Chapter 15
I was surprised to get a call from Julie late at night. I know she's supposed to be sleeping at this time of hour pero nakakagulat lang that she's still up.
"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked her.
"P-pwede mo ba kong sunduin? As in now na?" she asked.
"Sige. Wait for me okay?" I said.
"Okay."
I went out of bed and fished out my car keys in the fish bowl near the main door. Buti tulog na sina ate at Lexine.
I arrived at their compound 15 minutes later. She's already outside the gate and was only wearing an oversized hoodie.
"Tara na." she said when she got in my car.
"Uhm... San tayo exactly?" I asked.
"Ikaw bahala. Basta ilayo mo ko dito." she answered.
Tahimik kami the whole time. Well, I wanted to ask her kung anong nangyari but she just kept on staring outside the window. Kaya hinayaan ko na lang. She didn't even complain when we exited Manila. She wanted me to take her out of their place so Tagaytay was the only place I thought of na pwede ko siyang dalhin.
"Uhm... Sorry. Dito ko lang kasi naisip na dalhin ka eh." I said.
"Okay lang." she said and got out of the car.
I followed her hanggang sa makarating kami sa may railings that's overlooking the dark Taal Lake. Hindi ako nagsalita. I'll just wait for her to open up. Ayokong pangunahan siya dahil hindi ko rin naman alam kung anong nangyari.
"Ang daya niya." she started after almost an hour of silence. "Pagkatapos niya kaming iwan, babalikan niya kami at sasabihing handa na siyang maging ama para sa amin? For 12 years, wala kaming balita sa kanya. Ang alam lang namin is that he and that whore were living together. Ni hindi man lang siya nagpunta when mama died. Ni katiting na pera hindi siya nagbigay bilang sustento. Pero wala siyang narinig sa amin na reklamo. Hinayaan namin siya sa gusto niya. Tapos ngayon babalik siya at sasabihing kukunin na niya kami? Ang kapal ng mukha niya!" she said.
I saw tears falling from her eyes kaya naman inakbayan ko siya. She hugged me and cried her heart out. Ang alam ko iniwan sila ng dad niya when she was a kid. Pero I didn't know na ganito pala kalaki ang galit niya sa papa niya.
"Wala siyang kwentang ama. Bakit ngayon pa kung kailan maayos na kami ni Harry? Bakit ngayon pa kung kailan tanggap na namin na wala na talaga kaming tatay? Bakit ngayon pa kung kailan naghihilom na yung mga sugat na binigay niya?"
"Shhh... Baka naman nagsisisi na siya kaya he wanted to make it up to you."
"Nagsisisi? That guy has no soul, Moe. Wala siyang puso!" she cried. "Demonyo siya. Anong akala niya sa amin? Tuta na kapag natripan iwan pwede tapos kapag naisipan niyang balikan kami eh ganun-ganun na lang?!"
"Julie, he's still your dad. Oo, he may have done something bad in the past pero people change naman diba? Malay mo narealize niya na kayo pala talaga ni Harry ang kailangan niya sa buhay. Maybe he realized that you're his happiness. Julie, don't close your doors on him. He's still your dad. His blood runs in your veins and a part of him is in you too."
"Masyadong masakit ang ginawa niya Elmo." she said.
"Alam ko. Kasi you wouldn't be crying like that if mababaw lang yun." I replied as I wiped away her tears. "I understand, Julie. Naiintindihan ko kung saan nanggagaling yang galit mo. Pero di mo ba naisip na 12 years is enough for him to reflect on what he did and that it's enough para sa inyong dalawa to finally reconcile? Kahit for Harry lang?"
