Until Forever (Published!)

Chapter 54

Nang bumalik sa opisina si Micheal, nalaman niya mula sa kanyang sekretarya na dumating ang asawa at hinanap siya. His phone was off and he connected it to the charger. Nang mai-on niya ang cellphone ay nakita niya ang missed calls ng asawa. He texted Mia and asked her if she needed something that was why she came to the resort. But it had been a few minutes since he sent his text message, yet, he still did not get a reply from her.

He couldn't concentrate doing his work anymore. He was thinking of his wife. Baka may kailangan sa kanya ang asawa kaya ito pumunta. He picked up his phone again, and rang Mia's number, but it was unattended. He tried to ring her number again, but he got the same voice prompt. His eyebrows cocked. Hindi na siya mapalagay. What happened to Mia? What was she doing? Why couldn't he contact her? Kaagad na tinapos niyang pirmahan ang mga tseke, memo at iba pang papeles na nakatambak sa mesa niya, pagkatapos ay nagmamadaling umuwi. Kapapasok lang niya ng sasakyan sa garahe nang bumuhos ang malakas na ulan. Nasa loob na siya ng bahay nang makasalubong si Karina. Tinanong niya kung nasaan si Mia at sinabi nitong umalis daw at ipinasyal sa resort si Jasmin. His eyebrows were cocking now as burrows deepened on his forehead. He had been in the resort, and the reason why he went home was because they didn't happen to see each other there.

Pumunta sa resort si Mia kasama ang ina? Baka nagkasalisi lamang sila. Baka dumating ito sa resort nang umuwi siya. Pero hindi sila nagkasalubong man lang sa daan. Habang paakyat sa master's bedroom ay tinawagan niya ang guwardiya ng resort at nakumpirmang wala nga doon sina Mia at Jasmin. Ayon sa guwardiya ay dumating kanina si Mia at hinahanap siya ngunit umalis na ito at hindi pa bumabalik. Mia wasn't in the resort. Where the hell was she? Did she go somewhere else? Did she go in the town center to buy something? Pero bakit kailangan nitong isama ang ina? Jasmin was ill. Worry started to brim in his heart. Especially now that it was raining very hard. Kung nasa labas sila Mia at Jasmin ay baka mabasa ang mga ito ng ulan.

Malalaki ang mga hakbang na tinungo niya ang silid nilang mag-asawa. Magpapalit sana siya ng damit nang mapansing kumonti na ang mga damit ni Mia na nakahanger sa loob ng closet nito. Bigla ang pagsikdo ng kanyang dibdib sa kaba, may namumuong hinala sa kanyang isipan. He was about to go out of the room when something caught his attention - folded papers lying on the dresser. That was the first time he saw it. He grasped it and flipped the pages. It was a letter. He hurriedly scanned the letter's content. Hindi maipinta ang mukha niya matapos basahin ang mahabang sulat. Kasabay niyon ang pagsalakay nang matinding kaba sa kanyang dibdib.

It was Gilda's letter to Mia. And it contained revelations about what had happened in the past between Mia, Jasmin and Gilda. There were a lot of questions that were answered by the letter. It totally cleared his mind from any doubts. He was thoroughly enlightened. May kinalaman ba ang sulat kung bakit wala sa mansion ang mag-inang Mia at Jasmin? Mia went to see him in the resort. Mukhang may sadya ito sa kanya. But she didn't wait for him. And now, she wasn't in the mansion. Her things were missing. And she brought her mother with her. An idea was forming inside his head, but he refused to process it, nor even entertain it. It scared him to death. That couldn't be! Mia couldn't leave, and take her mother with her! He knew he did things out of a bad judgment before, but he couldn't bear losing his wife. Not now! Not ever! The ugly thought gave him a sudden, pounding migraine. Crap, but he was panicking now! He fished for his phone. He dialled Mia's number again. But it was still unreachable. Did she turn off her phone? Fudge! He paced in his room. His head was pounding hard now. Where the hell was his wife? He needed to know! Parang pupunta siya sa giyera nang ipatawag niya ang dalawang private nurse at ang guard. Whoever let Mia go would surely face his frustration. He was dead worried.

"Sino sa inyo ang pinayagang makaalis ang Ma'am Mia ninyo?" he asked his employees. He was angry, and he was venting his frustration to the three people in front of him who looked like scaredy cats. Their stares were downcast. "Answer me!" he roared. "You should not have let her go. Now look, I can't find her!"

"I'm sorry, Sir JM, pero ang sabi kasi ni Ma'am Mia, hinihintay n'yo raw sila ni Ma'am Jasmin sa resort. We thought it's just okay," si Karina.

"It's not okay, Karina!" he scowled at her. The woman's eyes glistened in the corners. Tears! He took a sharp intake of breath as he controlled himself. This was the first time that he acted mean in front of his employees. Well, he was more than pissed off! "At ikaw, Badung," baling niya sa guard. "You are in-charge of the people who will get in and out of the mansion. Why did you let Mia and Mama Jasmin get out of this house?"

"Sinubukan kong pigilan, sir," mahinang sagot nito. "Sinabi ko pa nga kay Ma'am Mia na mukhang uulan. Pero nagmamadali na siya kasi naghihintay na raw kayo sa resort. Kaya hindi ko na inabala."

Christ! He couldn't believe this! Ganoon lang kadaling nakaalpas sa poder niya si Mia?

"Hindi naman namin alam na may problema, Sir JM," si Rosalie. "Akala namin ay okay lang na umalis si Ma'am Mia..." nakatungo nitong paliwanag.

He was very frustrated, but he knew that he couldn't vent out his frustration to his employees. Wala ring mabuting maidudulot iyon. Isa pa, nakokonsensiya siya sa ginawang pagbulyaw sa mga ito. "O siya, makakaalis na kayo," nagtitimpi pa rin sa galit na wika niya.

Mabilis na tumalima sina Karina, Rosalie at Badung. They left him still fuming in frustration. God! What the heck was happening? Where were Mia and Jasmin? Saan niya hahanapin ang mga ito? He bawled his fists. His heart was pounding hard. Shit! This was surely an ordeal! Kung umalis si Mia, tiyak na hindi pa ito tuluyang nakakalayo. Baka maabutan pa niya ito sa daan. It was raining hard. She couldn't drive fast with the bad weather. Yes, he would follow after her. He wouldn't just stand there, and do nothing. He would get crazy with that. So with long, impatient strides, he went back to the garage, and hopped in his SUV. He drove his car out of the mansion, unto the road. Malakas ang ulan at madilim ang paligid. Mukhang hindi lang basta malakas na ulan ang nangyayari. Mukhang may bagyo. Halos ay mag-zero visibility na sa daan. But he didn't care. Matulin na pinatakbo niya ang minamanehong sasakyan. Kailangang maabutan niya si Mia. Kailangang makita niya ito! He wouldn't let her get away from him that easy. Nagtagis ang mga bagang niya.