Love Me Harder Daddy

KABANATA 53

Kabanata 53

A year later...

          Zero learned a lot during his more than a year stay in America. He finished his one-year study there and thought about taking a vacation to the Philippines just to be with his father for a short period of time. He hadn't seen him in a long time and he hadn't been with him for a long time.

Actually, he didn't want to go home, he wanted to stay in America, but here was his body being dragged home to the Philippines.

Zero was next to the small window of the plane he was on. He leaned his head back and slightly closed his eyes.

He was able to say goodbye to his grandmother, and even to his cousin. He had many things to thank them for, especially his cousin. Although he was naughty and annoying, but he never left him and abandoned him. He was with him especially on the first day of his arrival. Eithan became his friend, his companion, whether in joy or sorrow. He became his support so he was very grateful to the young man.

He let out a deep sigh. He's coming back home. Coming back to his own hometown.

How is his daddy? For a year he rarely talked to him but his father still continued sending him messages. He was used to his father texting "I love you", knowing that he was drunk. Only then did his father have the courage to tell him that he loved him as his son.

Kapag kuwan ay sumanggi sa isip ni Zero si Tyson. Kamusta na kaya ito? Kamusta na kaya ang kaniyang kaibigan? Uuwi kaya ito ng Pilipinas? O doon na ito maninirahan?

Ipinilig ni Zero ang sarili sa pag-iisip. Wala na siyang dapat pang alalahanin. Binaon na siya sa limot ng kaibigan at marapat lamang na ganoon na rin ang kaniyang gawin.

Naging smooth ang biyahe. Ilang oras pa ang lumipas ng makalapag ang airplane na sinasakyan at ilang oras din ang kaniyang ginugol sa pag co-commute hanggang sa marating ang gate ng bahay nila.

Pasado alas onse na ng gabi.

Ilang segundo niyang pinagmasdan iyon bitbit ang isang maleta na naglalaman ng mga importanteng bagay. Who would have thought, na babalik siyang muli dito.

Sarado ang pinto ng gate kaya nag doorbell siya.

Katulong ang nag bukas ng pinto. Pupungas-pungas pa ang mga mata nito halatang na istorbo sa pagtulog.

Nagulat pa ang mga mata nito ng siya'y makita. Malawak ang naging pag-ngiti nito. "Sir.. narito kana pala. Pasok ho kayo sir," maligaya ang tinig ng katulong.

Ngumiti si Zero at pumasok na. Ni-lock lang ng katulong ang gate pagkatapos ay sumunod sa kaniya.

"Sir, ipaghahanda ko po kayo ng pagkain. Pasensya na sir, ha. Hindi naman kayo nagpasabi na uuwi pala kayo—"

"Manang, it's okay. Bumalik na lamang po kayo sa inyong pagtulog. Busog po ako at matutulog na rin po ako." nakangiting sambit niya sa katulong.

"Sigurado po ba kayo sir? Eto ho ang susi ng bahay. Na i-lock ko ho kasi ang pinto." tinanggap ni Zero ang susi na inabot sa kaniya. "Siya sige, maiwan kona po kayo."

Umalis na ang katulong kaya nagtuloy-tuloy si Zero papasok sa loob. Sinusian lamang niya ang nakasarang pinto hanggang sa magbukas iyon.

May ibang parte ng bahay na madilim dahil nakapatay ang ilaw.

Ginamit ni Zero ang cellphone niya upang gamiting flashlight.

Sa kuwarto dapat ang kaniyang diretso, pero dinala siya ng mga paa patungo sa kuwarto ng kaniyang ama.

He slowly turned the door open. He left the suitcase outside and turned off the flashlight on his cellphone.

His father's room was bright. The lampshade on the bedside table was still on.