Blackmailed

Chapter 4

I left. I paid a friendly lady, Ate Nita, who was kind enough to shoo the drunken men away to watch my car before I took a cab to the nearest shopping mall. I bought a charger, went to a coffee shop to charge my phone, and immediately contacted Kaius Sia.

"I'm already on my way," he told me.

"Wala na ako d'un," I said. "I was able to find help."

"Where are you?"

"Shangri-la."

"'Yung totoo, Kalilah. Baka nahiya ka lang humingi ng tulong sa akin."

"Nandito nga ako sa Shangri-La," I said. "Nakita mo naman natawagan na kita when my battery ran out earlier. I'm fine."

"'Yung kotse mo?"

"Iniwan ko doon. I paid someone to watch it for me and then took a cab. I'll be contacting a mechanic after this conversation. Nauna lang kitang tinawagan para hindi ka na mag-aksaya ng oras. And also to tell you that I shouldn't have called you, that was out of line."

"What's so out of line about asking for help?"

"Because we're practically strangers. This is the first time we've met and I was demanding that you help me as if we know each other well. That was a bit entitled of me. 'Yun lang ang rason kung bakit ako tumawag. I apologize for the hassle I caused you—"

"It's not a hassle at all."

"Still, humihingi pa rin ako ng paumanhin. Pasensya ka na talaga. Bye," I said before ending the call.

I was embarrassed that I called Kaius Sia. I was embarrassed that I had indirectly told him that I had no one else to ask help from that was why I asked one from him. Although he and his family witnessed how my family treated me, I still didn't want them to know just how bad it was.

"And now he does..." I murmured before I sighed. "Kali, stop. Here you are taking the path towards self-pity again. Kung ako sa'yo ay unahin mo muna 'yung problema mo," I added.

I searched online for a company that could help me with my car and found one in Pasig which seemed reputable based on the reviews.

"Ma'am, ano po ang make at model ng vehicle?" the woman over the phone asked.

"It's a Volvo S90."

"Ang exact address kung saan po susunduin?"

Luckily, I had the presence of mind to ask the woman who agreed to watch my vehicle for the address; I recited it over the phone.

"Ma'am, considered medium vehicle po and Volvo S90 and our standard towing fee is Php 2,500 for the first four kilometers."

"Okay. Mapupuntahan n'yo ba kaagad?"

"Ma'am, can I put you on hold po? Tawagan ko lang po 'yung tow truck namin na nag-se-service malapit po sa area n'yo."

"Okay..."

"Thank you po," the woman jovially said.

I held back a yawn as the on-hold music started playing. "Sabi ko nga kasi sa'yo ay dapat hindi ka na umuwi," I muttered under my breath. "You even had to use your unpaid leaves for the year—"

"Hello, Ma'am!"

"Uy, hi, you're quick," I said.

"Ma'am, nand'yan na raw po sila in twenty to thirty minutes po," she informed me.

"Okay," I said. "Hintayin ko na lang sila."

"Okay po. Is there anything else po?"

"No, wala na. Salamat," I said before ending the call.