Chapter 23

I am still so curious about what's happening. I can't interfere, it flashes on their face that they really do miss each other. Kain na lang ako nang kain dito. Buti na lang Dad treat us in a resto kaya medyo marami akong inorder, siya rin naman maysabi.

"Sky, you've been so quiet, aren't you wondering of what's going on?" Dad suddenly asked.

"I am," I replied, then I continued eating.

"Then, why aren't you asking?" he asked again.

I looked at him, he's just smiling. Tapos si Hillary, nakatingin lang din sa'kin. "I don't know what should be my question," I replied, honestly.

Hillary suddenly chuckled, "minsan nagtataka talaga ako kung bakit nasa honors list ka lagi," she said.

"So, are you saying na bobo ako?"

"Ha? I never said that."

I gave her a death glare and she also does the same. "Fine, I have lots of question," I muttered.

"See? So, spill it," Hillary said.

"Why does it seem like you two are so close? Why are you calling my Dad, Tito-Dad? What's happening?" sunod-sunod ko talagang tanong and I don't even know where part of my question that made them laughed.

"Aeiou's Dad was my best friend, Sky," but I am wondering why he's somehow sad when he said that, "she was 3 years young when her Dad brought her in my place. I am always wishing to have a child, but the right woman who will give me one didn't show up so soon, kaya I treated Aeiou as my real child," he added.

Okay, but why on earth Hillary didn't tell me about it? Sabagay 'di ko rin itinanong, but it's been how many times that we talked about our family she should open it up already para naman hindi na ako nagtataka kung bakit ang close nila eh ngayon lang naman sila nagkita at nagkakilala.

"Alright," I uttered.

"Diyan ka lang curious?" Hillary asked.

"Nope," I replied. "So, Dad, ba't 'di mo sinabing you knew her since then?"

"Nothing, I just pretended for no reason," he replied. Tss, so weird.

"Wait, so, you mean napag-usapan niyo na ako?"

I looked at Dad, he's smiling so wide, tsk! "Y-Yeah," I replied, a lil bit awkward. Mamaya kung anu-ano na 'yong isipin niya-

My thinking was stopped when Dad said, "Sun always made fun of him. He's been saying Sky likes you."

WTH?! K-Kinakailangan ba niyang sabihin 'yan? Damn! Nakakahiya!

"Oh, really?" Hillary said, trying to hide his laughter.

"Yes. At, ito namang si Sky halatang defe-"

"Dad, stop," I interfere. Kung anu-ano na talaga 'yong sinasabi niya. Sh*t, this is embarrassing!

He chuckled, then he said, "it's quarter to 1, I still have another meeting to attend. Ubusin niyo 'yang inorder niyo before you go back to the University."

"Yes, Dad," I replied.

"Bye, Tito-Dad," Hillary said after giving him a peck on his cheek.

We continued eating, silently, but she suddenly broke the ice, "it's time for you to ask me questions that you're so curious about, Sky," she said.

"Ha? Like, what?" I am somehow confused with what she'd said.

"I have a different surname with my brother," she uttered. Oh, right, I'm curious 'bout that matter. "I am using Madrigal, my real Father's surname, and Kuya Zeus is using his Father's surname," she added.

"So, it means you got different father?"

"Isn't it obvious, Sky?"

"Tss," madalas niya na talaga akong binabara!

"Alright, yeah. We have a different father, but my father died when I was young. Isa siyang seaman and unfortunately, nabangga 'yong barkong sinasakyan nila and no one was declared alive," she looked at me, smiling, but I know deep inside of her, she's sad. Kaya pala malungkot si Daddy nang sabihin ang tungkol sa Daddy ni Hillary, maaga pala siyang kinuha ni God, same as our real Father, "after my Dad's burial, his Mistress took all Dad's money and she's gone so soon," she stopped and drink a glass of water, "my Mom had nothing, tapos biglang nalaman pa namin na she's pregnant. She hardly can give my necessities, so I'd decided to stop studying and help her."

"You stop for how long?" I asked.

"Two years," she answered.

"So, you're two year ahead of me?"

"Yes, I'm 20 already," she replied. Woah, seriously, she doesn't look like 20 years old.

"Hindi halata," she just chuckled, "so, what happened next?"

"Hmm, I was 9 years young at that time, pero naging kasambahay ako ng Tita ko for us to live. Hindi na kaya ni Mommy magtrabaho dahil lumalaki na 'yong tiyan niya."

"Ba't hindi kayo lumapit kay Daddy, you're closed, right?"

"Ayaw niyang kaawaan kami ni Tito-Dad, so she kept it from him," kung siguro humingi sila ng tulong kay Daddy, naipagpatuloy ni Hillary 'yong pag-aaral niya, college na dapat siya ngayon. Pero, if that happened, we'll never know each other, lahat ng nangyayari ngayon, hindi mangyayari. Siguro, everything really happened for a purpose. "When Mom gave birth, my sister just stayed with us for a week," she continued.

"What do you mean?"

"Sabi ni Tita siya muna mag-aalaga kay Baby dahil nilagnat si Mommy, tapos nagulat na lang kami after a week wala na si Tita, umalis daw ng bansa and the Baby is nowhere to be found."

"What? U-Until now?"

"Oo," she looked above, trying to pull back her tears, "we don't know where she is. Magkasing-edad lang kayo," she's smiling when she said that. "Tapos, I don't know how it happened, basta bigla na lang sabi ni Mommy na makakapag-aral na'ko ulit and I'm gonna live normally and of course, peacefully. That was the time na nagkita sila ulit ng first husband niya, and that was Mr. Zion Gomez, Kuya Zeus's Dad. He's wealthy, he got everything, but what made me admire him is that he's very kind, he's down to Earth, and he accepted me so soon. Actually, he has been waiting for my Mom to come back and when it happened he never let go of my Mom again, and so they married again."

I just realized, we almost got the same story. I guess it's meant that our path will cross. To share each other's life story, to get lessons from it, also to inspire each other.

"Are you still looking for your sister?" I asked, all of a sudden.

"Yeah, hinahanap siya ni Mommy, pero sobrang hirap niyang hanapin," she replied, bitterly smiling.

"You can find her someday."

"I wish."

Nagkatinginan kami ni Hillary nang makita naming hindi namin nagalaw ang mga pagkain. Hindi namin napigilang matawa. Saka namin inumpisahan 'yong ubusin. Masyado pala kaming nawili sa kwento niya.

"By the way, Hillary," I uttered when I remembered something. "This coming Friday is our birthday, I'm inviting you to come, please be there," I added.