CHAPTER 23

*Still in flashback

Elle's POV

Pagdating namin sa kusina ay naabutan naming inaayos na ni Kuya Lay ang lamesa at ang mga niluto nito

"Parang ang dami mo naman atang niluto Kuya?" tanong ko dahil iba't ibang putahe ang nakahana sa lamesa

Natigilan naman ito at napatitig sa akin na parang hindi makapaniwala sa sinabi ko

"Why Kuya? May problema ba?" nakakunot noo kong tanong at umiling naman sya tsaka ngumit

"Nothing couz, I didn't expect lang na matatanggap mo ako agad bilang pinsan mo at tinawag mo pa akong kuya. Di mo alam kung gaano ako kasaya" nakangiti nitong sabi at lumapit sa akin para yakapin ako kaya naman niyakap ko ito pabalik

"Ang drama mo kuya haha" natatawang sabi ko dito at tinanggal naman nya ang pagkakayakap sa akin tsaka bumunsagot kaya naman mas natawa ako sa itsura nito

"Ito naman di pa ako sakyan, minsan lang to oy" sabi nya habang naka busangot pa rin

"Hahaha asar talo ka pala kuya. Masaya rin ako na may pinsan pala ako kasi lumaki akong walang kamag-anak, noon ko pa hinihiling na magkaroon ng kuya kaya I'm happy kasi natupad na yun, kasi nandito ka na Kuya" sabi ko habang nakangiti sa kanya at niyakap sya ulit, ginantihan naman nya ang yakap ko

Ramdam na ramdam ko ang laki ng katawan ni Kuya Lay dahil sa pagkakayakap ko sa kanya, ramdam ko ang mga nakaumbok na abs nito at muscles sa ibang parte. Amoy naamoy ko rin ang pabango nito kahit na kakatapos lang nya magluto at may pawis

"Chansing ka na baby girl haha" natatawang sabi nito at humiwalay sa yakap namain, napanguso naman ako

"Wala naman ako machansing sayo, mas malaki pa katawan ng love ko kaysa sayo no bleehh" sabi ko habang tumatawa at dinilaan sya. Napakunot nmaman sya ng noo sa sinabi ko

"Oy baby girl, mas malaki katawan at mas gwapo ako sa Kris na yun! Bat mo ba kasi naging boyfriend ang lalaking yun!" nakabusangot na sabi nito

"HAHAHA asar talo ka talaga kuya! Tsaka di na ako baby no haha" sabi ko habang hawak ang tiyan sa kakatawa

"Nako Elle tigilan mo na nga yang pinsan mo haha. Natutuwa akong magkasundo kayo. Pero kumain na muna tayo at mamaya nyo na ipagpatuloy ang asaran ninyo" nakangiting sabi ni mom na halatang masaya sa nakikita nya kaya naman umpuo na kami at nagsimulang kumain

Masarap ang mga niluto ni kuya Lay kaya naman naparami ako n kain or baka dahil din sa gutom kaya naparami talaga ako, halos nauos namin ang mga niluto ni kuya

Pagkatapos naman namin kumain ay nagpunta kami sa office ni Kuya Lay para daw pag usapan ang mga nangyari

Pagpasok namin ay nakita ko ang isang malawak na kwarto na pang opisina talaga ang ayos nito, may table sya sa dulong bahagi ng kwarto at mga kabinets sa gilid kung saan puno ng nga libro at kung ano ano pa. Sa gitna naman ay may sofa at lamesa.

Naupo naman kami sa sofa at seryoso silang tumingin sa akin kaya naman umupo ako ng deretso at nagseryoso din.

"So what do you want to tell me?" seryosong tanong ko

"Let's start from the beginning, when you were a baby and was kidnapped" sabi ni Kuya Lay kaya naman tumango ako tsaka nagsalita si Mom

"I'll be the one to tell her what happened. We decided to hire a caretaker because I need to work. I have responsibilities as the heiress of our company, and your Dad was taking care of his business. Your nanny has been with us for 6 months and we learn to trust her while she's staying in our house. But a week before your first birthday, both of you disappeared and based on the CCTV footage, your nanny was the one who kidnapped you and robbed us. I came home earlier that day but unfortunately I didn't saw you, I panicked that time and called your father and he came. He checked the footages and found that I was late for about 15 minutes when both of you vanished. I was devastated that time, I can't think right and always crying in my room. I did not go to work because I don't have any strength." Naiiyak na sabi ni Mom habang inaalala ang mga panahong nawala ako sa tabi nila

