Chapter thirty-three: Her mother

Daniel's POV:

It's been four hours since I heard the weather forecast on TV and since then, I've been trying to call Sophia's number but it's still unattended until now.

Almost every TV channel has no news other than the storm. There has been flooding in some parts of California particularly in the City of Amador.

I already called Rian and Alex and checked their situation and also informed them about Sophia's stubbornness.

"Anak, you haven't eaten lunch yet." 

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned around to see the serious face of Tatay Berto. We are in the living room and waiting for an update about Amador City's current condition.

"I'm okay, Tatay Berto." I said taking a deep breath. "I don't know how will I explain this to Mom if she knows what happened, I'm sure she's going to kill me! Argh! That woman, she's always a pain in my ass!" I said brushing my hair with my fingers.

But I furrowed my eyebrows when Tatay Berto suddenly laughed.

"Aren't you worried about your wife?" He asked as he sat down across my seat.

"Of course, I am! If I'm not worried I wouldn't call her."

"Uhm..." He said nodding.

"I don't know why she was so stubborn. I already told her not to go there and just let me donate for the typhoon victims but she still didn't listen!"

"Maybe she just really wanted to help the people."

"I know, but what I don't understand is why does she really want to go there? Does she have a relative or a boyfriend in that City?"

He laughed at me again.

"You know what, Anak I'm now confused. Are you really worried or you're just jealous?"

"Tatay Berto, I'm not jealous. Actually, what worries me the most is what mom will do to me if she finds out what happened."

"Don't worry about your mother, Daniel she will understand. Worry first about your wife's safety because we don't even know what's happening in Amador right now."

I closed my eyes and sighed in frustration.

~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~

Sophia's POV:

"Ma'am Sophia, we can't fly back to Los Angeles right now." 

"What do you mean we can't fly back to Los Angeles?"

I asked one of my bodyguards Niko when he knocked on my door the day we were about to go back to Los Angeles.

"All domestic and international flights around Amador City have been cancelled due to the super typhoon Yakimda."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked walking towards the window of the hotel and noticed the heavy rains and strong winds outside.

"Yes ma'am, actually it's all over the news right now." He walked towards the television set and turned on the TV.

"As of this morning (July 19), the eye of the storm was about 730 km (455 miles) west of Amador City, which was also hit by a signal number 4 typhoon the past two months. If the storm systems sustain their strength, the world could see five simultaneous five cyclones, a global weather event that's only happened once. Meanwhile, it's path after landfall in California is still unclear, but the storm is expected to weaken considerably by Wednesday (July 23)."

"What if we just drive to LA?"

"I'm sorry, Ma'am Sophia but they have closed the main road of Amador due to the extensive flooding outside the City."

"Oh, my God! How can we go home?" 

He shrugged. "We have no choice Ma'am, but to wait until the storms subside, I'm sure by then, they will reopen the main road and return the regular airport flights."

"Oh, God!" I said brushing my face with my palm. "I need to call Nanay Emily and Bryan." 

I walked towards the console table to get my phone, but before I could dial Bryan's number, we heard a loud knock from the door. 

Niko opened it and I was shocked when Bryan entered inside.

"Bryan?" I said as my eyes widened in shock. "How did you get here? The main road of Amador was already closed?" I asked walking towards him.

He rolled his eyes. "Ero guà qui prima che annunciassero la cancellazione dei voli." (I was here already before they announced the cancellation of flights.)

"Ohh... Bryan..." I lunged at him and kissed his both cheeks. "Thank you for coming, big Bryan!" I said grinning widely.

"Davvero non capisco perché tu debba venire qui personalmente, se tuo marito offre che farà una donazione per le vittime del tifone?" (I really don't understand why you have to personally come here if your husband offers that he will donate for the typhoon victims?)

"Because it's not my money, Bryan and I don't want to hear anything from him especially about money."

"Ok bene. Comunque, li hai già chiamate per la cancellazione dei tuoi voli? (Okay fine. Anyway, have you already called them about the cancellation of your flights)

"Not yet, but I'll inform Nanay Emily today."

"Hmm... Che ne dici di tuo marito?" (Hmm.. How about your husband?) He smirked at me.

I stood up ignoring his question and dialled Nanay Emily's number. But I tried to call her and even Craig's number but they were out of reach.

"Why I can't call them?" I complained furrowing my eyebrows.

Bryan took his phone and checked something on it.

"Scusa, ma non abbiamo alcun segnale." (Sorry, but we have no signal.) He said waving his phone.

"Oh my God, I'm sure they will worry about me.?"

"Devi aspettare che il segnale ritorni e poi riprovare, forse è anche influenzato da forti piogge e forti venti al'esterno." (You have to wait for the signal to return and then try it again, maybe it's also affected by heavy rains and strong winds outside.)

I just sighed and sat down across his seat.

We have no choice but to wait a few more days until the storm subsided. 

~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~

Four days had passed until the storm finally stopped. They reopened the main road and the domestic and international flights returned to its regular schedule.

But when we were on our way to the airport, we saw people on the streets asking for help as they were left devastated and homeless by the storm.

We decided to cancel our flights again and chose to help those people who need help at that time. At the same day, city officials came along with some volunteers from the neighboring cities.

We were helping the city trucks to distribute all the relief goods to the casualties when my eyes landed to one of the female volunteers helping to distribute the goods from another truck.

I gulped and tried to blink my eyes as I silently hoping that I was just seeing things, hallucinating or it's just an imagination. But after blinking several times, I confirmed that I wasn't just imagining. She's here. My mother is here.

"What happened to you? Why did you suddenly stop?"

I heard Bryan's voice from behind followed by a light tap on my shoulder.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked nudging my elbow, but I was too busy watching my Mom from a distance. 

He followed my gaze and when he turned to me, I looked at him with tears streaming down my face.

"Your mother." 

He said with a half-hearted smile and I nodded.

"Do you want to talk to her?"

"No," I replied looking back to my mother, but to my surprise she's now also looking at me.

I startled when she began to walk towards our direction.

-'No!'- I muttered to myself before I grabbed Bryan's arm and pulled him towards our rented car.

"Hey, what's happening to you? Aren't you going to talk to her? She's still your mother---"

"No! She's not my mother! She's no longer my mother since she left me! I don't need her anymore!" I shouted at him and wiped my tears harshly. "Let's go, I need to go home now!" I said opening the door on the passenger side.

I heard him sighed before he followed me inside.

I didn't utter a single word after that, when we were on our way to the airport and even when he brought me home.