Project LOKI ③

Chapter 48: Honor Thy Father (A Tale of Two Fathers)

A/N: And we're down to the last three chapters! We're still in a November rush so expect a flood of updates in the coming days and weeks!

LORELEI

SOMETIMES I wonder if fate destines people who have been separated for a long time to cross paths again in the future. People used to say that there are no accidents or coincidences. Everything happens for a reason.

Hindi ko tuloy maiwasang isipin: Talaga bang sinasadya ng tadhana na pagtagpuin kami? O nataon lang na nagkrus ang landas namin?

That question has been on my mind since Loki pointed out that Sir Friedrich Rivera and I might be related in some way. In a way that will surprise me. Imagine na kakagising mo lang sa isang bangungot tapos 'yon na agad ang bubungad sa 'yo sa umaga. Talagang mapapalutang isip mo.

"Are you okay?"

I snapped my consciousness back to reality. There's so much on my mind that my thoughts were drifting elsewhere. Kanina pa nakatuon ang tingin ko sa mga gusaling nilalampasan ng sasakyan. Ni hindi ko na nga alam kung nasa na kami ngayon.

Lumingon ako sa kaliwa, kung saan nakaupo sa driver's seat at nagmamaneho si Sir Rich. He was humming along with the music on the radio. Pasulyap-sulyap sa akin at mabilis na ibinabalik sa daan ang kanyang tingin. Eyes on the road, please.

"You've been quiet since we left the campus," he said. "You have a lot on your mind? Are you feeling well? Do you want to postpone the meeting?"

So he observed, huh? I shook my head, beaming at him. I tried so hard to fake a genuine smile so he would not notice that something's troubling me. "I'm perfectly fine, sir. Medyo kinakabahan lang ho ako sa kalalabasan ng meeting na 'to. I mean, this is a big opportunity for a high school student like me."

He smiled back at me, flashing his white teeth. "If you say yes, you'll be one of the youngest published writers in the Philippines. Imagine at your age—seventeen—you already have a book in leading bookstores nationwide. Pero hindi mo kailangang i-pressure ang sarili mo. The decision's still up to you if you want to take this chance. On my part, I know talent when I see one. And I want to support young, talented people. Like you."

That's heartwarming. Nakakataba ng puso kapag may mga taong nakakakita sa talento mo. For a moment, I felt that my smile became real. Kung sanang walang dagdag na layer ang episode na 'to ng buhay ko, mas magiging maganda sana ang kalalabasan.

But that did not seem to be case.

Muling nagawi ang mga mata ko sa labas ng kotse. We got stuck in traffic at an intersection.

If Loki was right in his theory, the publishing deal that Sir Rich offered wasn't just about scouting talented writers. Sabi nga niya, how likely was it that a teacher whom I don't know that well and who doesn't know me that well would give someone like me this life-changing opportunity?