SPEAK FOR ME- book 4 FOR ME SERIES

CHAPTER 2

Diane’s Point of View

“Taga-Negros ako.”

“Bakit wala kang puntong bisaya?” tanong ni Kaye.

“Shh,” Saway ng iba.

“Ano ba, Kaye? Maya na ang tanong,” Pangaral ni Cheska.

“Okay. Sure. Sorry. Grabe, mga galit agad?” Kaye replied.

“Namatay si mama sa panganganak sa akin. So, my lolo and lola basically were my parents. My papá was always— let's say preoccupied during my grown-up years. So, my lolo and lola took charge.

My lola was an heir of Hacienda Soledad. A Hacienda in Negros that only a daughter can inherit. So, when my lola died, the Hacienda automatically became my inheritance because my mamá was an only child and died before my lola.”

Walang kumikibo sa kanila. They encouraged me to continue, so I did.

“My lolo is an heir also of another Hacienda. It is another hacienda aside from my lola's land. They call it Hacienda Vicente. This hacienda has no special rules or whatsoever unlike on my lola's land. Kahit kanino, pwedeng ipamana.”

“I studied at London for my Veterinary Medicine. Every vacation, I went back to Negros. My lola died before I went to London, so I was reluctant to study abroad but lolo took charge of lola's land on my behalf. My mamá was an only child so my papá thought that when my lolo died, sa kanya mapupunta iyong hacienda ni lolo dahil kasal sila ni mamá. But my lolo asked my mamá to sign a contract before she gave birth to me. That the land will go to the first born and not to the spouse. We didn't know that until my lolo died a few years ago. The contract was legally bound that papá can't do anything. So… I inherited two haciendas.”

“Wow,” Cheska commented after a while.

“So why are you here in Country Club and not in one of your Haciendas?” Sam, the lawyer herself, asked.

“Don't get me wrong, D. We are happy that you are here. We are just curious.”

“When my lolo died, I haven't finished my studies. My lolo took care of everything before he died. My tuition fees are fully-paid until I graduated. My apartment was already paid. I have an allowance that was transferred to me by the bank on behalf of my lolo's instruction. I had a horse that my lolo gave to me. I helped my lolo for the delivery of that horse. And papa sold that horse because he found out about the will. It was my lolo's gift. So, I packed my bag and went after my horse…” I was crying. Damn, I am crying.

“That horse is Thunder Bolt,” I informed them.

“Tristan's horse,” Trisha said in a matter of fact.

“Yeah. I can't afford to lose that horse. I tried to buy him back, but Tristan didn't want to sell it. So I applied for a vet position to be with my horse because that's the only gift that my lolo left. He said I should take care of Thunder Bolt. So… I left Negros.”

“And now, the Hacienda Vicente is in debt,” I exhale. “I have a feeling that my step-mother has something to do with this.”