"Ate Robin." Napatalon ako sa gulat ng may yumakap sa akin sa beywang.
    "Baby Love, you startled me." Yumuko ako para halikan siya sa noo. She's really energetic in the morning. "You're early today."
    "Because I smell something delicious. You cooked?" She looked at me innocently.
Binaba ko ang hawak kong sandok and I lift her to the table.
     "What do you want for breakfast? Hmm." I smell her baby scent na kinahiligan ko ng gawin sa kanya. "Ang bango-bango ng baby Love namin ah." And she giggled. Aww! She's adorable.
     "Pancakes. I want pancakes ate Robin."
     "Noted Ma'am. Just stay put and watch me making your pancakes, okay."
Hinanda ko na ang mga naluto kong hotdogs, bacon at French toasted sa mesa, bago ko sinunod ang pancakes ni Lovely. She was very happy looking at the pancakes that I made.
    "I missed your cooking ate. Why pala? Where's Nanay? I don't see her around."
Sunod-sunod niyang tanong habang buhat-buhat ko siya papuntang dining.
     "She's not here baby for the meantime. Because Nanay Ersa needs to leave us to take good care of Tatay Fernando. You remember him?" Binalingan ko ito ng tingin dahil bigla itong nanahimik sa tabi. Yun pala ay dahil mukhang iniisip niya kung naalala niya si Tatay. "Babe, I think you forgot Tatay Fernando."
      "I know him, I just can't remember his face." She pouted.
     "Of course, you won't remember his face, because you are still young that day when Tatay visited us here. But don't worry, he'll visit us soon if he's finally recover."
     "Bakit hindi nagpaalam si Nanay sa akin?"
     "Dahil po you're still sleeping." Lalagyan ko na sana ang plato niya ng pancakes when she glared at me.
Uh-oh! I know that look. Nangangamoy tampo na naman ito.
     "I can manage ate Robin. You don't have to put pancakes in my plate because I can do it with myself." She's not in the good mood.
     "Babe, ayaw lang kitang gisingin. Tsaka si Nanay ang nagsabi nun, hindi ako." I glanced at her but no response from her. "Mamamasyal pa naman sana tayo mamaya kaso mukhang you don't want to go."
I smiling widely when she looked at me with her hopeful gaze.
      "I'm not mad at you ate Robin. Bati tayo diba?"
I want to suppress a laugh but I can't baka magtampo ulit. Ang kyut kasi ng bunso namin. But I stopped myself to form a smile in my face to act like I'm still sad.
      "Are you sure? I thought your mad at me." Mas pinalungkot ko pa ang boses ko at mukhang effective naman ito sa kanya.
     "I'm sorry ate. But I'm okay now if you bring me to the park. I want to go for a picnic. Yey! I'm super excited."
Wala na akong magawa when she kissed me on the cheek. Napangiti nalang akong pinagmamasdan siyang kumakain ng pancakes.
Lumipas ang ilang minuto when the two persons sit beside me and Lovely.
     "Good morning ate Jane. Morning Love. Ang aga niyo naman."
     "Ang aga niyo ring nagising. Past 8 am na."
     "Good morning to you too, ate Nic and baby bunso." Singit sa usapan ni Lourd.
     "Morning ate Ruth and Kuya John. Let's eat na po. Si ate Robin ang nagluto ng breakfast." She said happily.
Nagtatakang tumingin sa akin ang dalawa.
     "Just eat guys, Nanay Ersa is not here for the meantime. May aasikasuhin lang sa province nila kaya siya umalis kanina." Magsasalita sana si Gwyneth but I didn't let her to talked. "You're sleeping kaya hindi na siya nakapagpaalam sa inyo. Now, let's eat and finish everything in the table."
~*~
Busy'ng-busy kami sa paghahanda ng gagamitin namin sa picnic nang may narinig kaming nagdodoorbell.
Kumunot ang noo ko habang nakatingin sa labas. Wala naman kaming bisita na darating ngayon.
     "Do you have a visitor today, guys?" I asked them curiously.
Nagkatinginan pa silang tatlo bago umiling. Napabuntong hininga akong naglakad palabas ng pinto para buksan ang gate. I don't really expecting a visitor today.
Ramdam ko namang sumunod ang mga kapatid ko sa akin. Sino naman kaya ito?
Binuksan ko ang maliit na pinto ng gate. May nakita akong babeng nakatalikod sa amin kaya hindi ko masyadong mamukhaan.
     "Ehem. Excuse me po---" I was surprised and shocked when she faced me.
What is she doing here?
     "Hello Miss Alexander. Good morning." Nakangiting bati nito sa akin. Really?
     "Ate Robin, you know her po?"
     "W-What are doing here, Ma'am Boa?" I stammered.
     "It's Miss Boa for you Miss Alexander, we are not inside the university."
Bossy, right? That's why I hate her, really. Tapos nandito siya sa mismong harap ng bahay namin. Goodness! Masisira na naman ang araw ko dahil sa kanya.
      "Ate Nic, she's your teacher?" Lourd curiously asked me.
They're looking at me in disbelief. Tapos ginatungan pa ng isang ito.
      "Apparently, yes. I'm her teacher. Hi, I'm Zamara Boa Hancock, your ate's professor. Nice to meet you all." She genuinely smiled.
Napairap ako sa tinuran niya. Tsk, mapagpanggap. Bait-baitan sa harap ng mga kapatid ko tapos bossy kapag ako ang kaharap. People nowadays nga naman!
     "Ate Jane, you didn't do anything wrong, right?"
I looked at Gwyneth while raising my eyebrow to her.
     "No, I didn't do anything wrong."
     "Then, explain yourself why your professor is here."
