Hurricane (Disaster Series #1)

Kabanata 30

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Nagising ako mula sa mahabang tulog dahil sa patuloy na pag-ri-ring ng phone ko na nakalagay sa bedside table.

Habang kinukusot ang namamagang mga mata ay tamad ko 'tong inabot.

"Hello," I answered the phone groggily, ni hindi na tiningnan pa kung sino man ang tumawag.

"Good morning, Cara," boses ni Tita Helen na tuluyang nagpagising sa akin.

I remembered the text she sent me last night along with that photo...

Nagdadalawang-isip ako, hindi ako makapaniwala o ayokong maniwala. What if it's really true? What will happen? Because I have honestly learned to treat Mandy like my real sister.

O hindi kaya nagkamali ang result ng DNA test? Pero hindi naman siguro. And it's from Tita Helen, hindi niya magagawang pekein ito. She found out about this because she was doubting about Tita Ada in the first place.

"I know it's early in the morning but have you read my text message last night?" her voice sounds so critical.

"Opo, nabasa ko po, Tita..."

She sighed on the other line.

"Can you please come here for breakfast? We'll talk about the matter too," she solemnly said.

Nagpaalam na lang si Tita sa tawag ay hindi pa rin nagsi-sink sa akin ang lahat ng nangyayari. It was first about Luci and Loreen... and then Mandy.

Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga bago nagpasyang mag-ayos na para makapunta kina Tita. I even spent an hour or more just pondering on the bathtub. Gulong-gulo ang isipan ko na tingin ko ay sasabog na ang ulo ko dahil sabay-sabay pa ang mga pangyayari.

Nang nakababa na ako sa staircase patungog living area ay wala nang bakas ni Dad o ni Tita Ada. They already went to work, I guess...

Laking pasasalamat ko rin nang hindi ko man lang nakita si Mandy sa dining room o kahit sa living area. Maybe she's still asleep. It will be so awkward if we'll have an interaction right now. I feel like I'm hiding something from her, ngayong nalaman ko ang tungkol sa DNA test.

The whole ride to El Valencia was killing me. Nagtatalo na ang lahat ng boses sa isipan ko. What will happen to our supposed-to-be complete family if it's true? How will Dad react?

Dahil kung totoo man... ayaw ko pa ring isipin ang mga maaaring gawin ni Dad kina Mandy at sa ina niya. Because I have honestly grown to care for her, like she's my real sister...

At mas sumakit pa ang ulo ko nang sa kalagitnaan ng pag-iisip sa mas importanteng problema, may pilit na sumisingit pa sa isip ko. I gritted my teeth to shut it out. Not now. Ang pangyayaring nasaksihan ko ay walang puwang sa ngayon. There's a problem far more important than that.

Nang makarating sa mansion nila Tita ay nanlalamig na ako. I can't explain how I'm feeling that I can't even seem to swallow my breakfast as we sat on the dining.

Tita kept on glancing at me. Tahimik lang din siya. Ramdam ko rin na maraming bumabagabag sa isip niya. And it didn't help that the rest of the house is quiet. Parehong wala sina Kuya Eisen at Kuya Ezra pati na si Tito Gilbert na nasa business trip pa rin.

"Tita, can we please talk about it now? I am so confused with everything," muntik na nanginig ang boses ko nang bitawan ko ang tinidor ng marahan para makahinga ng maayos.

"I'm so sorry, Cara, kung ikaw pa talaga ang una kong pinaalam tungkol dito. I know that you've been through so much change in your life when Oliver came home. Gusto ko mang dahan-dahanin sa 'yo ang lahat, I can't risk you and your Dad being with Ada. Who knows about her plans..." She stood up and went to the near balcony.