A Chance Encounter

CHAPTER 2

NAPANGIWI si Audrey nang maramdaman niya ang hapdi ng gamot na inilalagay niya sa kaniyang tuhod. She kneeled all night outside the house last night because she went home late. Ayaw na niyang makipagtalo kaya naman sumunod na lamang siya. Even if she wanted to explain, no one in this house would listen to her.

Kailan nga ba may nakinig sa kaniya? Wala. No one.

The ointment didn’t work. Masakit ang tuhod niya at naninigas rin ito. Hindi siya makalakad ng maayos. Hindi ito ang unang beses na nangyari sa kaniya ang ganito. Mula pagkabata, lagi siyang lumuluhod sa tuwing may nagawa siyang mali at kahit naman wala siyang ginawang mali, pinapaluhod siya.

A tear fell from Audrey’s eyes.

In this house, she never felt the love of a family.

Sighing, Audrey grabbed the pain reliever on the bedside table and drank it. Hindi pa siya kumakain ng agahan pero kailangang mawala ang sakit ng tuhod niya. May klase pa siya mamaya at may trabaho rin. Kailangan niyang pumasok. Sayang ang araw niya. Sayang ang kikitain.

Kailangan niya ng pera para sa susunod na semester. Kailangan niya kasing mag-OJT. At kapag nag-o-OJT na siya, hindi na siya pwedeng magtrabaho. Magpopokus na siya sa OJT para maka-graduate siya ng kolehiyo. Her diploma is important to her.

Her family was well-off. Their house was big. Though it was not a mansion, it was big enough to call their family a well-off family. Her parents paid for her tuition fee but didn’t give her any allowance, so she needed to work to get money for her daily expenses.

For her, this house cannot be called home because she can feel that she’s not welcome. At hindi niya alam kung ano ba ang nagawa niyang mali dahil ramdam niyang malayo ang loob sa kaniya ng mga magulang niya.

Naligo si Audrey at kinailangan pa niyang kumuha ng monoblock para pag-upuan niya habang naliligo. Hindi niya kasi kayang tumayo ng matagal dahil sa sakit ng tuhod niya. Pagkatapos niyang naligo, nagbihis siya at nag-ayos ng sarili. Dala ang backpack niya kung saan nakalagay ang gamit niya, lumabas na siya ng kwarto.

Dumaan si Audrey sa kusina at nakita niyang walang tao maliban kay Manang Nena. Ang matagal na nilang katulong.

“Manang, may pagkain po ba?” tanong niya.

Ngumiti si Nena nang makita ang batang inalagaan niya na pumasok ng kusina. “Nagtira ako para sa ‘yo. Kumain ka na muna bago ka umalis.”

“Salamat po,” wika ni Audrey.

Ipinaghanda ni Nena si Audrey ng agahan. “Ayos na ba ang tuhod mo?” may pag-aalala niyang tanong.

Ngumiti si Audrey para ipakitang maayos siya kahit hindi naman talaga.

“Wala talagang awa ang ama mo. Hindi man lang tinanong kung nasa maayos kang kalagayan. Basta ka na lamang niyang pinarusahan.”

Muling ngumiti si Audrey. “Sanay na po ako.”

Napabuntong hininga si Nena saka hinayaan na si Audrey na kumain.

Pagkatapos kumain ni Audrey, umalis na siya at pumasok sa university. Habang patungo siya sa College of Arts, nadaana niya ang College of Business Education na kung saan ay naroon ang nakakatanda niyang kapatid. Mas nauna sa kaniya ng isang taon ang Ate Freya niya pero pareho silang graduating student dahil tumigil ito ng isang taon.

“Ano? Uuwi ka na naman ng lagpas sa oras para lumuhod ka na naman ng magdamag.”

Yumuko na lamang si Audrey at hindi pinansin ang Ate Freya niya. Patakbo na lamang siyang lumayo habang mahigpit ang hawak niya sa strap ng kaniyang bag. Pagkarating niya sa College of Arts, agad siyang nagtungo sa classroom niya.

Halos kalahati ng mga kaklase niya ay naroon na at wala pa man ang oras ng klase, nagsimula na ang mga ito.

“Aga natin, ah,” wika ni Mia.

Ngumiti lang si Audrey saka umupo sa harapan ng canvas na nakalagay sa easel. Napatitig siya sa hindi pa niya tapos na painting niya. She was an art student, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree. She loves to paint. That’s why she studied Art.

“Bakit parang ang lungkot ng painting mo?” tanong ni Mia habang nakatingin sa canvas ni Audrey.

Nagkibit ng balikat si Audrey at hindi nagsalita. Ipinagpatuloy na lamang niya ang painting niya hanggang sa matapos niya ito. She meticulously painted the details that she wanted to express.

Napatitig si Audrey sa sariling painting nang matapos niya ito. It was a painting of a child, crying as if she didn’t know where to go, and alone in a forest. The child in the painting was just like her; she was alone and had no one to rely on.

