Tall, Dark and Dead

Too Good To Be True

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

N a t a l i a

"Ano'ng eksena naman yung ginawa mo, bes? Damang-dama mo yung mga hawak at haplos mo kay prof, ha?" Hinampas niya ang aking braso. Ako naman, nakangiti lang habang iniisip ang nangyari. "Kulang na lang ipasok mo siya sa kwarto mo at sabihing ikaw na lang ang i-CPR niya!" Tumabi siya sa akin at bumulong ng, "But I feel like she's hiding something. How about you, Talia? Do you?"

"Um, I, I don't know."

"Sus! Professor Cefiro is very secretive, but I feel like there's a bond with the two of you."

"Oh, the ties that bind us." Mykee scooched in, giggling na parang kinikilig. Kinikilig ba 'to sa girlfriend niya o sa aming dalawa ni professor Cefiro?

"Promise, wala akong-" Both of my friends looks so excited, it made me feel a little shy. Despite having this kind of feeling, I managed to say, "I didn't have any hidden agenda. I just wanted to make her feel safe." And loved, of course.

"You know what's weird, ate?" Mykee squeezed my hand. "I feel like you already know." Harper and Mykee left me sitting on the wooden bench with a thought in my mind. May date yata sila. Another weird thing is that last glance that Mykee gave me.

From Mykee Way 🍫:
Ate, si lola. She's the last link to the key of finding out who Leona Dayanara Malonzo really is.

That is when I realized something. "Oh, no. It can't be. It's too impossible." And the next thing I knew, I was driving my way to Socorro Mondejar's humble abode. I'm going to have that frank conversation with her alone. I need to know the truth.

-

Nana Soc and I went out of her balcony. Nanghihina siya pero pumayag pa rin ito sa aking pakiusap na ibahagi ang buong kwento nina Leona at Calista. "Sasabihin ko na lamang sa'yo ang mga bagay na natatandaan ko, hija." Tumango ako. Pinipilit niyang tumayo mag-isa mula sa kanyang wheelchair pero hindi na ito kaya ng matanda. Pinaupo ko na lamang ito sa upuang may sandalan. "Salamat."

"Ayoko na pong magpaliguy-ligoy pa, nana Soc..."

"Hmm?"

"Gusto ko po sana'ng malaman ang kwento ng buhay nina Calista at Leona."

"Papayag ako, hija, pero ang tanong, pagkatapos nito, maniniwala ka kaya sa mga malalaman mo?" Napangiti ang matanda. Mykee looked at me the same way. Did the exact, same giggle as well. "Si Calista ay anak ng isang mayaman at kagalang-galang na pamilya. Paborito ng kanyang ama't ina, bunso sa tatlong magkakapatid. Nangibang-bansa upang mag-aral ng medisina, kung kaya naman napakagaling nito sa kanyang propesyon at sa lengguaheng Ingles."

"Eh, si Leona ho, nana?"

"Sabi ng nanay ko no'ng ako'y musmos pa lamang, isang misteryo ang pagsulpot ng mag-ina. Marami ang nagsabing ang kanyang ina ay isang prinsesa galing Europa at sinundan nito ang kanyang irog dito sa ating bansa, ang ama ni Leona." If these speculations were true, then, that woman has royalty running through her veins. Wow, just wow. "Walang nakakaalam kung saan sila galing at kung ano ba talaga ang pakay nilang mag-ina dito, ngunit hindi nagtagal ay napamahal na rin ang mga tao sa mag-ina dahil sa kabaitan ng mga ito."

"Let me guess, that Leona is a brat and Cali is this nice kid," Nana Socorro burst into laughter when she heard me say those things. It got me scratching my head. "Did I say something funny?"