For Sophia, there were many other things that she wanted to share. Hatred, anger, wonder—for the whole time, thinking, why they hid such secrets from her. And disgust too—disgust at herself for falling in love with someone who was actually so closely related to her. But she was a victim here. Just like everyone else. Surely.
In the afternoon, Sophia lay in bed with a million things clamoring for attention. She wished to have her element—that tower of strength that would thrust her through everything, especially in her tough times. Desperately for her, she hadn’t grasped it yet. She was still that girl who couldn’t find her way out from the shell of emotional vulnerability. She knew it to herself. It was her weakness, her frustration. But she was fighting for it.
The urge to leave hit her. She needed to keep herself away from things and people who had been causing her too much burden and sorrow. She needed tranquility, some place where she could not think of things too hard, and the subdivision’s park was the first thing she could think of. It was green and quiet—the best spot to loosen up a bit, and it was only a walk away. Just for a while.
The park was crowded, which she never expected. Olympus Heights was picked by some non-government organizations to conduct their monthly fund-raising program because it was free and wide enough to accommodate a pile of ice cream trucks and other business vehicles, in line. And foreign visitors, too.
“Want a ride?” A boy distracted Sophia as she was walking down the narrow sidewalk.
“No, thanks.” Sophia gave the boy a smile. It seemed he was reaching puberty.
“Oh, pardon my son, miss!” A female voice resonated somewhere, and Sophia saw a red-headed woman in a large t-shirt.
“Oh, no problem about it.” Sophia beamed, in return.
“Mike, come on. Let’s go.” The woman asked his son to step on the pedal and gazed back at Sophia. “Tina, by the way!”
Straightaway, Sophia extended her hand but the woman’s hand was somewhat wet. “Sophia. My name’s Sophia.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Sophia. I’m from Block 20.”
“Me too, ma’am. I’m from Block 1,” Sophia said, and she realized she ought not to reveal her address. It might seem demeaning.
There was hierarchy in their village. Just like every place in the country—most likely a practice that originated since the Spanish regime in the archipelago, although it was reformed when the Americans took over. The location of blocks in the heights separated the high-income earners from the low-income earners, having Block 1 as the starting point for the richest.
At this, Sophia felt sorry the moment she had said it. But to her surprise, it wasn’t a big deal for the woman. And she was, in fact, bestowing her a wide smile.
“Are you waiting for your boyfriend?” The woman then asked, as she noticed some teenage guys walking around the park.
“Oh, no! I’m not here for a date or something. I’m here for fresh air.”
“I see. Well, then. I guess we have to leave now.” She nodded and left with her boy.
Sophia was gracious and continued walking, watching the other little boys playing soccer and the hyperactive girls being chased by their moms across the green lawn. Then she felt her stomach turn sour, and a Japanese eating place grabbed her senses. It looked red and white, just like the colors of the said country’s flag.
She went over the listed meals and they seemed to be very affordable. Katsudon, cha soba, sushi, onigiri furukake, Sophia read them in mind.
“Hello! Your order, please,” the vendor asked and obviously, he was Japanese.
Sophia didn’t expect that a real Japanese guy would be the one selling, but he seemed nice and accommodating so she played along. “Um, can I have this oni…giri furu…kake?” Sophia was evidently careful in saying the dish’s name. “And sushi please…” But with the second one, she was absolutely assured and confident.
“Sure, ma’am!” The vendor responded in pleasure. “And your drinks?”
Sophia went through the list again. “Um, just some iced red tea, please.”
While paying, Sophia looked at the other customers enjoying their every bite. They were seated in plastic stalls and they seemed quite happy with their meal.
“Here’s your onigiri and sushi, ma’am!” The vendor handed her a couple of Styrofoam packs and placed them in a brown bag.
Sophia received it with one hand, and with her other hand, she clasped her paper cup with red tea. Quickly she went looking for a seat but the benches nearby were already occupied. The Japanese eatery must have been a blockbuster. Then she made her way to the other benches in the park, about a hundred feet away, and found one vacant spot.
