Justice

44

Lia's Point of View

I am in the most luxurious foreign resto. This is where she want us to meet and so be it.

I should be excited to meet my long time no see best friend, but I am, honestly, not.

I don't know what we are going to talk about and I don't think that it'll last.

I don't even know if she will come. I am here for almost half an hour after the time we agreed to meet.

Biglang nagring ang cellphone ko kaya sinagot ko ang tawag.

"Anong kailangan mo?" I casually asked.

'Ateee! How are you? Hindi ako makapunta sayo kasi walang bakante sa sched ko. Okay ka lang?' tanong niya, nag-aalala.

"Oo, wag mo akong isipin," nakonsensya ako sa ginawa ko sa kanya. He has been good and worried to me all the time but I am always neglecting his presence. Hindi ko siya dapat idamay sa kamalasan ko sa buhay and I am thankful to have my brother like him.

'80k.' makahulugan niyang sabi na kaagad kong naunawaan. Bigla akong natawa dahil sa sinabi niya. 'Kung gusto mo ibibigay ko na rin ang kalahati sa magiging benefit ko, just agree--'

"Oo na, sige na, tatawagan ko na lang ang manager mo. Bye na." sabi ko bago ibaba ang tawag.

I sighed when silence filled the room.

I think I should leave. Masyado na siyang pa-special para sayangin ang oras ko.

I should treat myself lucky to meet the country's hottest female model. But I am not in the mood to be that happy.

"I'm here." she sophisticatedly announced.

I looked at her and saw how beautiful she is now. Compared to the simple girl I've known before.

She looked surprise when she noticed that I am not being hysterical to see her. She sat in front of me but didn't even look at me. I know it very well how she treated herself so high.

Sobrang layo na niya, natupad na niya ang pangarap na pareho naming ginusto.

"Hi, Cathlene." I greeted with my normal tone.

"Oh, well. Busy ang sched ko, wag na natin tong pagtagalin. I called when I heard about your... son."she directly said.

I looked at her. She didn't take her shades off.

"So? Akala mo ba ikaw lang ang busy?" I seriously asked.

"Seven years old na ang anak mo, Malia? How ironic, it is. more than seven years ago, we were just like high school--"

"Just go straight to the point Cathlene. Ano ba ang sasabihin mo?" naiinip kong sabi.

Marami pa akong kailangang asikasuhin. Tungkol sa bahay, sa bangko, hindi ko pa nga rin nakikita si Felix. Tapos makikipagdaldalan lang ako sa kanya?

I get shocked when she slammed her hands on the table.

"You st*pid b*tch!" she almost shouted. She tries to calm herself down, knowing that we are in a VVIP room doesn't mean that she is allowed to shout. Someone might be listening from the outside. "Tell me the truth, kinuha mo ba ang sanggol sa kahon?" mataray, naiinis at galit niyang tanong.

Hindi kaagad ako sumagot. Alam ko kung ano ang tinutukoy niya.

Sanggol sa kahon...

Nababaliw na yata si Cathlene. Ang lakas ng loob niya na sabihin yung kasalanan niya ng ganon na lang.

Anak niya ang tinutukoy niya! Anak niya na iniwan niya sa kahon, seven years ago!

This is why I hated her so much and still tried to understand her. But I think I shouldn't.