Taking Chances

Prologue

"Why am I here?"

He sighed as he took his slow and unsure steps papasok sa bahay na iyon. He never wanted to be here. He never thought that after all these years babalik pa siya sa lugar na iyon na iniwan niya noon. He thought that when he left, he would never ever comeback.

But now he's here.

He's back.

But he never wanted to be here.

"Señorito Pablo!"

Ayaw man niya ay agad siyang napangiti nang makita si Manang Alberta. He gave her a half hearted smile and hugged the old lady – that was when she started crying. Lalo niya itong inilapit sa kanya. Halos sampung taon siyang hindi umuwi. He left that place when he was twenty two, he was young, stupid and broken hearted.

"Ang akala ko ay hindi ka na babalik!' The old lady exclaime. He just smiled.

"Kuya?!" He looked up. He saw his only sister, crying running towards him with arms wide open. Niyakap niya rin ito. Ang tagal niyang hindi nakita ang kanyang kapatid.

"Kuya, si Papa." She said. He already knew what happened to their father. He just looked at her and patted her head.

"You've grown." Kahit lumuluha ay napangiti ito sa kanya. Hinawakan nito ang kanyang kamay at saka niyakag papasok sa loob ng mansion. Kinuha naman ni Manang Alberta ang kanyang bag. Sumunod siya sa kapatid niya. A little while later, they had reached their father's room. He braced himself. Nang tuluyan na siyang makapasok ay noon niya lang napagtanto kung gaano na kalala ang kanyang ama.

"Pa, si Kuya." Sabi ng kapatid niya. His father opened his eyes to look at him. He saw the typical smug smile his fathernused to give him kapag hindi ito natutuwa sa kanya. Suddenly he missed the old man who used to fight with him a lot, that same guy who pushed him around para daw maging matagumpay siya sa buhay niya dahil hindi na niya makita ang taong iyon ngayon.

He stared at his father. He looked so weak.

"Kuya, he's weak... Too weak." Sabi ni Fatima. He just stayed there, staring at his father. He silently wished that he was dreaming, that his father is not dying and that he's healthy. Kahit na galit na galit siya dito ay ama niya pa rin ito at hindi niya kayang makita itong ganito.

"Get up, old man!" He said. Huminga siya ng malalim. "Dammit! Don't play games. Get the fuck up!"

"Kuya!" Fatima yelled at him. Hindi niya ito pinansin. He saw his father tearing up. Napailing siya.

"After all these years you did nothing but to disappoint me." Sabi niya dito.

"Kuya naman..." Naiiyak na wika ng kanyang kapatid. He stared down at the man lying on the bed. He was about to yell again when the door opened. Iniluwa niyon ang isang taong kahit kailan ay hindi na sana niya nais pang makita.

Si Isabella.

"Pablo..." She called her.

He looked at her, eye to eye. Hindi siya makapaniwala na pagkatapo ng sampung taon ay makakaharap niyang muli ang babaeng naging dahilan ng pagbagsak ng pamilya niya, at ng pagbagsak niya. He glared at her. Hindi pa rin ito nagbabago, she still has the same pair of eyes, nose, lips, she still has the same figure. The only thing that changed was her surname. Nakuha na nito ang apelyido niya pero hindi naman sa kanya nanggaling iyon.

"You're here." Sabi pa nito. Umiling siya. Ten years and still she managed to make his heart stop. Hindi pwede iyon.Pinaalala niya sa kanyang sarili kung paano sinira ng babaeng minsang minahal niya ang kanyang pamilya.

Her mother died with so much pain because of her.

His heart died with so much pain because of her.

His family feel apart just because his ex girlfriend took fancy of his father, slept with him and the next thing he knew, hiniwalayan na ng kanyang ama ang Mama niya dahil pakakasalan nito si Isabella – who was his girlfriend by that time. Ni wala siyang kaalam-alam na karelasyon na ito ng kanyang ama. He hated her. Hindi niya matanggap na ang pamilya nilang minsan ay masaya ay nagawang sirain ng babaeng minahal niya ng lubos

"Pablo..." she sighed. "You look good." She said to him. Tumaas ang sulok ng kanyang bibig. Hindi pa man nawawala ang kanyang ama ay nilalandi na siya nito.

"You look..." Tiningnan niya ito mula ulo hanggang paa at saka sinabing. "old." Nilagpasan niya ito. Alam niyang nakasunod sa kanya ang kanyang kapatid. Alam niyang umiiyak ito. Alam niya ang nararamdaman nito dahil ayaw man niyang aminin, nasasaktan siya dahil sa nangyari sa kanyang ama...