The Chef | Alyanna

Kabanata 9

Nagmamadali akong ilagay ang mga gamit na kakailanganin namin ng mga bata para sa lugar na pupuntahan namin. Hindi ko alam kung ilaw araw kami doon, basta gusto ko lang lumayo dito kasama ang kambal. I don't want them to grow up sa ganitong atmosphere.

Mabuti na lang at okay na ang credit cards ko. They gave me new passwords and they gave me the rights to open my bank account na hindi ko na nagawa dahil sa pagkawala ko for five years. Though, I need to work, hindi pa pwede. Lalo na't hawak hawak ng asawa ko ang mga business na ipinatayo ko daw. Ilan lang ang hawak ng mga kaibigan ko sa mga restaurants ko. Maybe after this, kapag gusto ko mg umuwi at bumalik dito, ako na ang magpapatakbo ng businesses ko na hawak ng apat. Hindi ko pa kayang makaharap ang asawa ko, lalo na at wala pa akong maalala.

"Phoebe, Phoenix. Tara na habang maaga pa."

Umayos na sila ng tayo at pumunta sa'kin. I let them wore their tiny backpacks na puno ng snacks nila. Good thing at sinamahan akong mag-grocery nila Stormy noong isang araw.

Hindi nagtanong ang mga bata habang nasa daan kami papunta sa isang isla. It's a good thing because hindi ko pa alam ang isasagot ko sa kanila. I'm afraid to tell them that it was their father who attacked me from the other day.

The taxi I called earlier was waiting for us when we got out of the house. Tinulungan ako ni manong driver na ilagay ang mga gamit ko sa likod ng taxi bago kami sumakay ng kambal at umalis na.

We stopped at the airport just in time. After getting our bags, pumasok na kami at naghintay na tawagin na ang flight namin papuntang roxas. I decided that we should go there dahil naalala ko noon na may bahay ako sa roxas. It was not big but it can accomodate us three. It's enough for us. The house was near sa isang beach kaya mas mabuting doon muna kami. It's a secluded area at ang katabi lang ng bahay ko is isang resort according to what I remembered. I don't know baka iba na doon.

Kaagad ko ng pinatayo ang kambal noong tinawag na ang flight namin. While walking papunta sa eroplanong sasakyan namin, I stopped and looked at the entrance of the airport. Hindi ko alam pero parang nangyari na 'to. It's very familiar.

"Ma?" Tawag ng isang maliit na tinig sa'kin.

Kaagad naman akong napabalik sa kasalukuyan at nginitian ang kambal.

"Tara na?"

After many minutes. The plane took off as the twins drifted to sleep. I feel odd and uncomfortable, why is this scene making me uncomfortable. Pamilyar talaga pero hindi ko alam kung saan.

Hours passed at nakatulog rin ako dahil sa pagod. When I woke up, the twins were giggling to something pero ipinagwalang bahala ko lang ito. The captain's voice echoed the whole plane as he said something sa speaker. We were about to land. I can't glance at the window since Phoebe was there and Phoenix is sitting at the middle seat.

The plane landed safely. The airport was a bit busy pero hindi naman ganoong marami ang mga tao. Mas marami lang ang mga taga-ibang bansa, they're here maybe for a vacation.

Bitbit ko ang maletang punto ng mga damit namin ng kambal habang papalabas kami ng airport. The sun was radiating and masakit sa balat pero kailangan na naming maka alis dito ng kambal. Something inside me is telling me to get out of here immediately.

But before I could call a taxi may sasakyan na biglang humarang sa harapan ko na mas lalong nagpakabog sa puso ko. Damn it!