"Uncle?" ang nasabi ko nang aminin ni Mr. Franco na pamangkin niya ako.
"Yes. I was looking for you for almost seven years. I'm sorry if I kept this for a very long time but... MR, whom you trusted... is not your friend from a long time ago."
"Ang ibig ninyo pong sabihin... Hindi siya yung bestfriend ko noon?"
"Probably, you've mistaken. I know that you can't recall... But you were with your parents when your car crashed..."
"CRASHED?"
"Yes, Hija. You were in an accident before..."
"Ang ibig sabihin... nagsinungaling sa akin si Lola? Na hindi niya ako apo?"
"Oo. Noong nag-crashed ang sasakyan ninyo, sa tingin ko... seven years old ka lang noon... Nakita ka ng Lola mo at inalagaan ka niya. Your parents' bodies were not recovered dahil nahulog sila tubig. Hindi na sila nakita. It's true that your grandmother lied to you... and it's because of me. After six months, nakita na kita at ayos ang kalagayan mo but you couldn't remember me. It seemed that you're okay with your grandma so I gave up on getting you back. Hanggang sa matagpuan kita ng dahil kay MR... Dapat siya na ang magmamana ng lahat ng yaman ng pamilya natin pero hindi niya tinanggap. He loves you so much..."
"Alam ni MR ang lahat ng ito?"
"Oo, pero huwag ka nang magalit sa kanya. I did this on purpose. First, for you to live a simple life. Second, for you to do your best and graduate with perseverance. And, third, for you to experience the hardships so that you can be a great businesswoman someday. You're an important heiress."
"Heiress? Businesswoman? Pero gusto ko pong mag-doctor..."
"Yes, I know that. And I will not ask you to stop dreaming becoming a doctor."
"Pero paano po ang kompanya?"
"Maybe, MR can take care of that. Maybe, if you two get married... everything is going to be okay."
"Pero..."
"I know it, too. You love Luigi Fajano, the heir of that company?"
"Opo. But he's going to get married. There's no hope, there's no choice at all."
"Married? Do you believe that?"
"Yes. Maybe, we're not for each other. We're not destined to be together."
"Well, it's too early to say that... they're not married yet."
"Yumi is my friend, and I don't want to hurt her because of my childish love."
"Childish love? Do you think your love for Luigi is not that pure? I don't think so."
"But, somehow, I don't like him for you..."
"Why?"
Naglakad ako pabalik at pinipigilan ko ang luha ko.
"Larah, are you okay?" tanong ni Luigi sa akin at lumapit siya.
"Luigi, are you okay?" tanong ko naman sa kanya. "Maybe you should go home."
"Bakit gusto mo akong paalisin?"
Ngumiti lang ako at tinitigan ko siya ng mabuti. "Gusto ko lang sabihin sa iyo na dapat kang umalis... dahil... ayaw na kitang makita. Kalimutan mo na rin ang kung anong mayroon tayo. Dahil ako, kakalimutan na kita."
