My phone beeped
From Gabb:
Have you eaten yet?
To Gabb:
Yep. How about you?
Wala pang isang minuto my phone beeped again.
From Gabb:
Yeah. Can I call?
To Gabb:
Later, I have to talk Dad.
From Gabb:
All right, I'll wait.
I smiled and I kissed my phone.
I knocked three times before I entered in my Dad's study. I saw him standing near the sliding window. Nag ikot-ikot muna ako at nagkunwaring tinitingnan ang mga libro.
Unti-unti akong lumapit kung nasaan ang tatay ako. My palms were sweating and my heart was racing.
"Da..." panimula ko
Actually, I haven't had a lot of sweet moments with my father. I was nervous everytime he's around.
"What do you want us to talk about?" Dad said to still facing the sliding window.
"Please let me come home" I directly said without hesitation
Now he's looking at me.
"Pardon?"
"Daddy, sa Villa Guarda na lang muna ako mag-aaral. Senior high lang po, Da, please..."
Nanginginig na ako, totoong natatakot na ako sa kanya.
"Your Mom said yes already that you will be studying in San Carlos. Kung hindi mo gusto pwede naman sa Metro Manila" my father said to me seriously wile looking at me intently.
"Sa Villa Guarda po ang gusto ko. Hindi ako sanay dito"
"Why? You have me and your brothers we will guide you. We have house in Cebu, I will hire helpers for you"
"I am not yet ready to leave Mama. I wanna stay in Villa Guarda"
It's true I can't leave Mom.
"Noon pa man gusto na kitang kunin, gusto kong iuwi kayo pero naawa ako sa Mama plus you were both happy living with Benedict"
I know he's still blaming himself for what happened to their marriage, to our family. Nagsisisi pa rin siya hanggang ngayon at hindi niya pa napapatawad ang kanyang sarili.
What if hindi gumanti si Mama? Pero naging masaya naman kami kasama si Papa Ben. I'm still hoping na babalik siya sa Villa Guarda.
"Please... just this time Dad let me decide for myself" I begged
I hold his hand and started sobbing
"Daddy please..." I told myself earlier that I would cry to convince him. But I feel frustrated now, this is not acting anymore. I thought it would be easy, I was wrong.
Biglang bumukas ng malakas ang pintuan ng study.
I looked at him and saw the frustration in his eyes too.
Lumapit na pala si Kuya Malcolm.
"Dad, bakit umiiyak yan?"
Hindi sumagot ang Dad minabuti ko na lang na halikan silang dalawa at umalis na.
Hinabol pa ako ni Kuya.
"Why are you crying?"
"Goodnight kuya, say goodnight to Dad for me"
Kabanata 7
Start from the beginning
