Begin Again - A KaRa (Mika Reyes & Ara Galang) Fanfiction

Thirty-Four

Tuesday na. Bukas na ang alis ni Ara. I found out from Hannah na 4:00 AM ang alis niya. This is the last time that I'll be able to make her happy. And, maybe, just maybe, this is the last time that I could possibly convince her to stay.

Nasa labas na ako ng Lumiere. Inayos ko ang sarili ko at pumasok sa main entrance.

Feeling ko sasabog puso ko sa sobrang kaba. I'm about to talk to Tita Betchay. And it's gonna be rough.

I asked the information kung nasaan 'yung office ni Tita Betchay and I found out that she was actually the Head of Operations. Operations... Jerome... his boss...

I took the elevator up to the operations floor. Pagkabukas ng elevator...

Nasa harap ko si Tita Betchay. I didn't expect her to be waiting outside the elevator!

"Tita," I greeted and walked towards her. Sinubukan kong magmano kaso tinanggal na naman niya kamay niya.

"Anong ginagawa mo dito?"

It was then that I realized na wala dito si Tito. Wala akong back-up. Tsk.

"Uhm..." Napalunok ako. "Gusto ko lang po sana kayo kausapin."

"May meeting ako," She said and walked towards the elevator.

"It's about Ara." Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero bigla lang lumabas sa bibig ko 'yung mga salitang 'yun. But, through some sort of miracle, she looked intrigued and walked towards me.

She glared at me. "What about her?"

She was much smaller than me, hanggang shoulder ko lang siya actually, pero it felt like I was shrinking every time she treats me like some sort of criminal.

"Can we talk... somewhere private?" I referred to the huge floor. Ngayon ko lang napansin na ang dami nang taong tumitingin.

"We can talk here."

"Okay," I said with almost like a grin, because what I'm about to say will surely start a rumor about her among the people listening. "Bakit niyo po pinipilit na umalis si Ara papuntang Singapore? She's your daughter po diba? Why would you want her to leave?"

And I was right. Nag-whisper nga 'yung mga tao.

She breathed deeply and looked around. Then, she looked back at me. "That's none of your business. Assistant ka lang."

"Who happens to be Ara's..." I paused. "Girlfriend."

Girlfriend niya ba 'ko? Ano ba kami?

Tita merely laughed. "Girlfriend?"

"Yes. I'm her girlfriend and I don't want her to leave. E ikaw, Tita, nanay ka niya. Anak mo siya. Why would you want her to leave?"

I tried to lessen my bitchy vibe. I needed to convince her, not yell at her.

"Wala kang alam."

"Alam ko po 'yun. That's why I'm asking right now, why? Anak mo siya! You fight every day with your husband with this as if you're reasonable in letting your daughter live by herself in another country! Why, Tita?"

She was about to open her mouth to argue, but she closed it again.

"Let's talk in my office," was all she said.

I'm sweating like crazy. I followed closely behind her as she made her way to the office.

I entered her office and... Oh God. It looked just like Ara's! I mean okay, the decorations and the placing of some stuff were different, pero there's still a huge window and a desk against it just like Ara's.