400 Days After Fina

Day 405

400 Days After Fina by JellOfAllTrades
Chapter 6

I let the driver and security escort that Mamita has assigned to me take my bag to my car outside even though we're not set to leave until after dinner. The personal nurse looked at me and gave me a small smile, waiting for what I will do next.

I slowly make my way downstairs, the nurse carefully following me, alert if I would need her help. I eventually found myself on the bench in the garden, surrounded by lovely flowers. I'm not one for flowers but I doubt I can get out of the house without being stopped by Mamita or being swarmed by the dozens of reporters waiting out of our doors to get an exclusive interview with me about what happened yesterday.

My head still hurts and so does my back, but I don't really feel like lying down. I feel like I've had enough time in bed already.

"Ate Jell?"

I look up from the flower I'm absentmindedly staring at and see Mary standing a few feet away from me.

"Yeah?"

"Pwede kang makausap?" She turned to look at my nurse who's seated on a picnic table nearby, watching over me.

"Sure,"

I wave at my nurse and she gets up to leave. I motioned for Mary to sit beside me on the bench.

"Ano yun?" I start.

"Kumusta ka?"

"Okay lang. Ayos na ba gamit mo?"

"Si Gerald na lang daw sasama sayo. May utos si Mamita sa akin." She replied. I notice she's playing with her fingers as if she's anxious about something.

"Anong utos?"

"Basta,"

I look at her and wait. She looks at me guiltily and then takes a deep breath.

"Well, Mamita said something sakin kaninang umaga and hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko."

"Anong sinabi niya?"

"Ako na daw ang gagawin niyang tigapagmana niya. Wag na daw ako sumama sa inyo kasi tuturuan niya ako."

I chuckled. Just a night after I turn her down and she has found a replacement heir. Typical Mamita.

"Sabi niya tinanggihan mo daw siya?" She looked like she's scared about the future now that Mamita has her eyes on her.

"Yeah, I did."

"Bakit?"

I look away and focused on the flower I have been staring at earlier. "It's complicated,"

"Pero favorite ka ni Mamita."

"I know."

"Di ko pa rin gets bakit mo siya tinanggihan."

I turn to look at Mary and realized that although she seems scared, she's determined to prove herself to Mamita. I was like her once. Not anymore.

"You do know what happens behind the scene of our businesses, right?"

She nodded.

"I don't want that. Not for all the money, power, and fame in the world."

"Well, kung ikaw magmamana, pwede mo naman baguhin yun eh."

"At what cost? Magaaway-away yung pamilya natin. Maraming mawawalan ng trabaho. Maraming makukulong. Marami rin mamamatay. Maraming masisirang buhay. It's too much work and I don't want to spend the rest of my life trying to fix our family's mess."