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The Last Joke

The Last Joke

Short Story · Romance
By:  Nuke SmokeCompleted
Language: English
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Synopsis

Familial Bond

After Death

Melodramatic

Bias

Mistress

Family Emotions

It was my daughter's first day of kindergarten, but she was nowhere to be found. My wife's first love texted me. "Guess where your daughter is." This was already the fourth time Donald Shaw had played a cruel joke like this. On the day Claire Wilson and I went official, he told me she got into a car crash. I cried as I ran nearly two miles through the freezing night to reach her. When the truth came out, Donald hid behind Claire and laughed. "Just a prank. I only wanted to see how much you loved her." On the day of our wedding, he took Claire away and disappeared with her for twenty-four hours, leaving me alone to face the guests' mockery and her parents' anger. The next day, he came back holding her arm and said casually, "I just wanted to play a little game." When Tina was born, he came with a fake DNA test and said she was his. Only after I was overwhelmed with rage and ended up in the hospital did he finally reveal the real report. Every single time, my wife protected him like a heartbroken girl defending her first love. Then she would turn around and scold me. "He's just a bit childlike. Don't be so serious." And now, that bastard was using my daughter as the punchline of his latest joke. I was shivering with fury and I called my wife. But Claire only said impatiently, "He just wants to play hide and seek. Stop crying already." Then she hung up. My eyes stayed fixed on the screen. It showed my daughter's location. And right now, she was in the middle of a river.

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Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Hide And Seek

Prologue

"AYAN! nakatunganga ka na naman diyan, habang tila nanaginip ng gising!" saglit niyang inalis ang tingin kay Zach na naglalaro ng basketball kasama ang mga kaibigan nito. Nilingon niya ang nagsalita.

"Ahm! Hindi naman, no? ang sarap niya lang kasing titigan!" wala sa sariling naiwika niya at muling ibalik sa binatilyo ang atensyon. Wala sa sariling biglang napangiti ang dalagita at nakabangumbaba habang tinatanaw ito.

Hay! Zachary Jack! matitigan lang kita, ang lakas na ng kabog ng puso ko!

"Oy! Zach, kakaiba ka talaga! bilib na ako sayo pagdating sa mga babae!" bigla siyang natauhan ng biglang may nagsalita isa sa mga kaibigan ng binatilyo. Napalakas ang kabog ng puso niya nang saktong magtama ang kanilang mga paningin.

"Hoy! Anna, ano naman iyang iniisip mo, habang nakatingin sa akin?" biglang tanong nito sa kanya. Hindi siya agad nakasagot. Napangisi na lamang ito. "Siguro, iniisip mo namang nakasuot ka ng traje de boda at kasama ako doon, syempre!" pagyayabang pa nito. "Tigilan mo na nga iyan, dahil kailan man ay hindi iyan mangyayari!" gusto na niyang mapaiyak. Kahit simple salita nito ay nasasaktan siya, dahil lantaran nitong pinapadama sa kanya na ayaw nito sa kanya. Sa inis ay tumayo siya at lumapit sa binatilyo.

"Hoy! Zachary! Ang yabang mo! pero kahit ang yabang mo mahal talaga kita. Pero ito lang sasabihin ko sayo, kahit anong pag ayaw mo sa akin, ako ang babaeng karapat-dapat sayo, walang iba!" mariing bigkas niya at nagpapadyak pa siya sa harapan ng mga ito. Narinig niyang nagtawanan ang mga kaibigan nito.

"Hanep, Pare! ang lakas ng loob!" singit ng isang kaibigan nito. Pinukol niya ito ng isang masamang tingin.

"Ah, basta! Kahit ilang babae pa ang makarelasyon mo, sa akin ka rin babagsak!" iyon lang at iniwan niya ang mga ito. Narinig niya pa ang hiyawan ng mga ito, pero nagtatakbo na siya palabas ng court.

Akala niya batang pag ibig lang iyon at nililipas din. Ngunit taon man ang lumipas ay nasa puso niya parin ang pag ibig para dito.

Sa araw-araw na ginagawa ng diyos, at sa araw-araw na makikita itong iba't ibang babae ang kasama. Gusto na niyang sumuko sa sobrang sakit.

Ang akala niya, kusang mawawala ang pagmamahal niya dito, ngunit nagkamali siya.

"Papa, ayaw ko doon magtrabaho sa Hotel & Casino ni Tito Alwin!" halos nagmamakaawa na siya sa ama.

"Pat, simula palang pinag-usapan na nito ang tungkol dito."

"Pero, Papa..." Hindi niya alam kung anong idadahilan sa ama.

"Anna Patricia!" suko na siya, tinawag na siya ng ama sa buong pangalan niya at hindi na siya aangal.

Kaya nang tumuntog siya sa gusali ng mga Tajarda ay gusto niyang umatras upang iwasan ang taong paparating. Ngunit huli na.

