Fragmented Rhapsody

Fragment 33

33
Break free

My heart's racing wildly while patiently driving to reach home. My mind's in a haywire right now. Kung ano ang rason bakit ako gustong kausapin ni Papa ay hindi ako sigurado. The only thing that has been playing in my mind is that he went home for this, so it must be gravely serious.

I knew from the tone of his voice that he was a bit mad and disappointed. He was restraining it earlier; trying not to show too much emotion through a phone call.

Agad na pinagbuksan ng gate ang sasakyan ko at agad ko ring namataan ang sasakyan ni Papa at ng kaniyang mga bodyguards. I bit my lip as I contain the galloping anxiety and frustration I am having.

What's the problem now?

Nang ma-park ko ang aking sasakyan ay agad akong nag-tungo sa loob ng bahay at sinalubong ako ng mga bodyguards niyang kausap siya sa sala. They were talking seriously with him at kitang-kita ko kung gaano nakakunot ang noo ni Papa. Kahit na may pangamba, huminga ako nang malalim bago tuluyang nagpakita.

When Papa turned around to face me entering our doorstep, I knew it the moment he did that he's mad at me.

"We'll be outside, Senator," one of them said and the rest of them followed.

"Papa..." I said in a tiny voice. Kahit hindi pa siya nagsasalita ay para na akong natutupok ng takot at kaba.

"You knew, yet you didn't do something about it?" he asked in a fuming voice.

"A-ang alin –"

"How long have you been going out with that boy?" he bluntly exclaimed. "With Santillan's son?"

Parang nabingi ang tenga ko sa sinabi ni Papa. I've always known it would come to this but I did not expect it to happen any sooner. This is too soon – I don't have something up on my sleeves. This has caught me off guard, totally.

"Papa –"

"You've been letting that man fool you, Natalia Alexandrine?" mariin niyang tanong. Napapikit ako nang bahagya dahil sa mga binitiwan niyang salita at sa higpit ng kaniyang boses. "For how long, huh? Alam mong anak siya ni Miguel Arthur, yet you didn't hold back a bit?"

I bit my lip and calmed myself. You don't know how much I tried to hold back, Papa.

"I held back, Papa," sagot ko, sinusubukang maging malakas laban sa kaniya. Kahit ngayon lang.

"You did?" he sarcastically shot back, "Now tell me what is it right now, huh? You didn't think of this as a betrayal? I trusted you, Natalia. I knew before you wouldn't do something stupid! I let you do things you wanted! At ito ang ipapalit mo sa lahat ng 'yon?"

I let you do things you wanted – did you Papa?

"He is his illegitimate son," he continued, never minding my presence at all, "He is his father! He is a son of the person who's most likely to be the mastermind of my ambush! At kung hindi ko pa nalaman ay ano? You'll let him fool you for too long? You'll let him get into us? I should have ordered them to get him beaten up –"

"Y-you hurt him, Papa?!" I instantly shot back. Parang nawala lahat sa utak ko ang mga naunang narinig dahil sa mga huling salita niyang binitawan. Hindi ko rin alam kung saan nanggaling ang lakas ng loob ko because all I see right now is Octavian beaten up and that angered me instantly. "He's been missing for almost 2 days! W-what did you do to him, Papa?! Where is he –"

"And now you're concerned of that bastard? You're choosing him over the two of us?!" he growled. "You're not seeing him again!"

"That's not the point!" I cried, my chest heaving with too much emotion. "You used your power in a wrong way, Papa! You've hurt someone that has not done you any wrong and you just believed what you initially thought. You weren't even letting me to explain!"