Bound By Papers

Chapter 10

Present time...

"Ate, do we really have to go here? Alam mo namang takot ako sa karayom diba?", tanong ni Astrid.

"Alam ko. Pero di ka naman nila basta-bastang tuturukan. I just want to make sure Astrid. Ayokong may mangyaring masama sayo. Losing you is the last thing I could think of right now. Hindi ko alam paano ako mabubuhay if I lose you too.", sabi ko sakanya.

It has been 11 years since papa died. And it has been 3 years since mama died. Sigurado akong they're already happy sa kung nasaan man sila.

At first, hindi ko matanggap na they left us at such a fast time. Halos hindi ko masink in sa sarili ko noon. Lagi akong galit sa mundo noon.

Noong namatay si mama, we did not have any money. I sold the house. I sold the other properties that were on my name.

Nalaman kong ang laki na pala ng utang ni mama sa kung sinu-sino para lang sa mga gamot na iniinom niya noon.

Nalaman ko nalang din sa abogado namin na kaya hindi ginagalaw ni mama yung naiwang pera ni papa para walang masabi sila tito Rico sa kanya.

Halos araw-araw akong galit sa mundo noon. I would always lock myself up in my bedroom. Si Astrid pinababayaan ko. I don't go to school anymore. It felt like I had depression.

Iisipin ko nalang na sana sumunod nalang ako. Sana kunin nalang din nila ako. Pero I don't know what happened.

One time noon, narinig ko kay ate Sasha na nasa ospital si Astrid kasi nahimatay sa school. Sudden realization nalang bigla. It hit me up na kailangan kong tumino.

I do not have to lose hope kasi I have my sister. I need to fight for my sister.

Doon na ko nagdesisyon. I decided to fix my life. I talked to our family lawyer. Ibinenta ko ang bahay at lupang kinatitirikan nito. Kami lang ng abogado ang may alam tungkol doon.

Ang kompanya, iniwan ko sa pangangalaga ng abogado. He was giving me the papers but I refused to receive it.

I told him that I will be taking it in the right time. Kung kailan may alam na ako, at sapat na yung kaalaman ko para maalagaan yung naiwan ni papa.

After maibenta ng bahay, umalis kami ni Astrid. I took Astrid here in Manila. Dito na ako nakipagsapalaran sa buhay.

I even left ate Sasha and Zach without any words. Alam kong galit sila and it was really wrong of me to do that.

Para akong tangang nagdesisyon noon. Wala sa katuwiran ang mga ginawa kong desisyon noon.

I also stopped studying. I deleted all my contacts with everyone.

I don't want them to remember me as someone who was going down. Unti-unti nang bumabagsak ang pangarap ko noon kaya I had no choice but to leave.

Tinalikuran ko ang mga tao at mga bagay na alam kong walang ibang inisip kundi ang ikabubuti namin ni Astrid. Wala na akong nagawa.

Mas umiral yung pagiging makasarili ko at ang kawalan ng tiwala sa iba.

Ewan ko. Pero ang gulo ng utak ko noon. I haven't heard any news from my uncle since my papa's funeral.