The sushi stirred her palate first, and she was on her way for her first bite, when a guy suddenly shadowed her.
“Can I have a taste of that?” he asked.
Sophia paused long enough, then she tilted her chin to face him. She knew, right away, that the voice was Enzo’s. Seeing him, she almost dropped her pair of chopsticks. He had a new haircut and he looked charismatic this time.
“Enzo! How…?”
He didn’t wait for her to complete her words and said, “Actually, I just spent an hour looking for you. You were not answering my phone calls.” Then he joined her on the bench, uninvited.
“How did you know I’m here?” Sophia tried not to look disappointed. She liked Enzo, but at this point, she needed to be alone. And he was here now. What choice did she have? She wasn’t a snob, after all.
“I went to your house. Your dad told me you went out and then I asked around.” Enzo was speaking with too much confidence that prompted Sophia act more accommodating, especially with the thought that he went looking for her.
“Ah!” She was stunned. “Why don’t you join me then?” she said, and Enzo volunteered to feed her, trying to be romantic.
“Take a big bite, Sophia!” He demanded when her bites became too small and too slow.
Somehow, Sophia couldn’t afford to look straight into his eyes, for too many reasons. Surely, guilt was one of them, for she was using him to get Jericho out of her thoughts.
“Hey, everything’s all right?” Enzo elbowed her, and Sophia plainly noticed the huge difference between him and Jericho. Jericho had never elbowed her like that before. He was usually careful about touching her. But this Enzo, he seemed to be that kind of always-on-the-go guy, an extrovert—Jericho’s exact opposite.
“I think I should go home.” Sophia then pushed forward, feeling something was truly wrong. She knew Enzo was a good guy. He deserved better than this.
“Come on. We’re not yet done eating.” Enzo held her arm to stop her.
Sophia leaned back again, with the impulse to speak the truth, but she was caught up in a series of doubts and attempts.
“Can we take a walk?” she said, after a while. Enzo knew then she was about to open something like a Pandora’s box.
“No problem.”
As they walked along the pile of blue Passion flowers, Sophia was starting to assemble her sentence.
“Is this about your ex?” Enzo advanced.
Sophia knew he was pertaining to Giovanni. He was clueless yet, about Jericho. “Apparently, no.” Sophia made an effort in saying it.
“Well, what is it all about?” He paused to face her.
Sophia also went to a halt and avoided his stare. “Remember what I told you that I’m kind of adopted?” she spoke, still not looking at him. “I think you ought to know that Giovanni is not my first boyfriend.”
Enzo’s face reddened. He was obviously showing displeasure, but Sophia had to keep on.
“It happened that my first boyfriend is actually a half-brother, a cousin to be exact.” Teardrops suddenly streamed down her face. She didn’t want him to see her that way, but it was unavoidable.
Enzo lingered, standing silent and completely surprised. He didn’t know how to react.
“I’m so sorry, Enzo. I hope you can forgi
ve me.” Sophia was more than regretful but she felt clean, now that she had told him.
“It’s okay. None of it is your fault.” To Sophia’s dismay, it seemed it wasn’t that much of a big deal to him.
“No, you don’t get it!” She retaliated, as if she was one of the little girls in the park.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, God…” Sophia pressed her forehead as if it would lessen the tension. “Yesterday, after I knew everything, I didn’t know what to do. And then, you called.” Sophia was shaking now.
As for Enzo, he still seemed clueless. “That was why you wanted to have a drink…?” At least he was starting to connect the details.
“Can’t you see? I’m very selfish!” Sophia now faced him with a dare. “I asked you yesterday to see me because I didn’t know how to handle everything. Can’t you see that I used you?” Sophia felt embarrassed the second she’d finished.
For a moment or two, he was still. Then he said, “Don’t you see that I’m madly in love with you?”
Oh heavens, he was making a mess out of this. His feedback staggered her. He was supposed to be hating her, but it was the other way around.
“You make me the happiest guy, Sophia. And I don’t care if you’re using me. After all, romance has ruined more lives than wars.”
