Chapter 6

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Chapter 6

Tanya

 

The next few days was the most dreadful and longest days of my life. It’s as if I was living a nightmare. How I wish that it was only a nightmare, na gusto ko ng magising, at paggising ko, I can just smile and say… Woa, it was just a bad dream! Pero ilang beses ko ng tinapik, tapik ang sarili ko…. I’m awake. I’m fully awake and all of this is true… Lahat ng nangyari ay totoo. My Dad is gone… forever…. Nakakalungkot ang mga pangyayari. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi ko pa rin ito mapaniwalaan.  But I have to face reality.

 Sobrang sakit. I feel so tired. So drained. So emtpy. Gusto ko ng break down but I can’t. Inaalala namin si Mommy who is so heart broken. She needs us. We need to be strong for her. Mas mahirap ito para sa kanya.  Mas mahirap ang pinagdadaanan nya. Whenever we look at her, it’s as if part of her has died also, and that breaks my heart too. Kaming magkakapatid na ang nag-asikaso ng lahat. Simula sa pagbabalik ng labi ni Daddy sa Pilipinas, sa wake… at sa pagpapalibing. Kahit lutang ang isip at mabigat ang dibdib ay pinilit namin itong kayanin. 

Charlie was beside me all the time. Araw araw nandon sya. Minsan nga pinagtabuyan ko na dahil kailangan sya ng mga anak nya. Kapag lumalalim na ang  gabi ay sinusundo na sya ni Zack at bumabalik din kinabukasan ng maaga. What a true friend… hindi nya talaga ako iniwan. I just feel so blessed to have a friend like her. Na handang makiramay ano mang oras. 

Surprisingly, at hindi ko talaga inaasahan... Andrew was there all along. Sobrang laki nga ng utang na loob namin sa kanya.  Sya yung tumulong sa min para hindi kami mahirapang maiuwi yung remains ng Daddy. He took care of the paperworks and all those stuff. As in, sya nag nag-asikaso ng lahat. Iba rin talaga ang impluwensya nya, walang tanong tanong basta sya ang nakaharap. He has this air of authority. Presence pa lang nya tumatango na lahat. Iba pala aura nya pagdating sa mga bagay bagay na ganon. May command of respect sya. Hindi lang sa Pilipinas, pati na rin sa Hong Kong. Napakadami din nyang koneksyon kaya hindi kami nahirapan. That is all thanks to him. 

We are now on the grave site. My dad’s final destination. They opened the casket for the last time. During the wake, I refuse to see my Dad in the casket. Dahil ayokong maalala sya on that state.. I want to remember him alive, full of life… not the body inside… I even refuse to believe that that is my Dad! I really don’t want to look inside the casket because I know that the moment I see his face, I’ll break down. Napigilan ko ngang maiyak nung wake… at ayokong maiyak ngayon. Huling araw na nga lang, bibigay pa ako?

“Don’t you want to look at Dad for the last time?” Tanong ni Kuya Slate.

Hindi ako nagsalita I just shook my head.

 “Don’t you want to say goodbye? This will be the last time you’re going to see him…” tanong ni Kuya Stanly, na ilang araw na din akong pinipilit na tumingin sa casket.

I didn’t say a word. I just shook my head.

“Girl…” Sabi ni Charlie. Hinawakan ang kamay ko. Hindi nya rin siguro alam kung anong sasabihin nya…. “Be strong ok. I’ll look at Tito for the last time… you want to come with me?”

“Go ahead,, I’ll be fine here” sabi ko.

Tinignan ko na lnag si Charlie kasama si Zack na pumunta sa casket ng Daddy.

Maraming mga taong nag-last look. Mga business associate,friends, relatives, employees. Sng daming tao. Pinagmamasdan ko silang lahat… some are grieving.. some are just there, nakiki usyoso… iba’t ibang reaction… yung iba genuine yung iba naman feeling ko pakitang tao lang. Nakita ko yung close relative and business partner ng Daddy na si Tito Ronald with his wife and my cousin Jessica…. For the past few days during the wake, iniiwasan sila ni Kuya Stanly. Minsan tinatamaan din kasi ng kasupladohan yun kuya ko pero for them na pakitaan ni Kuya Stanly ng ganon was really a puzzle to me… pero I don’t know why… our families are close naman,, so why the sudden reaction?

Finding Mr Wrong [COMPLETE!!!]Soon to be published under LIBTahanan ng mga kuwento. Tumuklas ngayon