Kat's POV
"It's been a while, Kat. I'm so happy to see you."
My plan to go home after being with Minty didn't go dahil nandito naman ako sa café kasama ang mom niya, kung saan din niya kami mismo nakita ni Luna before when she offered me a job to be her daughter's secretary.
I wasn't expecting this. Ms. Claudia contacted me and gusto niya raw makipag-meet because she has something to tell me.
"How are you po?" I asked politely.
"Oh.. i'm fine, don't worry about me." Ms. Claudia answered, so I gave her a timid smile.
"You have something to tell me, what is it po?" wala pa atang five minute since we settled down but sobra na akong nacucurious on what she's about to say.
I tilted my head on the other side when I felt her staring at me for I don't know how long has it been, I find it awkward and nahihiya rin ako.
Para rin siyang si Minty tumingin, nakaka-intimidate. Gosh.
I suddenly remembered my girlfriend, bigla ring sumagi sa isip ko kung ano kaya magiging reaction ng mom niya if she found out about my relationship with her daughter.
"I wanna ask you first if Minty's still mad about you?" I can sense her concern about us especially for her daughter.
I shook my head.
"We already had a talk po.. actually we met each other earlier before I got here." I find it weird when her face lit up, she's smiling genuinely now at me.
"How was it, then? Okay na ba kayo?" She asked concernly so I nodded. There's no reason for me to lie to her.
"We're good na po." I added honestly
"Good lang?" She asked while smiling.
Ano pa ba dapat? Don't tell me.. she's expecting something? More than that?
What should I do? Should I tell her na i'm her daughter's girlfriend? Baka hindi ito ang tamang oras para malaman ni Ms. Claudia.
"Come on, Kat. You can tell me everything, especially when my daughter is involved.." She leaned forward, as if she's eager to know something that is obvious?
"I.. W-We're together po." I finally uttered that after a minute of being silent.
I waited for her response but kinabahan ako nang walang makitang reaction sa mom ni Minty. I suddenly get nervous but it quickly fades away when she smiled at me.
"Really??" She seems shocked about what I said but I can see happiness in her eyes
I nodded shyly, I can already feel my cheeks burning in red.
"I'm h-happy for the both of you. You don't know how grateful I am, because of you Kat.. because of you I can finally feel at ease seeing my daughter happy. For that past months as I was observing Minty, I saw how happy she is whenever you're with her." Ms. Claudia said seriously while looking intently at me. I stayed silent, still processing her heartwhelming words.
I was speechless but I looked at her again when she continued.. "My top priority is my daughter's happiness and she found it on you." I can't take it anymore, Ms. Claudia's words are too much. I'm so flattered right now but i'm just suppressing myself on showing my real emotion infront of her.
"Kaya unang kita ko palang sa 'yo, sobrang gaan na ng loob ko. It even led me to make a contract with you and I did that for my own daughter's sake.. kahit sa umpisa pa lang ay alam ko na ang consequences na kakaharapin ko, dinamay pa kita. I'm very sorry for that, Katrina." She's really being serious uttering those words but her last words, apologizing to me gives me a big impact. I'm not sure but behind that sorry, I know may ibang tinutukoy si Ms. Claudia.
I just can't explain it, but I'm half sure that there's something else she was sorry for.
"N-Now, I couldn't stop myself to admit something to you.. but p-please, my daughter's not involved here so don't put blame on her--" So, I was right..
"B-Bakit po?" Kinakabahang tanong ko, ang kaninang kabang nararamdaman ko ay mas dumoble ngayon. I don't think if I can handle that thing she wants to admit but I'm so eager to know now what it is all about. And I think.. it somehow involves me.
"My word might trigger you.. b-but, did you remember something bad happened to you when you were young?" My eyes fixated on her when she said that.. I immediately knew what she was talking about.
"M-May alam po ba kayo?" I asked. Naging sunod-sunod ang pagtango niya at kita ko ang regret and pain sa mga mata niya
"I.. was once inlove with a girl who's related to you, Kat. I loved your Tita Aleyna.. "
What? Am I hearing it right?
