"Damn it!" dad exclaimed and slammed the door after we got home.

"Hon, calm down," mom tried to calm him down through rubbing his back. But dad seemed furious and at the same time, depressed.

Umiling na lang ako sa tagpo nilang dalawa at nauna nang umakyat sa taas.

I was about to enter my room when I saw Elly's room next to mine that gave me the urge to answer my question if, who is Luther Olivar in her life? Since from what that police said, Luther and Elly appears as acquaintance.

I walked towards Elly's room and began to look for anything that could answer my question.

Mom and dad forbids me from entering Elly's room. Dahil baka something unacceptable might happen. They act like as if I'm a bad bacteria that could make their precious Elly dead-sick.

Elly's room is the total opposite of mine. She has pastel-colored walls while I have dark one. She has walk-in-closet inside, while I just have a closet. Well, to address it in a concise manner, her room has the calming ambiance. While mine has the depressing one. As if I care tho.

Itinuon ko na lang ang atensyon ko sa paghalughog sa mga drawer sa ilalim ng kama n'ya. Wala naman akong ibang nakita rito maliban sa mga ma-bulaklak na headdress. How childish.

I was about to close the last one when I noticed a vintage paper. It has a lace tied to it. And it also has a dried daisy attached to it.

I picked it up and started to untie it.

Elly is an old-fashion stupid girl. So there's no doubt that she likes keeping stupid things that looks like it even came from the Renaissance's period.

To my Elly,

I smirked when I read the first set of words written on it. A love letter. A stupid-silly love letter.

Halos maduwal ako habang binabasa ang ka-dramahan sa buhay ni Elly. In the letter, it says how much the sender loves her. He even recalled and wrote their moments together on the streets and eating some street foods. Their moments in the park, the piggy-back ride, their first time in entering cinema together and even their first confessions to each other. Holy cow!

Ngunit mas lalo lang akong napangisi nang mabasa kung kanino galing ang love letter.

Adorably yours,
Luther
June 10, 2005

Bingo.

June 10, 2005. We were still in our freshman year in our college during that time. And clearly, she's not allowed in seeing someone.

I closed the drawer and took the letter with me.

When I entered my room, I found some of my clothes that has stains of blood scattered on the floor. Seems like I forgot to clean it last night.

I heaved a sigh instead and put the letter inside my drawer and took my clothes after.

May mantsa ng dugo ang t-shirt na suot ko kagabi dahil sa sugat ko sa kamay na hanggang ngayon ay medyo kumikirot pa rin. I could have been so mad about this, but good thing I was able to successfully eliminate the one that caused it. Stupid bottle.

***

After cleaning my room and editing my manuscript, I decided to walk down to the living room with the letter. Now is my chance to show them how their lovely-little Elly turned her head from them.

Pagkarating ko sa sala ay eksakto namang naroon sila mommy at daddy. They were both drinking coffee while dad is talking on the phone.

"Mom," I called with my lifeless voice.

It took her a couple of second before noticing me. "What is it, Melly?" she asked.

I took a breath while taking a glimpse at dad. It looks like he's near to dropping the call with his hand tightly clutching the phone and with his crossed brows.

On dad's sight, he doesn't look fit for an instance of knowing that her precious daughter betrayed him. However, it's the perfect time for me to take advantage of it.

"I found this on Elly's r--" I automatically took a pause of what I am about to say after realizing that I shouldn't tell them that I entered Elly's room.

"Elly's book that was left on my car," I continued in a casual tone.

"What is it?" mom asked while gently laying the cup of coffee on the coffee table beside her. While dad seems like he got his attention to the thing I'm holding.

"I don't know. I haven't opened it yet. But I'm sure it's a letter," I answered. Playing cool and innocent.

"A letter? From who?" Dad middled in our conversation with a voice laced with curiosity and interest that he even dropped his phone.

"I don't know. It looks old," I shrugged and handed it to him.

He took it and they both opened it with an inquisitive expressions. I just secretly smirked.

"To my Elly?" Dad read with crossed brows.

"Did our Elly just receive a love letter from someone?" Mom asked. I could sense a frail excitement in her voice. Bagay na ikina-ikot ng mga mata ko. She should be mad. Not excited.

I just watched them read the letter while I am waiting for them to finish it and see their reactions after reading if from whom it came from and from when.

"Adorably yours. Luther Olivar. June 10, 2005. This is insane!" Dad exclaimed while looking at mom's eyes with disbelief.

"So, this is what the police is saying that that kid Olivar knows our daughter?" Dad asked again to mom like as if she could answer his question.

"Yep. They had a relationship, Dad," I intervined. Emphasizing the word, 'relationship'.

"Elly turned her head from us when she was just in her fresh years of college," he uttered with an unreadable expression. I can't tell if he's mad or not. But one thing's for sure, he's disappointed. Which is already a good thing to wake them up from the mendacities that they're precious Elly is such an angel.

If my parents wouldn't treat me and view me in a way they does to Elly, then I rather want to make them view Elly in a way of how they view me.

"That was almost four years ago," mom stressed. Obviously not want his husband to be disappointed in her so-called precious.

"She still did, Priscilla," Dad insisted. Now calling mom in her name which he don't usually do. Only when he's serious of what he just said.

"Yeah I know. But isn't what's more important now is that, we knew who Olivar is to her?" Mom insisted as well.

I just flashed a grin on the sight of them. Pathetic.

"Olivar is dead. Elly's kidnapper killed him after knowing that he didn't tie his tongue well and ended up singing to the authorities," he answered that made me grin even more.

Of course. Sino ang tangang may ginawang kapalpalakan at hindi puputulin ang dila ng kung sino man ang kumanta sa kan'ya? Even me I'll do it if I'll hear that Elly's going to tell our old-hag parents about me, ditching classes, and I surely will put a lot of bottles of chili powder in her mouth.

"Are you telling me that you're losing hope in finding our daughter, Leo?" Mom snapped out to dad.

"As much as I want to. But it's hard, Priscilla. Walang ni isang lead ang mga pulis kung sino at saan dinala si Elly. May sumulpot ngang testigo pero pinatay din naman" paliwanag ni dad na hindi na naiwasang itaas ang boses.

I shook my head on them. This is not what I expected to happen. But somehow, it's already good enough to hear that dad is losing hope in finding Elly.

I don't want her back.

"Oh my god! Gan'yan mo na lang ba kadaling sukuan ang anak mo, Leo? She weren't even missing for a week yet and now you're here, exclaiming how hopeless you are? My goodness. I can't stand you," Mom answered in a raised voice laced with frustration and walked out.

"Honey I just-- uh," Dad bowed his head and scratched his brows in annoyance.

What a view. Am I an evil daughter now for standing here and grinning like an idiot after what just happened? Sure am I. But I have no care.

After the commotion, I decided to climb to my room when dad called me.

"Melly,"

I turned to face him. He stared at me and took a sigh before speaking.

"Are you still writing?" Taken aback with his question, it took me a couple of seconds to answer.

"Why?" I asked back. Trying to not show my interest in his question.

"You do ha--" I arched my brow at dad after he wasn't able to finish what he's saying when a phone call cut it.

"Yes? Any updates?" He asked that made me know who he is talking to. The police.

I stared at dad falling silent and just suddenly took his coat and head to the parking lot of the house. I followed him as he met mom outside and got asked if where he's going.

"I'm going to the police department. They found a fingerprint on the perfume bottle which they presume is the tool that was used in killing Olivar."

•••