Erudition of Doyle: Volume One

CHAPTER 16: CASE IV - MONEY OR LIFE?

Case 4: Money or Life?
(The Beginning of Mammon's
Game Chapter, Part Six)

ROSALINDA

Holding my father’s hand, I caught his gaze. Though he couldn’t speak or move, waking from a coma, and a relief flooded me. He was finally awake. I had missed him deeply and wished I could see him at his desk, pen in hand, bringing his imagination to life.

“Your father’s finally awake,” Mother said, wrapping me in a hug. Why did she care? She was cheating. Such a fake display.

Papa kept staring at me; he never once looked at Mother. It was as if he wanted to say something but either forgot or couldn’t yet, still weakened by the coma. The doctor said he might regain consciousness quickly, or it could take much longer. Recovery from a coma is different for everyone, there’s no set timeline for waking up. I just hope he recovers soon.

My eyes darted to my right pocket as a notification sounded. I quickly pulled it out and saw Raleigh’s message light up the screen. Opening our chat, I read the words.

7:45 PM 
Raleigh Santiago

Raleigh:
You seemed in a hurry
earlier. May nangyari ba
sa inyo?

As I typed, my mother glanced at my screen. "That’s a boy’s name. Who’s that?" she teased with a grin. "He’s worried," she added, poking my side.

Her teasing didn’t bother me. I simply looked back at the screen and replied, "He’s one of the members in the club."

“Oh, you joined a club?”

"Yes, it’s required. If I don’t join, my handbook won’t get signed. Then I won’t graduate."

“What club?”

“Literature Club.”

Mom quickly tapped my screen to see Raleigh’s profile. “Ohhh,” she drawled, teasing me. “He’s handsome. Is he rich?”

I rolled my eyes. “No.”

“Oh, sayang naman,” she said, disappointed. Why is she so disappointed? “Di bale, gwapo naman siya. Pwede ko ba siyang makilala?”

“You don’t have to know him. Don’t misunderstand or assume anything, I don't have any feelings for him." I clarified.

“Honey!” She called my dad, and he finally met her eyes, ignoring everything I had said. “Our baby is finally dalaga! Who wouldn’t fall for our beautiful daughter?” she praised, making my right eyebrow raised.

Huh?

*****

Nothing happened in the past week, hindi nagpaparamdaman ang Herald Mortiferum, which is odd.

Doyle is reading Money or Life, book three. I believe that's the last in the series. Even now, I wonder why Harriet's image appears in book two. There are many questions I want to answer, but I can't find the right answers.

“Rosalinda,” Doyle called, holding up the book with a mischievous grin. “Since your father is awake, can you talk about this story? Surely, he will give us answers. This is the time for him to tell the truth about himself and why he wrote this book. Not only that, but the truth about your father’s coma.”

I couldn’t help but frown at his words. The truth, the reason, and his coma? What did he mean? Do Doyle knows something... Yet he’d rather keep it to himself and grant me the freedom to dig for it on my own?