Hindi talaga nila ako titigilan nito at pinagmukha pa akong may ginawang mali sa school. Akala ko ba sa Monday pa ang simula ng review, then why is she here. And to think that she's in front of my house makes me annoyed.
     "Me neither, I don't have any idea why she's here." Walang gana kong sabi at binalingan ang babaeng amused na amused kaming pinapanood. "Ma'am--"
She cut me off, again. "Miss, Miss Alexander. I don't want to repeat myself."
     "Fine." I said in annoyed tone. "Miss Boa, sa Monday pa ang unang araw ng review natin so what brought you here in this early morning in front of my house. Are you not busy?"
     "Oh yes, gusto ko sanang ngayon na simulan yung review para mas maaga tayong magkapaghanda, kaso mukhang wrong timing yata ako dahil may lakad yata kayo."
     "You were right, wrong timing po kayo ngayon Miss Boa. It's our family date every weekends."
Seryoso akong nakatingin sa kanya. Ngayon ko lang napansin na naka-civilian lang pala siya. I can't help myself from being mesmerized by her beauty. Sinungaling ako kung sasabihin kong hindi ako nagagandahan sa kanya. Ang ganda niya para maging isang professor at mukhang hindi naman naglalayo ang edad namin.
Ngayon ko lang siya natitigan ng matagal kaya nang mapatingin ito sa direksyon ko ay nagtama ang mata naming dalawa and then she smiled devilishly. Ramdam kong uminit ang pisngi ko nung mahuli niya akong nakatitig sa kanya.
Gosh! Lupa lamunin mo na ako ngayon. Nakakahiya ka Nico Robin Jane! Fixed yourself. You looked like you gogo gaga over her.
     "Sorry for the inconvenience, akala ko kasi you're free today. See you on Monday nalang. Nice meeting you all." Tumalikod na siya pero napahinto nang tawagin siya ng kapatid ko.
     "Ate Zamara, wait!" Lovely stop her.
What are you doin', babe? And she called her 'ate'?
NO WAY!
     "Yes?" Nakangiting baling ni Miss Boa sa kapatid ko na ngayo'y nakalapit na sa kanya.
     "You can join us, ate Zamara. We're going for a picnic and I'm sure you gonna love it."
Naipalo ko nalang ang palad ko sa noo ko. There she goes, again. Kapag gusto niya talaga, masusunod yun for sure.
Tumingin naman si Miss Boa sa amin or should I say, sa akin. Mukhang nanghihingi ng permiso. Really? Huh! Buti marunong pala siya nun.
Hindi ko sana papayagan when my two siblings agreed to Lovely's decision. No choice na naman ako. Kapag humindi ako, magmumukha akong kontrabida sa kanila.
Pilit ang ngiti na binigay ko. "Yeah sure, babe." Pagpayag ko pero nakatingin ng seryoso sa babaeng malaki ang ngiti ngayon. I rolled my eyes.
Inakay ni Love papasok si Miss Boa pero huminto ito saglit sa akin and she whispered na nagpahinto ng paghinga ko panandalian.
     "Don't rolled your eyes on me, again. Or I'll punished you. Big time."
Naging tuod ako sa kinatatayuan ko. Bakit iba yata ang pagkaintindi ko sa sinabi niya or it's just me imagining things.
Ugh! She won, again. But next time, ako naman ang mananalo. Huh! Akala niya porque professor ko siya.
Nasa byahe na kami papuntang Lamesa Ecopark na palagi naming pinupuntahan kapag nagpipicnic kami nila Mama at Papa. Si Miss Boa ang nagdadrive dahil kotse niya ang gamit namin. Nag-volunteer siya eh tutal naka-fortuner naman siya at umagree na rin ako dahil tinamad din akong magdrive.
Sobrang tahimik naming dalawa. Plano ko kasi sa backseat ako uupo at si Gwyneth or Lourd nalang dito sa passenger seat. Naunahan nila akong pumasok sa backseat kaya wala na naman akong nagawa kundi ang umupo sa passenger seat, katabi ni Miss Boa.
     "I'm sorry if I ruined your day. Ayaw ko naman talagang sumama kasi family day niyo." Pagpapaumanhin niya. Then, why did you answered yes? I wanted to asked her that. Masyado ng bulok iyang style niya. "Kaso lang I can't say no to your siblings, especially to Lovely. She's just too adorable to reject her invitation."
Napalingon ako sa kanya dahil sa narinig ko. Lumingon rin siya at ngumiti. That smile is genuine. So, hindi naman pala siya masyadong masama. Ngumiti nalang ako pabalik because I don't want to be rude to her.
     "Ate Robin, did you cooked my favorite spaghetti?" Out of nowhere na tanong ni bunso.
I ruffled her hair. "Of course, baby. I won't forget your favorite." I said fondly.
She stretched her arms to hug me. "Thank you ate. You're the best." Then kissed me three times in the cheek.
     "Always, babe."
Bumalik na siya sa pag-upo. Nakangiti pa rin ako dahil masaya ako na masaya ang mga kapatid ko. But that smile fade away when I felt someone's staring at me.
Tumingin ako sa kaliwa ko, nakangiting nakatingin sa akin si Miss Boa tapos binalik muli ang tingin niya sa daan. What was that? May nararamdaman akong kakaiba sa puso ko dahil sa ngiting iyon. And I suddenly felt excited knowing I'm going to spend the entire day with her.
Did I really say that?
Pinagsawalang-bahala ko nalang ang nasa isip ko at hindi na muling tumingin pa sa babaeng katabi ko. She will be my disaster if maattached ako ng sobra sa kanya especially my siblings.
This will be the last time that I will let her control everything.