I'm Yours to Adore

Chapter 34

My phone's ringtone woke me up. Tumayo ako at kinuha sa bedside table ang cellphone ko para sagutin ang tawag ni Lola. "It's still early, what's up?"

"Ginny!"

Saglit akong natigilan nang marinig ang sigaw ni Lola.

"What's happening?"

"We received a call. They... they told us to send our driver away or they will shoot. We, we thought they were just bluffing until they shot your Lolo's arms."

Hindi ako nakapagsalita habang iniisip ang senaryo.

"Ginny, are you there!?"

I jolted when I heard Lola's screams, "Ginny! Get help!"

Lola hung up the phone, and I sat quietly on my bed. My mind is telling me I should do something, but deep down, I don't want to move even an inch.

I was breathing slowly as I looked at the bedside table. It felt peaceful even if outside the four corners of my room, is a giant storm. With shaking hands, I reached for my picture with my grandparents at marahang itinaob ito.

"Goodbye." I whispered.

My stomach turned kaya napabalikwas ako ng upo. Paglingon ko sa paligid, nasa sasakyan ako kaya kinatok ko agad ang bintana. Itinigil ni Gerard ang sasakyan sa gilid kaya bumaba ako at sumuka sa sidewalk.

Nanghina ako sa pagsuka kaya napaupo na ako habang pinupunasan ang bibig. Gerard came to me with a bottle of water kaya kinuha ko ito agad para makapagmumog.

"Kaninang umaga ka pa ganito, pumunta muna tayo sa ospital."

Umiling ako at hinayaan siyang buhatin ako patungo sa sasakyan. Nang makaupo ako, I took a deep breath while Lola's scream keeps echoing in my head. "No. I want to see that house now."

Yumuko siya para magtama ang tingin namin habang nakakapit ang isang kamay sa pinto ng sasakyan. "But if you're not sick then what's happening?"

Hindi ako nakapagsalita habang pinakikiramdaman ko ang sarili ko. Marahan siyang yumuko at muling nag-angat ng tingin. "I saw from the news that they were assassinated. Do you want a private investigation?"

I stared at him for a while bago umiling kaya unti-unti siyang natigilan habang nakatitig sa 'kin. "Did you..." I kept staring as I waited for him to finish his question. "Did you do it?"

Umiling ako ulit. "I..."

"... did nothing."

Saglit siyang napakurap habang pinoproseso ang sinabi ko hanggang sa mas lalo siyang natahimik habang nakatitig sa 'kin. "Did you... know about this?"

"I don't know when exactly, but when Lola called me for help, Lolo was already driving the car."

Bumagsak ang balikat niya pero unti-unti na akong nahimasmasan kaya inayos ko ang pag-upo ko. Pinagmasdan niya akong mag-unat ng leeg at kumuha ng tissue para magpunas ng bibig.

I glanced at him and smiled. "I'm hungry. Let's go."

He stood there silently before getting in the car. I breathed calmly and watched the sun from afar.

There is no perfect family but mine isn't even ideal. Because of the power that my grandparents held, their children learned to abuse it. They learned to steal from the people and do things for their personal interest as they pretend to be public servants.

But my grandparents know better. Political power doesn't last forever. Eventually, they know that it must end... and it ends today.

The car entered a private forest and in the middle is a manor with a lake at the back. Since my parents adopted me, this is where I lived. I'm planning to give everything away except this one.