Until it Ends ( Modern Princess Series #1 )

KABANATA 1

Kabanata 1

The past

Lahat ay abala sa burol ni mom, I was just standing at the door. Tinitignan ko ang lahat na mga tao pumapasok sa room at nakikiramay.

Everyone is crying.

Kahit si dad ay hindi ito umalis sa kaniyang kinauupuan. He was just staring at my mom's coffin.

Yung mga taong dumaan na hindi ko kilala ay kinausap pa ako, I didn't talk to them. Hindi ko alam, pero nawalan ako ng gana, I'm too tired of crying kaya sigurong walang luha ang lumabas sa akin ngayon.

They all hugged me and said their condolences. I just looked at them, with my blank expression.

"Iyan ang anak ni Jason?" A middle aged woman whispered nang makita akong nakatayo sa pintuan.

"Kawawa naman, maagang nawalan ng ina."

"She's weird, why not samahan niya ang papa niya doon?"

"Hayaan niyo na, kawawa naman yung bata."

I can hear everyone gossiping about me. Kahit sinong pumapasok dito ay lagi ako ang topic nila. Sasabihing kawawa raw ako dahil nakita ko mismo pano namatay si mom sa aking harapan.

"Arielle, sabi ng dad mo iuuwi kana raw namin. You need to rest." Kuya Gerald said nang nakalapit sa akin.

I looked at him at nakita kong may dala itong ice cream sa kaniyang kamay. I'm tempted to eat but my body doesn't feel the same way. Para bang pagod na pagod ang katawan ko, it's like I can't feel everything. Namamanhid ito.

"Do you want to eat it?" He offered me at iniabot sa akin.

I just stared at the ice cream and I saw it melting from the cone. Napatingin pa ako rito dahil tumulo ito sa black dress na suot ko. Napansin yata iyon ni kuya Gerald ay agad itong kumuha ng napkin. He even gave the ice cream to one of our house helpers na nandito ngayon para tumulong sa mga gawain and to distribute the foods para sa mga bumisita sa burol.

"Let's go home?" He asked me.

I looked at his hand at may napansin ako sa bulsa niya. I shivered in fear as I saw a metal thing. A gun..

My hands are trembling at agad mahulog ang teddy bear kong si Chimmey sa sahig.

Naalala ko na naman pano ako tinutukan ng lalaki. The one who killed my mother..

Napansin niya yata ang takot ko sa mukha ay agad niyang itinago ng mabuti ang baril. Ang naka tuck-in niyang black polo ay itinakip roon.

"I'm sorry, hindi ko napansin." He scoop me up at naramdaman ko ang pag-angat ko sa sahig. He even picked up Chimmey.

"Let's just go home, susunod rin ang dad mo." He whispered bago lumabas sa room. I even saw my dad stood up at tumayo sa coffin ni mom. He cried at lumuhod, nakita ko pa pano nagkagulo at pilit pinatayo si dad doon.

I saw the pain in his eyes.

"Dad.." I whispered at hindi mapigilang tumulo ang luha ko. The door closed at huling nakita ko ay ang pag-iyak ni dad.

"Ihanda niyo ang sasakyan, iuuwi muna natin si Arielle." Kuya Gerald said to one of our drivers. Tumango ito sa kaniyang sinabi at umalis.

Sinundan namin si manong driver sa labas kung saan nakaparada ang mga sasakyan.

It's already night nang napansin ko ang dilim na ng paligid. Naramdaman ko ang paghimas ni kuya sa likod ko. I can't stop crying.

I'm hurt.

Tahimik ang byahe namin at hindi ko namalayang nakatulog ako sa byahe pauwi. I just remembered inihiga ako ni kuya and then I knocked out.

As I woke up, napansin kong nasa tabi ko na si Chimmey. I looked at the clock and it's around six in the morning.

Dali-dali kong binuksan ang pintuan at tumakbo patungong pool at agad rin nawala ang excitement ko dahil naalala ko wala na pala si mom.

Umupo ako sa gilid ng pool namin, and I let my feet on the water, naramdaman ko ang lamig nito.

I dreamt she was swimming peacefully on our swimming pool. Ang hirap isipin na wala na siya, ang laging kasama ko dito sa bahay. The one who always takes care of me, the one who tells stories at night, singing when I'm afraid.

"Anak.."

Napalingon ako at nakita ko si dad, he was smiling at me pero kita ko sa mata nito na walang tulog. Ang lalim ng kaniyang mata at namamaga ito sa kakaiyak.

Lumapit ito sa akin at tumabi, binasa rin nito ang kaniyang paa sa pool.

"I know masakit ang pagkawala ng mom mo na biglaan." He caressed my hair. "We need to be strong, I'm sorry I couldn't protect both of you." He cried again at hinawakan ko ang kamay ni dad just to comfort him.

"Anak, pwede bang dito ka muna sa bahay? I know first day na ng school mo bukas. But can you just stay here?" aniya at seryoso niya akong tinignan.

"How about school?" I asked him.

"I hired a teacher, she will teach you everything."

Umiwas ako ng tingin. "When?"

"Until everything is settled and you're safe here."

Tumango ako sa sinabi ni dad, I know he just wants me to be safe.

"What about the bad guys? Where are they?" I asked my dad, curiosity is all over my face.

He smiled just to ease my fear. "Nahuli na ang pumatay sa mom mo. I don't know if you understand it since you're still a child but it's one of our business rival."

He looked at the pool and stared at it. "We took the bait, on that night may tumawag sa akin. Telling me may problema sa kompanya." He took a pause and I saw how he clenched his hand in anger.

"When we left home, doon na siya pumasok sa bahay, it's all planned. He just want to take everything from me including my family."

Bawat bigkas ni dad ay may halong poot at galit ito, parang nanggigil sa nangyari.

"Can you just quit this job, dad? I want to have a normal life. You can have small businesses. Ayoko yung malaki, everyone will come and ruin us." Paki-usap ko kay dad.

Umiling ito at humarap sa akin. "Dahil sa nangyari, kailangan kong mag pursigidong itaguyod ang pamilyang ito."

"Now that your mom is gone, I will always protect you from the bad guys." He picked me up at pina-upo sa kaniyang hita.

"You're still a child, Arielle." He rested his chin on my shoulder. "I'm sorry anak, I'm sorry you have to experience this."

"It's okay, dad. I get it."

After that everything changed.

- - -