Chapter Fifteen

First Meeting

Elias

"Daddy, can we go to the beach now? You promised me we would go swimming!" Theia reminded me.

I turned to my daughter and slowly nodded my head. I was really busy at the hospital. I can barely make time for her. Kailangan ko rin bumawi sa anak ko kahit minsan lang.

Isa pa, she's been really doing well in her studies at school. So she deserves some rewards.

Ang dami ko rin pagkukulang sa anak ko...

She grew up without a mother... Although it wasn't entirely my fault...

Because her own mother was the person who abandoned her...

Her eyes sparkled when she saw me nodding my head. "Yay! Really, Daddy?" She looked at me with full of hope in her eyes for a weekend outing.

Tumango naman ako muli. "Yes." And then I smiled gently to my daughter.

Theia smiled widely in return.

She likes swimming. She's also practicing at school. And her teacher and coach had told me that she's doing well. And Theia might join a swimming tournament for grade school students her age.

As much as I didn't want to be an absent Dad, especially that my daughter didn't grow up with a mother by her side, ay kailangan ko rin magtrabaho para sa aming dalawa. Lalo na para sa kaniya. I want nothing but a bright future for my child.

Kaya naman kung ganitong nagkakaroon ako ng panahon, I wouldn't miss it but to take her out on an outing. I also wanna see my daughter swim and she also already told me her interest in joining the said swimming competition.

And I remember that I also used to swim back then as well. Noong kaming dalawa lang ni Lola at siya lang ang nakakasama kong manood ng mga competition na sinasalihan ko rin dati. It was one of those wonderful memories I had with my grandmother before she passed away...

I almost grew up without parents. Nagtatrabaho kasi abroad pareho ang parents ko. But I never really felt that much lack in my life because I had my grandmother who took care of me since I was young and the person who raised me.

Kaya gusto kong iparamdam din sana sa anak ko na walang kulang sa kaniya... Dahil nandito naman ako. And that's why I want to be more present in her life, kahit pa nahihirapan din ako dahil sa trabaho ko.

It wasn't easy being a doctor. And then raising your child alone... And a daughter at that... Marami pa akong hindi naiintindihan sa pagpapalaki sa anak ko, but I'm learning each day since she came into my life...

I have my own share of fear in raising a daughter all alone, pero kinakaya ko dahil mahal ko ang anak ko. She's the only light I have now. And my reason for living. Mas natatakot ako na mawala siya sa akin...

So on that day, I brought Theia to a resort in Subic, and that's where we unexpectedly met Aletheia after so many years...

Aletheia and I first met in a party in the past. At that time I was only invited by my cousin, Gerald, to go on a night party with them. Dahil mapilit din sila ng mga kaibigan niya at ayaw pa akong tigilan ay napasama na lang ako. And it was a hassle.

Wala talaga akong gana sa mga party at mas gusto ko pang mag-aral na lang sa dorm o 'di kaya magbasa ng libro na hindi ko pa natatapos.

Books and some online games are rather a better company than people sometimes...

I was nearly bored when I saw her there for the first time. And just like me she was also looking like she's kinda out of place in that party...

Unlike of most people in that party who were already going wild and seemed like they're enjoying the noise when I wasn't, she also looked like she's the kind who didn't enjoy such a thing and was even looking like she's in a kind of a miserable state while she was there...

I didn't know what was her problem at that time, but I knew something wasn't right...

Nagpaalam ako sa kasama ko na lalabas lang ako. And I need some air out of this crowded and suffocating place. What's so good with a place like this, really? Tsk. I don't know why people seemed to be so fond of partying. Or I may just be a boring person, that's it.

At nang nasa labas na ako ay doon ko naman siya nakita muli na nasa labas na rin at mukhang umiiyak pa nang maabutan ko...

Nakita ko na siya kanina roon sa loob ng party. But she doesn't seemed to enjoy either. Just like me. And now she's here outside and crying...

She was with someone who looked like her bodyguard. Nagkatinginan kami at mukha na itong problemado na hindi alam ang gagawin sa binabantayan niya.

I sighed. And then I decided to go to them. Lumapit ako sa babae at inabutan ko siya ng panyo ko. Malinis naman iyon at hindi ko nga nagamit na nasa bulsa ko lang.

From pitifully sitting on the gutter and crying there, she looked really miserable na napailing na lang ako nang makita ko ang ayos niya. Pagkatapos ay nag-angat siya ng tingin sa akin nang inabutan ko siya ng panyo ko.

Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa nang nakatingala na siya sa akin. "What are you? Are you a bad person, too? Why everyone was being bad to me..." She said ang she cried more, but she took my handkerchief...

While I was a bit taken aback by her reaction...

At nagsimula siyang punasan ang mga luha niya. She looked like an innocent child sitting there and crying, at na para bang may umaway sa kaniya at gusto niyang magsumbong.

Tahimik naman muli kaming nagkatinginan ng bodyguard niya.

The girl looked like she's a little drunk as well...

Kinausap ko na lang ang kasama niya.

"I think you should bring her home now, she's kind of wasted already..." I said and I looked at her again.

Pagkatapos ay tumango naman sa akin iyong bodyguard na kasama ng babae at kinuha na niya ang amo niya. Tinulungan ko na rin sila at pinasok namin 'yong babae na halos tulog na sa loob ng kotse nila. And then they left that night...

And the next thing I know was that she already happened to be my classmate at the university.

After our first meeting at the party.

And our other classmates didn't had a proper impression of her. She was a little snob at first and didn't talk to any of our classmates. Pero inisip ko na baka kasi bagong lipat pa lang siya dito sa university namin and she was still adjusting. She was a transferee at the university where I was also enrolled together with my cousin, Gerald.

But then she just made a classmate cry...

And I kind of talked to her about that.

Kasi ayaw ko rin na lalo pang sumama ang tingin sa kaniya ng mga kaklase namin...

Because I know that she was just not feeling all right... Based on our first meeting when she was crying.

And when I saw her smiling for the first time, I realized that she wasn't really so bad like what I thought so about her...

And I don't exactly know how it all started, but...

I fell in love with the strong yet kindhearted Aletheia Hartmere Rozovsky...

We became good friends at first. She was my best friend. At parang sa kaniya na rin umikot ang mundo ko...

Until a tragedy happened to my family... That she didn't know about because I didn't tell her...