Be My Daddy

Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Graduation

"Anong balita?"

"Wala pa rin." Tumikhim si Heaven.

"Maybe it's a bad move. Maybe I should just ask Mama-"

"Hindi nga nagsasalita si Tita Calista eh."

Saturn has a point. In the first place, we won't be here, stressing and being anxious if Mama had already told me the truth.

In searching for truth, I found nothing but lies so I have to use the only weapon I have now. Money. Money that I used to hire people to investigate about my father and Mama. I really hoped that this will have better results because I cannot exactly quench Mama out of information she buried deep.

"Let's wait, okay... It has been three months." Alu sa akin ni Heaven.

Sinarado ko ang laptop. I'm working on a new thesis. Individual work ito. Medyo stressful pero kaya pa naman. At kakayanin. Hindi puwedeng ngayon pa ako susuko kung kailan malapit na ako sa patutunguhan ko.

"I know. I understand... Pero their last update is last week. At anong lead ang nahanap nila? That Mama worked under a club? Alam ko na 'yan."

"This is not just a club, Cadi. You know that."

I sighed. I know. The superclub is owned by Alena Salvatore. She was the one that manages it and has the biggest share. She loved that superclub.

This particular information made me doubt my mother even more. And all these seemingly entwined strings between our families, the Salvatores and the Arganzas. It seems like a puzzle, waiting to be solved. I really know there something that happened between the Salvatore and Arganza, that's first hand statement from Tita Vida herself years ago.

Ang tanong, how did Mama get in between these ties? How did she managed to juggle through these affluent families?

According to Estella Rosales, what I know and what I believed about my mother and Antoninus' relationship is wrong, or... biased. I don't know.

Posible kayang kabit ni Antoninus si Mama noon?

I don't want to think ill of my mother and I don't want to jump to any conclusion just yet because if I do, what is my difference to the people who always labeled me a slut and supported peole who are fond of slut-shaming me and my mother?

Dumaan ang 21st birthday ko, ang Halloween, ang Pasko at bagong taon pero walang improvement sa relasyon namin ni Mama o sa pakikisama ko kay Antoninus. Habang tumatagal mas lalo pa akong tinatabangan lalo pa't nagkakaroon ako nitong mga theories tungkol sa kanilang dalawa.

"Cadi," Antoninus' deep, and strong voice echoed.

"Hmm?" Hindi ako nag-angat ng tingin kay Antoninus. Narito ako sa porch namin at naghihintay sa pagdating ni Valerio dahil nangako siyang pupunta kami sa BGC ngayong gabi. Something about the neon party hosted by Viana Arganza.

It's big. Hindi lang dahil summer na kundi dahil na rin si Viana ang organizer at host nito. People are dying to get to know her. With a face straight out of a magazine, a skinny body and a Russian accent? Everyone will bow down to her.

Including me. Ang ganda ganda kaya niya! She's only one year older than me but she moves gracefully and those eyes?! Elegant!

Napanood ko ang interview niya tungkol sa kanyang ama na si Senator Christopher. She loves him so much and even though she's always a far from her family, they kept a strong bond that no one could take.

"Let's have dinner." Anyaya ni Antoninus sa akin. "Alder is coming home tonight."

Sinarado ko ang magazine na tinitignan at ngumiwi sa kanya.