Red Strings of Fate (Haunted Series 2)

Strings 16: The Past

"Daddy, kumusta ang araw mo?" Tanong ni Jane bago siya kumain. Among the siblings, one could tell that Jane's the closest sa Daddy nila.

Their Dad smiled and I got so fascinated by the way he was so soft towards his children, "It's still the same sweety, stressful."

"Mine rin Daddy, ang stressful. I have a teacher sa school na very tamad, papasok pa siya ten minutes nalang time ng class. Ugh he's so stressful." 

Jane ranted and majority of the people on the table chuckled because of her. Napangisi nalang ako habang ngumunguya 

"I should make sumbong kay Tito. Hindi naman siya ganito before."

For all I know, ang Tito nila ang namamahala sa SCU ngayon. 

Sinulyapan ni Jamie ang kanyang nakababatang kapatid na babae bago ipinagpatuloy ang paghiwa ng kanyang pork cutlet. "Maybe he had something going on. He might have a reasonable explanation so double check what happened before mo siraan yung professor kay Tito."

"Jamie, always the empath." Ngisi ng Kuya Jupiter nila at tinaasan lang siya ng kilay ng kapatid.

"As we all should be." She muttered. "How about you Jaceon, what happened to your day?" Tanong ni Jamie at umangat ng tingin si Jaceon sa kanya para magkibit balikat.

"I had a band practice." Lahat ata sila tumahimik para makinig kay Jaceon. He speaks so rarely that they're all ears if he does.

"I heard lumalaki ang band mo." Jamie smiled, "That's great!"

"I didn't expect our family would be in the music business." Nguso ni Jane, "Do you still meet with your bandmates ate? I have a friend who's nagpapatanong if you're still planning on making music with them kase she was a fan daw."

"Tito already wants Jamie to sit on the board. She doesn't have time for that." Sagot ni Kuya Jupiter habang umiinom ng tubig niya sa gilid. 

Habang nag-uusap ang magkapatid at kumakain kami, ang usapan ni James at ang babae noon ang naiisip ko. Hindi ko maiwasang mapatitig kay Jaceon.

Your brother should be careful since he's starting to become a public figure.

Jaceon is the only sibling who's venturing into the showbiz side. He's always in the public eye. He might be the one who is mostly targeted. 

I was so deep in thought that Lorraine had to elbow my side, nakataas ang mga kilay niya, asking if I was okay. Ngumisi at tumango lang ako.

"Haaay, I can't believe kuya's second year in college na and I'll be graduating! You're old na kuya." Tukoy ni Jane kay Jaceon, who only shook his head, while his sister kept talking, "Wag kang aalis kuya ha? Don't gaya kay Kuya Sky at Kuya James na always missing in action."

Napaismid si Kuya Jupiter at ngumiti sila Jamie. 

I see Manang in front of me grin so wide na hindi ko mapigilang mag-alala, alam kaya nila na nangyayari 'yun kay James? Na nagkakaroon siya ng mga pasa at saksak galing sa pinupuntahan niya kapag umaalis siya?

"CJ, of course, we wouldn't always be available. We have work." Her brother reasoned out and she just pouted. 

Naalala ko ang sinabi ni James, work. 'Yun daw ang dahilan kung bakit siya nagkaroon ng mga sugat na 'yun.

What is their work exactly?

"Summer is coming. What are your plans?" Their father spoke while cleaning his mouth with a cloth, directing their conversation on a different topic.

"Go to the beach!" Bumalik ang sigla ng bunso nila.

"I forgot to tell you, Dad. Gabe and I are planning on starting a fundraiser in partnership with the two companies. I'll tell you more about it in private." Jamie informed her father and looked back at Kuya Jupiter as he leaned on the table to talk to her about something.

Hindi ko na sila narinig kasi naagaw ni Jane ang pansin ko, "You guys have to stop working and chill muna. You're the boss pa naman. You'll be unattractive if you continue to be busy. You'll all be like Daddy who's nagiging ugly na dahil grumpy." 

Kumunot ang noo ni Sir Archie at bumaling kay Jane who acted like she didn't insult their father. Hindi ko na mapigilan ang tawa ko dahil lahat sila naghahagikhikan.

They're normal.

They bicker and laugh like any normal family. Nothing weird or scary such as someone kidnapped in the basement, o may kasambahay na namamatay sa pagkakaalam ng isang malaking sekreto ng pamilya.

I sighed in front of James' room.  Hindi ko siya napansing bumalik kaya baka wala pa siya pero kinakabahan parin ako pumasok sa kwartong 'to. 

Palagi akong andito para maglinis, kaya dapat sanay na ako pero no, I'm still not. Especially after what happened on that boat? Then after everything that happened, siya pa may gana magtaray sa'kin?!

He changed his temper so quickly that I couldn't keep up. One minute, he jokes around, then the next minute, he's broody and nowhere to be seen.

Napailing nalang ako at binuksan ang pintuan, nagulat nang makitang nakabukas ang drawers sa tabi ng higaan na parang nagmadali siyang kumuha ng mga bagay. 'Yun ang una kong pinuntahan para ayusin but I got distracted by the contents of the bottom drawer. It was his album pictures. 

Napangiti ako at umupo para tingnan ang laman non.

Am I invading his privacy if I browse through this? I thought while flipping through the pages.

Aww, puros childhood pictures niya 'to! Cute. Cute naman ng batang James, what happened to him? He's irritating now.

I froze in shock at the sight of him in a school uniform in front of a familiar building. He was studying at St. Ceara University in San Raigo! It's the province I stayed at for a couple of years at doon ko rin nakilala ang bestfriends ko.

Then I realized, of course, he was! Sinabi na ni Jamie sa'min na sa San Raigo sila lumaki, why did I forget that? We're the same age, and we should be in the same batch, but why don't I remember James and Jamie in my class? Hmm baka magkaiba kami ng section?

This is so cool knowing we're in the same school in the same year. I flipped the album wondering if he had classmates na kilala ko pero napahinto at napakunot ang noo nang makita ang full name niya, na ngayon ko lang nalaman. May malaking stickers pa ng nickname niya sa gilid na halatang gawa ng isang bata.

Timothy James Del Valle. TJ.

May kaibigan akong nagngangalang TJ sa San Raigo. Biglang bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko sa posibilidad na baka siya...

Napatigil ako. Tinitingnan ko ang isang litrato na nakasuot siya ng uniform ng SCU kasama ang ibang estudyante, nakangiti ng malaki kahit nawawala ang kanyang ngipin sa harap. Isang class picture na pamilyar sa akin.

Bakit 'to pamilyar sa akin?

Dahil kasama ako sa litrato.

(ﾉﾟ0ﾟ)ﾉ~