Five O'clock Sky (Nueva Caceres#1)

CHAPTER 14

"What are you doing here, witch?"

I was startled from my deep thought and took a sharp breath as I turned around.

"Hobie!" May tinis ng iritasyon sa aking boses, "Me asustaste!"

"Obviously." An annoying smirk tugged at the corner of his lips and walked near me. He was sweaty. I bet he took his morning jogging. Kaasar naman! Sa laki-laki ng hacienda dito pa talaga siya napadpad.

I irritatedly rolled my eyes on him. Muli ko nalang tinuon ang tingin at atensyon sa tanawing nasa harapan. Hobie stood by my side.

We were standing before the wild plants, tall grasses, succeeding it was a row of mahogany trees. Malalim ang tingin ko sa mga ito. For some reason, it felt familiar. Hindi lang dahil sa ang lupaing ito ay parte ng hacienda, but it's familiar for some deep yet unknown reasons that I couldn't fathom.

"Did you just come here para makipagtitigan sa mga damo dito?"

Muling umikot ang aking mata, but I didn't retaliate.  Nanatili ang aking atensyon sa talahiban.

"This is still part of our land... right?" Naninigurado kong tanong.

Tumango si Hobie. "Ang bahaging ito ang pinakadulong lupain ng hacienda." Matiim siyang lumingon sa'kin, "You seemed interested in this place."

"It's just that..." I sighed, "I find this place familiar and somehow... terrifying." My eyes remained transfixed in the wild grasses.

There's nothing even special here. Sa lahat ng parte ng hacienda, ang lupaing ito na matatagpuan ilang metro mula sa plantasyon, ang may pinakamakapal at mayabong na damo, the grasses could even reached my waist. It looks like a forgotten and neglected land. Kunsabagay, gaya ng sabi ni Hobie, this land is the very end of the hacienda kaya siguro hindi na napagtutuunan ng pansin. Ang kasunod na lupain nito ay pagmamay-ari na ng mga Gozano.

Whenever I do horseback riding para maglibot sa hacienda at minsang magawi ako sa parteng ito, I couldn't help but stop and stare at it as if this place wanted me to remember something.

"Do you remember Lola Constancia?" Hobie asked out of nowhere. Tukoy niya sa namayapang Ina ng daddy.

"Hmm," I nodded, "Although I didn't get the chance to meet her. But Mom and Dad told me so much about her and about Lolo Alvaro too."

"She had a greenhouse built here."

I gasped. "You mean, exactly here?!" I gesture the land in front of me with my hand.

Tumango siya.

"But why here?" I asked with brows furrowed, perplexed, "If I were Lola, I would build a greenhouse near the mansion para I could visit it more often at hindi dito na ilang ektarya ang layo mula sa mansion." I crossed my arms at tiningala ang kalangitan which seemed cloudless this hour in the morning, "Mio Dio, Lola Constancia! What were you thinking that time?" Kastigo ko sa abuela as if I could see her right through the skies.

Hobie chuckled. "Lola wasn't out of her mind, witch. Alam mo namang pagmamay-ari ng mga Gozano ang kasunod na lupain diba? Altamontejos are well acquainted with the Gozano."

I sighed heavily. "But not until some issues happened."

Nakaramdam ako ng lungkot nang muling maalala ang eskandalusong pangyayari noon sa pagitan ng pamilya ni Kuya Vides at ng mga Gozano. That was years ago, but maybe even until now, hindi pa rin sila napapalaya ng pangyayaring iyon, lalong-lalo na si Tita Tere because that scandal almost destroyed her family. I quickly disregarded that memory.

"Dad's parents are close friends with Virezia and Salvi Gozano." Pagpapatuloy ni Hobie, "Mag kababata ang Lola Tanacia at si Virezia Gozano. They're almost like sisters."