Billionaires' Diaries #3: Daniel Lozales

Chapter 1

She also bought a slice of cheese cake in her way home before finally reaching her house.

She saved up for years. Nakapagpundar siya ng sasakyan. A house for herself and that's it. She just bought those she could use for her daily life.

Ang tahimik na bahay ang bumungad sa kan'ya nang makapasok siya. Ibinaba niya ang pinamili at nagsalin ng tubig. Halos isang buwan palang nag-uumpisa ang klase ngunit agad na siyang napapagod. Kids are hard to handle these days.

Katamtaman ang laki ng bahay niya. It's inside a subdivision. She bought it a year ago. At the age of 29, she could say that her financial stability is very fine.

Halos walang magawa sa loob ng bahay niya. She cooked a simple dinner for herself and she felt empty after that. Gusto niyang maglinis ng bahay ngunit wala naman siyang nakikitang dumi. It even looks like her house is untouched. Sabagay, uuwi lang naman siya para matulog.

Jovie opened her desktop to see the information of her new student. Tomorrow is Saturday so she's free. Hindi rin naman siya mahilig gumala. So probably, the new student will start joining her class this Monday. According to Liah, last year pa daw gustong itransfer ang bata. Hindi lang puwede dahil patapos na ang school year. Ngayong taon ay dito in-enroll sa school na pinagtuturuan niya. The kid's late because she came from abroad.

"Let's see.. " bulong niya sa sarili habang habang binubuksan ang email. She needs the name so she know how to welcome the kid.

Lumuwag ang hawak niya sa mouse nang makita ang pamilyar na pangalan. She can feel herself trembling. The aircon isn't enough to dry the forming sweat in her forehead.

"Raninya.. " she whispered, looking at the screen. "Raninya Solaris.. N. Lozales.. "

Natutop niya ang bibig sa nabasa. It is her. It is really Rania.

Nanginginig ang kamay niya habang binabasa ang birth certificate nito. Fear consumed her. And as she read her information, she almost broke down into tears.

Raninya Solaris Nirez Lozales
Mother: Jovianna Solaria Nirez

Why.. Why is her name written on Rania's papers? Naguguluhan siya. Hindi makaisip ng dahilan kung bakit nakalagay ang pangalan niya doon. And.. her surname was attached to Rania.

Buong gabi tuloy siyang gising. Her pillow's probaby wet of her tears. All through the night, she kept on remembering how she gave birth to her Rania. The first time she held her baby. At kung paano niya binitawan ang anak.

Did she regret what she did?

She wanted to say yes, to at least ease her guilt. Pero alam niyang hindi niya pinagsisisihan. It was painful.. excruciating. But.. until know.. she knows.. it was a right decision.

Saturday morning, she visited her mother. It's been a year since she last visited. Pero dahil mga nabasa niya kagabi,  parang gusto niyang bisitahin ang ina. Kung para saan, hindi niya alam.

Bahagya siyang tumayo nang lumabas ang ina, akay ng isang police officer. Her wrists are cuffed and there's an annoyance etch in her face.

"Akala ko hindi ka na babalik?" singhal ng ina at padabog na umupo. "Pasigaw-sigaw pa noon. Babalik rin naman pala. Hipokrita.. "

Pinigilan niya ang emosyon. In front of her is the person who took everything from her. It was a shame that no matter how disgusted she is, she can't even slap her mother.

"Ano? Nandito ka nanaman para manumbat? Ha?! Maninisi ka ulit?" Ngumisi ito sa kan'ya.

All these years, she's wondering if she's like her mother too. Irresponsible and a bad mother.

"If you didn't.. If you didn't killed that woman.. I might still be with my daughter now.. " Taon.. ilang taon siyang mag-isa. Ang daming nasayang. Ang dami niyang hindi nakita. She didn't saw her Rania grow. The first walk, the first talk or the first time she entered school. Jovie missed everything.

Tumaas ang kilay ng ina niya. "Huh! Narito na nga ako sa kulungan, kita mo naman diba?! Narito ako dahil nahuli ako ng batas hindi dahil sa nagbabayad ako ng kasalanan! Hindi! Hindi iyon kasalanan! Matapobre ang babaeng iyon! Ininis niya ako kaya't tinuluyan ko na! Kunwari matapang pero isang putok lang pala!" Umalingawngaw ang halakhak nito sa buong kwarto. Napapalingon tuloy ang lahat sa direksyon nila.

Hindi na niya napigilan ang sarili. "At sino? At sino ba ang naghirap dahil sa ginawa mo?! You were in jail! You were safe! How about me? Those you wronged keeps on chasing me! Ako na wala namang kinalaman sa iyo dahil matagal mo na akong iniwan! Nang dahil sa nanay parin kita, gumulo ang buhay ko! Naiintindihan mo? You ruined my life! You ruined my family! At nakakatawang hanggang sa mamamatay ka ay kailangan pa kitang asikasuhin!"

Her mother smiled at her teasingly. "Sinabi ko bang kailangan mo pang makialam? Ano? Mataas  na ang tingin mo sa sarili mo dahil nakapagtapos ka?! Mayaman na ngayon?!" Sinipa nito ang lamesa dahilan para lumikha ng ingay. "Ikaw naman ang sumira sa buhay mo. Ikaw ang nagdesisyon. Ikaw ang nang-iwan kaya't bakit mo sa akin sinisisi? Estupida! Napakalaki mong tanga!"

Nawala ang sasabihin niya. Jovie was affected to her mother's words. Maybe she is really a fool..

Bumuhos ang malakas na ulan habang lulan siya ng sasakyan. Hindi mawala sa isip niya ang sinabi ng ina. Hindi dapat siya nagpapaapekto pero..

Wala sa sarili siyang umuwi. Mabigat ang dibdib. Life.. Life is indeed cruel.

Binagsak niya ang sarili sa kama at tuluyan nang nagpadaig sa dilim.