Fated To Love

Kabanata 7

"Dad, why are you still awake?" She entered their wine cellar room and sat on the bar stool next to her father's seat. 

"You came home late," he only said, not answering her question.

She had a dinner meeting earlier and the conversation lasted so long that she got home at ten o'clock. Inabot ng kanyang ama ang isang baso at sinalinan iyon ng iniinom nitong whiskey saka ibinigay sa kanya.

"Thanks, dad. I just had a dinner meeting with one of our clients earlier and we had a long conversation, so it took me a while to get home," she explained.

Half of it is true and half is a lie. Totoong kliyente nila ang kausap niya, pero hindi tungkol sa pinapagawa sa kanilang kompanya ang pinag-usapan nila kundi ibang bagay.

"Okay, then."

Rivi just looked at her father while his full attention was on the glass of his whiskey. Even if her father didn't say anything, she could feel the heavy feeling that something was bothering him. Tungkol ba sa malaking utang sa banko ang pinoproblema nito ngayon? Hindi pa rin niya nakakausap 'to patungkol doon. Pakiramdam niya, wala siyang lakas ng loob para tanungin ang bagay na 'yun rito. Nag-aalangan siya.

Rivi immediately thought of what she and Mrs. Federova had talked about it earlier. Yes, Mrs. Federova was the one she was meeting with earlier. Akala niya'y site visit ang gagawin nila, pero hindi pala.

"Help me with my son's relationship with that woman and I will help you with your father's debt, hija. What you will do is simple, I want you to destroy their relationship. I don't care what you will do or how you do it, I just want them to break up. I really don't like that woman and I don't want her to be part of our family." Ang mga salitang iyon ng ginang ang tumatak sa kanyang isipan.

Wala siyang alam kung bakit ganun na lamang ang pagkadisgusto nito sa nobya ng anak nito. Hindi siya nagtanong dahil ayaw niyang manghimasok sa buhay ng ibang tao at wala din naman siyang pakialam. But why her? With Mrs. Federova's connections, money, and power, she can find someone else who can make what she wants to happen, but why does it have to be her?

Tadhana nga naman, sinabi niya lang sa anak nito na siguraduhin ang nararamdaman sa nobya nito para hindi niya maagaw, tapos ngayon ipapagawa sa kanya ang paninira sa relasyon ng mga ito? Nagbibiro lang naman siya nang sandaling iyon. Hindi siya ang tipo ng babae na naninira ng relasyon ng iba. Malandi siya, ngunit nilalandi niya iyong walang mga sabit.

She could not speak at that time. She didn't know what to answer to Mrs. Federova, so she gave her a few days to think and make up her mind. Magagawa ba niya? Makakaya nga ba niyang gawin?

She took a sip of her whiskey. "Dad," tawag niya sa ama.

"Hmm?" Tiningnan siya nito't kita ang lungkot at pag-aalala sa mga mata nito.

Maybe she needs to ask him. With the problems facing her father and their company, she was sure he needed someone to talk to. Gusto niyang sabihin nito sa kanya ang anumang problema nito at iniisip. Gusto niya malaman ang lahat nang sa ganun ay alam niya kung paano ito matutulungan. Gusto niyang tulungan 'to sa kahit na anong paraan. Kahit pa ang makapanira siya ng iba kapalit ng kompanya nila, gagawin niya. Gagawin niya alang-alang sa ama niya at sa pinaghirapan nito.

"Do you have a problem, dad? I will listen. When it comes to work and our company, you know you can count on me," marahan niyang sabi, nagpapaintindi.

Sana pagkatiwalaan din siya nito't ibahagi ang dinadala nitong problema. Sila lamang dalawa, kaya nararapat nagtutulungan sila sa kahit na anong bagay.

"Don't worry about me, Riv. Ang dapat mo pag--"

"I know, dad," pagputol niya sa sinasabi nito. Mas mabuting sabihin na lamang niya na alam na niya kesa pilit nitong ilihim at hindi sabihin sa kanya ang kinakaharap nito.