I Brought My Heart To Hong Kong

Chapter Forty-Six: Offer

Chapter Forty-Six
Offer

"Mom, magkape ka muna."

Mom sighed and took the mug off the table. Uminom lang siya ng kaonti saka inilapag ulit. She's already on her business attire, ready to go in any minute.

"I have to go, honey. Let's have dinner tonight since you're back."

"Alright."

Bumuntong-hininga naman ako saka niyakap siya para magpaalam. I noticed Dad going down holding his briefcase too. Parang nagmamadali. Nagpaalam din silang dalawa kaagad sa'kin.

Nang iwan nila ang bahay, napagpasyahan kong maglinis muna. I think my dad already hired helpers while I was away dahil hindi ganoong kadumihan ang bahay nang dumating ako. Pero sa office nila, hindi ata nila pinalinis kasi halata ang alikabok sa ibabaw ng shelves.

The office is messy. Papers are everywhere. Inuna ko ang desk ni Dad at pinagpatong-patong ang mga papers sa iisang puwesto.

I put his scattered pens back in the drawer and wiped his desk with a fabric cloth. The dust was evident in the cloth. It's really been some time since they cleaned it up.

Wala namang kaso sa'kin 'yon. It's been some time too since I really rummaged and cleaned through the house. Naging busy ako sa work na kapag uuwi ako noon, pagod na pagod na kaming lahat para mag-usap pa. Tapos kagagaling ko lang sa New York noong nakaraang mga linggo.

Pagkatapos linisin ang kay Dad, pumunta ako sa desk ni Mom. I noticed her monitor's led light blinking. Hinawakan ko 'yung wireless mouse para sana itago sa drawer nang biglang bumukas ang monitor. Mom's must be really busy to forget her computer on a standby.

My lips parted when I noticed the browser is open and the tab opened is showing Mom's mails. I shook my head and navigated the mouse to close the tabs pero saglit kong nakita ang email ni Mom at ni Mrs. Brigaste of Singapore.

I sighed after remembering the offer.

Hindi ko na napigilan ang sarili at napindot ang buong palitan nila ng messages. Mrs. Brigaste checked up on me two weeks ago but Mom said that I was in New York. She told my Mom to talk to me about the offer and Mom assured her.

But she never talked to me about it yet. I highly understand that because she's busy.. or maybe my mom doesn't really meddle with my career decisions.

I closed the tab avoiding further intrusion into Mom's mails. Pero hindi ko napigilang i-check ang documents ni Mom sa computer. Those documents aside from her work.

Like the folder named after me: Hailey

I kinda remember they loved filming me when I was a kid. Malalaman ko na lang nagvi-video na sila.

Hindi na ako nakapagpigil pa at naupo na sa swivel chair. I started clicking the videos and watched them one by one.

"Daddy! Let me in!" called the elementary-aged me.

Hawak ni Dad ang camera at papalapit siya sa pintuan. He was in this same exact office at pinagbuksan niya ang pinto dahil kumakatok ako mula sa labas.

Napangiti ako ng bumungad ang mukha kong may malapad na ngiti habang hawak-hawak ang isang stuff toy na mas malaki pa sa'kin.

"Daddy, I received a gift. Hulaan mo kung kanino nanggaling!"

Dad wasn't seen in the video because it was focused to me pero narinig ko ang pagtawa niya.

"To whom?"

"Someone Mommy helped!" I said there. "Mommy helped her be with her daughter again and in exchange, she gave me this." I saw Dad's hand patting my head. "I wanna be like her, Daddy. So my daughter would also receive one like this."