Sheena's POV
I fidget with the hem of my denim jacket as a nervous knot tightens in my stomach. We're here at the Apuli's because tito invited me and my best friends to his birthday party. Sabi niya uuwi raw ang mga pamangkin at kapatid niya from US. I thought I'd be dealing with Gwen's brother lang pero mukhang mapapalaban ako ngayon.
"Okay, breathe, Sheena. It's just a birthday party. But not just any birthday party. It's Gwen's dad's, and let's just say Gwen's family can be...intense." I told myself and roamed around the place.
Hindi naman masyadong feeling close 'yong mga kaibigan ko kaya mas nauna pa silang dumating kesa sa akin na daughter-in-law ni tito.
A shadow falls over me. I look up to see Gwen's older brother, Valfer, looming. He's built like a linebacker and has a perpetually skeptical expression etched on his face.
"Oh, you're here, Gwen's ... uh .... friend?" His tone is flat, devoid of warmth. Kung si Lord nagpapatawad at nakakalimot sa mga kasalanan, itong kuya naman ni Gwen mukhang hindi.
I forced a smile. "Hi, Valfer. I'm finally Gwen's girlfriend. Alam na nila tito, ikaw nalang ang hindi pa nakakaalam." I informed him.
"Don't call me Valfer. Close ba tayo?" Masungit niyang sabi sa akin.
I gulped. "O-okay, bayaw."
"Mag-uusap pa tayo, Sheena. For now, I'll let my sister do whatever she wanted to do. Pero kapag sinaktan mo siya, alam mo na. I'm just looking out for my sis, you know?" He leans in closer, his voice dropping to a low growl.
He laughed when he noticed that I felt stiffed. "Loosen up. Nasa backyard sila with your friends and my cousins. Don't disappoint me."
I shallowed hard, the lump in my throat growing larger. Great. Just what I needed, Gwen's overprotective brother breathing down my neck.
A group of girls, Gwen and her cousins, approaches, their laughter tinkling like wind chimes. They're all stunning - tall, with flawless complexions and impossibly chic outfits pero mas maganda pa rin bebe ko. Mapapalaban talaga ako sa English nito!
Gwen immediately went to me. "Hi, love." she greeted with a sweet smile.
A girl arched an eyebrow. "You must be Sheena. Gwen talks about you...a lot. I'm Isabel."
"Hope you can handle our Gwen. She can be a bit of a handful." the other girl flipped her long black hair.
"O-Oh, believe me, I can handle Gwen. It's the rest of her family that scares me." I told them honestly. Bigla akong naconscious sa grammar ko.
But suddenly, a booming voice cuts through the tension. It's Gwen's dad, his smile as wide as the lechon on the table. "Sheena, you made it! Halika, maraming pagkain plus I rented a karaoke."
"Happy birthday, dad! Ah .. I mean, tito. Happy birthday, tito!" I smiled sheepishly as he throws an arm around both Gwen and I, ushering us towards the table. Tita approached us and gave me a hug, welcoming me to their salo-salo.
Thank goodness for Gwen and her parents. They are the only one who seems genuinely happy to see me.
The rest of the day is a whirlwind of awkward encounters with Valfer's watchful gaze and the cousins' playful jabs. But amidst the chaos, I catches Gwen's eye across the room. Gwen winks and I took it as a silent message of support and affection.
Gwen may have a tough family, but she's worth it. And hey, maybe I can win them over, one goofy dance competition at a time.
As the night progresses, I find myself surprisingly relaxed. I even managed to hold myself in a dance competition with a group of Gwen's titas. The music is a combination of 80s pop and traditional Filipino folk songs.
I looked at Valfer and saw that he looks mildly impressed with that small crack in his stoic facade. Maybe Gwen's family isn't so bad after all. They just take a little getting used to.
After some time, napagod na rin ang mga matatanda kaya kami-kami nalang ang andito including Gwen's cousins, my best friends, and Valfer. Nasa iisang long table lang kami habang busy nagkakaraoke ang iba. Her dad gave us red wines pero ni isa, walang gumagalaw. Nahihiya rin siguro ang mga kaibigan ko.
