Five O'clock Sky (Nueva Caceres#1)

CHAPTER 1

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned off the Fasten Seat Belt sign, and you may now move around the cabin. However, we always recommend to keep your seat belt fastened while you’re seated..."

As soon as I heard the announcement, agad akong tumayo at tumungo sa powder room. I stared at my reflection and groaned.

I have dark circles on my eyes! Kasalanan talaga 'to ni Dahlia. She tempted me to go bar hopping again even after knowing that my flight back to the Philippines will be at 6 AM!

I so hate you, my dear daring and party goer cousin.

How we wander every corner of Las Vegas was still surrea in my mind. We were so drunk! Oh, no, mukhang ako lang yata ang lasing na lasing kagabi and even until know, I know I'm still drunk, but I'm trying my best to act like sober dahil baka ipatapon ako ng captain palabas ng eroplano.

Dahlia and her sister Emiranda have extreme alcohol tolerance and I'm envious with it! But I must forgive myself for being the one that got easily drunk lalo na't iyon pa lang naman ang pangatlong pagkakataon na naglasing ako. My brothers will surely kill me for that, but, oh, dios mio, I'm eighteen now. Dapat tagalang bawas-bawasan na ng mga kapatid kong barako ang paghihigpit sa'kin. They're more strict than my parents and that's sometimes frustrating, but... my life will never be complete without my beloved brothers caging and protecting me.

Ang pagpunta ko sa Nevada nitong nakaraang linggo ay isang impromptu. In fact, I didn't have the chance to celebrate my graduation dahil sa araw ring iyon ay nabalitaan ko ang pagka-aksidente ni Dahlia.

Zenaida Dahliarose, Emiranda Daisy and their brother Avelino are my cousins on my father's side. Their family lives in Nevada dahil na rin isang Italian-American citizen si Auntie Aurelia, ang napangasawa ni Tito Pacifico, my father's brother. Auntie Aurelia is a heiress. She inherited chains of business from her parents at sa Nevada lahat naka-base iyon. Hindi niya puwedeng iwanan ang iniwang pamana ng magulang dahil wala siyang aasahang mag ha-handle sa business nila kundi siya lang. And because Tito Pacifico loves her wife so much, iniwan niya ang buhay sa Nueva Caceres bilang mayamang haciendero at sinundan si Tita sa Nevada. Don na sila naninirahan at bumuo ng pamilya pero madalas din naman silang bumista sa hacienda especially when there are important occasions.

On the day of my senior high graduation, I received a call from Emiranda, saying that Dahlia met a car accident. Nagsisi pa ang aking pinsan pagkatapos kung bakit niya pinaalam sa'kin ang tungkol sa aksidente.

"I shouldn't have called you that day, Lucy. I'm so sorry. Hindi ko alam na kahapon ang graduation mo. I ruined the moment." Saad ni Emeranda nong nasa hospital kami kung saan naka-confine si Dahlia.

At dahil na rin abala kami sa sari-sariling buhay, we lost our communication for, perhaps, a year. Kaya wala na kaming balita sa isa't-isa. Kaedad ko lang si Emiranda habang tatlong taong matanda samin si Dahlia.

"Don't be sorry, Emiranda. Tama lang na tinawag mo sa'min ang nangyari. I couldn't afford to celebrate knowing that my cousin here is lying on a hospital bed."

Sinulyapan ko ang nakaratay na pinsan. As much as my parents wanted to come along with me to pay a visit, hindi na puwede si Mommy sa mga long flights. Hindi siya dapat lubusang mapagot. Although, ligtas na naman siya sa sakit na Pleural Effusion almost a decade ago, we can't still risk her health. Si Daddy naman ay ayaw ding iwanan ang mommy kaya minabuting ako nalang ang pumunta dahil abala rin sa hacienda ang aking dalawang kapatid. The celebration for my graduation will be held once I returned  back to Nueva Caceres.

Fortunately, hindi grabe ang natamong pinsala ni Dahlia sa katawan. According to Tito Pacifico, Dahlia was on her way home nang may nagkasalpukang sasakyan sa kabilang lane at nadamay sa casualty ang kotse ni Dahlia dahil sa lakas ng impact ng banggaan. Both of the drivers were drunk and now facing different lawsuits.