Lumapit ako dito para yakapin sya

"A month after your disappearance, someone texted me if I want to see my daughter and gave the address. I got there in an abandoned small house far from our village. But when I got there I did not saw you but instead someone covered my nose and then I blacked out. The moment I woke up, I was sitting in a chair and my whole body was tied up while someone was putting gas around the room and I clearly saw that was a woman, and I am sure that woman was Anikka. She told me she will get everything that what's mine and that my daughter was already dead. I cried with that and she began to light a fire in a straw yarn then she left. After some minute, the fire began to be bigger due to the gasoline she putted. The room was full of fire and smoke, the last thing I remember before I blacked out was someone familiar shouting my name and saved me."

Sobrang gulat ako sa mga nalaman ko, and the fact that Anikka was the one behind of my Mom's suffering and supposedly death. Gustong gusto kong sugurin na ang matandang babae, palayasin sa bahay namin at pahirapan.

"What happened next Mom? And who saved you?" tanong ko

"I am sure, he is my old friend, my bestfriend's husband. Hindi ako pwede magkamali, kahit ilang taon na silang nawawalang mag asawa matapos nilang tumakas ay alam kong nasa paligid lang sila. At nasigurado ko iyon ng magising ako sa ospital, may iniwang mensahe ito para sa akin. Sinabi nito na si Anikka rin ang dahilan ng iyong pagkawala, at sinabi nito na tutulungan nila akong hanapin ka pero umabot ang maraming taon na wala akong narinig na balita tungkol sa kanila after ng incident na iyon. They told my parents about my situation and said na may ipinalit na bangkay sa bahay na nasusunog para magmukhang may taong nasunog at naabo sa loob na iyon at palabasing patay na talaga ako. I trained myself and focused on myself and my work, hinanap kita sa loob ng ilang taon, anak. At sobrang saya ko kasi nandito ka na, buhay na buhay. Hindi ako nawalan ng pag asa at naniwalang buhay ka, dahil ramdam ko sa puso ko na buhay ka pa at magkikita tayong muli." Sabi ni Mom na mas nagpaiyak sa aming dalawa

"Thank you, Mom. Thank you for not giving up, for believing that I'm alive." Umiiyak kong sabi kay Mom habang yakap sya ng mahigpit

"We need get back things that supposed to be yours, anak. The first thing you need to do is to get your father and our house. That house was mine, the title was named after me. The mistress doesn't deserve to live there!" galit na sabi ni Mom

"Even if you don't tell me Mom, I will retrieve what's really mine!" sabi ko habang nagbabagang tingin sa hangin dahil sa galit sa ginawang pang aagaw ni Anikka at pagbalak na pagpatay sa aming mag-ina para magawa ang pang-aagaw ng mga ari-arian ni Mom.

"You need to know one more thing, Elle." Seryosong sabi ni Kuya Lay kaya napatingin ako sa kanya

"What is it, Kuya? Seryosong tanong ko sa kanya

"Anikka's daughter, Mikka was the one who's behind of your kidnapping case" seryosong sabi nito na mas nagpagalit sa akin sa nalaman ko

"Like mother, like daughter!" galit na sabi ko

"Luckily, that b*tch is stupid, she hired my underlings without knowing where they came from, and my men reported it to me as they should. That's why you still can eat in that house while waiting for Mikka's command to kill you just like what the method her mother used to Tita Scarlett. The night you blacked out again, they burned the house and reported to Mikka about it without knowing that they actually brought you here. And because she's stupid, she believed my men when they sent her a picture of the burning house" paliwanag ni Kuya Lay

"So that explains why Mom looked at you madly this morning when I said I got headache due to the drug they putted to make me sleep" walang emosyon kong sabi

"H-hey, don't be mad baby girl, I just ordered them make you sleep so they can do their job right" kinakabahang paliwanag ni Kuya kaya naman natawa ako sa isip ko dahil sa itsura nito. Mapagtripan kaya muna to hahaha

"So you think malaking sagabal ako sa trabaho nila? And don't you know how painful my head was this morning?" nakataas isang kilay kong tanong dito

Lumapit naman ito sa akin at tumabi, hinawakan nito ang dalawang pisnge ko at tumingin sa mata ko na mangiyak ngiyak. Gusto kong tumawa dahil sa itsura nito pero pinipigilan ko lang

