Ate Bianca and Ate Reese are sitting beside Dad. They're looking at me as if I'm doomed. Dahan-dahan akong bumaba sa pang huling hagdan. I didn't even have a chance to wear slippers.
Fuck.
"G—Good morning, Dad!" I smiled.
Binaba ni Daddy ang binabasang diyaryo at malamig akong tinitigan sa likod ng suot niyang antipara. Kumalabog ang aking puso.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Iyong sasakyan ko!
"Almost hit five people, put a lot of damage on a luxurious and brand new car, and came home last night unconscious," Dad muttered my sins coldly.
I swallowed hard and tried to laugh it off. "Hah, yeah, I was drunk. My bad." I smiled softly as I caressed the back of my neck to appease him.
"You brat. You tried to drive drunk!"
Napatalon ako at pumormal nang sumigaw si Daddy. Panay na ang ngiwi nina Ate sa akin.
"Your brother took you home last night. Hindi ka man lang nahiya, namirwisyo ka pa," ani Dad sa seryosong boses. "You're twenty-two, for God's sake, stop acting like a child. Come here, kneel in front of us!"
Eh?
"Dad! Why would I—"
"I never got the chance to discipline a brat like you. And now, you still act like one. Lumapit ka rito!"
Nanlamig ang aking mukha at walang nagawa kundi ang lumapit sa kanila. I grimaced when he pointed at the floor. I looked at Dad with puppy eyes.
"You aren't serious, righ—"
"Kneel and raise your hands, or you'll be grounded."
My eyes widened. Agad akong lumuhod at tinaas ang mga kamay. Dad shook his head and lifted his newspaper to read again. Shit. This geezer. What does he think makes me do this?
I'm an adult!
"You behave like a child. Ano sa tingin mo ang mangyayari kapag nakabangga ka nang lasing?" aniya nang hindi tumitingin sa akin.
"Makukulong..." I answered politely.
"You're aware. But you still drove your car like a lunatic!"
Napapikit ako. Everything was blurry. Ang naaalala ko na lang ay ang mga pangyayari bago ako uminom. I met Cohen's friends. I even watched them play.
And speaking of that loudmouth, Cohen, you bastard, you really betrayed me this time. You probably told everything to Dad. Akala ko ba magkapatid tayo, hayop ka?
Nagsimula nang mangalay ang aking mga kamay at nananakit na rin ang aking mga tuhod. My hands lowered a bit. Why am I even doing this?
"If you will continue behaving recklessly, I won't vouch for you when something happens. You're old enough to know what's right and wrong. Be responsible for your action," Dad started his lament.
"Yes, Dad..."
"And you're already a lady, for God's sake! It's okay to drink! But always leave a space for your sanity and consciousness. Walang tutulong sa'yo lagi!"
"Yes, Dad. Stop acting like a real geezer now..." I glanced at him and lowered my hands a bit more.
"You want to add salt?" Aniya at seryoso akong sinulyapan.
"Of course, not." I smiled.
Madilim niyang binalik ang tingin sa diyaryo. I now remember. Casimir was looking at me last night as if I were an eyesore to him. What's his problem?
YOU ARE READING
Zephyr Strings
General Fiction(SPHEROID CHAMBERS #3) Ongoing Moving on from a traumatic episode in the past is never a cakewalk. Each of us encountered a lot of crusades in the past and it's up to us how we'll deal with it to outweigh them. He was pressured. He was devastated...
Kabanata 2
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