"So?" ito ang unang namatawi sa bibig nito habang titig na titig sa kanya.

"Hindi ako nandito para sayo, sinunod ko lang si Papa!" nanlaki ang mata niya nang maintindihan ang sinabi niya.

"Bakit? May sinabi ba ako? Diffensive, Anna? Hanggang ngayon ba, hindi pa na wawala iyang pag asa mo?" sarkistong wika nito.

"Ang yabang mo! Porket alam mong patay na patay ako sayo, ganyan ka kung makapag-" napatutop siya sa kanyang bibig. Narinig niya ang malutong nitong pagtawa. Nahihiyang nagyuko siya ng ulo.

"Itinawag na sa akin ni Tito Jake ang pagdating mo. At ako ang naatasang magturo kung anong gagawin mo!" seryosong wika nito. Napatango na lamang siya rito. Wala naman kasi siyang sasabihin. "So? Lets go!"

LAKING pasasalamat niya at naging maayos ang unang araw niya sa trabaho. Kahit pa na, nahihirapan siya dahil nasa malapit lang si Zach. Pero ang pinagtataka niya ay tila nag iba ito sa pakikitungo sa kanya. Pero kusa din siyang natigil sa iniisip, naiisip niyang baka dahil sa trabaho kaya ganoon ang binata sa kanya.

Ayaw na sana niyang umasa, pero bigla na lang itong lumapit sa kanya at nagyayang lumabas. Akala niya simpleng pagyaya lang iyon, pero ang minsan paglabas nila ay nasundan pa ng maraming beses.

Hanggang hindi niya namalayan ang pagtakbo ng oras, araw at buwan.

At ngayon, nakaharap siya sa malaking salamin at tinitigan ang sariling repleksyon na nakasuot ng traje de boda.

Ikakasal na siya kay Zachary! Ang lalaking minahal niya mula noon hanggang ngayon.

