As the Chains Fall

Chapter 48

Tito Javier called for me that night. Puyat na puyat si Eros kaya hindi pa rin nagigising at minabuti kong hayaan na muna siya. Hahanapin niya ako kapag wala ako sa tabi niya pero gusto ko na rin talagang makipag-usap kay Tito kahit na hindi ko pa mahanap ang mga tamang salita.

I stopped in front of Kuya Silas' study room. Naroroon daw kasi si Tito. Pinagbuksan ako ng pinto ni Ethan Raziel noong kumatok ako. Medyo nabigla pa nga ako dahil iniisip kong si Tito at Kuya Silas lang ang naririto.

I guess all three of us will talk.

"Magandang gabi po," magalang kong bati noong nakita ko na si Tito na nakaupo sa tapat ni Kuya Silas. They both nodded their heads in acknowledgement as Ethan and I sat down in sync.

The air is surprisingly... free. I thought that I would get choked up and nervous but I am not. This just goes to show how much I have been accustomed to their presence in my life. It is understandable.

At one point, I thought they would be my family. I thought they were going to become my stepfather and my brothers... so it should not be surprising that I feel comfortable with them.

"We were worried about you."

I did not know what to say to that. Gusto kong tanungin kung hindi ba sila galit sa akin? Ang kaso, ano naman ang aasahan kong sagot doon? Kung oo, maiintidihan ko pero masasaktan ako. Kung hindi, matatanggap ko ba, dahil bakit hindi?

"We're not mad at you, Sienna. Kahit kay Priscilla, hindi. I understand her deeper than you think. I am saying this before you even open your mouth to speak out apologies that you should not be asking for."

Inangat ko ang tingin ko... at sinalubong ako ng mabuting mga mata ni Tito at ng kaniyang maliit na ngiti. "I am sorry that I was in New York when everything happened. I should have been here. That way, I would have never let you leave and go somewhere far away. Hindi dapat kayo umalis."

"Sa tingin ko po, kinailangan naming umalis. It has been healing for the both of us, my mother and I, to go far away for a while. Kailangan po namin 'yung katahimikan na iyon pagkatapos ng lahat ng gulo at pagbabago... kaya huwag din po kayong manghingi ng tawad sa hindi pagpigil sa amin."

Pumikit siya sandali para tumango. "I followed you. I saw that you were doing fine. Hindi ako makatulog na hindi ko alam kung nasaan kayo, at agad akong sumunod sa oras na nakatapak ako sa Pilipinas."

I was too stunned at what I just heard. I do not think Eros mentioned that to me. Wala akong ideya na ginawa ni Tito Javier iyon.

"I didn't tell anyone that I went to Ilocos. Our family was shaken by the revelation of my father's past and I could not break it to them that I followed the woman who revealed it. Still, I could not blame her. How could I? Ano ba ang ginawa niya maliban sa ungkatin iyon? It was Papa who did it. Not Priscilla."

Ano ba ang ginawa ni Mama? "She... broke your trust." Dapat sa lahat ng tao, alam niya iyon, dahil siya iyong nasaktan sa parteng iyon. Ginamit siya ng aking ina para ungkatin ang baho sa pangalan ng kaniyang pamilya.

Marahan siyang umiling at natawa na para bang hindi siya sang-ayon sa sinabi ko, pero hindi rin siya nagulat.

"She did not break anything. I trust her, even now, even after everything she has done."

"H-How..."

"Because she just loved, Sienna. Everything she did was out of love. Her anger was driven and justified by love. For you, for your father. I cannot treat her like a criminal for doing something that anyone would have done as well. She hurt people because her loved ones were hurt. She did it because Jorge was hurt. I would have also done it for Reilani."