silhouettes of the past | ✓

35

Parang nahahati ang puso ko sa mga naririnig kong rebelasyon ngayon, wala pa si Kaiden dito at ang daddy niya. At ngayon naiisip ko na ang dahilan bakit palaging naiiba ang topic namin noon kapag pamilya na ang usapan.

Mama was right, all the cases he’s been trying to solve has been given an answer today. The answer to my question, how are we connected is now unveiled.

I was shocked when the old man swing his cane to hit Kaori but we are all frozen in our tracks when two familiar voices echoed in the living room.

“Don’t hurt my daughters Engineer Veneracion.”

“Engineer Veneracion.”

It was Kaiden and his Dad. Mabilis na lumapit si Kaori at yumakap sa Kuya samantalang ang isa naman ay sa ama lumapit. Ako, nakahilig na kay Mama.

Nahihirapan na akong unawain ang nangyayari, paano ko ba isasalaysay ang mga nakikita ko e noong isang taon lang ganito ang scene namin para sa isang teleserye.

Sabagay, fiction is half truth, half imagination.

“Engineer Veneracion,” his Dad tried to speak but the old man shoo the idea.

“Let’s settle this here and now.” He’s back to being calm, talento yata iyon ng pamilya nila. How they are able to pull out different emotions in a small amount of time given.

“Here and now.” Um-echo ang boses na iyon ni Kaiden, hindi siya sumigaw, kalmado lang niyang sinabi iyon pero sapat na para manindig ang mga balahibo ko.

“Settle? After what had happened? After all the pain it inflicted us?” Kaiden asked.

“Matapos maging impyerno ang buhay namin gano’n na lang? Settle kasi parte ng pamilya ang kriminal? Like the victims are also not part of the family. E bakit pa nagkaroon ng parricide kung pwede naman palang i-settle na lang?”

“Kaiden, your Tita Caren is innocent.” I doubt she is, her own daughter already spilled it. Bakit kailangan nilang gawin ’yon? 

Was it money? Dahil anak siya sa labas kaya pinatay niya iyong tunay na anak dahil sa mana? E bakit kinakampihan siya ng ama nila?

Great! Was this because Lola talaga ni Kaiden ang may-ari ng Visions Telecom? 

Interesting, huh.

“Like how innocent ate was when she was abused?” His voice broke and his grasp on his sister tightened. 

“By you, and your companions.” He stared darkly at Caren’s live-in partner. 

My jaw dropped and tears cascaded down my cheeks, I was silently crying but the sobs of the Lopez siblings engulfed the whole living room.

Parang tinutusok ng mga karayom ang puso ko. Pinong pino at pulido ang sakit, ramdam ko sa bawat pagpintig nito. 

“Daddy that’s not true. My husband and I are innocent.” Caren was crying doing her drama. Putang ina talaga. Bakit kailangang gawin niya ang bagay na iyon? 

Why is it always my family who caused him so much pain? Why is it always us who ruined his family? 

Maurice and Mama was right, kailangan ko talagang maghanda dahil hindi lang ako isang ulit na masasaktan. At hindi lang po basta masakit kundi wasak. Durog po, durog na durog po, opo.

“Like how you deceived everybody that Mom has an enemy in her own hospital? That her enemy was the one who killed her?” Kaiden asked again.

“Kaiden stop talking back! Ganiyan ka ba pinalaki?”

“This is bullshit, are we just going to set a fucking blind eye to what had happened when we all knew who the culprit were? Right! Fucking dignity! Mas mahalaga pa kasi ang pangalan ng pamilya natin kasi sa hustisya na dapat ibigay kila Ate at Mamà! Pamilya mo rin naman sila Engineer Veneracion!”