Rewriting Fate (Good Girls Series #5)

Chapter 40: Respect

"Mom? Mom?" I called while knocking on the door but no one's answering. "Mommy? Papasok na ako, ha?" I asked. I opened the door but I saw no one inside her room.

Oo, her room. Dakilang gold siya at gusto niya ng sariling room. Hindi sila share ni Dad ng room. I caught her staring blankly somewhere, may hawak siyang isang papel. Lumapit ako kaagad sa kanya lalo na nang ma-realize ko kung anong mga papel 'yon.

That's what I stole in Vince Matthew's room! Pero ibinalik na namin 'yon ni Mattheo nang bumalik kami noon. What the---paano napunta sa kanya 'yon?

I took one of them to make sure na 'yon nga 'yong letter ni Vince Matthew and I am right! Agad 'yong inagaw ni Mom at sinamaan ako ng tingin. So I took the chance...

"Mom, who's Vince Matthew?" tanong ko kahit alam ko na naman kung sino 'yon. She glared at me,

"I told you, you have to give up one thing in order to have my answer." Walang emosyon akong tumingin sa kanya. "Are you willing to give up that man in order to know who he is?" agad na nag-iba ang ekspresyon ko dahil doon.

"I won't," mariing sabi ko. "Happy birthday," sabi ko at inabot sa kanya ang paper bag ng regalo ko bago dire-diretsong lumabas ng kwarto niya.

'Happy birthday, more sama ng loob for us to come.'

'Yan ang nilagay ko sa greeting card na naka-attach doon sa paper bag. Blaze chose the corporate attire, hinayaan ko na lang siya. He chose a dark green slacks, white short-sleeved polo with green buttons and mint green button lining, and a dark green coat. Sinamahan din 'yon ni Blaze ng isang cufflink na may flower design. Mukhang mamahalin 'yong cufflink, tinanong ko kung magkano kasi nakikita ako ng tatlong zero pero hindi niya sinabi sa akin.

Sinamahan pa nga namin ng mini bouquet, nandoon na rin 'yon sa loob ng paper bag.

Pero paano napunta ang mga sulat na 'yon kay Mom?

As if on cue, my phone vibrated and it showed Mattheo's name on the preview. I looked around and went to the veranda to answer his call.

"Hello?" I whispered. I am conscious of my surroundings, baka mamaya ay may makarinig sa akin kaya isinara ko pa ang glass sliding door.

"Shanice, there's a bad news." I squinted, halata ang pagpa-panic sa boses niya. "Pinasok ang bahay namin, and when I went inside Kuya Matthew's room, the letters, album, and even his diary were gone." Doon nanlaki ang mga mata ko. Bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko sa kaba.

"Sino namang kukuha noon? I mean..." Uh, why can't I say anything?

"'Yon na nga, ako at si Mom lang ang may susi ng bahay. Kung ni-lock pick naman 'yon, dapat may gasgas na ang mga pinto kaso wala."

"I don't know if this can be helpful but I saw the letters, binabasa siya ni Mom and I am wondering kung paano napunta sa kanya." bulong ko, but I made sure that he can hear it.

"Amp! Hindi kaya... si Tita Shanel ang kumuha?" napaisip din ako kung paano nga kung siya ang kumuha. Pero nakakapagtaka naman ata 'yon. "Pero kung siya... paano niya naman makukuha? Eh sabi ni Papa, hindi na raw binisita ni Tita si Kuya Matthew kahit kailan."

And I remember Mom telling us before that Philippines isn't the perfect place to forget something. Now it sank into me, kaya siya pumunta ng Italy ay para kalimutan si Vince Matthew, and I think she didn't succeed. Pero never niyang na-mention si Vince Matthew sa amin.

"If I was Mom, I won't read the letters ever again," sabi ko. I tried putting myself in her shoes so that I could understand. "At letters lang ang narito, wala ang diary at album."