Yes, I know agad who she was referring to. Tita Aleyna is like my second mother, when mom was busy working before.. laging pinupuntahan ko lang ay siya. We were close, but bigla nalang siyang nawala na parang bula after my kidnapped incident. After that, wala na akong naging balita sa kaniya. Sabi lang ni mom ay may inasikaso siya but she never came back for me.
While remembering my Tita Aleyna, our bond and closeness. I can't help but to get hurt na naman. Bumalik na naman 'yung pain katulad dati no'ng mapagtanto kong iniwan niya na kami ni Mom. But, nevertheless.. I was never mad at her for leaving us, me. I just said to myself na hindi naman forever siyang nasa amin, she also need someone to take care of her or if possible ay magkaroon din siya ng own family.
"And.. The person behind that incident why you were kidnapped is my h-husband.. " Ms. Claudia admitted that made me stop my whole body and brain to function, kumabog nang malakas ang dibdib ko dahil sa narinig.
h-how? why?
"When my husband found out my relationship with Aleyna, gumawa agad siya ng paraan para paghiwalayin kami.. And when he saw you with Aleyna, h-he thought that you were her child. So, he planned to snatch you from her para sa gano'n ay makaganti siya sa Tita mo. With that way, mapaghihiwalay niya kami ni Aleyna which he succesfully did." She added. The information was too much, I can feel my hands trembling.
My lips starts quivering habang nasa baba lang ng mesa ang tingin, feeling ko unti-unti na 'kong kinakain ng lupa dahil sa sobrang kalutangan. I'm starting to believe that I was just dreaming, but I tried pinching my hands and I could feel it.
"He also t-threat--" May sasabihin pa pala si Ms. Claudia but I stopped her by motioning my bare hands even if it's still shaking due to the sudden revelations from her.
"T-Tama na po.. I've a-already heard enough." That was more than enough for me to realize that her husband was the reason para iwan ako ni Tita Aleyna. He's also the reason kung bakit ako nags-suffer until now sa phobia ko.
I don't know what to feel.
Bago pa makasagot si Ms. Claudia ay tumayo na kaagad ako, I excused myself before running away from that place that I'm starting to hate from now on. That place was suffocating, I can't breathe while hearing those words from my girlfriend's mom.
Kaya ba nakailang sorry si Minty sa 'kin? She knows that. But, just like what her mother told me. I shouldn't put the blame on her dahil hindi naman siya involved, which is true. But I can't help it to think na ang mga taong may nagawang atraso sa 'min ni mom and most especially to Tita Aleyna ay dad niya mismo?
Umuwi akong condo na parang nakainom kahit hindi naman, pagpasok pa lang sa loob ay dumiretso na agad ako sa kwarto at dumapa sa kama ko. Those memories--rather my biggest nightmare starts to flashback, hanggang ngayon malinaw pa rin siya sa 'kin.
"Don't touch the child, I just need her para matigil na si Claudia sa pagmamahal sa nanay niya. "
I bit my lower lip when that voice just came up on my mind, mabilis na nagsibabaan ang luha kong kanina ko pa pinipigilan.
"Sir, malikot po masyado ang bata. Kinagat na rin po ako at muntik pang makatakas. "
"If that's the case, then.. do something that can scare her. Kapag hindi nadala, it's up to you kung anong posibleng gawin sa batang 'yan. "
I covered my both ears while sobbing at after niyan ay bumalik naman sa alaala ko ang last day na nagkasama kami ni Tita Aleyna, pinasyal pa niya ako no'n and I was so happy but now.. by remembering that, mas lalo akong nasasaktan.
Kanina ko pa rin ramdam ang phone sa pocket ko na walang tigil sa pagtunog. I'm sure as hell that Minty's been trying to contact me since when I was still on that place with her mom.
I want to answer her, pero hindi ko kaya.
Ayoko rin na malaman niyang nagkita kami ng mom niya at alam ko na ang lahat.
Instead, I started looking for Luna's number and called her. Thankfully, she answered after just a three rings.
