The Secret Daughter

Chapter 30

Lea

Nagising ako nang marinig ko na nagring yung phone ko hudyat na dapat na akong magising. Nakapikit mata kong kinakapa-kapa ang side table ko para mapatay ko ang alarm ko. I yawned as I pressed my phone without looking at it tapos tumagilid ako.

"Aist!" I groaned as I decided to sit on my bed as I soon as I heard my alarm clock once again as I grab my phone to hit the okay button kasi palagay ko I click the snooze button a while ago kaya hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin tumatahimik ito. I look at the time, it's still 5:35 in the morning. 5 minutes have passed since my alarm clock went wild kanina. I sighed as I remembered that the reason why I have to wake up with this massive headache, ikaw ba ang paghintayin hanggang alas tres ng umaga? At kailangan mong magising ng alas singko y media tignan natin hindi ba sasakit ang ulo mo ng bonggang-bongga.

Ipinikit at sinandal ko muna ang ulo ko ng ilang minuto bago ko naisipan tumayo kasi baka ano pang mangyari, I'm not getting any younger and I have to rest my body. I mean sanay ako na matulog ng late but if I have any commitments I make sure that I have eight to ten hours of sleep. Mahirap nang pumasok na inaantok.

But I guess I have to do it now since my daughter went home really late last night early in the morning. Speaking of that child, nakatulog kaya yun?

Iminulat ko ang aking mga mata nang marinig ko ulit ang pagtunong ng cellphone ko na naghuhudyat na kailangan ko na talaga bumangon. Inabot ko ang phone ko at pinatay ang alarm clock at tsaka bumangon to do my morning rituals before I check the kids and proceed to the kitchen since for sure knockdown pa si Julie hanggang ngayon kaya I have time to invade my own kitchen today since my baby chef is down.

Before I went down, I usually check the kids before going to work or going downstairs to do something and like any other usual day, I came to Nicole's room first and tiptoed towards her bed to check if she was sleeping and she was indeed sleeping peacefully at kahit nais ko man hagkan ang noo niya, I didn't dare. Nicole has sharp senses and I'm afraid if I kiss her she would wake up which is ayaw kong mangyari kasi baka topakin buong araw kaya mahirap na, at isa pa napakaaga pa and they don't have a class today so she could just sleep in. When I reach Julie's door, I didn't knock na, which I usually do kasi sisilipin ko lang naman sila. I tiptoed towards her bed when I just saw Kylie lying on the bed and sleeping peacefully. Eh nasaan si Julie? Nasaan ang anak ko? I walk towards the bathroom door and knock but no one answered but makes Kylie groaned which makes me look at her as she changes her position. I opened the door of the bathroom of Julie's room and there I found out that no one is there.

I sighed. Nasasaan nanaman kaya ang batang iyon?

I was about to leave Julie's room when I notice that Kylie wasn't properly covered by her blanket, the room is so cold pa naman.  I went near her to fix the blanket and as I was fixing the blanket para hindi siya lamigin, I couldn't help but notice her angelic face seems familiar na para bang nakita ko na ito noon pa before the audition. Pero saan? Kailan? 

I just shake my head to shrugged off my thoughts as I went out of Julie's room and went downstairs where I saw Manang Ester, the caretaker of the house "Manang napansin niyo po ba si Julie?" 

Lady, running down to the riptide

Bago pa makasagot si Manang ay naririnig ko na ang boses ni Julie na sa kusina. Napangiti na lang si Manang "Ayun nagcoconcert sa kusina" 

Taken away to the dark side

Napangiti na lang ako dahil sa sinabi ni Manang  "Puntahan ko lang po" 

I wanna be your left hand man

Mas lalong lumawak ang ngiti ko sa labi ng makita si Julie na kumakanta habang sumasayaw, sinasabayan ang musika na nagmumula sa kanyang cellphone.