The Accused (A Series #1)

Chapter Fifty-Five

"Ready?" Calev asked through the rearview mirror.

"Yes, Daddy!" sabay na sagot ng mga anak sa backseat.

Calev turned to her to get a response, there was a small smile on his face. Tumango lang siya rito at agad na ibinalik ang tingin sa harap. Hindi nakalagpas sa kanyang pandinig ang mahinag pagbuntong hininga nito bago ito tuluyang magmaneho.

It was still very early. Hindi pa sumisikat ang araw but they were already on their way home to the province. They have to be up as early as four in the morning to prepare since aabutin ng pitong oras ang byahe pauwi. Not so long after, nakatulog ulit ang mga anak. She just sat silently on the front seat while fully aware of the heavy-tensioned air between her and the man driving.

"You can sleep," sambit nito nang huminto sila sa isang stop light.

"I'm not sleepy," she just answered.

Last night did drain her to the fullest. Ilang luha ang iniyak niya at baldeng lakas ng loob ang pinakawalan niya para magpakita ng kahinaan dito. She could not remember how long she was crying as Calev remained running his hands on her back, carefully patting her to calm her down and stop her from crying. When she had enough, she just meekly bid her goodbye to go to her room and sleep. Ngunit hindi naman talaga siya nakatulog ng maayos. If her count was right, she only had 3 hours of sleep.

Kahit pagod siya ay pinilit niyang bumangon kanina at inihanda ang mga gamit nila ng mga anak. Ang plano niya ay gigisingin ang mga bata at bibihisan ngunit hindi niya inasahang andoon na si Calev sa kwarto ng mga bata at binibihisan ang mga anak. Hinayaan nalang niya itong matapos. Tinulungan siya nito nang binaba niya ang mga gamit.

"How was your sleep last night?" He tried to sound casual, but she heard the slight uneasiness in his voice.

"Barely had one."

She did not want to talk but she wanted to keep him company because he might fell asleep in the road or want to switch. Call her paranoid but 7 hours is something! Kanina ay napag-usapan nila ang pagswitch sa pagdadrive. Hindi ito pumayag nung una ngunit nung mapansin na wala siyang balak na sundin ito ay pumayag din.

Walang nagsalita sa kanila matapos iyon. They were both silent ngunit hindi lingid sa kanyang kaalaman ang panaka-panaka nitong pagsulyap sa kanyang gawi. She felt like he wanted to say something pero hindi rin naman ito nagsasalita kaya hinayaan nalang niya. She had a hunch that she wouldn't like what they would be talking about so she remained acting oblivious of his actions.

Two hours and they pulled over in a small breakfast café. The children were still sleepy but they needed to stop to eat. Their children seemed unusually very clingy to their father. Ni hindi niya halos matulungan ang mga ito sa pagkain dahil laging sa ama ang mga ito dumudulog. Hinayaan nalang din niya ang mga anak, might be the fact that they're going to be separated with their Daddy for a while.

Hindi naman ganoon sila katagal maghihiwalay dahil magsisimula na ang therapy session ni Cevin two weeks from then. It's every second and the last Saturdays of the month. Luluwas sila ng Manila for it and Calev insisted that he'd fetch them. Hindi nalang din siya umangal.

After they were done, they drove away again. Gising na ang mga bata at nag-uusap. Minsa'y nakikisali sila ni Calev, but it was evident that they were more trying to engage Calev in the conversation than her, asking him lots of nonsensical questions that she found very amusing.

Five hours and they switched. Calev insisted that he drove the remaining two hours of the trip dahil malapit nalang din daw pero hindi siya pumayag. He did not seem to be tired from driving pero gusto niyang siya na ang magmaneho because still, driving could take a toll of one's energy. Another thing, she did not like it anymore, sitting silently on the passenger seat while her mind could freely wander around to places she did not even want to be at. She wanted to take her mind off somewhere she could focus.