Chronicles of the Step Daughter

Chapter 1

I woke up earlier than usual today. Most probably dahil hindi rin ako makatulog ng maayos kagabi. The thing that Lucas said kept on repeating on my mind na para bang sirang plaka. What was he thinking? Hindi niya makukuha ang pwesto ng daddy ko kahit ano pang gawin niya.

I grabbed my phone from my bedside table. I chuckled as I look at the time. It's 5:45am. Madalang na madalang akong magising ng ganitong oras. 9am pa ang pasok ko. Hindi rin naman ako makatulog so I decided to get out of my room.

I walked downstairs and went to the kitchen. I grabbed a glass of water. I gulped on the water and then I saw the drawings of my younger brothers on the fridge. One corner of my mouth lifted up when I saw what was drawn. It was my mom, my two brothers and I, holding hands. And on the other corner, was Lucas. Grabe. Nakuha na talaga ng lalaking iyon ang puso ng mga kapatid ko.

It's like he's brainwashing them. Carlo and Carlisle are twins. They were 5 when mom and dad separated, and I was 16. I still can't believe that 2 years had passed since that happened. The flashback of the memory was still vivid.

I was crying so hard. Daddy is packing up his things. I know what he is doing. He is going to leave. He's going to leave me.

I went inside their room when mom left. I went beside dad and tugs the hem of his shirt. I am 16 but I'm still acting like I am six years old.

"Dad". I said, almost stuttering.

I saw him stiffened. He stopped fixing his clothes on his baggage and he looked at me. He cupped my face and gave me a peck on my forehead. "I'm sorry, baby."

"D-dad.. Why do you have to leave? Magkakaayos naman kayo ni mommy hindi ba?" I hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry, mi amor. Your mother and I can't be together. We are going to hurt each other if we will. This is for the best."

I hugged him even tighter "No.. This is not! You are going to leave me, Carlo, and Carlisle. Who's going to read them bedtime stories? Who's going to shoo my suitors away? Who's going to cook me food? Don't leave dad.. Please.." This time, I cried even harder.

I heard dad sniffing "You have your mother, mija. She is going to take good care of you. I just can't handle this. Your mom and I loved each other before, but not anymore."

And that was the most painful thing I heard from my dad. His love story with mom was always been a fairytale for me. I looked up to that, hoping that someday, I'll have one like that too.

Mom and dad met at their theatre group. Mom was a thespian, or an actress, and dad was a stagehand, basically the people working behind curtains. Dad was immediately attracted to mom when she auditioned as their Juliet, and she was accepted. Mom was a very lovely 17 year old girl. Dad said he asked his fellow stagehands if he could also auditioned as Romeo, for there is a strict rule that a thespian could never date a stagehand. It was his only way to talk, and be with mom.

Dad, who used to be a stagehand, was the director of that particular play. He gave up his role as the director to his co-stagehand in order to get the role. He told me that it was a hard thing to do for he can be recognize as a director and might be offered great opportunities. But he let that go. For mom, he slipped away the opportunities in his hand.

He actually got the role. They grew very fond of each other. On stage, they were Romeo and Juliet, off stage, they were bestfriends. It just happened 3 years later, they had me, their first baby.

Now I still wonder, dad gave up his opportunity directing a play for mom. Well I guess, nothing lasts in this world. Everything eventually fades.

I shook off my head when I remembered that time. I don't want to think about it again. Umakyat ako ulit pero hindi na ako pumasok sa kwarto ko. Instead, I went inside the twins' room.