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Nakabibingi ang katahimikan sa loob ng opisina ni Papa. Hindi ko magawang tumingin sa kanya nang diretso. Ni hindi ko magawang lumayo sa pintuang nakasara.
"Ano na namang ginagawa mo rito, Jordan? Hindi ba dapat nasa bahay ka na?" Papa asked coldly as his heavy steps lead him to his table. His hands were clenched to fists and I could just tell his anger from the sound of his voice.
Jordan. I bet he was so disappointed when he found out he was getting a daughter instead of a son. To make up for the disappointment, he just had to give me this name. I heard he even argued with my mom when he found out she wanted to name me Audrey.
I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. With all the guts that I could muster, I looked up and opened my eyes, resting it on the name plate on his table. "May ideya ka na sa nangyayari sa lungsod na 'to, 'di ba?"
Call it intuition. Call it a hunch. But the look on my father's face as he grabbed me away from Pia's dad, gave me the feeling that he knew more than was letting on. It was the same look on his face when he drove me to the pier three years ago—when I planned to leave and never come back.
"May alam ka kung bakit gano'n ang kinikilos ng papa ni Pia, 'di ba?" The words just rolled off my tongue.
My father froze. I suddenly had it in me to look up at his face—and that was when I saw it, the subtle alarm in his eyes. He quickly hid it by taking a deep breath and walking toward the cabinet where his stainless steel whiskey flask was hidden.
"Bukas nang umaga, umalis ka na."
My heart dropped at his firm order. I knew he resented me for ghosting the hell out of them, but I never expected him to cut me off completely. Iniisip ko pa lang na gusto akong itakwil ng tatay ko, gustong-gusto ko nang tumagay habang humahagulgol. Ironic how I always tried to run away from this island, but now I'm all hurt because he's finally sending me away.
"Isama mo ang mama mo at wala kang ibang pagsasabihan sa kung ano man ang naiisip mo."
Relief washed over me. The timing was off to celebrate, but shit, hindi ako gustong itakwil ng tatay ko!
"Jordan, naririnig mo ba ako?" Papa turned to face me, the stainless flask of whiskey tightly gripped by his hand.
Napakurap-kurap ako at biglang bumalik ang hindi maipaliwanag na kilabot sa sistema ko. "Ibig sabihin, totoo . . . Totoo ngang may kakaibang nangyayari sa islang 'to?"
Papa didn't say anything. He just sat on his chair and drank, letting a loud breath as he closed it shut.
My father's not the type to drink while on duty, so I'm sure as hell something's bothering him real bad. Like really really bad.
I found myself walking toward him, my heart already up my throat, goosebumps all over my body. "S-Si Madam Laura, nagawa niyang kumilos nang maayos, higit pa sa kakayahan ng isang malusog na matandang babae. Muntik na niya akong patayin kung hindi lang ako iniligtas ni Gilbert."