I

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9 Chapters
Chapter 1 Hide And Seek
The rivers were already freezing in September. I jumped into the water without even taking off my shoes, walking straight toward the dot that marked my daughter's location. The water rose to my chest almost immediately, and I shivered.The soil on the riverbed was slick and squelchy. One wrong step, and I slipped under. Murky water rushed over my face, but I forced myself up and shouted, "Tina! Tina, where are you?" My throat was squeezing up tight.Someone on the riverbank shouted, "Someone jumped into the river!" Some people were taking videos. Others were probably taking photos. I could not care less. All I could think of was Tina's smile before she left home this morning.Tina was terrified of water. Even regular baths took a lot of convincing. She would never have come to a river on her own.I bent down and searched through the mud again and again. My fingers dug through the cold, sticky soil. No matter how hard I tried, all I pulled up was sludge. Every time blood trickle
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Chapter 2 The Missing Girl
Donald put on that familiar innocent expression and hid behind Claire. "Aw, don't give me that look, man. The hide-and-seek game was already over. She got tired, so I took her back to the kindergarten."I kicked the soaked bag toward him. "Did you?" I pointed at it, my voice shaking with rage. "The GPS led me right to the bag on the riverbed, and you're telling me you took her back?"Something glinted in his eyes, and he shrugged. "Maybe it fell in when she was playing by the river. It's just a bag. Don't overreact just because it's lost."That made me snap. I rushed forward. My hand found his hair, and I yanked him right out of bed before slamming him right into the ground. "Where did you take her? That part of the river has rapids. She's only four years old!"Before my fist could even land, Claire lunged at me and dug her nails deeply into my arm before she pulled my flesh off."Are you mad, Jonathan? Let him go!" She shoved me off like her life depended on it, then she held Don
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Chapter 3 Her Remains
Silence followed. Then Donald spoke, his voice lazy and wounded. "That's some baseless accusation. I took her right home. You can't blame me if she runs off to play."Before I could answer, Claire snatched the phone away. "That's enough! He said he sent her home, and that's it. He has no reason to lie! I bet you hid Tina away to get back at us! And you called the cops? That's embarrassing."I hung up. That woman was beyond saving.The police arrived ten minutes later, and I went with them to the station's control room. They pulled footage that dated back to two and a half hours ago. Donald was holding Tina's hand as they came out of the kindergarten.Tina carried her pink bag, trotting beside him as she tried to keep up. She was looking up, talking to him. The footage had no sound, but my daughter was smiling sweetly. Something invisible stabbed through my heart.The screen changed. Now it showed the trail by the riverbank. Donald led Tina into a grove where the surveillance camer
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Chapter 4 Gone Girl
The police were speaking to me, something about rapid currents and undercurrents, and how Tina was swept away right after she fell in. The cameras had not captured how she entered the water. For now, they could only treat it as an accident.I did not hear them clearly. My head was hanging low as I carefully wiped the mud off Tina's face with my sleeve. Every wipe dirtied more of my sleeve, then when it was fully dirtied, I switched to the other one. "It's alright, Tina. Daddy's here."Something lodged deep in my throat. My voice would not stop shaking. "I'll take you home. I'll warm you up. You love sit by the fireplace, don't you? I'll make roast marshmallows for you."She did not move, and my world stopped moving as well. It would never move again.After the evidence was collected, the officers told me Tina would have to be taken to the funeral home while the investigation continued. I refused to let my daughter go. "No, not the cold room." I shook my head. "She's terrified of th
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Chapter 5 A Blind Eye
Silence ensued. Naturally, Claire was stunned. A while later, she inhaled sharply, her voice trembling. "What?"I clenched my phone. Just when I was about to tell her to come over, someone snickered. Donald was right next to her, close enough for me to hear him mutter, "She was fine this morning, and now you say she's dead?"He'd curse his own daughter just to force you to go back to him. I told him she's at the kindergarten, but he just has to be dramatic. Now, he's even making me look like the bad guy."I had no idea what kind of look Claire had on her face, but I could hear how her voice changed. "Are you mad? You'd go as far as to curse your own daughter? You're a failure of a father!"I clenched my phone tighter, my knuckles turning white. I opened my mouth, but I had nothing left to say. So, I hung up. Then, I went through the gallery and played Tina's previous voice message."I miss you, Daddy. When are you coming back?"She sounded adorable as always, and I kept replaying
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Chapter 6 Funeral
I held a funeral for Tina the next day. The sky was overcast, and a drizzle fell upon this city. My parents arrived in the afternoon. My mother tried to say something when she saw me. However, she swallowed all her words as she came over and held my arm.Her hand was freezing cold, and her nails were digging into my flesh. When I turned, I saw that her eyes were puffy. She must've cried before she came. "Where's Claire?"I couldn't answer. I had texted her that morning, telling her about the funeral. She never replied.My father followed my mother closely, their luggage in tow. His hair had turned white overnight.The memorial hall was starkly decorated. The staff member placed the urn and Tina's portrait in the center table. That photo of her was taken last fall. Tina was picking up fallen leaves under the tree. I called her name, and she turned back, smiling at me.My mother's legs buckled the moment she saw that photo. My father was setting up crosses and candles for Tina. He d
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Chapter 7 The Watch
I looked at her. Claire had lipstick and foundation on. She was also wearing the pearl earrings I got her for Tina's month-old celebration.I blurted, "Tina asked me for a candy before she left yesterday morning. She'd have it after school. That candy is now in a river."Claire frowned. "Why are you bringing that up?"Donald tugged her arm, murmuring quietly, "Don't make a scene here. It'll make us look bad."Claire flung his hand away and jabbed a finger at me. "Hand Tina over, you worm!"My mother's legs had gone weak after hearing Claire's tirade. She had to lean on the table just to stand. Then, she looked at Claire and said, "Tina's dead. Do you really not know what happened yesterday?"Claire said, "Don't fall for his lies, Meredith. He…""It's already bad enough you don't know my granddaughter is dead, but now that you do… Can't you stop with your shrieking?"Claire shut up. She puffed her cheeks, clearly wanting to retort but thought better than to say it.Just then, t
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Chapter 8 Clung to Her Delusions
It was Tina's watch. Claire had seen me wear it around Tina's wrist before she left home. If Tina really was hidden, the cop wouldn't have shown up bearing an evidence bag holding this watch.Claire couldn't believe that absurd possibility that was forming in her head. "Jonathan…" Her voice began to tremble. She jabbed a finger at the cops as she stepped back, her face white. "What are you doing? Hiring extras just to force an apology out of me?"Her eyes were boring a hole through me. She was praying that I would look at her and laugh for pulling off an absurd prank. She wanted me to tell her it was a joke."Say something! Where did you find these extras? Tell them to stop this! This isn't funny anymore!"The lead detective frowned, his eyes flickering with scorn. He took out his badge. "We're with the city's police department! We're detectives, and this is not a joke!"Claire yanked her hand back as if it burned. Her legs buckled, and she nearly fell to the ground.Donald was p
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Chapter 9 Truth Revealed
"An accident?" I sneered. My phone finally showed me that green tick while Claire was busy playing the despairing mother. The data had synced with the Cloud's. Soon, I found that emergency recording from yesterday afternoon.Donald was already starting to sweat. I held up my phone and played that recording, and I made sure to turn the volume up to maximum.Tina's young, fearful voice said, "Where are we going, Mr. Shaw? Are you taking me to Daddy? I want my Daddy."Donald answered flippantly, "Let's play hide and seek. Your dad loves that game, doesn't he? See that river? That's going to be our secret base. Go closer and stand on that big rock.""B-But the water's deep, and I'm scared of water…" Tina's voice was starting to crack."Scared of water? You're a coward, just like your useless father!" Donald snapped, snarling at her like a demon. "Get down there, or I'll tell your mother to dump you!""No, I don't want Mommy to dump me! I'll go…"A dull splash followed soon after,
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