CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5

"Mommy!"

Pagkabukas ko pa lamang ng pinto sa condo ay agad nang sumalubong sa akin si Luke. He was carrying a helicopter toy in his right hand as he started running towards me.

I smiled widely. "Careful, babe."

Agad ko naman itong binuhat at hinalikan sa pisngi nang tuluyang makalapit. He immediately buried his face on the side of my neck before kissing it three times. That's his favorite spot. He loves to kiss and smell it. I don't know why he got addicted on that particular spot. Siguro ay dahil sa perfume ko, o talagang paborito niya lang talaga doon.

"Where's Mama La?" I asked him gently while I was looking around. Napansin ko kaagad ang mga laruan niyang nakakalat sa sala. Mabuti sana kung nasa mat lang niya 'yon kumalat, kaya lang ay nasa nasa ibang parte talaga ng sahig. Baka mamaya ay matapakan niya pa o di kaya ay ni Mommy.

"Mama La is in the kitchen. She's cooking our dinner, Mommy." He mumbled. His face was still buried on the crook of my neck.

I sighed. "What did I told you about your toys, Lukariah Zaugustus? Di ba sinabi ko sa'yong huwag mong ikalat sa paligid at baka matapakan mo pa o ni Mama La? That's dangerous, anak." I told him gently.

"I'm sorry, Mommy. I'll go and put it in the basket now."

I smiled at that. Hinaplos ko ang kaniyang likod at hinalikan sa tuktok ng kaniyang ulo bago ibinaba. Kaagad namang sinimulang ligpitin ni Luke ang mga nagkalat na laruan sa sala.

Dumiretso naman ako sa kusina. Papasok pa lamang ako ay napakunot na ang aking noo nang marinig si Mommy na nagsasalita, at base sa tono nito ay mukhang galit at naiirita ito.

"Maayos na ang kalagayan nila dito, Amos. Bakit kailangan mo pa silang pauwiin diyan?" Narinig ko ang malamig at istriktong boses ni Mommy, at nang tuluyan na akong makapasok ay kaagad na napalingon si Mommy sa banda ko. She sighed and shook her head. "Your father wants to talk to you, Zoella."

Her laptop was placed on the counter, so I have to go near. Dad was indeed on the other screen. He even waved his hand when he saw me, so I smiled back. I sat on the stool chair before looking at him again.

"What's up, Dad? What do you want to talk about?" Kaagad na tanong ko na siya namang paglapit sa akin ni Luke.

"I'm done picking the toys, Mommy..." He mumbled softly as he raised his arms, urging me to carry him na kaagad ko namang ginawa.

"That's great, babe. Thank you." Ani ko pa bago ito binuhat. Inayos ko muna ito sa pagkakaupo sa aking hita bago itinuon ng tuluyan ang pansin kay Dad. I seriously doesn't have any idea about what he wanted to talk about. Gusto na sigurong pauwiin si Mommy? Namimiss na siguro dahil paminsan-minsan lang naman si Dad pumupunta dito lalo na't may mga inaayos siya sa kompanya.

I badly wanted to help him on that part, but I really don't like business that much. Nag-iisa lang din akong anak nilang dalawa kaya wala talagang umaagapay kay Dad sa business. Only him and Mom, but Mom is here with us, so technically, mag-isa lang si Dad na namamahala ngayon doon.

Napakamot sa kaniyang batok si Daddy bago ngumiti ng alanganin. "Remember what I said before you left the country?" Napakunot ang noo ko. Matagal na iyon kaya nakalimutan ko na kung ano man 'yong sinabi niya.

"What exactly did you said Dad? Matagal na 'yon kaya hindi ko na maalala pa. Enlighten me, please."

Saglit itong tumahimik bago tumikhim at umayos ng upo. "That you'll stay in the US for as long as I wanted you to stay there?"

"Uh-huh," I nodded, kahit na hindi ko na halos maalala kung kailan niya ba talaga iyon sinabi sa akin. So, what is Daddy's point for reminiscing such memories?

Memories, my butt. That also includes the memories of what happened that night.