“What?” Sophia was puzzled, even more.
“I mean I don’t care, Sophia. And what I ask from you right now is… for you to learn to love me back.” Enzo steadied his eyes on her. “Let’s give it a try, shall we?”
Frozen, Sophia’s mind turned blank. Enzo was now the one offering her a ticket to leave her past with Jericho. He could be her friend… and her lover, too.
CHAPTER 15
________________________________________________________ † ________________________________________________________
thE welcome FOR jericho
It’s your fault. You gave him the chance to enter your life, now you have to pay the price, Sophia’s conscience was scolding her, as she was seated beside Enzo in his truck. He was taking her home now, after the stroll in the park, and Sophia was still wondering how she and Enzo became officially lovers. She was, by now, trapped in Enzo’s seeming appetite to own her.
“Whose truck is that?” Enzo asked her when he saw the black Ford truck in the driveway.
“I don’t know.” Sophia wondered too, looking at the strange vehicle. It seemed totally new.
“You must have a visitor,” he said.
Sophia didn’t provide him with any response, and she couldn’t wait to imprison herself in her bedroom and to regret all the things she’d been doing.
The moment Enzo stopped the engine, Sophia didn’t glance at him. She was still in shock... and full of regrets.
Minutes passed, and there were still no words from her, and this tempted Enzo to play the nasty roles.
“Aren’t you gonna invite me in for at least a glass of water?” he challenged her.
Sophia turned even more quiet, nodding half-heartedly. She seemed under his spell and she couldn’t say no. She felt helpless.
They walked through the quiet pavement with their strides resounding. And Sophia… if only she could read Enzo’s plans once they get inside the house. Certainly she was scared. Scared he would announce to everyone that they got hitched. How would they react? Especially her brother Alex? She knew great walls were bordering each of them.
When they got to the main door, Sophia dropped in, bursting with shock upon seeing Jericho in the living room, talking with every member of her family, including Grandma Lucy.
Philippe and the rest of the family were disconcerted, but they seemed to have adjusted themselves for the situation.
Seeing Jericho with her entire family nearly made Sophia’s heart leap out from her body. Jericho’s face was poised. It seemed they just had a warm and welcoming conversation.
“Hello. Are you Enzo?” Grandma Lucy paced fast, towards them. She acted way too hospitable to Sophia’s new companion.
Sophia gazed at every member of the family, full of questions, trying hard to ask silently with her hard, intense gaze. She wanted to begin asking, why was Jericho there. But how silly of her to inquire—knowing he was actually a son of her father. The scene was far too disturbing. And heartbreaking.
“Sophia, honey, I believe you haven’t introduced your new friend yet.” Grandma Lucy chirped.
Apparently, Sophia’s gaze was focused on Jericho, and soon, she felt she would pass out. She wasn’t ready for this, a fast turn of events. And each time, she’d drawn a blank.
“Sophia!” Grandma Lucy repeated.
At last Sophia was alerted and shook her head, her eyes blinking rapidly. “Yes!” she responded, just from the aftermath of realizing Jericho was, indeed, inside the house. “Grandma, this is Enzo. Enzo, meet grandma.” Undeniably, Sophia was in emotional turmoil. It turned out worse when Enzo had called her peaches, a nickname she didn’t find sweet, rather she found it sickening.
Everyone was not surprised, and this shocked Sophia. It was as if everyone liked Enzo for her. What is this? A planned move? She asked herself silently, while at the paramount of pretending everything was acceptable… and normal.
But, it was Jericho’s confident display of himself that horrified Sophia tremendously. Did he just get over from everything we had? Why didn’t he react about Enzo? Am I nothing to him now? Sophia shut her eyes close, so tight, and forced herself to calm down for the situation, while Enzo was there. She didn’t want, of course, to be impolite. Somehow, he was still a visitor and oh heaven help, her new boyfriend. She couldn’t even look at him whenever the word popped into her head.
