CHASE (Drama-Mystery)

CHAPTER 6

"Akala ko natutulog ka?" the first thing she said ng buksan ko ang pinto.

I smiled hesitantly. "B-Bakit, Ate?"

"Lunch tayo?"

I nodded at sabay kaming bumaba sa kusina. Para akong lutang sa hangin habang nakasunod sa kanya. Tita Lalyn's words replayed on my head.

Manang Tes is dead? Kung gano'n, sino itong kasama namin ngayon sa mansyon? Or is Tita Lalyn's information really credible? What if she's wrong? And how about the mansion's bills? Who pays them kung hindi ako o siya? Alangan naman na sina Ate Sariyah ang nagbabayad no'n? Posible bang hindi lang alam ni Tita Lalyn na baka isa sa mga relatives namin ang nagbabayad? Because if not us, then who is?

"Shit!" bulalas ko nang muntikan ng madulas sa hagdanan kung hindi lang ako nakahawak sa barandilya.

Hinawakan ako ni Ate Sari sa braso. "Dahan-dahan lang, El."

I swallowed hard and nodded.

While in the dining, napapatitig ako kay Ate Sariya at inalala ang mga usapan namin noon. Yes, she was sometimes acting weird, biglang susulpot at hindi ko alam ang dahilan kung bakit o paano.

Then I suddenly remembered the woman outside our mansion that day I went home from camp. That weird girl wearing a hideous clothing. Hanggang ngayon, wala akong pinagsabihan na sinuman tungkol sa tagpong iyon. Nakalimutan ko rin siya dahil sa nangyari. And it was also maybe because she never did anything towards me but who was she?

"Kung sana may pera lang ako, El." Ate sighed heavily when she noticed my seriousness while eating.

Oh, she must have thought I was thinking hard about it.

"Ate." Binalewala ko ang sinabi niya at determinadong makakuha ng sagot, tinitigan ko siya.

"Bakit?"

"Who really owns this place?" I blurted out.

Natigilan siya. Why, hindi niya alam?

"Uh, your ancestor—"

"I-I know. I mean..."

She looked pale when I stared at her deeper.

"Sino ang nagmamay-ari ng mansyon ngayon?Who pays the bills? Who has the full control over it? Who is your boss at higit sa lahat, sino ang nagpapa-sweldo sa inyo ni Manang Tes? I mean, you can't be working around here if nobody manages this place, right?"

She laughed nervously. "I don't know, Ellah, you run this place. Ikaw dapat ang tinatanong ko niyan. As the only Cecilia living here in the mansion, ikaw ang nakakaalam."

I straightened my back and my eyes turned to a confused one. She's right. I am the owner of this place, thus, I should know better. Pero ang katunayan ay wala akong kaide-ideya tungkol sa bagay na ito ngayon.

"But you're the caretaker," bulong ko.

"And you are the owner."

"T-Then, how much is your salary? Magkano ang natatanggap niyo ni Manang Tes?" Sinong nagbibigay? Gusto kong idagdag. Am I living in this mansion without knowing who the real owner is? Did I just barged in to someone else's house? No! I called Manang Tes last year at tinanong ko siya kung pwedeng tumira ako rito sa mansyon. Sa mansyon ng pamilya naming mga Cecilia. Wala siyang sinabi o tinanong man lang tungkol sa sweldo o sa bayarin kaya inakala ko na wala ng problema roon. I mean, even since I was a kid, I am always aware that this mansion is taken care by our family in the US because it has always been like that.

"Ellah, may nakukuha lang kaming sweldo tuwing end of the month. Simula lang no'ng umuwi ka rito nagsimula ang sweldo kaya sino pa ba ang aasikaso no'n kundi ikaw?"