"Now, I wanted you to come home."

That caught me off guard. I didn't expect that at all. But why does he want me to go home?

"Uhm, what for?" Tumikhim ako. I mean, I thought that he was already alright with the idea of me living here, dahil hindi naman siya nag-oopen up ng ganitong topic? Ngayon lang talaga.

After five years, ngayon niya lang ako pinapauwi. Does that mean na it took my problem almost a year before being solved? And Dad carried all that without any help from us? Or even from me? I was chillin' here while my dad was on his own? Solving his daughter's problem?

Nakagat ko ang pang-ibabang labi.

I know to some, my problem might just be easy, but no, it isn't. I know where I came from. I know the company where I came from, and they won't really go easy on someone who'll break the rule first.

How could Dad act like it's okay when in fact he was surely having a hard time dealing with the problems that I made?

Mabuti ba talaga ang ginawa kong pagtakas sa problema ko noon? Kung alam ko sanang labis na mahihirapan doon si Daddy, I should've stayed and let people judge me.

Nawala lang ako sa aking malalim na pag-iisip nang may humawak sa aking balikat. Marahan iyong hinahaplos ni Mama na parang pinapagaan ang loob ko.

"Do not over think, Zoella. Everything was settled two days after you left the country. I know what you're thinking." Natatawang saad ni Mommy. Napanguso ako. Imposible.

"Mommy? You okay? Mommy?" Napatingin ako kay Luke na ngayon ay nakaharap na sa akin habang nakaupo sa mga hita ko. He was holding my face with his tiny hands that made my heart warm. Pakiramdam ko ay may humaplos sa aking puso nang makita ang nag-aalalang mukha ng aking anak.

Hinaplos ko ang kaniyang pisngi bago ito hinalikan sa noo. "I'm fine babe. Mommy's just thinking some things."

His electric blue eyes slightly narrowed, na para bang pilit nitong inaarok ang buong pagkatao ko kung nagsasabi ba ako ng totoo o hindi.

I sighed. Umiwas ako ng tingin at napatitig sa laptop at nagulat nang makita itong nakasara na. What the? I was thinking that deep? Really?!

Napatingin ako kay Mommy na ngayon ay hinahanda na ang mga plato sa mesa.

She saw my questioning and confuse look, and she just laughed. "I closed the laptop after your Dad said he wants you to come home."

I laughed. "Mom! That's rude. Baka magalit 'yon," natatawa kong saad.

"That old man won't be mad at me. He's badly whipped at this beauty, Amberleigh Zoella. You should know that," At itinuro pa nito ang mukha ko. Yeah, right. Nagmana nga ako sa kaniya. I almost got all her features. And even with Mommy's age, I bet, she can still be able to seduce younger men. I mean, she's still a damn beauty even with her age. I really can't blame why men flock to her feet in her days. She's a real keeper. A real Alpha woman who can bend men's knees.

We ate our dinner that night peacefully. We chatted a bit before proceeding to our bedroom. Magkaiba kami ng kwarto ni Mommy. Luke has his own room too dahil tatlo lahat ang kwarto sa condo kaya isa-isa kami. Ayaw nga lang matulog ni Luke sa kaniyang kwarto dahil ani niya ay malamig daw kapag wala ako sa tabi niya. He's sweet, I know. Nagmana rin siguro iyon sa ama—ugh!Nevermind that. Bakit ba iyon ang iniisip ko?

Kinabukasan, as usual, Luke woke me up with his kisses. Kaya laging maganda ang umaga ko dahil ginigising lagi ako nito ng kaniyang mga halik tuwing umaga. He's such a sweet alarm clock.

Hinatid ako nila Mommy sa company ng umagang iyon. Pagdating ko ay agad akong binati ng mga staff, and I greeted them back with the same energy.

Today, magpapaalam ako sa company. I need to file a leave for my absence sa susunod na mga linggo... o baka maging buwan pa. Tatapusin ko lang muna ngayon ang mga pending projects, and shoots ko before flying back to the Philippines.

Philippines.

I wonder how would they welcome me? O naaalala pa kaya nila ako?