The University Files

Chapter 10: End

Chapter 10

Wow.

It was all I could think of while sitting on the antique-looking settee.

I was ushered by one of the maids in the humongous living room of my dad's house and was asked to wait for him. The thought of talking to him made my stomach flip, so I amused myself by looking around. It was definitely larger than it was the last time I visited it. The air of sophistication, however, still lingered. I had to give it to Christy. She always had this sense of prestige in her, like she knew that she was made for the luxurious way of living.

The walls were painted in plain cream color, but the fancy décors made up for the simple background. Gold was obviously the theme. From the furniture to the chandelier, everything seemed to be touched by Midas. Even the doormat had a touch of gold. Mirrors were also placed in a way that made the room even larger than it already was. Basically, everything looked like something you would only see in a palace.

I remembered clearly my first visit here (by persuasion and a bit of bribery, of course). I was 11 and during those times, I was already distant with my father. But the moment I stepped into their two-way doors, all was forgotten. I felt like a princess standing in a golden ballroom. It was way smaller back then, but the refined feeling was already there. I loved it.

I kept talking about the house. Dad was happy that I liked it, but Mom was not. Although she never disapproved of my liking it there, she was obviously sad. At first, I thought she was afraid that I would actually prefer to live there. But after some time, she explained that she was only sorry that she couldn't give me that kind of life.

I just laughed it off. I would rather live as a peasant than be a princess without her mother.

"Sweetheart! It's been a long time since you've paid a visit!" Dad boomed from the staircase, walking towards me with open arms.

I stood up. For a moment, he was reluctant to actually give me a hug. Maybe he remembered the last time he saw me and how I lashed out at him. To make up for it, I was the one who initiated the hug. He appeared relieved.

"Is there anything I could do for you?" he inquired as he motioned me to sit down.

"I just wanted to talk," I said slowly. "Where's Chri- Tita Christy, by the way?"

"She's looking into things for me at the hotel. What do you want to talk about?" He looked genuinely concerned. At the back of my mind, my subconscious was screaming at me like it always did. Strengthen your wall, it bellowed. But I mustn't. That's what I came here for; to tear it down.

"A lot of stuff, actually. But I guess I'll start with the States thing." At the mention of "States", he lit up. So I abruptly added, "I'm not going. I've thought about it, and I honestly understood why you'd think that it's for the best. But that's not what I want. I'm sorry, Dad."

He sighed, giving me a tender look before replying, "No, dear. I'm the one who should be sorry. It wasn't right to decide for your future without your knowledge. And what you said about me not knowing you, I believe it's true. And I suppose I had indeed left you and your mother. But please know that I never abandoned you. The moment I left, I regretted that decision. I tried my very best to be there for the both you. I'm sorry if it wasn't enough."

"If it's true that you regretted everything the moment you left, why didn't you come for us? Why did you wasted years before trying to win back Mom?" Before I could stop myself, the words came pouring in harsher than I intended it to be.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment. "I tried. I tried talking to your mom and asking her to take me back. It was clear that she didn't want me. Who could blame her? Why would she want a good-for-nothing, gambling addict of a husband who wasted their money when she successfully kicked him out of your lives? So I intended to straighten my ways first before trying to win her back-win the two of you back.