"Elle, baby girl, I'm really really sorry, I didn't mean that you're a hindrance to fulfill the plan, it's just that… haisttt" sabi nito sbaay gulo sa buhok nya na para bang stress na stress hahaha

"Mianhe, jongmal (Im sorry, really)… I'm sorry. I'll do everything para patawarin mo ako baby girl" frustrated na sabi nito

Napatitig naman ako sa kanya at unti unting ngumiti ng malaki

"Oh, oh. Di ko gusto yang ngiti mo baby girl" kinakabahang sabi nito

"Wala ng bawian Kuya, you said gagawin mo lahat di ba but don't worry hindi pa kita papahirapan sa ngayon. Tsaka ko na gagamitin yang mga sinabi mo" nakangisi kong sabi

"Wahhh Tita help me" sabi nito habang nakatingin kay Mom, tumingin naman ako kay Mom at kinindatan sya sign na pinagtitripan ko lang ang pinsan ko

"Labas ako dyan Lay, you said it yourself. Kaya tuparin mo na lang mga sinabi mo" natatawang sabi ni Mom at parang bumagsak naman balikat ni Kuya dahil hindi sya tinulungan ni Mom

"HAHAHAHA you should have seen your face Kuya!" sabi ko habang tawa ng tawa

"I'm counting on you now Kuya, when I need your help, you should help me" nakangiti kong sabi at niyakap sya

"I'll be always here for baby girl kahit di mo na sabihin sakin" sweet na sabi nito at niyakap din ako

"Nga pala, nasaan ang parents mo Kuya?" tanong ko habang inaalis ang yakap sa kanya, pagtingin ko naman sa kanya ay nakita ko ang lungkot sa mata nya

"They're gone, they died when I was 10 years old, and that's when Tita Scarlett took me because our grandparents can't take care of me anymore as they are old already. And we don't have any relatives also, so Tita Scarlett was the only one that can take care of me even though I know that she was still in not good condition that time, that's why I studied so hard so I can take care of Tita Scarlett when I grow up" nakangiting sabi nito at tingignan si Mom, masaya namang nakatingin din sa kanya si Mom na parang proud din para dito

"And he did Elle. He's helping me to run the company since he graduated and also he's the one who found you" nakangiting sabi ni Mom

"How did you found me?" gulat na tanong ko dito

"The woman who kidnapped you when you're a baby, we found her, and as she was old and was dying already, she told us where she left you instead of killing you, she left you in an orphanage far here in Makati so Anikka will not find you and will not find her not killing you as she told as and paid off. She felt guilty so that's what she did. But, finding you was not easy because we can't find your files in that orphanage, and the head who processed your adoption was already dead, we can't find where did she hide the files, until one day, I saw you when I visit the Orphanage again, you're playing with the kids and somehow, I saw Tita Scarlett on your face figure when I stared for a long time at your face. Then when you left, I talked to Sister Ally if I'm not mistaken, and she told me that you're indeed from that orphanage and someone adopted you when you were a kid. But, the problem is she really can't find your files so we can't check the details of the family who adopted you but then I got lucky when I saw you again here in Makati and I saw you in a restaurant with your friend I guess, and I took the utensil you used and got a DNA Test with Tita Scarlett, and it was positive" mahabang paliwanag ni Kuya Lay na kinagulat ko at nakasagot sa mga katanungan ko nga mga panahong yun dahil feeling ko minsan ay may nakataingin sa akin pero wala naman ako makita kapag hinahanap ko ito

"You really did a great job in finding me Kuya. And I'm thankful that you found me because you gave me a family, and now it's my real family" naiiyak ko ulit na sabi dito at niyakap syang muli

"You don't need to thank me Elle, I just did what's right, you're my family so it's also my responsibility to find you and as Tita Scarlett raised and cared for me, I know that finding you will be a great gift to her as my repay for her love for me" nakangiting sabi ni Kuya

"Oh Lay, I'm so lucky to have you by my side. Sayang lang dahil hindi nakita ng kapatid ko at iyong ina kung gaano ka lumaking matalino at mabait na anak. It's also my responsibility to take care of you because you are my family, you are my brother's son kaya you don't need to repay me but I'm really thankful and happy when you found my daughter and now you brought her to me" naiiyak na sabi ni Mom at niyakap si Kuya Lay kaya naman yumakap din ako sa kanila

"Group hug!" masayang sabi ko kaya tumawa naman sila