BECAUSE OF YOU

CHAPTER 12

Ford told her what happened with his life after he raped her. Ikenwento niya ang mapait niyang buhay dahil nagtago siya ng matagal na panahon. Nang umalis siya doon sa boarding house niya ay dumiretso agad siya sa pier at sumakay ng barko pero hindi niya alam kung saan ito pupunta. When they arrived he just randomly rode a bus at nakarating sa medyo maliit na bayan on a mountainous side of Mindanao. Dahil may konting naipon he rented a very small house na malapit sa isang sugar plantation. Natoto daw siyang magtanim ng kahit na ano para hindi magutom. Araw-araw bumibili siya ng newspaper sa bayan para daw makabalita kung wanted ba siya. He was paranoid. Pumayat siya dahil sa gutom dahil pinagtipid niya ang perang naipon. Hangga't sa hindi na niya matiis ang buhay after more than a year na nagtago ay tinawagan niya ang Ate niya na isang abogado.

"Ate, I need your help please." Naiiyak na sabi ni Ford sa Ate Mercedes niya.

"Ford? Where are you? We've been looking for you. Bakit ngayon ka lang tumawag? Are you okay?" Sunod-sunod na tanong ng Ate niya.

"May malaki po akong kasalanang nagawa at nagtago ako kasi baka hinahanap ako ng mga pulis. Pero matagal na po nangyari 'yon Ate, at hindi naman ako wanted sa tingin ko kaya, please help me Ate. Hirap na hirap na po ako dito. I want to go home." Umiiyak siya na parang bata na nagmamakaawa sa Ate niya.

When his sister learned where he was ay pinasundo siya ng driver nila. Nag-land trip ang driver buong araw dahil napakalayo at hinanap ang lugar niya. Takot si Ford mag-commute dahil baka may makapansin pa rin sa kanya kung sakali mang wanted siya kaya gusto niyang sunduin siya kahit nasa napakalayong lugar siya.

His family were aghast on how he looked like when he arrived at their own home. He was so pale and lost a lot of weights at umitim siya dahil sa init ng araw when he tried to learn how to plant any kinds of rootcrops or vegetables para lang may makain o maibenta niya para may pera siya. Naranasan niya ang napakahirap ng buhay kaya natauhan siya. He was hoping na hindi siya makulong dahil abogado ang Ate niya at tutulungan siya.

He told his family the truth para hindi sila magulat one day kung sakali may maghahanap na pulis. Galit ang daddy niya pero wala na silang magawa at nangyari na. Natuwa na rin ang mommy niya dahil bumalik na siya at walang masamang nangyari sa bunso niya kahit papano.

After a few months at bumalik ang dati niyang lakas at katawan. He decided to pursue to become a Pilot. Ito ang pangkabuhayan ng family niya kaya he must learn to adapt. He studied seriously this time and was able to finish the Aeronautical Engineering course na pangarap ng daddy niya. His experience in life away from his family and struggled to live was his inspiration that made him successful. He realized then that he was not getting any younger and he must have a stable job dahil hindi habangbuhay na nakasalalay siya sa family niya. It was never too late. And at the age of twenty-eight ay naging Pilot na siya.

After some training, he finally was able to join his family's aviation business. His dream was to travel abroad so after more than a year of flying domestically, he asked to be moved to an international aircraft. Kung dati ay mahilig siya sa mga babae, but when he continued studying until he became a Pilot, he lost interest in women lalo na kapag naalala niya ang ginawa niya kay Brooke.

Sa dinami-dami ng babaeng nagkakagusto o humahabol sa kanya, kay Brooke lang siya natauhan at nabago. He was thankful that he was not arrested nor sued of what he did, dahil matagal na rin ang nangyari at talagang wala namang mga pulis na naghahanap sa kanya.

Natupad na ang pangarap niya at ng parents niya. Somehow, he was happy and thankful of his good life after all what he had been through. Pero hindi pa rin buo ang pagkatao niya kung hindi niya harapin si Brooke at humingi ng tawad. Each and every day of his life since he left Brooke and broke her innocent life, he was always tormented by his conscience. He confessed to a priest na rin at sinabihan siya na kailangan niyang harapin at humingi ng tawad kay Brooke.

Then he finally decided to have a long vacation upang paghandaan ang plano niya to see Brooke and ask for her forgiveness. And he never expected that they would meet at the aircraft. Naka-bakasyon dapat siya pero nakiusap ang management dahil kulang sila ng Pilot dahil dalawa ang nagkasakit. He can't refuse dahil utos ng daddy niya at pansamantala lang naman until they can hire a new one.