San Juaquin..
"Raphael.."
"Dad!" Tawag ng binata sa kanyang ama pagpasok niya ng bahay. It's already two in the morning, inaya siya ng mga kapatid niyang babae na uminom ng wine kaya naman sinamahan niya ang tatlo. They just celebrated new years as a family with their seven employee on their resort.
"Nauna ng natulog ang mommy mo, napagod siguro kanina." Sabi ni Micheal at inabutan ng isang boteng beer ang anak. His wife was so busy earlier, ito talaga ang punong abala kapag ganitong may okasyon.
"I guess so, nasa villa pa ang tatlo." Tukoy ni Raphael sa mga kapatid niya na naririnig nilang nagvivideoke naman ngayon.
"Hayaan mo sila, you know your siblings magugulo talaga ang tatlong 'yan pag nagsama-sama at alam kong kaya ka pumasok dito sa bahay dahil ikaw ang kinukulit nila." Natatawang sabi ni Micheal. "Anastasia and Celestine will go back on Manila tomorrow at ikaw din so me and your mom will miss you three."
"Malapit lang naman ang Palawan dad." Ani ni Raphael, he will go back on Palawan on the next day and he's two siblings too.
"Nagkuwento sa akin ang Mommy mo."
"Po? About what?"
"Na iniimbitahan daw kami ng Mommy ng girlfriend mo sa birthday niya."
"Oohh, yes Dad sinabi ko nga kay Mommy." Pero mukhang hindi pa din nakaka-move on ang Mommy niya sa mga nangyari dito noon sa Palawan dahil wala naman siyang nakuhang sagot. And he guess he already knew her answered, his mom can't still go on Palawan until now. Sayang nga lang at hindi magkakakilala ng personal ang magulang niya at ang mama ng nobyang si Anna marie. He's really looking forward on that or maybe he will invite his Tita Natasha here in San Juaquin so she can meet his parents.
"Alam mo naman siguro ang kuwento kung bakit ayaw bumalik ng Mommy mo doon hindi ba?" Tanong ni Micheal sa anak at muling nagbukas ng bote ng beer. "Nakilala ko noon ang Mommy mo ng bigla na lang siyang pumasok sa loob ng sasakyan ko dahil may humahabol pala sa kanya sa labas ng parking lot. And I didn't knew na 'yong babaeng 'yon na nagsumiksik sa sasakyan ko ang mapapangasawa ko pa pala at magiging nanay ng mga anak ko." Paunang kuwento ni micheal. "Your mom got through a lot Raphael, I was not there when my resort got fired and she was stocked inside." Naalala niya ang kabang naramdaman noon ng tumawag ang empleyado niya sa kanya at sinabing nasusunog ang villa niya kung saan sila tumutuloy ni Lily. He was so scared that time, so scared that he might loose Lily with the snap of a finger. "Your mom was so beautiful back then, she's sweet, naive and a little bit naughty to me."
Natawa si Raphael ng marinig ang salitang naughty mula sa ama. His Dad was scared on his Mom that's all he knew and his siblings. Period.
"Akala ko, namin si Lily ang nakitang patay sa loob ng villa ko. I don't know what to do that time anak, I promised to protect her but I was not there when she needed me the most. Alam ko na naikuwento ko na sa inyo na may humahabol na lalaki sa mommy niyo kaya nga nagkakilala kaming dalawa. And without the help of your Tito Gov that time I already lost your mom."
"But Tito Gov told you that mommy was still alive and you didn't believe him." Sabi naman ni Raphael, kinuwento sa kanya ng tito Eros niya 'yon noon.
"Because I thought Lily was the one we saw on the villa, lalo pa at suot-suot niya ang singsing ng kasal namin. I mourned for few months, lahat ng pangarap ko para kay Lily ay gumuho lalo pa at mahal ko na siya noon. But your Tito's came in Palawan to visit me. That's the time that Eros told me that your mom was still alive."
"And that's the time you punched Tito Gov." Dagdag ng binata.
"Yeah, akala ko kase pinagtitripan lang ako ng gagong 'yon para maisama nila ako pabalik dito sa San Juaquin pero hindi pala. Then finally I saw your mom, akala ko hindi totoo na buhay siya pero totoo pala. And I'm so damn happy to see her and hugged her that time. Lahat kinuwento niya kung ano bang nangyari sa sunog, kung paano at saan nagsimula. She had scars on her face before but Eros and Sienna helped her to get rid those scars. She lost our baby, our first baby. Your mom was crying on my arms while telling me she had miscarriage and that time I promised to her that I will get a revenge for her. Lalo na noong makita ko ang peklat na nasa likod niya na hanggang ngayon ay nandiyan pa din. At tinulungan ako ng mga Tito mo na mahuli si Marko, the man behind of everything that happened to your mom."
"Don't worry Dad, I understand her. Hindi ko naman na pipilitin si Mommy na pumunta sa Palawan. " paninigurado ng binata kay Micheal. He understand his mother pain that she been through and he don't want to see her sad or freaking out dahil sa pinilit niya itong pumunta doon.
Micheal smiled before he put the bottle of the beer on the table. "Your Mom said yes anak, pupunta kaming dalawa ng Mommy mo para makita ang resort mo doon at makilala namin ang magulang ni Anna marie."
"D-Dad.." parang hindi makapaniwala na tawag ni Raphael sa ama. "A-are you sure? Sinabi talaga ni Mommy?"
"Yes, your Mom already said yes. Sabi niya halos twenty five years naman na ang nakakalipas simula ng mangyari ang insidente sa buhay namin noon. Kaya naman handa na siyang muling pumunta ng Palawan para muling makita at makauwi sa lugar na pinanggalingan niya."
Tumayo si Raphael at nilapitan ang ama at niyakap ito ng mahigpit. Now finally his mom already move-on and will meet the mother of Anna marie. "You don't know how much this meant to me dad. I'm so happy, salamat!"
