Chapter 11

She suddenly stood up making me stop from telling her my past. "Sky," she smiled, "are you sure you're gonna tell me your story? I think it's too private and we're not that closed for you to tell me about it. Tsaka ikaw na rin 'yong may sabi, 'di ba, na hindi ka pa nakakapagkwento ng buhay mo sa ibang tao," she said.

I pat the space beside me, gesturing her to sit back, "you've told me your story though we're not closed, so I think you deserve to know mine," I replied. She was hesitating to sit back, but she still did in the end.

"Sky, I am wondering why your Mom treated like trash and that you were in hell in the past," she suddenly said. Earlier she was confused if she'll listen to my story, but look now, curious pala siya.

"Why?" I asked, trying to know why she's curious about it.

Her brows were knitted as she said, "you're an Abellera. Your parents are so wealthy, everyone is envious of what kind of life you have, so that's why."

I smiled that makes her brows knitted more, "we're not an Abellera-"

She cut my words by asking, "what?"

I chuckled, "calm down, I'm gonna tell you everything," I said and she nodded unconsciously. "As what I've said we're not an Abellera. Daddy Tyrone is our second father, our real Dad died when we were 5 years young, he had a heart failure and he never did tell to everyone that it was already severe kaya nagulat na lang kami na biglaan siyang na heart attack that leads him to death, hindi na siya naagapan," I looked up so my tears won't betray me.

"I-I'm sorry for your loss," she said, wholeheartedly.

"It's okay," I replied. A moment of silence happened before I continue my story, "after his burial, his Mom, our Grandma transferred to our house, and I didn't know how it happened, all of a sudden, she already owned the house both my parents built..." I pause to see her reaction, but she's just seriously staring at me, "...we were so surprised when all of our maids were being fired and Grandma let my Mom do all the household chores. My Grandma became the Queen and my Mom became a slave...in her own home. My Mom was slapped, kicked...tortured to be exact whenever she's complaining that she's so tired. We once helped her, but Grandma locked us in our room after knowing about it. We're locked for three weeks, she sent us food, but we don't even know if we can still eat or not while Mom was outside, dying in following all her orders..." my tears are now wanting to fall, but I'm still trying my best not to cry. I just don't like crying again whenever I remember that hell past, "...we've seen how much Mom physically changed. We're wondering if she's eating because she's so thin. We're wondering if she's taking a bath because she looks like a beggar. We're wondering if how she really is because we couldn't come close to her."

"W-Why is she treated that way?" she asked.

"Since at first Grandma doesn't like my Mom to be her Son's wife," I replied. "Mom is just a typical woman, she didn't come from a wealthy family-"

I stopped talking when she shook her head, "too lame reason," she uttered and I just smiled. "Please continue," and I smiled once again.

"Her Dad was a policeman and her Mom owned a small sari-sari store, so as you can see, her life status was the reason why Grandma doesn't like her," she rolled her eyes and I chuckled, she then gestured me to continue, "Tatay was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He got all that he needs and wants. He's too wealthy and his life was pretty great compared to my Mom, but the love between them makes everything forgotten...and they were just thinking about each other," we both smiled, sweetly, "when Tatay and Mom decided to get married, there, everything that Tatay had was gone."

"What? Do you mean he was driven out of their house?" she asked with knitted brows.

I nodded, "yeah, itinakwil siya. Pero, hindi 'yon naging hadlang para ipagpatuloy nila ni Mommy ang buhay nila," I replied.

"So, what happened to their story next?" she asked again.

"Mabuti na lang talaga at pareho sila ni Mommy na may naitabing pera, so they used it to start a new beginning," I said, smiling. "Nagpatayo sila ng maliit na restaurant since both of them were a good cooker, and it took them just a year before their business developed and got many branches. When his parents knew about it, seems like the world turned upside down," I've seen how her brow arched up, so I stopped for a moment.

"Don't tell me naging mabait sila tapos biglang tanggap na nila ang Mommy mo?" confusion can really be seen on her face.

I nodded and that makes her roll her eyes. I chuckled, then I said, "they even told Tatay to help them develop their business more."

"Tss, they don't need their help. They can live alone together."

I feel somehow happy that she's affected by my story, now I can really say that she has feelings.

"But, unfortunately, Tatay gets blinded of their flowery words. Just a single sorry, he forgave them," I continued my story. "Well, I can't blame him, I think at that time he was longing for his parents' presence. Si Mommy naman she just accepted and respected my Tatay's decision, ganyan kabait si Mommy," she smiles as I smile, "pero, 'yon nga after 10 years of living together peacefully, Tatay finally bid his goodbye forever. And there, our life became as messy as hell."

"But, Sky, didn't you report it to the police?"

"We can't. We never leave the house for 2 years, we're homeschooled, we don't have cellphone at all, Grandma took it away from us, and the landline was cut," she shook her head in disbelief, but I just smiled, bitterly, "we were locked up. We thought we're only 4 in the house, but we didn't know there are four men outside, binabantayan kami kapag umaalis si Grandma kaya wala kaming takas."

"But, how did it happen that you're now an Abellera?" she asked.

"I and Sun find a way to finally have our freedom," I replied and it makes her eagerly listen more. "When Grandma is out of the house, we got the chance to come to our Mom. And when finally it happened, we then tell Mom our plan. At first, she was hesitating baka raw kasi mahuli kami, but in the end napapayag din namin siya. So, the first step is we opened Tatay's room which is just located in the second floor, doon kami lalabas sa may bintana ng kwarto niya dahil kapag doon kami dadaan ay sa likuran kami mapupunta at walang bantay roon-"

"Wise."

Indeed, we are!

"Then, we made a rope using our clothes, tapos 'yon 'yong ginamit namin to went down. And yes, we succeeded!"

"Congrats!"

"Thank you," we both giggled.

"So, how did you meet the Abelleras?"

This is it! The most memorable event that ever happens in our life-when we met the kindest and humble person in the world, our Daddy Tyrone.