Forever

Life changes

Rhian's POV

It's been a week since we laid Dad to rest. A lot has changed here in the house. I had to let go of all the staff because we don't have the money to keep them. I am very thankful that Yaya Ising wanted to stay even though I cannot pay her well. She told me we are her family so she won't leave us.

After the burial, Kuya came back to his ways. Every night he would always go home really drunk. He has been really hot headed. When he is sober, he complains about everything or the lack of things.

I am sitting on  the dining table rummaging through all these letters of bills and notices thinking I have no way of settling them when Kuya  all of a sudden burst in with a bad case of a hangover. He started looking at the food on the table.

"Sardinas? Ito na naman? Wala ba tayong ibang ulam. Yaya Ising!!!!"

Dumating si Yaya Ising. "Ano po yun señorito?"

"Ipaghanda mo nga ko ng ibang makakain. At pagkatapos mo, linisin mo yung banyo ko ang panghi panghi!"

"Opo señorito." kawawang Yaya Ising. Siya na nga lang ang ngpresenta mgstay, siya pa ang napaguutusan lagi ni Kuya.

"Kuya, kailangan magtiis tiis. Makontento ka kung ano ang nakahain sa iyo ngayon. One more thing, be good to Yaya Ising. Siya na nga lang ang hindi umalis. Wag mo na siya masyado utus utusan."

"Busit na buhay to oh!"

"Wala na tayong magagawa. Mahirap na tayo ngayon. We have to make do of what we have. The bank will soon take this house too. Ewan ko ba kuya bakit kasi pati ito isinanla mo?."

"Pambayad sa gamot, sa hospital, sa doctor ni Dad. Mula ng nalugi ang hacienda natin wala na akong income. Ikaw nasan ka? Ikaw etong ngapapakasasa habang nasa ibang bansa ka."

"I will find a way. Lalapit ako sa mga kamag-anak natin o mga kaibigan."

"Wala na tayong kamag-anak Rhian mula ng maghirap tayo. Pati kaibigan wala na"

"Don't worry kuya, I will find a job."
----
These dramatic changes in our lives got me to question a lot of things. I want to understand what really happened and to enlighten me, I asked Dad's confidante, best friend and his lawyer Tito Jerry.

"Paano napunta sa mag-amang Galura ang hacienda namin sa Batangas?" I asked Tito.

"Soon after you left inatake sa puso ang Daddy mo, he needed to rest. Kaya ipinagkatiwala niya ang pamamahala ng Howell Enterprises kay Tommy. Knowing your brother, he doesn't have a business sense kaya maraming naluging transactions ng dahil sa kanya. At unti-unting bumagsak ang Howell Enterprises. That's when your father turned to the hacienda at dumating nga sa point na pati ang shares ni Felix Galura ay nautang niya."

"Ano ang karapatan ni Mang Felix na magkaroon ng share sa hacienda?"

"Well your father made him his industrial partner."

"Nasabi na nga ni kuya yan pero bakit?"

"Dahil na rin siguro magaling magpatakbo ng hacienda ang mag amang Galura. Lalo na yang si Glaiza, you know her right? Napakagaling na bata, matalino. She graduated with high honors."

"That's not enough para maging kapartner sila sa negosyo to think na pinag-aral lang siya ni Dad."

"Rhian matagal ng pinutol ng kuya mo ang scholarship ni Glaiza. Kung ano man ang meron siya ngayon yun ay dahil sa sarili niyang pagsisikap."

"So you're telling me attorney na wala na kaming pagasa makuha pa ang hacienda."

"It's all there in black and white. I'm sorry Rhian."

I could not control the waterfall of tears flowing from my eyes because of what I've heard. Dad shielded me from all these. His world was crumbling down and I had no clue. I have no choice now but to pick myself up from the very bottom and start over. I have to find me a job.