3. Undefined fear.

"Bye, Eli. Behave, okay?" Hinatid niya sa pre-school nito si Elisha. "Remember, kay ate Yoly ka lang sasama pauwi, okay?" Tukoy niya sa nag-aalaga sa anak habang nasa trabaho siya.

"Yes, mommy... I love you."

"I love you too." She kissed her bago umalis.

Monday kaya kailangan niyang makarating agad sa opisina. Well, being a college undergrad, assistant pa rin siya hanggang ngayon. She was just lucky na may tumanggap pa rin sa kanya despite her having no college diploma.

Executive assistant siya for almost ten years na. That long service already earned her the status of being the little boss. Paano kasi, siya lang naman ang nakatagal sa amo nilang ipinaglihi sa sama ng loob.

Pagdating niya sa opisina ay nagpulasan ang mga empleyado pabalik sa mga pwesto ng mga ito mula sa kaninang kumpol-kumpol habang nagtsitsismisan.

"Good morning, Hannah!" Bati ni Mia. Ito ang pinaka-close niya dahil halos sabay silang dumating noon sa opisina, mas matanda ito dahil eighteen pa lang siya noon.

"'Morning, Mia," aniyang sumalampak sa upuan niya.

"Nabalitaan mo na ba?"

"Ang alin?" She asked as she turned her desktop on.

"Hindi natuloy ang wedding of the year!”

"Nino?" Blankong tanong niya.

"Ekk, Hannah. Nate and Olive, remember? And the excuse was so lame, they needed to postpone raw kasi may immediate commitment abroad si Olive."

"Ah." Napatango lang siya. She totally forgot na kasal nga pala dapat nina Olive at Nate kahapon. Hindi na rin kasi nila napag-usapang magkaibigan ang tungkol doon.

"Imagine? Kung ako si Olive, uunahin ko ang kasal ko. Nate Sarmiento is every girl's dream man. Choosy pa siya?"

"That's their life, Mia." Apparently, no one knows Olive nor Nate the way she does. So she just kept her mouth shut. Hindi niya kailangang makipagtalo para maipagtanggol si Olive.

"Yeah, but what I’m saying is mali ang desisyon niya. Poor Nate."

She did not answer. No wonder na kay Nate ang simpatiya ng mga tao. Olive left him to sort the mess. But her sympathy goes to her friend. Walang karapatan ang tulad ni Nate na saktan si Olive kahit pa nagloko ito. After all she just fought for her true love. Nate's nothing but a heartless jerk who once wanted her dear Elisha aborted.

"Let's get to work," sabi na lang niya.

Maaga ring dumating ang boss nila kaya agad siyang na-busy sa trabaho.

Pasado alas onse na ng makatanggap siya ng tawag mula kay ate Yoly. She sounded nervous kaya kinabahan na rin siya. Uwian na ni Elisha kaya malamang ay iyon ang dahilan kaya ito napatawag.

"Hannah," umiiyak na umpisa nito.

"Ano pong nangyari? Nasundo n’yo na si Elisha?" Kinakabahang tanong niya.

"Hannah, wag kang mabibigla... W-wala na si Elisha sa school. M-may ibang sumundo sa kanya!"

"'Po?" Hindi siya makapaniwala, patakaran sa eskwelahan na magulang at mga taong rekomendado lang ng magulang ang pwedeng sumundo sa mga bata. "Ate Yoly, sigurado po ba kayo?" Pilit niyang kinakalma ang sarili but to no avail.

Elisha was missing!

"Sinundo raw siya ng daddy niya!"

"What?!" Para siyang sinabugan ng bomba that she felt numb for a moment.

Natagpuan na lamang niya ang sarili na nasa eskwelahan ni Elisha at nakikipagtalo sa Admin.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Rodriguez. But your husband came to fetch Elisha," paliwanag ng school administrator nang sumugod siya roon para magwala.

"Husband?!" Hindi siya makapaniwala. "I'm not even married yet, Mrs. Ferrer! You gave my child to a complete stranger! Elisha is missing now and it's because you didn't stick to your rules!"

"Parents are allowed to fetch their children," kalmadong pahayag ng kausap niya.

"Oh please." Umiiyak na siya. "For almost a year ako lang o si ate Yoly ang sumusundo sa anak ko. I made it clear to you, the paper that I signed when I enrolled Elisha here. So don't give me that excuse. Elisha doesn't have a father!"

"I'm sorry-"

"Sorry? I don't even know where Elisha is right now! Paano kung kidnapper 'yong sumundo sa kanya? Paano kung-"

"Ms. Rodriguez, we are sure that Nate Sarmiento is not a kidnapper," deklara ni Mrs. Ferrer.

"What??!" She felt her world crashed. For a while akala niya matutumba siya sa pagkabila.

Tama ba ang narinig niya?

"Nate Sarmiento was the one who fetched your daughter."

"You're kidding me-" imposible! Hindi maaari!

How on earth did Nate learn about Elisha?

"Did he leave a number or anything?" Nanginginig na tanong niya after several seconds na tila nag-hang siya while trying to process what she just heard.

"Actually, he did." May iniabot itong calling card sa kanya na agad niyang hinablot at nagmamadaling umalis.

She could feel her heart breaking. Paano nalaman ni Nate na anak nito si Elisha? No, how did he even know about her in the first place?

Nanlalamig ang mga kamay na tiningnan niya ang calling card at tumipa sa kanyang cellphone.

She wasn't able to prepare for this moment and she could feel her nerves shaking with every unanswered ring. Nate has Elisha and that was enough to scare the hell out of her.

Would she see Elisha again?

'Oh please... please... don't take Eli away...' Piping hiling niya habang para siyang pinapatay sa paghihintay na sagutin ni Nate ang tawag niya.

"Where's my daughter?" She said in lieu of hello the moment the call was picked up.

"Hello to you too, Hannah." The icy cold voice from the other line sent shiver down her spine. He mentioned her name in the most expressionless way possible. Hindi pa siya nagpapakilala pero base sa reaksyon nito, he had been expecting her call.

"Where's Elisha?" Nanginginig ang boses niya --of anger and undefined fear to the man who currently has her daughter. "I beg you Mr. Sarmiento, give my daughter back. I don't know what your intention is, but please, don't take Elisha!"

"Last time I checked, she's my daughter." He let out a cold laugh. Nakakainsulto.

"No, no no... She's not... Please!" She's already crying hard, she couldn't lose Elisha or she would die.

Ito na ba ‘yong kinakatakutan niya? Na isang araw, kukunin sa kanya si Elisha ng tunay nitong mga magulang?

"Let's have a deal, Hannah," he said.

"What deal? I'll do anything... " Right, kahit ano pa ang kondisyon nito, ibibigay niya basta lang ibalik nito ang anak niya.

"It's best to talk about it in person." He mentioned a place to her that seemed like a home address. "So, I'll be waiting."

"You're bringing Elisha, right?" Umaasang tanong niya.

"That's for me to decide, sweetheart." He hung up.

Her shoulders dropped. She couldn't help but worry. Is Elisha safe? Nate didn't want the child then. Anong dahilan kung bakit bigla itong nagkainteres sa bata?

Pero hindi iyon ang tanong-- paano nito nalaman ang tungkol kay Elisha when the only other soul who knew about her existence was her real mother...? Could it be that Olive told Nate?

'No, Hannah... Olive is your friend.'

Yeah, right. Hindi gagawin ni Olive iyon sa kanya. Alam nito kung gaano kahalaga sa kanya si Elisha.

She shook her head to push away the thought...