I felt my face grow hot in embarrassment.
"Yes, you are great at what you do. No one is better than you when it comes to basketball, and you were Patterson's Pride. But it is part of the Academy's Scholarship Program to make sure that our varsity players excel not just in sports but also in their academics, and getting a flat 3 in most of your classes while failing the other four just doesn't make the cut,"
"I talked to your mom and offered that I would pay for all your expenses in Patterson until you graduate. I want the best for my daughter, and if you are going to be with her, then I want what's best for you, too," he said, looking at me with a sad look in his eyes.
"Your mom declined my offer. She said she will just look for another school and I knew she was interested in Dawson because it's the next best thing to ours. I talked to a good friend who works there and asked him to make you part of the varsity team kahit hindi naman sila tumatanggap ng scholars sa gitna ng school year. I know that was the right thing to do para hindi ka panghinaan ng loob at ma-motivate kang pagbutihan pang lalo,"
"When you finally got admitted to Dawson at na-confirm na pasok ka sa varsity, Aubrey was ecstatic. She wouldn't shut up and she just kept talking about you throughout dinner, and I was glad because my daughter was happy,"
"And for a while, everything was great. Until the day she asked me for a condo," he went on, his expression unreadable.
"She asked for a studio, but I expected that you would be visiting her from time to time kaya two-bedroom ang kinuha ko. I told Aubrey that the other room would be her study, but I also put a sleeper sofa there. For you,"
"I just didn't expect that you would be living together. Ang akala ko ay dadalawin mo lang ang anak ko. Hindi ko alam na gusto niyo na palang magsama. And if you think na wala akong alam sa mga nangyari, I know everything Justin," he said, his expression pained.
"I know everything that happened between you two, and as a father, I was disappointed in my daughter and in you. You never visited her when she was still staying with us. You never formally introduced yourself to us. Oo, naiintindihan kong takot ka. Pero may lakas ka ng loob para ibahay ang anak ko, pero wala kang lakas ng loob na harapin kami bilang respeto?"
"Tell me Justin, mali bang pinaalis kita ro'n?" he asked, widening his eyes at me.
I didn't know what to say.
"Look me in the eyes at sagutin mo ang tanong ko. Mali ba na pinaalis kita?" he asked again.
"H-Hindi po, Sir," I stuttered.
Knowing his point of view, suddenly, I have a better understanding of everything. I was wrong about him. Heck. I was wrong about everything.
"I just wanted to protect my daughter, Justin. You two are not married, you are both studying, and you don't have jobs. Bakit niyo naisip na magsama? Couldn't you wait for the right time? Don't you have any amount of respect for her?" he asked, as tears filled his eyes.
"I talked to my wife and told her what happened. I know I made the wrong move, telling you I would have you arrested. But I also wanted to know what you were going to do. Aalis ka ba? Maghahanap ka ba ng trabaho? Kukuha ka ba ng sarili mong condo? Gusto kong malaman kung anong plano mo para sa inyo ng anak ko. I had you followed at school. Just for a day, at anong nakita ko? Buong araw mong kasama si Pat,"
"Hindi ako nag-isip ng masama sa inyo dahil kahit papaano, naniwala rin akong totoo ang pagtingin mo sa anak ko. Pero sa ginagawa mo ngayon na nagpapanggap kang nakalimutan mo si Aubrey at hinalikan mo pa si Pat sa harapan ko, tingin mo ba ay mga bata kami na gano'n kadali mong mapapaniwala?"
I licked my lips and avoided his piercing stare.
"Ano ba ang gusto mong mangyari, Justin? Gusto mo bang saktan ang anak ko at lantaran mo siyang ginagago? Matapos ang lahat ng nangyari sa inyo, this is how you end things with my daughter? Answer me!" Mr. Chua bellowed, his voice echoing across the room.
Just then, my mom came rushing in the room while Pat trailed behind her. "Ang kapal naman ng mukha mong pumunta dito para pagtaasan ng boses ang anak ko! Get out!" sigaw ni Mommy.
She didn't have to say another word. Aubrey's dad took one look at me, shook his head, and left right away, slamming the door behind him.
"Are you okay, Anak? Kumusta ka na?" my mom asked, worried.
I met Pat's eye at kahit nagtitinginan lang kami ay alam ko na kung anong nasa isip niya.
Umiling ako.
Napabuntonghininga naman siya at kinuha ang cellphone niya mula sa ilalim ng unan ko.
When Mr. Chua asked Pat to leave earlier, I asked her for a kiss. Not because I actually wanted to kiss her but because we needed to plant a recording device—which was her phone—to record my conversation with Aubrey's dad. We need proof that he was the one who planned my accident para matapos na ang lahat ng 'to.
When Pat approached me and kissed me lightly on the cheek, she was just distracting Mr. Chua as she hid her phone under my pillow. At ngayon, nasayang lang ang lahat dahil hindi ko naman napaamin si Mr. Chua. Tila mas lumala pa nga ang sitwasyon dahil bukod sa alam na niyang nagpapanggap lang ako, tingin niya ay ginagawa ko 'to dahil ayaw ko na kay Aubrey.
This is all messed up.
Sobrang bumaliktad ang mundo ko.
Hindi ko inakalang 'yong taong sobrang kinatakutan at hinusgahan ko ay palihim palang tumutulong sa akin.
I need to fix this. I need to talk to Aubrey and explain everything. I need to get my life together.
But at the back of my mind, there was still one lingering question. A question that remained in my head for the rest of the day.
Kung hindi si Mr. Chua and may pakana sa aksidente ko . . . sino?
34: Mr. Chua
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