Between his arms (Azares Family Series)

BHA 2 | Storm

Chapter 2
Storm
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Parte na ng buhay namin na nakabaon ang isang paa sa hukay. Hindi namin pwedeng alisin ang posibilidad na matatapos ang isang gabi na hindi na kami kompleto.

"Kung oras mo na, oras mo na talaga." Biro ni Juke. Isa sa mga pinakamatagal ng crew ng barko.

Kung tama ang pagkakaalala ko, kinuha s'ya ni papa dahil nagmakaawa ito noon na sumama. His mother was sick and need a financial source for her mother's maintenance. Magkaedad kaming dalawa at labing-limang taon lamang siya noong una siyang naglaot kasama si Papa.

My father almost got imprisoned for letting a minor to work for him. Hindi naman sa iyon ang intensyon n'ya. He just wanted to help them on his own way. Wala naman s'yang naiisip na ibang paraan kundi isama sila sa paglalaot para kumita.

"Tignan n'yo si kapitan, ilang dekada na s'ya rito pero nakakabuhat pa rin ng angkla." Dugtong pa ni Juke.

Gabriel laughed on his joke. He and Carpian were getting crabs out of the crabpots when Juke went to his cocky mode again.

Napailing nalang rin ako. Sinilip ko ang kapitan na nagmamaneho sa wheelhouse, seryosong nakatingin sa dagat. I scoffed.

Of course, he will live. He will live longer than me. Now that he's sixty-two, I cannot risk his life in this ocean anymore. I finally have a job, and after this hiatus, we might live near the city para mas malapit kami sa ospital.

"Nagbubuhat pa nga ng barbel kanina." Sumabat nadin si Mang Gideon, na nagbibilang din ng mga huling alimango.

Mang Gideos is in his early-sixty, but still strong and energetic than his age. He's Gabriel's father. Sabay silang namasukan bilang crew ni papa noong nag-aaral na ako ng kolehiyo.

Like his son, he's noisy and always has something to say about everything. Malapit din ang loob sa kan'ya ni papa dahil narin siguro na pareho silang single parent na sumisikap para magpalaki ng anak.

Naalala ko rin na nabanggit noon ni papa na magkasama silang nag-aral para maging sundalo noong kabataan nila. But unfortunately, they both failed to finish dahil sa hirap ng buhay, and end up fishing crabs on the country side.

Tumingin sa akin si Mang Gideon. "Hindi lang kami ng papa mo ang tumanda, pati rin ang isang 'to."

He tapped the ship's body with his hand.

"Noong unang sakay ko dito ay ni isang kalawang wala kang makikita kay Larianne."

I winced, remembering that my father named his ship after her daughter.

That also reminds me that this might be our last sail. After forty-eight hours, everyone will walk off the pier with the last money they will earn from this ship and go back to our own lives.

Hindi ko maiwasang isipin kung ano ba ang nararamdaman ni Papa ngayon. He's been sailing all his life.

Alam kong labag din sa loob n'ya ang pagbenta kay Larianne, but I hope he understands why i'm doing this. Mas mahalaga padin ang kalusugan at kaligtasan niya. I can't risk him another heart attack before finally learning my lesson.

"Nakakalungkot man na ito na ang huling beses na masasakyan natin ang barkong 'to, hindi dapat natin ipakita 'yon sa kapitan." Mang Gideon lowered his voice. "Mas mahirap 'to para sa kan'ya."