A Love To Remember

Chapter 33: Substitute

Tama siya na no one can commit a perfect crime, may butas at butas talaga ito pero in our case, paano kung natakipan na ang lahat ng butas? Now, how can we have that justice we're asking for?

Anak ko ang nawalay sa' kin for 16 years, I just can't sit down here and pretend like nothing happened! That's ridiculous!

"Kung sino man ang gumawa at pumlano na kunin ang anak ko sa' kin, sisiguraduhin niya lang na buhay pa siya ngayon kasi sa oras na malaman ko kung sino siya, kahit sa kabilang buhay, susundan ko siya at pagbabayarin." wika ko.

I have possible suspects kung sino iyon but I won't share it to Aga, masama ang magbintang lalo't na sariling Ina niya ang pinagbibintangan ko.

Yes, his Mom, Ariella Muhlach. Simula't sapol pa lamang, hindi na siya sang-ayon sa relasyon namin ng anak niya. She's the mothern day witch in the fairytale I'm living.

"Ang seryoso natin babes eh, 'no?" I diverted my gaze at Aga ng bigla siyang magsalita.

"What do you mean?" kunot-noong tanong ko, ngumisi lang siya as he rose up from sitting beside me at nag-squat sa harapan ko. Trip nito?

"I know a good place where you can rewind, kalimutan mo muna ang mga problema natin ngayon, let's have some fun! Let's go for a short vacation tutal summer naman, uwi na lang tayo bukas if you want." suhestiyon niya at bahagya pang kumindat, napangiwi naman ako kasi parang.. he's referring to something, what a pervert!

"Tayong dalawa lang? No way! 'Pag samantalaan mo pa ako eh!" I protested, napakamot siya ng ulo at akmang magsasalita pa sana but my line of sight caught Chiara, making her way downstairs kaya inunahan ko na siya.

I smiled, "Actually, that sounds good babes! Sige, game!"

___

Chiara

"Saan po ba tayo pupunta?" I asked the both of them after waking up from a deep slumber.

"Mabuti naman at gising ka na, chill Chia, malapit na tayo." Dad said making me frown, 'di niya naman sinagot ang tanong ko eh!

Napailing na lang ako as I look at the windshield, the road we're taking doesn't look familiar to me so I really don't know kung saan ba talaga kami pupunta basta kanina, inaya nila ako kung gusto ko daw ba sumama, we'll be staying in a resort for one night then uuwi rin bukas.

Oh well, pumayag ako kasi I must maintain my bad-girl-gone-good-figure. Tsaka isa pa, wala rin naman akong gagawin eh. Pero ang pinagtataka ko, ba't ako ang inaya nila? Where's Alysse anyway?

"Bakit hindi po sumama si Alysse?" I asked again, lumingon sa gawi ko si Lea as she smiled a little.

"Umuwi siya sa kanila, she missed her Tita Nari." she answered with a hint of sadness in her voice, tumango na lang ako.

Kawawang Lea, iniwan ng anak niya.

Nandiyan ka naman eh. A part of my mind said making me want to vomit in disgust. Ew. Ako? Never.

After what seems like forever, Dad stopped his car in front of a huge house, wait, a rest house rather in front of a... beach? Woah, meron pala siya nito? I never knew that. Lol, nagtaka pa talaga ako? Madami pala akong hindi alam tungkol sa kanya, gano'n rin siya sa' kin.

Lumabas na kaming tatlo ng sasakyan, hindi ko maiwasan ang hindi mamangha sa ganda ng karagatan. I found waves really relaxing and calming.

"It's beautiful.." rinig kong bulong ni Lea as she took out her phone at kaagad na pinicturan ang view dito sa gawi namin ngayon.

Indeed, it's really beautiful.

"I owned this beach house for almost a year, ngayon ko lang ulit nadalaw 'to after this was made." pagkwento ni Daddy na ngayo'y nakasandal sa kotse.

"Nasa Tagaytay ba tayo?" I asked him, tumango naman siya. I knew it! Kaya pala familiar ang ambiance at simoy ng hangin, I've been here before pero hindi dito sa bahay ni Dad.

"Tara sa loob? May dalawang kwarto dito, if you want, magpahinga muna kayo before going out for a swim." pag-aya ni Daddy, sabay naman kaming tumango ni Lea as we made our way inside his house.

___

"They say, sunsets are better than sunrise and I, definitely agree with that." mahinang sambit ko while looking at the sun, slowly going down the horizon. It's breathtaking, napaka-gandang tignan.

"You know, sunsets are one of the proofs that endings can be this magical." sabi naman ni Lea kaya agad akong napatingin sa kanya.

We're currently sitting near the shore while looking at the sunset. Nasa tabi niya ako and there's this bonfire that Dad made earlier right in front of us.

While looking at Lea, I can't deny the fact na she still looks pretty even without makeup. Paano niya nagawa iyon?

"Ba't ang ganda niyo po?" napahawak ako sa bibig ko after saying my thoughts out loud, holy shit Chiara, nababaliw ka na ba?!

Mukhang nagulat naman siya sa narinig, she looked at me at kalaunang tumawa. Damn it! Bakit ko ba sinabi iyon?

"I was expecting you to say something else, really." wika niya at ngumiti sabay kurot ng pisngi ko, "But thank you anyway." she added.

Napailing na lang ako as I secretly grimace in embarrassment. Nakakahiya ka Chiara!

"See? Sabi sa'yo babes eh, makaka-relax ka dito!" Dad said ng dumating siya at umupo sa tabi ko so the position is, pinagigitnaan nila ako ni Lea while we're sitting on the bare sand.

Lea shrugged her shoulders at 'di na nagsalita pa, instead, kumuha siya ng isang chocolate bar sa basket kung saan naroroon ang mga pagkain namin.

She opened the lids at sinimulan niya na itong kainin. 'Di ko maiwasan ang 'di mamangha sa nakikita ko. While looking at her habang kumakain, mukhang sarap na sarap siya and it makes me want to eat it, too! Gusto kong humingi pero nahihiya ako. Ugh!
Nadako ang tingin niya sa' kin and before I can even turn my gaze, huli na ang lahat dahil she caught me looking at her while eating.

"Gusto mo?" she asked, kaagad naman akong umiling. Yes, I want to but I'm too shy to ask you!

Ngumiti siya sabay lahad sa' kin ng chocolate bar, she's asking me to take that? Pero.. may laway niya na iyan eh.

"It's delicious Chia, go on!" aniya, ngumiti na lang ako at kinuha na nga ito sa kamay niya. I want to taste it, okay?

Kumagat ako at kaagad na binalik sa kanya iyon, "Masarap?" she asked me while smiling.

Tumango naman ako at nag-thumbs up pa, "Masarapo po Tita!"

The rest of the night went so smoothly and I can say that I had fun with Daddy and Lea. After observing the sunset, Lea cooked dinner at syempre, tumulong kami ni Daddy sa kanya. With Dad's nature of being makulit, the whole time we're cooking was filled with laughter.

After having dinner, sabay kaming tatlong naligo sa dagat and it was so refreshing! Ang sarap maligo especially when it's night time. Naglaro kami at sa totoo lang, nakikilig ako sa harutan nilang dalawa tho I shouldn't feel that way.

Now, I'm just silently looking at the sky here at my room's veranda, holding a glass of milk that Lea prepared earlier.

This day was certainly, a memorable one for me. I had extremely fun moments together with them pero... kung nandito si Alysse, hindi ko naman mararanan 'to 'di ba? Kung nandun lang kanina si Alysse sa bahay, 'di naman nila ako isasama 'di ba?

After all, I'm just Alysse's substitute..

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