Chapter 42: Enough Now
I was all smiles until I got home and found out that Lilly had been missing since this morning. Hestia even asked me if I fed her before I got to work, which I didn't. I barely paid her attention for a few weeks now.
"She must be starving by now," Hestia cried again.
Halos mahalughog na namin ang buong apartment pero hindi pa rin namin siya mahanap. After I ransacked all my wardrobes and possible places she could go for hiding, I decided to take it further and look for her outside.
"She has been missing since this morning and you didn't even tell me?" pagalit kong tanong kay Hestia habang naglalakad kami.
She snorted. "I didn't know until after noon! Hindi ko nga inisip na nawawala talaga siya kaya hindi ko agad hinanap. Akala ko ay nasa paligid lang."
"Hindi mo siya nakita magsimula kanina?"
"No. How about you? Lagi siyang natutulog sa kwarto mo, hindi ba?"
I shook my head. Hindi ko na ulit siya pinatulog sa kwarto ko.
We had been looking for her for an hour now, but still had no hint about her whereabouts. Gano'n pa man ay hindi kami tumigil sa paghahanap sa kanya.
"H-hindi mo ba siya pinamigay, Nath?" biglang tanong ni Hestia.
I glared at her. "Are you serious now?"
"I mean..." Hinawi niya ang kanyang luha. "Hindi pa kita nakitang hinawakan siya ulit. Hindi mo na nga siya pinapakain saka pinapaliguan."
Umiling ako. "Hindi ko siya pinamigay, Hestia."
I admitted it. I was not interested in her as I was before. Gano'n pa man ay hindi ko siya kayang ipamigay. I would never give her away just like that!
"Lilly!" Hestia called her name. "Come back, baby. I promise to take good care of you!"
Natigilan kami sa paglalakad nung mapansin na may dalawang lalaking naglalakad palapit sa amin. Ang isa sa kanila ay pulis na gaya namin ay tila may hinahanap.
"Lilly!" Tumakbo si Hestia palapit sa kanila.
Napangiti ako nung makitang buhat-buhat siya ng isang lalaki.
"Is this your cat?" tanong ng lalaki.
"Yes. Thank you!" sabi naman ni Hestia. "She's been missing since this morning."
"Can you really prove to us that she's your cat?" the police officer asked.
"Her name is Lilly," sagot naman ni Hestia.
"I painted her nails red," I said, stepping forward. "She has a scar on her right leg where I usually put her personalized anklet."
"She's ours!" exclaimed Hestia. "Come to think of it, you're looking for the owner of this cat, and we're looking for our missing cat. Doesn't that sound like a coincidence?"
Tumango ang pulis sa lalaking may hawak ng pusa ko. Sinubukang ibigay sa akin ng lalaki si Lilly pero tumanggi ito at nagsumiksik lang sa lalaki.
I didn't know a cat would someday break my heart.
"L-Lilly..." I stuttered. "Come here."
Lilly didn't want to come back to me.
"Lilly, baby." Sinubukan ni Hestia na kunin siya at sumama naman ito sa akin. "You made us worried. I'm really sorry, Lilly. Don't do that again, okay?"
Umatras ako at hinayaan na lang siya ang kumuha.
She didn't want me anymore.
"Please take a good care of her," sabi ng lalaki habang nakatingin sa akin. "You can lose everything you have, but your pets would stay with you no matter what."
