Komorebi

Chapter 6

For a purpose

The high intensity discharge lamps that illuminated the parking space gave me a clearer vision that I immediately recognized the Rodriguezes– the father alongside his son.

"Don't you glare at me, kid," nasaksihan ko ang pagtiim bagang ni Rodriguez matapos ang pagsasalita ng kanyang ama.

I immediately hid myself behind the cars, scared of making clicking sounds from my heels and disturb these two.

"What do I even expect? You were a mistake to begin with!" declared Dr. Rodriguez before giving the younger a full-forced slap. 

Napapikit ako nang mariin dahil sa sobrang lutong ng tunog niyon.

Nakita kong hindi man lang nag-iba ang ekspresyon ni Rodriguez. Wow.

"And whose mistake was it again, dad? Was it mine?" he mocked his dad while his fingers traced along his chin, as if he was in deep thinking.

"Oh, yeah, it was yours... I'm your damnest, biggest fucking mistake! I'm forever a regret. Yeah, right! An asshole! I've always been the problem. Your life would've been so much better if I wasn't born. The world would be a much better place without my shitty existence," Rodriguez grinned.

I couldn't contain the tension in the parking's atmosphere but I still couldn't afford  to move a muscle. Kinikilabutan ako sa dalawang ito... Ramdam mong may pinanggagalingan sila.

Heck, I'm even anxious to breathe normally because they might hear my scaredy cat's breaths.

I mean, I had no plans of getting myself toasted by these two's dragon fires tonight.

I felt my palms sweat. Aggghhh, perks of being pasmado na mas lumalala kapag sobra ang kaba, tulad ngayon! Dinaig ko pa may contest sa extempo.

"That's what who I am, right, dad? Yeah, I know! Surprise, surprise? Thanks for always reminding me. If you haven't mentioned it tonight, my identity might leave my whole being... I thank the heavens' grace that I have you as a dad... The best dad ever, tangina!" sarcastic niyang sabi. "I'm too thankful that if I would be given a chance to choose my father in my next lifetime, you'd be out of my fucking choices! I'd rather go fatherless than be fathered by someone–" he didn't complete voicing out his thoughts because something flew on his face again...

Just this time, it was a punch... at mas malakas iyon kaysa sa nauna.

"Mahabagin," I muttered in a low voice. Tinakpan ko agad ang bibig ko.

"How dare you?! I'm still your father!" Dr. Yusseff declared, nanggigigil sa anak.

"About that, I feel sorry for me, too," Rodriguez said while harshly wiping off the blood from his lips before walking away.

"Come back here, Bryce, I'm not yet done with this conversation, you son of a bitch!" Dr. Yusseff's baritone voice snapped but Rodriguez continued on his way and even walked past at the car where I stayed hidden.

I managed to steal a mili-second glimpse of his face even with his fast pace– his dark, brooding eyes were of without emotion. No tears... No pain... just nothing... It was all blank and to tell you honestly, O didn't like it. I'd rather want to see Rodriguez in his typical self than like this.

Ayaw ko naman talagang maki-usyoso sa kanila. I just heard them... arguing, accidentally.

That's it! Sure, even the richest families have their issues and misunderstandings, too, I suppose?

Besides, they're normal people who breathe in the same air as everyone else does.

Money and power as well as the authority and privilege joining the ride were the only things that made them gain a little superiority than the general population, but other than that?