Loving The Green Stone (FS # 2)

Kabanata 13

Truth

I was looking at the woman in front of me. She was smiling and looks like parang masayang masaya siya sa nakikita niya. Now that I can see her properly dahil nasa isang coffee shop na kami ay kitang kita ko ang resemblance nila ni Ivor. Her eyes were really exactly like his.

I wonder if his brothers got their mother's eyes too? Light green eyes..

"You are really beautiful hija.. I never liked that Chanel for my son pero wala akong magagawa dahil si Ricardo ang pumili sakanya." Lumunok ako.. I want to ask her questions pero natatakot ako na may mali akong masabi.

"Tita.. I don't really have anything to doubt you except for the fact that Ivor told me your dead" tumango siya sa akin.

She looked at me, I don't know pero sa pagtingin ko sakanya ay parang nakikita kong sobrang dami niyang gustong sabihin pero nanatiling tikom ang bibig niya.

"Tita, bakit niyo po sila iniwan? Why do you have to let your family suffer for nothing? I don't want to offend you po pero faking your death is too much."

Nakita kong nangilid ang luha niya. Kung titignan naman siya ay parang hindi siya nagdusa o ano man dahil napaka-gara nga ng suot niya kung tutuusin.

"They thought I was.. that day was the day that I was dreading. Sinaktan ko silang lahat.. my sons faced the world without me but I needed to do it. I need to fake my own death to survive. In order to live, I need to die. How ironic isn't it?"

I was speechless. This is too much information. Fake? Ivor suffered for nothing?

"Tita bakit po? If you don't mind me asking. Si Danziel po naglayas dahil hindi makayanan ang ginagawa ng daddy nila. Teo went to Argao to protect your land from his own father. Ivor went through alot, he can't sleep at night coz his guilt haunted him everyday. Hindi nga po siya makapag drive. Araw-araw niya pong ni-sisi ang sarili niya." Mukhang nagulat siya sa sinabi ko. Tumulo na ang mga luha niya. She held my hand and I saw how scared she was.

"My Danziel? I didn't know.. all this time I thought he was just travelling. Teo? I know that he is in Argao right now but I never thought that it was to protect the land and my Joachim.. I didn't thought that he was blaming himself.."

Umiwas ako ng tingin dahil hindi ko na rin kaya. Lumuha na din ako dahil nakikita ko ang sakit na nararamdaman niya.

"Ricardo and I were happy.. very much inlove. Pero naging sakim siya, alam kong mahal niya ako pero nakakalimutan na niya ang lahat ng nasa paligid niya noong mga panahon na sobrang lumago ang negosyo niya. Sakim siya sa kapangyarihan.. yung tipong pati yung pagmamahal niya sa akin ay nakakasakal na. Hindi ko na kinaya.. hindi ko na kaya kasi pati ako sinasaktan na niya. Alam kong hindi niya sinasadya pero hindi ako ganon ka martyr para kayanin lahat ng iyon. Natatakot din ako na makita yon ng mga anak ko.. ayoko silang makita na sinasaktan ako ng ama nila."

"Bakit hindi nalang po kayo nagpakalayo layo? Why do you need to fake your own death?" Pinisil niya ang kamay ko.

It was too painful for me to see this. Pag naiisip ko kung anong mararamdaman ni Ivor ay parang sinasaksak ang puso ko.

"Hindi mo kilala si Ricardo o ang mga Montgomery. Kahit saan ako magtago mahahanap at mahahanap niya ako. So I need to do something that will stop him from looking for me and it is to die. Mayaman at makapangyarihan ang Montgomery.. mas mayaman pa sila sa inaakala mo hija. Maybe dito sa Pilipinas ay kayo ang pinakakilala pero all over the world? They own various lands and kilala sila lalo na sa Europe. They have legal and illegal business. Hindi alam nila Ivor ang illegal business pero alam ko in no time ay malalaman din nila ito. Alam kong pagnalaman niya ang ginawa ko ay papatayin niya ako. He can do that.. sa pagmamatyag ko ay napatunayan kong napaka ruthless na niya. So I did what I have to.."