Freedom and the Beast

Forty

Chapter 40

NEMMIE AND CHANNING were waiting for us at the airport when we arrived. Nasorpresa pa ako nang makita silang dalawa sa may gate at may hawak pang cardboard na may nakalagay na 'Maligayang pagbabalik sa bansang minamahal!'. I did not know that they were coming to fetch us. Hindi ko naman sinabi kay Nemmie na uuwi na kami ni Domino after ng proclamation ni Daddy sa palasyo.

"Welcome home!" Channing said. Lumapit siya sa akin saka ako niyakap. "I missed you, girl."

"I missed you, too, babe," I replied while smiling. Sunod na niyakap ko di Nemmie na hawak pa rin ang kanyang cardboard. "Paano niyo nalaman na ngayon ang dating namin?"

"Domino told me," she replied, so I eyed Domino beside me.

He raised both of his hands. "Hindi niya ako tinigilan hangga't hindi ko sinabi kung kailan tayo uuwi."

I rolled my eyes at him. It was supposed to be a surprise. Balak ko pa naman sanang sabihin sa best friend ko na hindi na ako babalik ng Pilipinas at ikukulong ko na ang kuya niya sa loob ng palasyo.

"Nasaan si Aniel? Bakit hindi niyo siya kasama?" tanong ko kay Nemmie. She grinned and clung to my arm, then we started walking. Naiwan naman si Channing para tulungan si Domino sa mga gamit namin.

"He's at work. Hahabol na lang daw siya mamayang gabi for dinner. I'll cook dinner," Nemmie said.

I smiled at her and leaned my head on her shoulder. "Thank you, Nems."

"You're welcome," she beamed. Then she squinted her eyes at me. "But you have a lot of story to tell."

I chuckled. "Ikaw rin. I've heard from Domino and my father about the La Grande."

She tapped my forearm. "Let's save that one for later. I have good news, by the way."

We stopped in front of Channing's car that was parked on the side of the airport's gates. Channing called Nemmie's attention before throwing the car keys to her. Madali lang naman niya iyong nasalo at binuksan ang sasakyan.

"Our cousin called me last night," Nemmie said directly to Domino. Lumapit siya sa amin nang nakakunot ang noo.

"You mean Saelor?"

Nemmie dipped her chin. "The one and only."

"Anong sinabi niya?"

She waited for Channing to come near us before she answered, "She's in Ilocos. And she wanted us to have a short vacation on one of their rest houses turned research laboratory and office. She's currently alone. So she find it the opportunity to bond with us."

"Isn't she there for work? Bakit mag-isa lang niya?" tanong ko.

"Sabi niya umalis daw iyong ilang mga kasama niya at babalik sa susunod na buwan pa. May mga nagpa-iwan din, pero lumipat sila ng bayan. They'll be back next week," Nemmie explained.

"We should go. Kawawa naman si Saelor kung mag-isa lang niya roon," sabi ni Channing.

Nemmie looked at me, and I looked at Domino.

Kung ako ang tatanungin, gusto kong pumunta. It's been a long time since my friends and I had the time to leave the city and bond together as a squad. And if it was true that Saelor was currently alone, I guessed it was better to go and stay with her for the meantime. Isa pa, hindi ko pa ganoon kakilala ang pinsan nila Nemmie at Domino. Aside from the fact that she resembled my best friend so much, I did not have anything else that I knew about her. Gusto ko rin siyang kilalanin at maging kaibigan.

We waited for Domino to say something, but he only patted Nemmie's head like a kid. Nemmie scowled at him, and he grinned.

"You tell Aniel about it, and make sure he'll drag Triton with us."