"Col, sabihin mo na kasi na inom na tayo tapos isang baso lang ang gagamitin para umiikot." Maloi whispered to Colet.
"Ikaw na! Paano sasabihin in English 'yon?" Colet whispered back. "Uy, Mikhs baka alam mo?" Colet added.
"Hmm, you can just say 'please pass the glass to whom it may concern.'" she smirked kaya siniko ko siya.
"Hindi, sabihin mo 'the glass in the bus go round and round, round and round all through the town' o kaya 'let's drink clockwise'." Natatawang sabi ko sa kanila.
"What are you guys talking about?" I heard one of Gwen's cousin asked.
My best friends fell in silence kaya sa akin sila nakatingin. "Ah ano ... " I took a deep breath and looked at Gwen, nakangiti pa siya sa akin na parang nang-aasar. "Ano .. in light of a deficiency of essential resources notably glassware, the cultural norms governing the Filipino drinking ritual prescribe a procedure wherein a solitary receptable is employed. Now, this practice necessitates a sytematic passing of the vessel among participants in a sequential manner conforming to a predetermined clockwise trajectory subsequent to each individuals partaking in the libation. Actually, this prescribed protocol emerges as a pragmatic response to the prevailing shortage underscoring really the community's adaptability and resourcefulness amidst material constraints. This Filipino drinking tradition not only addresses the pragmatic necessity stemming from the dearth of resources but also fosters a sense of communal solidarity and cohesion by adhering to the practice of utilizing a singular glass and passing it among participants in ritualistic manner the tradition and genders a palpable atmosphere of shared camaraderie and mutual support. That is communal act of partaking from a common vessel not only symbolizes unity but also reinforces the interconnectedness of individuals within a social fabric ..."
I stopped when I realized na halos maubusan na ako ng hangin at nakatitig nalang sila sa akin. Tangina nitong mga kaibigan ko, hindi man lang ako inawat.
"Partida hindi pa nakaka-inom yan." Colet commented.
"Ah! Ipapa-ikot natin 'yong baso? Gets! Gets!" Gwen's cousin said when she recovered from shock.
Nagtatagalog pala!?
Later, the table filled with laughter and jokes. The best part? Gwen's cousins, who were initially stiff and intimidating, loosened up big time. Even Ian, the shy one, told a joke! It was a little bit choppy, pero he totally pulled it off. The smile on his face was, like, priceless.
So there we were, under the fairy lights, with the music, the food, and the best company ever. It was a night of super chill vibes.
It was 2am nang matapos kami. Gwen insisted that we should stay dahil wala namang pasok bukas. Our friends stayed in one room at siguro humihilik na rin sila ngayon. Gwen and I decided to stay outside for awhile. Under the twinkling fairy lights strung across the backyard, I held Gwen's hand and guided her to a slow dance.
"You're so hopeless romantic! Para kang si Maloi." she joked.
I shook my head. "Ewan ko ba! Alam naman natin na gustong gusto niya si Stacey tapos sobrang manhid naman nung isa." I replied.
"Let them be, love. Anyway, how was my family?" she asked.
"Your family is...interesting." I whispered.
"You have no idea. But hey, at least they kept you on your toes." she replied, laughing.
"Wouldn't have it any other way."
"Uh, we forgot to watch the sunset!" she protested.
Natawa nalang ako kasi it became our 'thing' to watch sunset together. Minsan sa school or minsan sa backyard nila kapag wala kaming pasok.
"We can watch naman tomorrow eh. We're both busy enjoying your family's company, bebe." I replied gently.
"Thank you for spending time with my family, love. I appreciate you so much." my girlfriend said.
"Anything for my girlfriend." I smiled and kissed her cheeks.
"I love you, Shee, so much."
"I love you so much, Gwen."
I was about to kiss her on the lips but someone spoke from behind.
"Matutulog ba kayo o maglalandian!?" Colet raised an eyebrow and behind her was Maloi, Mikha, Stacey, and Jhoanna giving us wide smiles.