Behind Every Pages

Chapter Thirty-five:

I thought things were getting better, that the tension with Tito Alistair was gone, to my brother, to Mom and even Daddy... well, he were still my parent right? But a tiny whisper, a stolen conversation overheard through a crack in the door, shattered the peace. It was like someone grabbed my heart and squeezed really hard.

"I'm sorry, Ezra," Mommy's voice, choked with tears, echoed in the quiet room. "I'm so sorry for what happened. Please forgive our family."

My heart pounded, like a drum in my chest. Did she mean... did she mean what I thought she meant?

"Did Daddy... did Daddy kill Ezra's parents?" tahimik kong tanong sa sarili. My father, the man I loved, the man I admired, had taken the lives of Ezra's parents.

The thought was unbearable, a monstrous truth that threatened to consume me. I wanted to scream, to deny it, to bury my head in the sand and pretend it wasn't true. But the evidence, the chilling words, the raw pain in Ezra's eyes when he looked at Mommy, it all pointed to the same horrifying truth.

It was too much to bear. I wanted to scream, to deny it, to bury my head in the sand and pretend it wasn't true. But the evidence, the scary words, the raw pain in Ezra's eyes when he looked at Mommy... it all pointed to the same terrible truth..

"No," I whispered, my voice weak. "It can't be true. It can't be."

But deep down, a cold, hard truth settled in my stomach. It was true. My father, the man I had always looked up to, the man who had always been my rock, was capable of doing something so awful.  It was like someone punched me in the gut, taking all the air out of my lungs.

I ran to my room, hoping to find some peace in the familiar space. But even there, the truth followed me. I sank to the floor, my back against the cold wall, and let the tears flow freely.

How could he? How could he do that to other people? How could he take a life, a precious life, so easily? Was this the man I had always known? The man who had taught me right from wrong? Was he still my father?

My Ezra, what would I say to him? How could I look him in the eye, knowing the truth, knowing that my father had taken everything from him? Would he hate me? Would he see me as just like my father?

The next morning, I couldn't bear to stay in the house, to face the pain and the guilt that wouldn't leave me alone. I needed to see my father, to confront him, to get answers. I needed to understand how he could do such a thing.

The drive to the prison was a blur, a whirlwind of feelings. Anger, grief, and a deep, scary fear battled inside me. I couldn't believe that the man I had always loved could do something so terrible.

As I approached the prison, I saw chaos. Police cars were everywhere, their sirens wailing like a sad song. Reporters pushed and shoved, their cameras flashing like fireflies in the dark. The air was thick with tension, and I felt anxious.

Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko, paano ako makakapasok sa loob kung sobrang daming tao at pulis sa paligid. Ano bang nangyayari? Bawal bang bumisita ngayon?

Kailangan kong kausapin ang demonyo kong ama.

I approached the police with a hopeful heart, yearning to see my father, but my hopes were shattered with a single sentence – I couldn't visit him because the prison was facing unforeseen issues.

“Ano po ba iyon?”

“Pasensya na Ms., pero hindi pa namin ito dapat ipagsabi dahil hanggang ngayon ay tsini-check pa ang loob.”

“Po? Ano po ba kasing nangyayari sa loob? Nandoon iyong Daddy ko!” hindi ko na mapigilan pa ang sarili ko. Nararamdaman ko nanaman ang galit sa akin.