'Til I Found You (COMPLETED)

29

Days gone by without them knowing that little by little, inch by inch, their distance is abridged. Aga stays in a nearby hotel within Lea's school vicinity. Each morning Aga does his usual exercise around the area with mind still couldn't make up. Election is near to date and he should've filed for COC. His wife, Luisa, keeps on asking of his decision but he couldn't savvy which way to take. It's out of his league but both of their families are prompting him to take a seat in politics excluding his dad. Don Arnaldo is always on his side. The only one he can count of. He once told Aga to follow his heart desire and not be pressured by anyone around him. But he couldn't resist his mom as well.

He, taking a break, is in a long queue with bottle of water. His eyes darted on a food stand and heard his tummy growls. He hasn't eaten breakfast yet. Upon seeing the long queue, he left to grasp one.

"Miss, may chocolate ba nito?", Lea shows a snack bar. When the cashier answered in the negatives, she put it aside. Right after paying for her items, she then stepped out just when Aga fell back in line. It took just few minutes of lining up before his turn. He put his items on the counter top when his eyes caught by a snack bar on the side. It dredged up memories of her. Her usual snack bar that he can never forget.

A smile is plaster on his face as he picks it up, "may chocolate ba nito, Miss?"

"Wala po, Sir. May naghanap nga din po kanina eh. Sensiya na po", cashier replied.

He nodded and paid for his items. Upon stepping out of the store, he suddenly calls to mind of her memories. It's been twelve long years without her presence. There are times that he opts to recall her and those times when days were still his to enjoy with Lea. He never felt such joy since things between them were ruined into smithereens. Though he longs to glimpse at her but a part of him tells that his presence might just digs up buried memories by her. Lea must've forgotten anything about him, and he completely understands. They broke up with so much words left unsaid and hearts left wrecked. But he knew both of them have separate lives now.

It wasn't just the only game that destiny played around them.

Aga came back to the campus to check on the on going construction of the building. It's late in the afternoon when he arrived. Students are walking out of the campus while the bell rings — a cue for dismissal. He pulled over and messaged his daughter to know her whereabouts. Whilst he's occupied of his daughter's rant about her mother, Luisa, his eyes rivet to a young lady. It's the same girl who accidentally poured drink onto his shirt. His eyes follow her trail until she climbs in a car waiting in front of his. It's tinted so he couldn't perceived the driver.

"Daddy? Are you still there?", Alli asked him.

"Yes, Alli. I'm listening. Anak, don't outsmart on your mom. I kept on telling you that many times but you weren't listening. Kaya ka madalas napapagalitan eh"

"Dad, please come home now", Alli begs.

It clenched his heart. Being away from Allison for few days now makes him miss home even more. Only Alli makes him feel at home. Luisa bustles with her shipping line. They rarely see each other in one same roof as he as well rivets to his branches.

"Alli, daddy's coming home next week. Okay? Stop being so mulish on your mom or I won't buy you a puppy once I get home", he chuckles upon hearing Alli exclaims in excitement.

"Really, daddy? You're allowing me to have one?"

"Yes, so you better be good there. I haven't heard your exam results yet. That too. I want a good news"

"Of course, dad! Teacher hasn't released the results yet but I'd update you once she did. Deal, dad?"

"Deal", he smiled.

○ ○ ○

Silence took place for a couple of minutes when Lea noticed her daughter just keeps mum. Eli has always something to say about school, but she's just staring blankly outside the window. Lea can easily discern her daughter's behavior. She broke the silence.

"You have new school building pala?", Lea asked her daughter.

"Yes, mommy. A friend of the school owner donated construction materials according to Ms. Alba", Eli replied. She hasn't told her mom of that incident happened when she teemed drink onto the said owner's friend. Lea would surely blow her top.

"I see", Lea casually replied.

Eli mentally counts the days before their event. It will take place the succeeding week. Her teacher listed down the participants. All her classmates are on the list. She felt out of place upon seeing the excitement plastered on their faces. Growing up without knowing her dad is a challenge to her whenever school event took place. She feels envious towards her classmates, but she knew Lea would not say anything of her dad.

"You seem so quiet, Eli. Any matter?", she asked upon seeing the downcast eyes of Eli.

Eli hesitates to ask her mom.

"Come on. I know you. What is it? Mmmm?"

"Nothing, Mom. I am fine"

"Baby, you can't hide your feeling from me. I can read your face"

Eli gets a grip and asked her mom the same question, "Can ... can you tell me about dad, mom? What does he look like? I am just wondering if I ..."

She pursed her lips upon seeing her mom heaved a long sigh. It's a cue that Lea wants to drop the topic. "I'm sorry, mommy"

"We talked about this, Eli", she focused on the road rather than looking at Eli's downcast countenance. "Your dad has his own family. You don't need to know anything about him. Besides, he is probably living outside the country now. Wala na yun dito sa Pilipinas so don't bother asking about him. He doesn't know you exist. Even if I tell you all the details of him, nothing's gonna change. Just forget about him. There's no chance that you two would meet. Hindi na yun babalik pa dito". It's a lie. She hasn't heard anything from him for many years. But she'd rather be the most dishonest mother in the world than telling Eli the truth of her past. 

Eli just nodded in response. It took away the slight chance of seeing her dad upon hearing Lea's statement. She feels hopeless, but there's an urge in her to know even a bit of details about him, "Did I get his eyes, mom? His nose? Does he sing to? Does my name rhyme to his? I just  ...", but she startled from Lea's tone.

She pulled over upon reaching their yard and lost her sh-t, "Eli, pwede ba?! I told you to stop! Paulit ulit tayo eh! Just forget about your dad! Do I have to repeat myself many times?! Hindi ka nga niya kilala at wala yung pakialam kahit makilala ka pa niya! Why do you keep on bringing this up?! Stop asking about your dad! Hindi ka non gugustuhin na makilala!"

She came back to senses upon seeing her daughter brimming with their tears in her eyes. She rarely raised tone at Eli, but hearing anything about Aga makes her call to mind all the pain. "S ... sorry. Baby, I'm so ..."

Eli stepped out the car and rushed to enter the house. She pounds her fist at the steering wheel upon seeing her daughter crying. It clenched her heart. If she could only changed her past to give her a complete family. Tears flow down her cheeks. It's painful for her to see Eli hurting, but she knew Eli would get hurt even more if she finds out that Aga despised her mom. That she's not a decent from her past.