"Tayo na."
"Ambilis naman, hindi ka pa nga nanliligaw."
"Ha? Anong sinasabi mo? Tayo na nga sa taas. Diba magpapaalam ka pa kay mom?"
"Pinapaalis mo na agad ako?"
"Oo, bakit?"
"Let's stay here muna for a while."
"Nawp. Halika na nga kasi!" Hindi na siya nakatiis at hinila na ang kamay ni Thirdy paakyat. Natatawa lang si Thirdy at nagpahila sa kaniya.
"Walk by yourself. You're so heavy." At nauna na siya.
Saktong pagkaakyat nila ay narinig nilang may sumarang pinto. They both looked at where the sound came from and saw Bea's mother. Det also saw them and smiled.
"You're leaving na?"
"Opo, tita."
"Beatriz," she called and looked at her daughter.
"Don't you have school tomorrow? Pwede na kayong magsabay ni Thirdy. Right, iho?" Her mother suggested.
"I thought Dad told me to stay here for the meantime?" Elmer advised that Bea should stay at home for a week because of the unplanned incident but it seems like it won't happen because...
"We are working on another deal with a company which was just scheduled earlier today. We'll be busy and out of town for the whole week."
"Oh." Her face became blank and he noticed how her mood shifted.
"I can drive to my condo without him. Take care, mom, and excuse me." She quickly finished and got away from their conversation.
It would be an advantage to her because she won't be dealing with traffic and longer travel time from Benilde to their house. Not that she would be the one driving though. The couple would definitely ask their family driver to bring her to school and fetch her.
When her father told her that, she was initially against it. Plus, she laid down her reasons. But nobody knew that Det could make her say yes. She gave a condition – both of them should work from home. They had no choice but to comply with that but with the sudden work schedule, they would have to let Bea go.
"Sorry you had to witness that. I'm firm with what I suggested earlier. You can take her home."
"Sorry to decline po but it's her decision, tita. Bea doesn't really want someone to question when she decides."
"Please, iho. She might not come home again if we let her go back by herself. Baka kung saan na naman siya dumiretso. We don't want her to be troubled, right?" But that's not what happened.
He's torn between obeying Det and valuing Bea's decision. Distracted by a phone call from the older woman's phone, he looked at her.
"I have to take this call, anak. You can go to her room or wait downstairs. Tell me if gusto niyo na lang magpahatid at ipahahatid ko kayo. Take care of my daughter, please."
He had no choice but to agree to her request. He was walking slowly to her room. Paano ba siya naipit sa ganitong sitwasyon? With him gathering his courage, he knocked on her door three times.
"Isabel? Can you open the door for me, please?" He pleaded with the softest voice he could utter but she isn't answering so he knocked again. "Isabel?" He called again yet wala pa ring sumasagot. He was about to knock again when his phone vibrated. A text message from Isabel.
I'm fixing my things. You can come inside but you can't say anything.
With her permission, he slowly opened her door. Hindi niya alam kung saan siya didiretso at uupo. On the bed? On the chair? Or on the floor? Realizing he couldn't speak, he unlocked his phone and texted her.
