Muli (An Agnes-Jerry fic)

TWO

Jerry shows up in front of the school just as the preschoolers are rushing out of their classroom. He checks his watch -- 11:30 AM -- and thinks he has just enough time to make it to his lunch meeting. Without traffic.

He squints behind his glasses as the kids file out of the room, meeting their parents and guardians waiting outside. Sometimes he thinks it's funny how he ended up being one of them, when he's visibly older than most, when many of his friends have teased he should be waiting for his kids... in high school.

Yeah, maybe, if he got married when he initially planned to.

All things considered, it doesn't take away the excitement when he finally spots his daughter, pushing her eyeglasses up as she walks towards the throng of guardians, looking for her own.

He raises his hand. "Alie!"

She finds him and wide-eyed says, "Tatay?!"

She runs towards Jerry, dragging her trolley bag, and giggles as he lifts her up for a tight embrace. She wraps her little arms around his neck. "Tatay, you're here!"

"May lakad si Tata (Melissa) today with Kuya Jared, eh... So you're coming with me to work."

"So you knew Tata won't pick me up..."

"Siyempre I wanted to surprise my badiday." He gives her a sound kiss on the cheek as he begins to walk, carrying her and dragging her bag to the car. "Okay, you're going with Tatay to the office... but we'll get ice cream later, how's that?"

"Is Ninang in the office, too?"

"Yes, she is and she knows you're coming..." He puts her down and asks her to get settled in the backseat, where she puts on the seatbelt and patiently waits for her Tatay to get in, too, and start the car.

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Agnes almost falls off the couch, where she fell asleep the previous evening. She is jolted awake and sits up, a bit too quickly. She shuts her eyes to the feeling that everything is spinning.

Her phone starts ringing.

It's only 2 AM.

She looks at the screen and sees Bobbie. She hits Accept. "Yeah?"

"Hindi ka kasi sumasagot, Ate... Sorry..."

"I fell asleep. Anong meron?"

"Bad news... Na-postpone 'yung conference that I was supposed to go to. It was moved the following week, so hindi kita masusundo and masasabayan pauwi ng Bacolod."

She pauses and then asks, "Wait, what?"

"Na-postpone 'yung conference that I was supposed to -- "

"So you're not coming to Manila anymore?"

"Hindi na, Ate... P... pero kung gusto mo, susunduin na lang kita, luluwas na lang rin ako -- "

"Naku, no... No... It's fine. Gagastos pa. I'll be okay... Ako na'ng bahala."

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They make it to the office a few minutes after 12 and Jerry is only grateful that the clients are running a bit late as well. With Alie and her bag in tow, he heads to his office, answering every greeting that comes their way... well, more like Alie's way.

He gets her settled in his swivel chair and is bringing out her coloring books as he speaks. "O, anak, Tatay has to -- "

"May bisita raw tayo, ha?" a woman says.

Jerry looks up as Alie excitedly says, "Si Ninang!" He helps the kid out of the chair and she walks up to Cynthia, who lifts her up for a hug.

"Naku, parang tumangkad ka from the last time I saw you, ha?"