pala siya," Mary added. "Tatlong linggo na yan magkasunod na nagsisimba dahil kay ate Fina."

"Dude, ang ganda pala ng epekto ng kaibigan mo sayo." Kuya Janus said, hitting me lightly on the arm.

I just smiled at them and thought, yeah, she really did do me good.

Later after the reunion, I returned to the hospital sobber, which is the first time in years since I always go all out on parties. I found Fina sleeping on her bed, the Rubik's cube solved beside her.

Taking the Rubik's cube, I looked at all sides and felt a smile seeing it done. She took her time trying to solve it and here it is.

I lean forward and gave Fina a kiss on the forehead because I felt proud not just for her solving the cube but also for making me less of a bad person I was when I first came back to Calauag.