I'll be Home [On Going]

Chapter 52

The door opened and it revealed Aga, his face turned into a confused one when he saw Lea sitting on the couch. She stood up upon seeing him, and her mouth was moving obviously has something to say but seemed to be hesitant. Aga put down his bag on the couch and walked near her. "Why are you still up?" he asked. He looked around to check if Nana is still up.

"Uh.. about our daughter's school activity--" Lea started when Aga cut her. "The excursion, if she asked you a favor to convince me it's not gonna work." he walked at the kitchen to get some water. Did Lianne ask her? he thought because that was impossible. Lea saw a glass of water on his hand and she felt a little embarassed for not even offering him a drink when she knows he must be tired from work.

"Ah, I'm sorry I think I should be doing that." she suddenly said so. She's too drown on how can she convince him to allow their daughter to go on that trip. This is a simple thing she could do for Lianne for now and she wanted it to work out. Aga looked at her and raised the glass of water with his eyebrows up as if asking 'this?' which Lea nodded in response. Aga swallowed "Not a big deal, got more something to say?" he asked following their conversation.

"Ah yeah..." Lea said and inhaled "don't you think... it's fine to consider our daughter... joining that activity?" she asked again.

"No. We're done talking about this. She knows my answer won't change just because it's you who are trying to convince me now." Aga said in final, but she will not just let this pass without explaining the good side and importance of this activity for their daughter.

"Aga, it's part of their school requirements, if you're thinking something might happen. That's absurd."

Aga turned around to face her, looking amused, he walks closely to get near her "Do you know what the waiver says?"
"Yes. I read it and I clearly understand why you won't allow her. But Aga--"
"There's no but. That's final. She's not going."
"She'll lose her grade, don't you think it's unfair?"
Aga smirked "Unfair?... huh. Really? Coming from you?" he said that made Lea frowned. What is it again? Aga went on the couch and drunk the remaining water on his glass.

"Do you know what happened to her when I let her join something like this before?" Lea is now puzzled. She kept silent waiting for more information he would spill.

"That kid, your daughter... met an accident and that's because of those stupid camps that the school aren't supposed to be conducting." Aga said trying to control his temper.

Lea's heart pounded "What do you mean? What happened to her?" she asked. She wanted to know more. Then she remembered when Aga got so mad because she and Lianne sent Nana home late in the evening before. She's intensely staring at him. He seemed to be taken aback from what he has said. "I actually didn't allow her to join their bus. I asked our driver to drop and pick her from the venue... but they still got into it." Aga is looking down. That memory flashed on his mind again.

"D-did something happen to Lianne? W-was she hurt so bad?" she asked in a wary voice. She then think twice if she would still push this one on him. Aga glanced at her and shook his head. "No. Thank God no. But she couldn't talk for days after that..." he said calmly.

For days, they could hardly get Lianne to eat a complete meal in a day. Nana would catch her waking up screaming in the middle of the night and would cry for hours. There was one time she didn't get to sleep the entire night and was just calling her father. That incident which Aga considered one of the toughest days in their lives was still vivid in his mind. He blamed himself deeply that even affected his work, he lost his focus. It took them months convincing Lianne to take a therapy for her PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and another more months to cope up.