Hello, Sir Yoshio.

CHAPTER 32

Raya Vallie Coleis’ Point of View

Hindi ko talaga akalain na sasabihin niyang ‘mahal niya’ ang guro niya ng ganon-ganon lang.

I cannot fathom how I failed so miserably. I sent Nalu to public school to refine her among the lower classes, and yet she has fallen for a mere teacher. How humiliating!

“Anak naman ano bang sinasabi mo? Baka naman nami-miss mo lang ang tatay mo. Pupuwede ko naman siyang sabihan na umuwi muna rito sa Pilipinas. Mag kasing edad na sila ng tatay mo e’.” Nakataas na kilay kong sabi sa anak kong si Nalu.

The ornate, mahogany desk creaked under the weight of my clenched fist. My face, usually a mask of composure, was twisted in a mixture of anger and disbelief. “To think,” I muttered, my voice laced with disdain, “that my daughter Nalu would stoop to such low standards.”

“Ma’am, hinay-hinay naman po kayo sa mga sinasabi niyo. Hindi naman po porket teacher po ako ay ganito po ang tingin niyo sa 'kin.” Reklamo ni Yoshio.

The air was thick with the scent of jasmine and the soft rustling of silk robes worn by the silent maids standing just beyond the threshold.

“Yoshio is not what you think like the other cheap boys out there. He is kind, intelligent, and treats me with respect,” she continued, her eyes flashing with indignation. “How dare that man kiss and touch you! A respect, huh? Such audacity! He's nothing but a commoner, a nobody... unfit to even breathe the same air as you!”

“You will not speak to him again. Kung magkita man kayo ay para lang sa mga importanteng bagay! Ilayo niyo na ‘yang lalaki na ‘yan sa akin baka hindi ko yan matantya at ano pa ang magawa ko riyan!” Dikta ko kay Anselmo isa sa mga bodyguards ni Nalu.

“Ma bakit mo ba ito ginagawa sa akin?!” Nalu's voice, choked with tears, cut through the tense silence of the villa's grand hall.

Nalu’s eyes, wide with shock and hurt, darted desperately between the maids holding her back and the heavy oak doors where the guards had just disappeared with Yoshio.

“I had to,” I said, my voice equally strained. “He's just a distraction, Nalu. You deserve better than this. And, baka nga may asawa at anak pa ‘yan.”

“He's not just a distraction!” Nalu cried, struggling against the maids' gentle grip. “You don't understand! He loves me, and I love him! Kahit naman may asawa at anak na siya, minahal niya ako ng totoo. Please, don't make him leave!”

“Yoshio!” Nalu screamed.

Her pleas were futile. The doors were closed, the guards were gone, Yoshio was being taken away, and there was nothing she could do about it.

“Nalu hindi kita pinanganak para maging kabit and gusto mo ba na mahal niyo nga ang isa't-isa pero may kahati ka sa puso niya?” I said, trying to sound firm but my own voice cracked. “This relationship is a mistake. It will never work.”

“But it does work!” Nalu sobbed.

Her despair was palpable, her tears a testament to the depth of her feelings for Yoshio. I could see the pain in her eyes, and it mirrored the turmoil raging within me. I knew this was the right decision, but it felt like tearing away a part of her.

“I know this is hard, Nalu,” I said, my voice softening. “But believe me, this is for the best. I will talk to your dad, and make the best way possible for you to be home in Ireland. You deserve a life of stability and security, not this..." My voice trailed off, unable to articulate my fear for her future.