"Kat? Why did you call? May problema ba? "
"A-Are you busy?" Inayos ko ang tono ng boses ko para hindi niya mahalatang kagagaling ko lang sa matinding pag-iyak.
"Uhmm, medyo. But, if you have a problem and it's really urgent.. Siyempre unahin kita! " I let out a small smile.
"I'm fine, you can focus on what you were doing now. I'm s-sorry.. " Sasagot pa sana siya but I ended the call early.
I decided to close my eyes.
I can feel someone's presence right now, I can also feel that someone is staring at me. Hindi ko na napigilan at iminulat ang mata.
Mabilis akong bumangon nang makita ang mukha ni Minty, and I realized that our faces were just a bit inches away.
"I got worried about you.. and Luigi called me and she told me na tumawag ka raw sa kaniya so she thought na may nangyaring bad sa 'yo."
"Why are you here? It's still 6:30 pm and you're supposed to--" she cut me off
"I was worried nga.. buti nalang I have a duplicate of your unit--"
"I don't remember giving you a duplicate." I seriously uttered.
She scratch her head cutely before leaning towards me.
"Your bestfriend gave it to me. I was worried as hell, Kat! You didn't answer any of my calls and messages yet I just saw you here looking so cute and peacefully sleeping." She said, then pouted afterwards
I sighed, trying to divert my full attention to her cuteness. Naalala ko kasi 'yung mga sinabi ni Ms. Claudia kanina, but I don't want Minty to think that I'm disappointed.
"I'm sorry--"
"Don't do that again, hmm?" she held my hand, I nodded as a response.
I looked at her confusedly when she cupped my cheeks using her both bare hands, bumalik ang concern sa mata niya.
"You cried?" I looked away, trying to avoid eye contact with her.
"hey.. " she softly called trying to get my attention, wala akong nagawa nang hawakan niya ang chin ko at ipaharap sa kaniya "may nangyari ba? you can tell me, baby.. " With that I easily gave away, I let my body drown into her which she immediately respond.
She hugged me, her hand is on my waist while the other one is caressing my hair. She's so soft, I love her. I can't be mad at her. Hindi ko kaya, dahil mas mauuna pa akong magalit sa sarili ko bago pa sa kaniya.
"What happened?" She asked in most endearing way and there's also a softness, it was like a music to my ears.
Umiling lang ako at nagtago sa leeg niya, i'm hugging her tightly but she did not even complain.
I really love her character development, lol.
What I mean is.. this. If you were to remember kasi, sobrang sungit and madalas siyang nasosobrahan sa pang-iinsulto sa 'kin before but now? Sobrang laki ng pinagbago.
"Okay, I won't force you to tell me what happened but in one condition. " There's a condition? What is it naman?
"Hmm?" My respond.
"Kat, it tickles.. but anyway, my condition is... I want you to eat--"
"What kind of stupid condition is that?" reklamo ko tsaka humiwalay sa kaniya, as usual hindi siya papatalo at tinaasan din ako ng kilay. She moved away a little bit from me then she crossed her arms.
"It's not a stupid condition! I just care for you!"
"you should've tell it to me straight to the point, hindi 'yung may condition ka pa."
"That's how some of business works."
"Why not go back to your company and mind your own business?" I'm not mad at her, I just want to test her patience. Knowing her, magtatampo agad 'yan at gagawin agad ang iniuutos ko.
"Stop provoking my patience, please! I just want you to eat."
"No, i don't wanna." I answered before turning my back on her.
"Kat!" Hindi ko siya pinansin.
"Katrina!" I go back on my bed and stares on the ceiling.
"Avila!" malakas na pagbanggit niya sa pangalan ko so I looked at her
"Yes, Asuncion?" Her forehead creased after I asnwered her with this.
I heard her sighed "come on, let's eat "
Inirapan ko siya at bumalik ulit sa pagkakahiga.
"bab--" she wasn't able to finish her word when we hear some loud knocks coming from the main door of my unit.
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I'll continue this na :>