Leave Your Lover

Chapter Nineteen

Four years later

"Sir Connor, si Sir Conan po nasa phone." Ilag na sabi ni Jacko sa kanya. Nakangiwi, alam ng mayayamot siya. Nasa kitchen siya noon at tumutulong sa paglagay ng mga pagkain sa take out boxes. May malaking order sila para sa isang company event. Nasa dalawang daang piraso ang kailangan nilang ipack para maideliver na doon kaya tumulong na siya sa kusina.

His brother is calling him since morning. Marami rin itong ipinadalang texts pero ni isa sa mga iyon, wala siyang pinagkaabalahang sagutin.

"Sinabi mo bang busy ako?" Asar na sabi niya. Conan just can't stop bothering him. Lahat ata ng gimmick ginawa na nito mapauwi lang siya. He can't do that and he knows why but he kept on saying that he's just being dramatic.

"Emergency daw, Sir. Nasa hospital daw po si Ma'am Cassiel." Tukoy nito sa hipag niya.

"What?" He was appalled. Bigla siyang kinabahan. Ibinilin niya ang mga dapat gawin sa mga crew niya bago tinakbo ang telepono sa may cash register.

"What happened?" He yelled at his brother over the phone. Nagreklamo ito sa lakas ng boses niya bago sinabi ang totoong sadya.

"Ate Cassiel is on labor now. Six cm na. Konti na lang lalabas na iyong kambal." He giddily told him. Nakahinga naman siya ng maluwag. He really thought something bad happened. Over the years he had build a strong bond with the girl. Giliw na giliw rin siya sa pamangkin. They would always stay in his farm over the weekend. Lalo na pag nasa sports camp si Kuya Cash o may out of town game ito.

For the last four years he never talked to his parents. He didn't have the courage nor the audacity to show his face to them right after what happened. Pinutol niya lahat ng koneksyon na meron siya sa pamilya pero hindi kasama si Cassiel sa mga iyon. The girl is persistent, tenacious rather. Over the years they had a solid bond, a bond so strong he actually treated her like his bestfriend. One of his bestfriend actually cause there's Milan and she's a different story.

Wasak na wasak siya noong mga panahong iniwan siya ni Carson at wala siyang mukhang maihaharap sa kahit na kanino. He remembered trying to end his life one night but Alex found him gagging while he hanged himself on the ceilling. He was so miserable, he wanted to end the pain. Kaya lang hindi ata pwede iyon. Sa sakit na idinulot niya kay Carson, dapat na pagdusahan niya iyon sa mahabang panahon. And here he is, paying for the pain he caused her, every single day of his life.

Alex said he needed to get away. Breathe, think things over. He joined him in a road trip. Napadpad sila sa ancestral house sa Batangas, Hacienda Ernesta. Named after his Grandma, Ernesta Young.

Wala silang ginawa ni Alex noon kung hindi uminom. Sinamahan lang siya ng pinsan. He was never pushy and would just talk to him about the things he would want to talked about, like their childhood memories on that house. Alex was a great companion, he didn't rushed him to move on ar tell him what to do. Parang naroon lang talaga for moral support and that's what he really needed that time.

One sober morning, despite the massive hang over, he toured himself around the farm. It was so huge yet so lonely and so quiet he actually found peace in it.

Ramdam niyang malaki pa rin ang kulang at hindi na iyon kailanman mapupunan pero gusto niya kahit papaano ng kapayapaan.

So he did talked to Papa Jett because the tittle is in his safekeeping, and told him he wants to run the farm. Papa Jett was so happy because someone finally took interest to bring it back to life. Gustong gusto daw kasi talaga nitong gawin iyon kaya lang ay mas gusto na ni Ma Erin na magstay sa LA. He entrusted him the tittle of the farm, giving him the full authority to do his plans.

Nagsimula siya sa pakikipag usap sa mga nakatira sa labas ng property. He hire the people who have knowledge about farming because he don't know a thing about it.