Destiny's Game

7

Two weekends after...

She looked out the gate while wringing her hands. She was anxious and nervous. "Nasaan ka na?" she thought. "...masyado mo namang dinamdam ang pagkamatay ni Chichi eh alam naman natin na may taning na talaga yung buhay nya. Naku, Jay, kapag nawala ka rin sa buhay ng Mama at Popsy mo..." Yaya Virgie thought while craning her neck at the empty street. She kept on pacing back and forth in front of the house. She discovered Rj's absence when she went looking for him to call him to dinner.

"...Manang..." Popsy's voice called from inside the house.

"Naku!" She thought. "...andyan na...sandali lang..." Yaya Virgie responded as she hurriedly entered the house.

"Si Rj? Tawagin mo na at lalamig itong pagkain..." Popsy said. Rj had a habit of waiting to be called to the dinner table. "Hindi nyo ba tinawag?"

"...eh...ah..."

"Ano?" Popsy glanced at Yaya Virgie with slight annoyance. "Masyado nang spoiled yang si Rj ha?" Popsy said when Mama came back to the dining room from the kitchen. She had cleared the table of their dishes and got dessert for her and Popsy.

"...wala po kasi..." Yaya Virgie responded nervously.

"Wala na yung gusto nya? Pwes, matuto syang kumain kung anong nakahanda..." Popsy said, annoyed.

"Hindi po...kasi po..."

"Anong hindi? Hindi sya gutom? Eh di sana nagsabi na sya kanina pa at naligpit na ito..." Popsy went on, pointing the dishes on the table.

Yaya Virgie stepped back a little and went behind Popsy so that he could not immediately see her. She didn't know how to tell him that Rj was missing. "...eh kasi...wala...wala si Rj..."

"Wala sa kwarto nya? Baka naman nasa garahe...nakauwi na si Carlo, diba?"

"Opo...wala rin sya dun...wala yung bike nya..."

"ANO? Ayan, natututo na syang umalis ng walang paalam" Popsy's voice rose.

"Ricardo!" Mama replied. She, too, was startled by Popsy's voice.

"Eh spoiled na spoiled na yang anak mo e. Ilang taon na since nawala si Chichi. Lahat nalang ng luho nya, pinagbibigyan mo. Ninyo."

"...makinig kasi muna..."

"Yan pa, hindi nakikinig. Ang tigas ng ulo!"

"Pwede ba Ricardo, tumahimik ka muna at makinig!" Mama's voice slightly rose too.

"Eh Ate...wala si Rj sa kwarto nya...wala rin po sa garahe...pati po bike nya, wala din..." Ate Virgie swallowed hard then spoke nervously.