An Inconvenient Attachment

Chapter Three

Eirene

I was dragged in a room almost looked like those in psychiatric facilities. Lahat ng tapunan ko ng tingin ay kulay puting pader. Meron lang lamesa at upuan na inokupa ko naman agad. Para akong mababaliw dito ng tuluyan kapag wala pa kumausap sa akin kung ano ba ang nangyayari. Dito ako dinala matapos ko tawagin na Papa si Architect Jaziel Gridley.

Masama na ba agad ang ginawa ko?

He is my father, for Pete's sake! But here I am, instead of bonding with my long-lost father, I'm stuck in a confinement-like room.

Walang cell phone pati na ang bag ko ay wala rin dito at ilang dokumento para ma-i-process ko ang job application ko rito. Naroon pa naman sa bag ang passport ko pati na ilang government ID na nakuha ko sa Pilipinas. Takot kasi ako mawala kaya lahat ng klase ng ID, kinuha ko at nilagay sa isang wallet na maraming card compartment.

Agad ako napalingon ng may pumasok sa loob at hindi ko maiwasang mapanganga nang masino ang mga iyon. It was my father with the man whom I presume my brother.

"You may have your seat, Ms. Diaz," sambit ni Papa sa akin. He didn't addressed me as her daughter, and it hurts me more. Hindi ba niya tanggap na anak niya ako? Siguro naman natanggap niya ang email ko pupunta ako rito para magtrabaho at hanapin siya. Sadyang dito lang sa kumpanya na pagta-trabaho-an ko siya makikilala. "To clear things up, I am not your father. You clearly mistakenly addressed me as your father, I am certain that I'm not. For the past twenty-five years of being married to my wife, cheating never crossed my mind even if I sometimes had to work far from her. I love her so much, Ms. Diaz."

Wala itong naging patumpik-tumpik na ginawa at diretsahang sinasabi sa akin na nagkamali lamang ako ng taong tinawag na tatay.

"A-are you sure? I have proof, but your security has my phone and bag. W-we were constantly changing emails twice, thrice a week, and the signature in every email I received was your name."

Nakita ko ang pagkunot ng noo ng lalaking kasama nito pero mas natuon ang atensyon ko kay Architect Jaziel Gridley. If he isn't my father, then who is it? Sino ang kapalitan ko ng email gamit ang pangalan nitong taong nasa harapan ko na obvious namang loyal sa asawa niya. Kapag naiisip ko ang nagawa ko kanina, parang gusto ko na lang magpalamon sa sahig.

Napayuko ako sandali ngunit agad din nag-angat ng tingin ng magsalita si Architect Gridley. "Did you come here to find him, Ms. Diaz?"

Huminga ako ng malalim bago nagsalita. "No, sir. I'm also here in London for work. I received a job offer from your company weeks ago, and I'm here to report and sign my contract."

Umayos ako ng upo at pinalis ang luha ang sa aking mga mata. Wala naman ako karapatan na magtanong kung nasaan ang totoo kong tatay. Mukhang hindi rin naman niya alam. Kaya naman pala gano'n na lamang natanggap ko na reaksyon sa kausap ko kanina. He was the most loyala man living that I met. Gusto ko malaman kung sino ang kausap ko sa email noong nasa Pilipinas pa ako. Ngunit paano ko naman malalaman kung sino nga iyon?

"We'll have the security give back your things so you can proceed to your job orientation. I may not be your boss, but I want to work with you. You're the best interior designer we got in the Philippines. Show my son what you got, hm?" Tumayo ito saka nakita ko na tinapik ang balikat ng anak nito. "I hope you'll find him, Ms. Diaz. I can offer help if you want to find him."

He is nice, so nice that I couldn't get angry with him for being frank at me. Pakiramdam ko na nakikisimpatya sa aking kabiguan ang kanyang boses. Malabo maintindihan ng ibang tao puwera na lamang kung iintindihin talaga nila.

Umalis si Architect Gridley pagkatapos masabi iyon at naiwan ako kasama ng anak niya. Iyomg totoong anak niya.

"Ms. Diaz, I'm not as nice as my father." Halata naman at hindi na kailangan sabihin. "Do you still want to work here even after what happened earlier?"