Our Yesterday's Escape (University Series #6)

11

"Congratulations, bro! You made it!" 

Inabutan ako ni Hiro ng bulaklak nang matapos ang graduation ceremony. I finally graduated Psychology cum laude despite my worst adjustment period in college. I explored many things, but I am glad those did not affect my grades. It felt really different because I was studying the program I was interested in. 

I did not tell anyone that my graduation was today, except for Hiro and Acel. I did not want Elyse to know because she will just try to bring the whole family to the ceremony, which was the last thing I wanted to happen. 

I graduated earlier than Hiro because his program was for four years, tri-sem. He and our other engineering friends were left. I was planning to take a break for a year before I enroll in law school, but I knew I will get bored, so I planned to enroll in some barista training while taking a break. 

"I heard you just graduated. We didn't know. Here's our graduation gift." Tita Erin handed me a small box. "That's from me and... your dad," she sounded hesitant to say. 

I just dropped Elyse off when I picked her up from the mall again but somehow, Tita Erin caught me leaving. Sinabi ko kay Eli ang tungkol sa graduation ko noong tapos na pero kinwento niya na rin pala sa iba. Napailing na lang ako bago binuksan 'yong maliit na box. 

"Oh..." I didn't know what to feel when I saw a car key. Lumingon ako sa paligid hanggang sa makita ko ang nakatakip na sasakyan sa may gilid ng mansion. I pressed the key and it made a sound so I walked towards it to remove the cover. 

It was an Audi. 

"Good job on graduating as cum laude," Tita Erin said. "I noticed that your car was getting old, so I told your dad to replace it... It should be your early birthday gift too." 

I can't believe Alfred really got convinced to buy me a new car. Well... Maybe he really loved her. Maybe he loved Tita Erin more than my mom. I was convinced that he just really didn't have any affection for us... because if he did, then he should have treated us like how he treated his current family. 

Maybe we weren't deserving of his love... but I could not care less about what could happen because it already did. He already inflicted a kind of trauma and pain that I could never forget, nor was I planning to. I realized later that it wasn't because we weren't deserving of his love... but he was really just not capable of loving. It was his problem, and I was collateral damage. 

"Thank you," I told her. I left my old car there and rode my new car home. It felt good driving it that I felt thankful to Tita Erin... not to Alfred. No amount of money was enough to pay me back for all the pain he made me go through. 

I started my barista training a week after and also took baking classes because I was planning to open my mom's coffee shop again. I went to classes on weekdays, and then, during the weekend, I would go party with my friends. Because I was taking a break from school, I just felt free to party and drink. 

"Are we done?" the woman asked, covering her chest with the blanket. I nodded and stood up, putting my shirt on. "Can't you stay a bit more?"