A Love To Remember

Chapter 2: Someone

Chiara

The rest of the day went smoothly at the same time, it ended pretty fast.

Gano'n talaga siguro kapag masaya ka, ano? Masyadong mabilis ang nagiging takbo ng oras.

That evening, I told Kallie, my bestfriend, about everything that happenend to me earlier. As expected, she squealed over the phone, telling me how lucky I am.

Indeed, I was. For a moment, I was.

My thoughts were interrupted when the door of my room flew open, revealing my Dad who's now in his PJs.

Hindi na ba uso kumatok sa panahon ngayon?

"Have you ever heard of the word knocking and.. I don't know, privacy?" I hissed at him.

Hindi nito pinansin ang sinabi ko as he sat at the edge of my bed instead, glancing at me with a small smile on his face.

"You had fun earlier, didn't you?" he questioned me.

"And, why do you ask so?" I asked him back, arching an eyebrow.

Typical nasty little brat, ganyan ako kapag si Daddy ang kausap at kaharap ko. Call me rude, I don't give a damn.

"Don't use that tone, Chiara. Ama mo pa rin ako." matigas niyang saad at ngayon, tuluyan nang napawi ang ngiti sa labi niya.

Ako naman ang napangiti ng mapakla sa pagkakataong ito. "Really, Daddy?" I mocked him. His jaw tightened but despite of that, he remained calm, which is new and surprising.

"It's okay to be nice once in awhile, you know.."

"Maybe." I shrugged my shoulders. "Maybe not."

Bumuntong hininga siya, "I want to have a conversation that doesn't include mockery and sarcasm. Can you do that? Can we do that?"

"Conversations are overrated." sambit ko, "Especially with someone who has zero interest with the subject."

He raised his hands in midair as he stood up, "Let's try again tomorrow."

The thing is that, I don't want to but I remained silent. Pagod na ako. Pagod na akong makipatalo pa sa kanya. Pagod na pagod na ako.

"Go to bed, Chia. It's getting late." he said softly before turning his back.

"I want my Mom." when Dad reached the door, those words abruptly came out. "Bring me back my Mom and maybe.. just maybe, it won't be this difficult."

For a moment, he stopped but then eventually, he continued walking out, closing the door behind him. Hindi man lang ito lumingon, hindi ko man lang nakita ang naging reaksyon niya.

I sighed as I gently caressed my wrists. The problem isn't just me, it's also him. He tries but.. he never tried hard enough.

— ✽ —

Lea

"She's pretty, 'no?" Dawn knowingly glance at me. "Aga's daughter, I mean. She's really pretty. And nice. I like her.."

Ngumiti ito. "Right? Ngayon ko lang din siya nakilala. I've heard about her before but, not that much. Aga enjoys his privacy when it comes to his daughter's life."

Tumango ako.

"Her mother.." I paused. "Who's her Mom? Is it.. is it Clara?"

"Syempre, si Clara." I tried my best to hide my emotions. "The one and only."

I unconsciously touched the pendant that's hanging around my neck. "Aga never talks about Clara."

"Interested much, Lea?" Dawn grinned. "Why don't you talk to Aga and ask him yourself? For sure, he can answer your questions. He can even tell you more.."

"Do I have the rights to?"

"Why not?"

I sighed. "You know. The past."

Aga and I are friends, sure, but there's this boundary that's stopping me. I find it difficult to talk to him about anything that is personal.

Pakiramdam ko, wala akong karapatang magtanong.

"Matagal na 'yon. Naka-move on ka na at gano'n din si Aga."

"Hmmm.."

For a second, kapwa kaming natahimik.

"Can I ask you something?" she broke the silence.

"Go on.."

"May closure na ba kayo ni Aga?"

I lifted my head and stared at her, "You know what's weird? Umalis ako ng Pinas at noong panahong 'yon, hindi kami magkaayos tapos ngayon na bumalik ako.. parang, parang wala lang nangyari. He greeted me like as if I'm an old friend."

"But, you're not just an old friend," puna nito. "I see what you're doing.. You're both avoiding it. Why?"

I bit my lower lip, shrugging my head. "I don't know either.."

"Do you still.. do you still have feelings for him?"

I avoided Dawn's gaze.

"May pamilya na siya."

From my peripheral vision, I can see her grinning once more. "Hindi iyan ang tanong ko."

Hindi na ako nag-salita pa.

All I can think of right now is Aga, and Chiara. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero ang mga imahe nila ang pumapasok sa isipan ko.

I don't know why Aga and I are acting like as if nothing happened before. Maybe.. it didn't mattered to him as much as it did to me?

And Chiara, Chiara.. she's a beautiful girl but I can tell that there's something in her, something that I can't quite figure out what.

Kagaya ng sinabi ko kay Dawn, I really like her. Magaan ang loob ko sa kanya.

She reminds of someone close to me, she reminds me of Sabel..

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