NOT AGAIN (Cruel Reality Series 4) [COMPLETED]

Chapter 38

"DAMN IT!" tuloy-tuloy ang mura niya habang nagmamaneho papunta sa bahay ng mga Harake. He was somewhat hoping that he would see her. Hell! He would be damned if he will not see her.

God! Is this another challenge again? He asked. His heart was pounding tok fast to the point that he couldn't even breathe properly. No, he would not let her go. Never.

He kept on looking at his phone and kept on calling Maria and Arsalan but no one was picking up their phones.

"Where are you?" he asked Maria through the air.

Pagkarating niya sa mansion ng mga Harake ay kitang-kita niya ang mga guard na nakatayo sa harapan ng gate kaya naman lumabas siya sa sasakyan at hinarap ang mga ito.

"Magandang hapon po." Napalunok siya nang makita ang truck na may lamang mga karton. His gut was telling him that something was really not right. "Nasaan po sina Mark?" Magalang at malumanay na tanong niya kahit na ang totoo ay gusto niyang pasukin na ang bahay para makita kung nasaan man si Mark.

"Sir Sim, ikaw po pala iyan."

Nagulat siya nang batiin siya ng isang matandang guard kaya naman napalingon siya sa gawi nito. Hindi niya alam kung papaano siya nakilala nito pero nginitian niya na lamang ito.

"Ako nga po, nasaan po sila Mark?" magalang na tanong niya. The old guard just looked at him with sympathy visible in his eyes.

"Sir Sim..." Tumigil ito saglit at tsaka siya nito binigyan ng maliit na papel. "Ikaw na lamang ang kumausap kay sir Arsalan."

His heart breaks because of that. Isa lang ang sabihin nito. Wala talaga ang mag-ama sa bahay nila at umalis na sila. He couldn't explain the pain that was lingering inside his chest.

The more that he think about the fact that Maria was missing, the more his heart breaks.

What have you done, mommy. Napaisip siya at unti-unting kinuyom ang kanyang palad.

Napakunot ang noo niya nang maalala ang pinag-usapan nila ng kanyang ina. He knew her mother too well. Alam na niya ang kapasidad nito. Alam niyang may kinalaman ito sa pagkawala ng mag-ama. Her mother was capable of doing things that he couldn't even imagine.

He took a deep breath and looked at his hands. Napatigil siya nang makitang halos mapunit na ang hawak niyang papel na naglalaman ng numero ng ama ng kanyang kasintahan.

"Aalis na po ako," nagpaalam na siya aa matandang gwardia at nagulat siya ng nginitian siya nito.

"Salamat. Salamat dahil inalagaan mo si Mark," binigyan siya nito ng isang malumanay na ngiti. He could see the sincerity from the man's eyes. From that moment he knew that this man was treating his woman like his own daughter.

He smiled back at the old man and then gave him an encouraging smile. "Invited po kayo sa kasal."

Hindi na niya hinintay ang sagot ng matanda sa kanya at tinalikuran na niya ito. Uuwi muna siya at kakausapin ang ina. Kailangan niyang makausap ang ina dahil alam niya na mayroon itong kinalaman sa mga nangyayari ngayon.

Itinago niya na muna ang papel na ibinigay sa kanya at nagmadaling nagmaneho papauwi sa kanilang bahay.

***

TININGALA niya ang gate ng malaking mansyon s kanyang harapan. He took a deep and then nodded at the guards. Months passed but nothing changed. Their house still looked the same . Magarbo pa rin ang itsura nito at bawat sulok ng bahay nila ay naghuhumiyaw sa yaman. This was his home for years... not until he met Maria... ngayon, si Maria na ang tahanan niya.