Red Strings of Fate (Haunted Series 2)

Strings 36: Her Real World

Tumikhim ako at umupo sa malayong upuan mula kay Madame, "Naalala ko yung sinabi ni Sir Archie na ledger? Anong... anong meron doon?"

"It's a list of Itasaki transactions. Everything that proves their illegal works."

Lumingon siya sa asawa na tinitingnan lang kaming nag uusap.

"We prepared something to protect us from them, just in case. Nobody knew you existed... so it was appropriate we hid it with you."

Hindi ba mas delikado para sa akin pag nalaman ng mga Itasaki na hawak ko ang napakalaking impormasyon na 'yon?

"But your father doesn't want it out."

Nakuha non ang aking atensyon.

"Bakit?" Tiningnan ko ang mga magulang kong nagsusukatan ng tingin.

"For him, they are still his brothers. He wants protection, ruin a few businesses, but he doesn't want to take them down."

Umiling si Sir Ayahiko, "They are my family. I took an oath. By blood and by bond... there are just some things that they do, that I do not approve."

Yung accent niya ay kagaya ng lalakeng nasa yate. And it's quite disturbing to know that he still thinks of them as his brothers. "Pero—But that's the deal. Protection for your cooperation."

 "I am cooperating. I've been working with them to destroy human trafficking dens."

Ang bigat ng buntong hininga niya at napailing nalang si Madame. "Just not enough that ties back with Itasaki. You're protecting them." 

Napatingin ako sa mga magulang ko. My father is rugged, and my mother is elegant. Mukhang malabong mahuhulog sila sa isa't-isa kung iisipin mo ang kabaliktaran ng buhay nila.

"How did you two meet?" Sabi ko para ibahin ang usapan. Ang argumento ng dalawa ay tila isang bagay na pinag-uusapan nila noon pa man.

Bumalik ang tingin sa akin ni Madame at ngumiti ng bahadya.

"Well... back in the day, I was addicted sa gambling. We met at a casino and we were at the same poker table. He lost and I won almost half a million."

Tumango ako.

"We grabbed drinks afterward, talked, and the rest is history."

Tiningnan ko ang dalawa. Paano siya nainlove sa kanya kung alam niya ang background ni Sir Ayahiko?

Somehow, nabasa ni Madame Kristine ang isip na dumadaloy sa utak ko. "Hindi masamang tao ang papa mo. Life is just... complicated sometimes. Things don't go according to plan, they don't work out the way you wanted or expected them to... Things aren't simple. People aren't simple."

Napatitig ako sa kanya.

Parang sinusubukan niyang ipaliwanag kung bakit nila ako iniwan... But listening to her story, I feel like my parents only wanted each other, not me.

It's hard not to resent them when I know they lived such lavish lives.

Ginusto ko maging katulad ng ibang mga bata dati na hindi kailangang mag-alala tungkol sa mga bayarin, na hindi kailangang mag-alala tungkol sa kung paano ako magpapatuloy sa pag-aaral, na hindi gustong mag-alala tungkol sa kung ano ang kakainin namin sa susunod na araw.

"When I got pregnant. We acted like I misdelivered and we separated... it took a lot of years to get where we are now."

They had each other and left me alone.

"I'm sorry if we took drastic measures to ensure your safety, I'm sorry if you felt lonely having no parents."

I was lonely from time to time. But the thing is... I had parental figures in my life. I had Nana and Ate Beauty with me. We suffered together. They suffered for me.