Second Chances

Come Home

It was 8:30am. Karylle was up and ready to go to work. She was dressed in her usual work outfit, white blouse with a grey pencil skirt that hangs past her knee and a matching grey blazer that goes with it. She was in the kitchen sipping her coffee with one hand and reading a newspaper in the other. She lazily skimmed through it not really taking anything in.

After finishing with her coffee, kinuha naman nya yung bag nya na nasa sofa when her phone rang. It took her a while to fish it out of her bag and agad-agad naman niyang sinagot.

"Hello. Oh hi Ma!" It was her Mom ZsaZsa on the other line.

"Hi anak! Sorry nagising ba kita?"

"No Ma of course not. On my way na nga ako sa work actually." Karylle was already making her way down the apartment and hurried walked in a quick pace whilst still talking on the phone.

"Oh good. Anyway anak, as you know Me and your Tito Conrad got engaged," Karylle's mom proclaimed excitedly, "and I was hoping that you'd come home here in the Philippines for our big day. Gusto ko lahat nandun and especially my panganay. I know na busy ka dyan sa New York with your work and everything but I want my own daughter to be at my wedding."

Karylle was out of her apartment by now and stopped at the curb to call for a taxi. "I know Ma, as much as I want to be there at your wedding I am overloaded with work here."

"Anak please. Just come home for my wedding. You haven't been home since you left everything here and decided to move there. Kahit ilang araw lang." Ms Z was pleading and you can sense the desperation in her voice. She really wants her daughter to be there.

"Ok Ma. Maybe I could sort something out. But I can't make any promises."

"Don't try, just do it please. I want my first born to be there."

"Basta Ma, I'll see what I can do." The taxi parked at the side of the curb, hinting that they were there at their destination. "Anyway i'll call you later. Papasok na din ako. I love you." She got out of the taxi (paying the driver of course) and rushed inside the building. Karylle and her mom said their goodbyes and they hanged up.

She arrived at her workplace. Isang building sa may Manhattan. Karylle worked as an editor for a big publishing company after she left her celebrity life back in the Philippines. Thats right, ang dating artista, host and singer sa pilipinas ay ngayon editor na. She left everything behind. She wanted to move on. Apart from singing, reading was her next favourite thing to do so she decided to work along those field.

Pilit nya kinalimutan ang buhay nya sa Pilipinas dati. For 3 years, all she did was bury herself at work. Everyday she would have the same routine: get up, get dressed, go to work, come home and then sleep. Yun ang naging buhay sa loob na mga taon na yon. She didn't become an editor straight away. She worked her way up to it. Dahil din sa sipag at talagang hard working si Karylle, na promote din sya agad agad.

Pag ka dating nya sa may office nya, stacks of unpublished manuscripts was waiting for her at her desk. She'd have to go through each one and edit them one by one. Pumasok siya sa loob and let out a big sigh. It was going to be another busy day for her.

Lunch time came. Busy parin si Karylle sa mga ginagawa niya. Hindi na nga sya naka pag handa ng sarili nyang lunch kaya nag pa bili na lang sya sa assistant nya. She was still going through the manuscript ng may tumawag sa phone. Nung una, she just left it to go to voicemail, but after a few more calls she decided to answer it.

"Hello?" She answered with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Hi Ate. Sorry na abala ba kita?" It was her sister Coco on the other line.

"Oh Coco, napatawag ka? Sorry ha, medyo busy lang sa work."

"Oh my I'm so sorry Ate. Wrong timing pa ata."

"No it's ok. What is it?"

"Well I spoke to Mom earlier and sabi nya uuwi ka daw for the wedding?! Oh my god, I can't wait!!" Coco was practically shrieking with excitement. Medyo kailangan pa nga ni Karylle ilayo ang phone nya from her ear because of how loud Coco shrieked.

"What?! I said I'll try to. I haven't made any promises. Susubukan ko talaga."

"So you mean you're not 100% sure yet?! Oh come on Ate, it's Mom's wedding how can you miss that! She'd want all of her families there." na guilty naman si Karylle dahil sa sinabi ng kapatid.

"I know, I know. Trust me I want to, it's just that-" bigla naman sumingit si Coco.

"What? Because allergic ka na sa mga weddings? Or natatakot ka umuwi kasi baka maalala mo nanaman ang lahat or natatakot ka kasi baka mag kita kayo ulit? Or baka naman all of the above?" pag dadahilan naman ng kapatid nya.

"No of course not! How many times do I have to tell you na naka move on nako. Ang tagal na nun. Kinalimutan ko na nga yun eh. It's just that hindi pa ako sure kung makaka uwi ako kasi busy lang talaga ako sa work."she defended herself.

"Yun pala eh. If it's just about work, ano naman kung aabsent ka ng ilang araw. If you want, you can even take your work with you here. But please come home for the wedding. It'll be like a family reunion."

Wala na lang nagawa si Karylle kung hindi mag agree na lang sa kapatid. May point naman kasi si Coco.

"K fine. I'll be there." Yun na lang nasagot ni Karylle. Napa sigaw nanaman ang kapatid sa tuwa.

"Yayyy! Oh my god, this is going to be so exciting! Eeeehhh, see you soon Ate!!" Para namang bata si Coco na naeexcite. Napa buntong hininga nalang si Karylle and forced a smile.

Hindi naman sa ayaw ni Karylle na pumunta sa kasal ng nanay niya. It's just that hindi pa siya ready umuwi sa pilipinas. So many hurtful memories back in the country. Kaya nga nag pasya siya na lumipat na lang sa ibang bansa and iwan ang lahat.

9:21 to be exact when she finally finished her work. Mga 6pm naman sila nag tatapos usually pero lagi nag oovertime si Karylle para wala na sya iuwing work sa bahay. Nag pasya na lang sya mag lakad pauwi tutal medyo maganda naman ang panahon, hindi malamig pero hindi din mainit, and her apartment is only a few blocks away. Actually, sa umaga lang sya nag t-taxi kasi mas mabilis.

Pag ka uwi niya sa apartment nya, agad agad naman niyang tinangal ang sapatos. She kicked them off and nilapag ang bag sa may malapit sa pinto. She walked over sa couch and lazily sat down. Mga ilang minuto din syang naka upo when she decided to turn the tv on just so hindi masyadong tahimik sa loob ng apartment. She was channel surfing ng napatigil sya. She froze at the sight of the show, better yet the sight of the person hosting.

She was watching the TFC channel. At tamang tama na Showtime ang pinapalabas dito. The group of people on the tv screen were making jokes at naghaharutan. Yung isang babaeng host kasi nag kakamali sa mga spiels and yung mga lalaking hosts naman inaasar sya.

Karylle just watched them. Those were the group of people that Karylle used to work with. The group of people she became closed with. The show that she used to love going to everyday. Yung mga asaran at jokes nila, she used to be a part of that. She used to laugh along with them.

Hindi mapigilan ni Karylle na ma-miss din ang mga dating kasama niya. Since she left the Philippines she broke all contacts from most of the people there, apart from her family that she is still in contact with almost everyday, and some of her very close friends.

As the group of people on her tv screen were still making jokes, may finocus naman ang camera sa isa sa mga hosts. And with the sight of him, Karylle turned off the tv straight away.

It's all in the past Karylle, it's all in the past, she told herself.