“Oh! Enzo, sweetheart, would you like to join us for dinner?” Grandma Lucy then offered, looking strangely at Sophia, and it added more stress to her. It was like the living room only revolved around Sophia, Enzo, Jericho, and Grandma Lucy, and the rest served as secondary characters.
Enzo agreed to the offer, as his own portrayal of nobility. Having a pleasing personality was now mandatory, to make good impressions.
Face afire, Sophia was silently refusing, her stomach rebelling against all that was happening. If only Jericho wasn’t in the house, she could play cool with this, but his unexpected appearance seemed to be her very poison ivy. She couldn’t react, and what’s more was… Enzo was still not in good terms with Alex.
What is this? A festivity for the lost, unknown son? Sophia thought while she was now seated beside Enzo in a table full of people. And Jericho got his own chair, facing them.
“So Enzo, why don’t you tell us something about you?” Grandma Lucy commenced as everyone began serving themselves. It seemed the diverse culinary menu captured everyone’s eye, except Sophia’s. Her head was drifting somewhere else, wondering how Jericho could pretend to be calm about all of this. And everyone, as well.
“Well, I…” Enzo was clearing his throat for the right words. He had to blend in. One unpleasant talk, and he would be out. Out of Sophia’s life.
“Call me Lucy, by the way.” Grandma Lucy slanted a friendly smile at him.
“Tell us something about your parents,” Philippe intervened as though Enzo was on a hot seat.
“My parents are into business, sir. We’re into managing hotels and restaurants.” Enzo fairly knew the details to share so as to keep along with the Vabuerettis.
“That’s very interesting!” Grandma Lucy looked at him as if it was great news.
“And his family owns that Filipino restaurant we stopped by at the Eighth Avenue,” Elizabeth told Philippe, and this turned Enzo’s ego a notch higher, even as it irritated Alex.
“Yes, ma’am. My father is a Filipino,” he said.
“But you don’t look Asian?” Nadine snooped, attempting to intersect with the older people’s boulevards of chatter, but this made the adults feel bumpy with her frankness.
A wide smile
was Enzo’s initial and ensuing response. He simply stared at everyone and said, “I’m adopted.”
Sophia nearly choked in disbelief. So he was adopted too, and he hadn’t told her, beforehand. She risked a look into Enzo’s eyes. She felt really disappointed and mad but it was childish of her to question him, knowing they’d only known each other in a few days.
“All right, who wants some cake? I just made it this morning,” Elizabeth then offered and headed to the kitchen. It was too early for a dessert, but everybody seemed in need of something sweet anyway, especially now that the situation was turning bitter.
As the talk lingered, with Enzo as the center of attention, Sophia couldn’t, by far, avoid taking a look at Jericho, who seemed quite interested in listening to Enzo. Watching everyone, it seemed they had moved on and had been forgiving towards the secrets and lies of yesteryears. And as she watched her siblings, seated in a row opposite her—Nadine seated between Alex and Jericho—it was suddenly clear to her, now, that she was the real outsider. She couldn’t wait for the dinner to end so that she could run to her bedroom and weep and weep.
“Sophia, honey, are you on a diet? Your plate seems untouched.” Grandma Lucy stirred her, and Enzo rescued her by putting at least a piece of fresh lettuce and a few pieces of tomatoes on her plate.
“I assume you’re a vegan,” he whispered, trying to be caring.
“Oh, so sweet. Is this some kind of romantic movie or something?” Again, Nadine rolled some comments but she was genuinely pleased for her sister.
Sophia couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. It was too much, now that Jericho was smiling mysteriously from across the table. This wasn’t what she asked for. Anyhow, she was able to thank Enzo in the lowest tone she could muster.
“By the way, Jericho will start working in our hospital this Monday,” Philippe announced, with some visible excitement in his eyes but with some sense of woe for Sophia. Too bad Jericho would now be linked to her like the lace to the shoe.
“Is he gonna live with us here?” Nadine asked her parents in anticipation.
The Forest of Evergreen: Found in the Wilderness Page 10