Dominika (Pale As Dead I) | COMPLETED

𝚏𝚒𝚟𝚎

d e e
june 23, saturday, 7:30 p.m.

"Where are you going?"

I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard my dad's voice from a few steps above me. Pababa na ako ng hagdan, and I was wearing a black dress and Doc Martens, kaya alam niya agad na aalis ako nang malayo. I groaned inwardly dahil paniguradong mahabang interrogation na naman bago ako makaalis ng bahay.

"I'm grabbing dinner with some friends, Dad," sabi ko, without looking over my shoulder.

"Razve ty ne znayesh' kotoryy chas?" Dad asked, in the commanding voice he always used on me ever since I was a child. The same voice that had made me respect him because I feared him, not because I loved him. I understood his question even if I did not speak Russian very fluently. Parang pang-tenth yata yun sa list ng sentences na naka-program siyang sabihin sa anak niya ever since he had become a father. He asked me if I did not know what time it was already, pero bago pa ako makasagot, he added, "Bumalik ka sa kwarto mo."

Finally, humarap na ako sa kanya, and I was greeted by his huge stature. My dad, Ivan Yuriev, was a very tall man, standing at over six feet. He had a very pointed nose and very grey eyes. His dad, my grandfather, was Russian, and his mom was an OFW in Japan where they had met. My own mom, Giselle Yurieva, was a Filipina too, although she had acquired permanent residence in Russia.

My dad was born here in the Philippines, and he did not meet his father until he was fifteen. He was brought to Russia and became a citizen there. I was born there too. My middle name was even taken after his. He and my mom had first met when they were in middle school before he moved away. Then he came back for her after studying in Harvard and brought her there with him.

My parents were rarely ever home. They were always in Lesovostok, managing the business they had inherited from my grandpa. We had a house in Lesovostok which they said na gusto nilang tirahan ko kapag nag-settle na ako in life kasi ako lang naman ang anak nila. It was a massive house, but it looked old and creepy. Ang dami ko lang sigurong napanood na horror movies.

My parents had been home for the past three weeks for Mie's funeral. So baka umalis na rin sila ulit kasi malapit na ang peak season.

For the past sixteen years of my life, masasabi ko na kalahati lang no'n ang time na nakasama ko ang parents ko. Iniiwan nila ako kay Mommy Alicia, but now na wala na si Mie, hindi ko alam kung anong magiging set-up. They had not mentioned anything about bringing me there yet, so I was hoping against hope that they would leave me alone here. After all, kaya ko naman. I might be useless at taking care of myself, but we had helpers in the house naman who could look after me.

"Dad, please? I'll be home before midnight naman, eh," sabi ko.

"What's going on here?" Mom came into the picture, dressed in a brown Gucci dress. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest. "Are you going somewhere, Dominika?"

The reason why I hated being called by my real name. Only my parents ever called me that, and I never felt loved when hearing it.

"I'm just meeting Gwen and Helen, Mom," ulit ko. "Uuwi ako before twelve, I swear."

Mom looked at Dad first. "Where are they then?"

Dad just stared at me with his brooding eyes as he waited for my answer, and I felt so little standing before him.

"On the way. Malapit na raw sila."

"Saan kayo magdi-dinner?" Dad asked, but it sounded more like a demand.

"Evia," mabilis na sagot ko ulit. I had never lied about going to gigs before because they knew Zach was with me and they trusted that asshole. But now I had to be careful kasi baka ipadala nila ako sa Russia at paghulihin ng isda. "It's near here, wala pang thirty minutes yung car ride."