A Past with an Alien

CHAPTER 7

IRIS

I climbed off the tricycle and paid the driver. As I went through our gate, a red Ferrari caught my attention. I grunted while my brows furrowed.

My three friends invited me to stroll in the plaza a while ago, but I refused. I was not feeling well, and thankfully, they accepted my reason. They had also invited Hector, yet he ran away for no reason. I got upset with him when I saw it because it was not funny to treat my friends as if they were criminals. I know they were pushy, but was inviting someone to go out now a threat? His actions had turned me off. The good thing was that my friends had these comedic skills, and they let them pass, but not for me. This guy was so full of himself.

I walked to the gate and pushed it open. When I got in, I saw my father and Anjo. Brownie was with them, too, and they all glanced at me.

"Iris, you had a visitor," Tatay said.

"Hey, Iris! You're big time now, dude," Anjo snapped.

My father didn't like what he had said. "Watch your words, Anjo. Your sister wasn't like that."

I scratched my head and went near them. I grabbed Tatay's hand and bowed, then walked into our doorway.

"Oh! She's here," Nanay said. I stopped at the doorway.

"Crey," I said. He stood up from the sofa.

He wore a black long-sleeve shirt tucked inside his dark pants. He seemed to look like he was attending a funeral. Even though I was a meter away from him, his citrusy perfume was overpowering. His hair grabbed my attention. It was platinum blonde now like I had seen in my dreams. Although I must admit, he was so handsome today that my mother giggled like a teenager while staring at him.

"I wanted to see you a while ago at school, but you seemed to be in a hurry, so I visited here instead." Was he courting me now? He was fast.

I paced forward toward him, and he gave me the bouquet of red roses. I couldn't say a word because Albert's face flashed in my mind when I saw the flowers. I felt a sudden pinch of pain in my heart. I grabbed it, but my grip tightened.

"Uh, I'll leave you two here. I'm going to the kitchen," Nanay cut in.

She walked away, yet I saw her peeking. I stared at the flowers, and memories came crashing into my mind.

Crey snapped at me. "It looks like you're tired from work. I'll leave you then."

I came back to my senses and saw him beaming.

"I cannot accept this here... I'll take it back," I uttered.

A look of surprise crossed his face—perhaps because I wasn't feeling well today and had done this. If he pursued me, he could wait until I was ready if I had forgotten entirely about Albert.

"Well, if you don't want it, throw it away. It's okay," I closed my eyes because of Crey's reaction. I had embarrassed him, and I knew that feeling.

But I didn't want to feel guilty because this is how I feel now.

"Crey," I said. I took a deep sigh. My brow furrowed again. "I cannot accept it. I'm serious. I can't explain it; I'm sorry."

What am I doing? He got embarrassed again, and I sensed it. I couldn't believe I rejected a handsome and rich guy like him. But honestly, Albert was much more than him, and no other guy could replace him. The memories we had spent together were irreplaceable. At this moment, I felt like a trying-hard woman for Crey. And if I fell into his trap, people would call me a gold digger. And I'm not like that. I'm giddy whenever he's around, but it's only for a while. I don't have any deep feelings for him. We had only met days ago, so why should I give in to him just like that in such a short time? If Crey was serious about me, he could wait. I'm not trying to be nitpicky or hard to understand. Rejecting him right now was my personal decision.

We stood face-to-face while maintaining an awkward silence. Crey sighed deeply and beamed at me, even though it looked forced.

"I'll wait," Crey said.

The tone of his voice seemed undefeated. That pressured me even more. I hope he waits. And I hope I have already moved on. I curled my lips, yet I still returned the bouquet to him.

He accepted it. "I'll go now," I stood like a statue and felt like I was the one who seemed more embarrassed. "I'm leaving, ma'am," he called out to Nanay, who popped out fast from the kitchen.

Nanay paced forward and said, "You can have dinner here first. You put in some effort to come here, which is embarrassing for us."

Nanay glanced at me with disappointment on her face. I stared at the floor and didn't want to glance at their faces. I knew I had made the right choice and wasn't regretting it. I didn't realize Crey had left, and Nanay had walked him to the gate. Hundreds of thoughts are haunting me now.

"Iris, how could you do that? You embarrassed him," Nanay said when she returned. She was upset.

That was the only time I was able to move again. I even forgot to put down my shoulder bag and journals. I glanced back at Nanay while Anjo and Tatay entered the doorway.

"What happened?" Tatay asked.

"Mom looked like Big Sis had hit the jackpot," Anjo said.

"Silence, Anjo! Go to your room." Mom scolded him, and she was agitated.

"Nay! Tay," I glanced at my parents. "I don't want to talk about it, and I'm leaving you now for my room."

I turned my back and paced forward to the staircase.

"Until when will you stop, Iris?" Nanay burst out in anger. That surprised me and made me stop my pace. "When will you stop being like that?"

My fist clenched. Was Nanay furious because I turned down a wealthy suitor? I turned around and faced her. "Are you selling me to Crey? If you like him, you should go out with him instead of me."

"What did you say?" She charged toward me, but Tatay blocked her way.

"Rose, stop it! Iris, how could you talk to your mother like that?"

Nanay yelled at me. "Are you comparing me to an opportunistic mother?" Her face was red from fury, but her eyes gleamed with tears. "What kind of daughter are you?" Then she burst out crying.

Even I got emotional. "Nay! I'm tired from work. I don't want to argue about this now. I have a lot of problems. You are not helping.

"We were all helping you, Iris. To forget Albert so you can move on, but I can't believe this is how you understand our intention for you."

"Iris, please understand what we feel about you. We cannot stand how you weep every night in your room. It was a heartbreaking thing for us," Tatay added.

"Give me some time," I said while sobbing. "Tay! Just give me some time. I had to deal with all of this by myself first."

"If that's what you want, okay! From now on, we will never care about whatever kind of drama you want in your life anymore. You're on your own now." Nanay shoved Tatay's arm and walked away. She left us and went to their bedroom while I stood frozen before the stairs.

Tatay walked near me, wrapped his arms around me, and comforted me as I cried between his arms. I didn't have any intention of ruining their day. "She'll be fine, Iris."

"Tay! I never asked you to struggle with me."

"Iris, we are your parents. We are not robots who don't have feelings. We can be numb to seeing you in that state. When you leave the house and come back drenched in water, it hurts us greatly. If there is anyone who is sick of worrying, it's us. We love you and care for your well-being. We hope you understand our side, too."

Why did they never tell me the truth? I need to do something to stop all this madness. I had to seek the truth about what happened to Albert.