Chapter thirty-two: The Weather

"Anak, are you not going to work today?" 

Nanay Emily asked me when she saw me in the garden sitting on the bench and holding and playing my guitar.

"No, Nanay I'm on leave." I simply answered as I don't want to elaborate things.

It's been three days since I encountered Joseph at the restaurant and it's also been three days of staying home. On the first day, I helped Nanay Emily on cleaning the house and the other maids on changing the bed covers and curtains of all the rooms inside the house, including Daniel's room. On the second day, I asked Tatay Berto to let me help them with cleaning and washing all of Daniel's car in the garage. 

They keep on asking me on why I don't go to work but I just answer them that I'm on a vacation, just like now.

"Do you want me to bring you juice and some snacks here?"

I sighed inwardly when she didn't ask again about my vacation.

"Yes, Nanay Emily, thank you." I nodded smiling at her.

"Okay, what do you want, orange, apple or strawberry flavor?"

"Anything Nanay, I'm sure my stomach will not complain of any flavor of the juice I drink."

She chuckled at me before entering the house. 

When I was left alone again, I began to play and sing the favorite song of all those who remember their childhood with their father by their side. I missed him even though I was deeply hurt by his decision, by not believing and supporting me those times that I needed a father.

**Back when I was a child, before life removed all the innocence... My father would lift me high and dance with my mother and me and then spin me around 'till I fell asleep, then up the stairs he would carry me and I knew for sure I was loved...

If I could get another chance, another walk, another dance with him, I'd play a song that would never ever end... How I'd love, love, love to dance with my father again...**

I continued to sing and play my guitar without noticing someone's standing behind me.

**When I and my mother would disagree, to get my way I would run from her to him... He'd make me laugh just to comfort me, yeah, yeah... Then finally make me do just what my mama said... Later that night when I was asleep, he left a dollar under my sheet, never dream that he would be gone from me...**

A lone tear fell over my cheek but I wiped it immediately as I didn't want Nanay Emily to see me it and ask me why. Why am I in tears or why am I crying? 

But what I didn't know was that one of the people standing behind me noticed it, and I was surprised when suddenly someone clapped the moment I finished the song.

"Wow! I didn't know you can also play the guitar, Sophia!"

I turned around shocked and holding my chest. I saw Andrew clapping his hands and Daniel behind him looking at me strangely, but I ignored him and talked to Andrew who's now sitting on the bench across my seat.

"And you can also sing well!" Andrew added while grinning widely.

I just smiled at him.

"Can I borrow your guitar?" 

"Sure." I nodded and give him my guitar. I tried to look behind me but Daniel was nowhere to be found.

Andrew started to talk again about his collection of guitars and other musical instruments but my mind wasn't focused on his words but on the song I sang and how I missed my childhood with my Dad and Mom.

"Why did you choose to sing that song?"

How I wished to have a complete family with a father and mother by my side, comforting me in times of difficulty.

"Sophia?"

But I know that will never happen even in the future because they have now a life of their own.

"Sophia!"

"Huh?" I was shocked when he suddenly clapped his hands in front of my face.

"Are you okay?" He asked shifting his seat next to me.

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay. Why did you ask?"

He looked at me then chuckled while shaking his head.

"I have asked you three times but you don't seem to be listening.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course, I'm okay!" I chuckled at him.

He was about to ask again but Nanay Emily came to our view with a glass of juice and tuna sandwich in a tray.

"By the way, what are you doing here, Andrew?" I asked him getting the tray from Nanay Emily's hands.

"I'm here with my boss, I'll help him arrange some important documents he needs for his business trip in Mexico tomorrow."

"Uhm..." I just nodded.

"How long will he stay in Mexico?"

I sighed inwardly when Nanay Emily asked the silent question inside my head.

"I'm not sure yet but he may be there for a week depending on how long the meeting will last."

An idea came across my head when I heard the word 'week'. I can finally go to Amador City without answering any questions from Daniel. Maybe I'll try to call Bryan and ask for a personal bodyguard to go with me.

Andrew received a call from Daniel and he excused himself to go inside.

~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~

"Sei sicuro di andare nella sola città di Amador?" (Are you sure you're going to Amador City alone?)

That was Bryan's first reaction after telling him of my plans while Daniel is out of town for a week.

"Bryan, non sono solo, ho due guardie del corpo con me, ricordi?" (Bryan, I'm not alone, I have two bodyguards with me, remember?)

He hired personal bodyguards who just stayed outside the house.

"Va bene, ma volerò lì dopo aver finito il mio nuovo progetto." (Okay fine, but I'll fly there after finishing my new project.)

"Okay, chiamami quando arrivi." (Okay, just call me when you get there.)

I started to pack my things when I heard Daniel's car coming out of the gate. I had to wait an hour to make sure that he's already at the airport by the time I leave the house. 

It's a business meeting so there's no doubt that he will take several days to come back. I just told Nanay that I'll be home after three days.

~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~

Daniel's POV:

"California and the other Cities in the US is bracing for super typhoon Yakimda."

I stopped from browsing the TV channels when I heard the broadcaster reporting about the new super typhoon to landfall in the US. I didn't go to work today and I am inside my room and watching TV.

"Super typhoon Yakimda, one of the most intense storm systems of this year, is expected to make landfall tomorrow, Sunday (July 20) morning in California. According to the country's weather agency, it's packing sustained winds of 230 km/h (130 mph) at its center, which would make it the equivalent of a category of 3 hurricanes. The California disaster alert and coordination system put it's wind speed higher and has said it's the equivalent of a category of 5 storms."

I heard a knock from the door followed by Nanay Emily's voice.

"Come in, Nanay Emily."

"Are you not going to work?" She asked me when she opened the door.

"No, Nanay I'm staying." I replied without looking at her.

"As of this morning (July 14), 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."

"Oh my God!" 

I heard Nanay Emily's reaction who's standing next to me. I thought she was just shocked about the news so I just ignored her and asked about Sophia. 

"Nanay Emily, I haven't noticed Sophia last night and even this morning."

I arrived yesterday from my supposed to be a one-week meeting in Mexico. Some of the clients cancelled their appointments so we decided to go back after two weeks and reschedule the meeting again.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you yesterday when you came home." She said still in wide eyes.

"You forgot to tell me about what?" I asked her borrowing my eyebrows.

"That your wife went to Amador City the same day you left."

"What the fuck!" My eyes widened in shock especially after hearing that the eye of the storm is now in Amador City. "What was she thinking of going there alone?" I asked getting off in bed and dialling my pilot's number.

"She said she's going to give the money she got from winning the contest, and by the way, she's not alone, Anak." She followed me outside my room. 

I stopped and turned to her when she said Sophia was not alone.

"What do you mean she's not alone?" I asked while dialling my phone.

"She's with her two bodyguards."

I frowned. "Bodyguards?"

"Yes, she said they were hired by her friend." She shrugged her shoulders.

I gripped my phone when I realized whom she refers to as Sophia's friend.

"Good evening, Mr. Kelley." I heard Roger's voice, my pilot, from the other line.

"Roger, I need to fly to Amador City right now!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sir but we can't fly to Amador city today due to the weather condition. The eye of the storm is----"

"I don't care if there's a storm or not, I need to go to Amador because my wife is there right now!"

"But Sir..."

"Anak, calm down! Your pilot is right, we can't do anything right now because of the weather condition. Why don't we call Sophia to know if she's okay?"

I ended the call and dialled Sophia's number immediately.