the peregrine

6

• 𝐃𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲'𝐬 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 •

"I'm home." I shouted as I arrived at the living room of our new house.

Settling into an another place was never a problem to me I guess since I got pretty used to it. The house we just rented doesn't seem pretty bad and it kinda looks like the other house we stayed. Kaya mukhang hindi talaga kami lumipat ng lugar, at least that's what my dad says.

"Welcome back. " I heard my dad shouted from the kitchen. I smelled something good kaya pumunta na din ako doon.

"Anong niluluto mo? " tanong ko na agad naman kinunotan ng noo ng ama ko and darted me a sharp gaze. 𝘓𝘶𝘩.

"Anyways, nabili mo ba yung pinapabili ko?" I asked him while I took a peek at what he was cooking. He then pointed something gamit ang kanyang nguso. 𝘛𝘺𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴.

"Nagtaka ako kung bakit ka ulit nagpabili ng pain relief patches after two years, yun pala sumali ka na ulit ng mga clubs." sabi pa ni Dad na nginitian ko lang habang siya'y nagpatuloy sa pagluto.

Kinuha ko naman ang puting plastic bag na nakalagay sa isang upuan and almost shouted as a relief. Pumunta na ako sa aking kwarto sa itaas, dala dala ang bag ko at ang patches na binili sa akin ni Dad.

Me and him, my dad, has always been together since the day I was born. Unfortunately for my mom, she died right after I was born, well at least from what I heard, and I never really get to see her face even from pictures.

Hindi naman nagkulang si Dad. He was always there whenever I needed him and he always supports me to anything that I would do, well maybe a little too supportive.

Like when I was in 4th Grade, I randomly saw a guy painting in the streets and got amazed by how beautiful his work was. I even remembered how I told my father that I wanted to be like that guy. So the next morning, he then took me to an art class kahit hindi ko naman sinabi.

I even struggled a little that time since I was also in theater club in my school. But he still supported and helped me. He's a great father.

After taking a shower ay agad kong inilagay ang ilan sa mga pain relieving patches sa aking likod at braso. Kumuha ako ng set of pajamas sa aking closet at agad na isinuot iyon.

Sakto namang tinawag na ako ni Dad for dinner. I immediately ran downstairs, especially towards the kitchen. Naabutan ko si Dad na nagpeprepare sa lamesa.

I sat at one empty chair, started saying grace and then chowed down my food. Dad's cooking has never failed me, it was better than what was in the cafeteria.

"So bumalik ka sa volleyball club, anong position mo? Is it still being a setter? " my dad asked kahit hindi pa nakakuha ng pagkain at kakaupo lang.

I shook my head and didn't say a word dahil puno pa ng pagkain ang baba ko. Nang ito'y aking malunok ay agad akong uminom ng tubig.

"I'm not a player. I'm a manager of a boys' volleyball club."

Bigla naman siyang napatigil at napansin ko naman ang paglaki ng kanyang mga mata at pagkunot ng kanyang noo.

"Boys?" 𝘜𝘩 𝘰𝘩.

One kinda annoying thing about my father is that,  as the only girl and the only child, he's very, very protective of me. Especially from boys.

//

"Bonnie!! "

I heard Shayne called me as I was shagging some balls. Inilagay ko muna ang mga nakuhang bola sa storage cage bago sumagot.