Audrey’s class for that day is half a day. And in the afternoon, she went to work. Inaya pa siya ng mga kaklase na kumain sa labas pero tumanggi siya.

Audrey’s routine was to go to school, to work, and to go home. She repeated that every day without any delay, otherwise she got punished.

One day, while Audrey was at work, she didn’t expect to see the man whom she had saved a week ago.

“It’s you,” Audrey said.

“Do you know me?” the man asked in a cold voice. A kind of voice that could freeze anyone.

Sandali lamang na natigilan si Audrey saka siya umiling. A cold person. She thought.

Hindi sila nagka-usap ng lalaki kaya naman malamang hindi siya nito kilala. But it was fine. At least nakita niyang nasa maayos na itong kalagayan. Hindi na siya nag-abala na ipakilala ang sarili niya. She doesn’t want to do anything with him anyway.

Audrey scanned the item the man had bought. “Five hundred thirty-five, Sir,” she said as she put the items inside the paper bag.

The man gave his card to the cashier, and Audrey punched it into the machine. Then she gave back the card to the customer and the item he bought. “Thank you. Come again next time, Sir,” Audrey said and looked at the other customers waiting in line. “Next, please.”

Emerson left the convenience store. He looked back and stared at the girl who helped him through the glass wall. “I think she was different from those rich ladies who were trying to approach and please me,” he said. Audrey didn’t even bother to introduce herself as his savior.

Isang tipid na ngiti ang sumilay sa labi ni Emerson saka tinungo ang kinapaparadahan ng kotse. Sumakay siya sa backseat.

“Let’s go back to the company,” he ordered Martin.

“Yes, Boss.”

While driving, Martin reported about the task his boss asked him to do. “Boss, the competitor who caused your accident was already dead.”

Isang mapanganib na ngiti ang sumilay sa labi ni Emerson. “That’s good. I’m actually looking forward to hearing about his death. Now, I can sleep peacefully at night. I’ll double your salary for this month.”

“Thank you, Boss.”

Emerson just nodded his head and closed his eyes. Agad din siyang nagmulat ng mata nang marinig niyang tumunog ang cellphone niya. Isang buntong hininga ang kaniyang pinakawalan nang makitang ang kaniyang ina ang tumatawag.

“Mom,” he answered the call.

“And you really answered my call, you stinky brat.”

Emerson rolled his eyes. “Should I hang up?”

“Huwag.”

Napatigil ang daliri ni Emerson na pipindutin na sana ang end call. “What, Mom?” he asked.

“Come home and have dinner with us. Your father and I miss you.”

Kumunot ang noo ni Emerson. “You’re home? I thought you were on vacation.”

“Kakauwi lang namin, anak.”

“Oh.” Emerson smiled. “Uuwi po ako.” Aniya. “Drive to my parent’s house,” he told Martin.

“Yes, Boss.”

Pagkalipas ng ilang minuto, nakarating na si Emerson sa kanilang mansiyon. He looked at his wristwatch. It was already six thirty in the evening.

“Kuya!” Elizabeth or Eliza, Emerson’s younger sister, came out of the main double door and ran towards him. Dalawa lamang silang magkapatid at minsan para silang aso at pusa kung magbanyagan.

Emerson sighed when his sister hugged him. “Elizabeth, for pete sake, you’re already twenty-two. Can you not act like a spoiled child?” aniya sa seryosong boses.

Eliza pouted. “Kuya naman, namiss lang kita.”

Ngumiti si Emerson saka ginulo ang buhok ng kapatid. Inakbayan niya ito at sabay silang pumasok sa loob ng mansiyon.

“Where’s mom and dad?”

“Kitchen.”

Pumunta sila sa kusina at nakita ni Emerson na abala ang kaniyang magulang sa kani-kanilang mundo. Mukhang wala ang chef dahil ang kaniyang ina ang nakausot ng apron.

“Hi, Mom,” Emerson greeted his mother and kissed her on the cheek. “Where’s the chef?” he asked.

“Naka-leave, anak,” sagot ni Emma, ang ina ni Emerson at Eliza habang abala sa harapan ng kalan, sinulyapan lamang nito ang anak saka sandaling sumagot.

Napatango si Emerson saka binati ang ama. “Dad.”

Samuel, Emerson’s father, nodded his head while reading a newspaper.

“Tulungan ko lang si Mommy,” wika naman ni Eliza saka nagsuot na rin ng apron.

They have maids but when Emma was in the kitchen and cooking, she didn’t want the maids helping her. Simula kasi noong mga bata pa ang mga anak niya, parang ito na lang ang naging bonding nilang pamilya. And talked about some random things.

Emerson sat on the empty chair and took grapes from the plate.

“I heard that one of your competitors was dead,” said Samuel, while looking at his son.

Napatigil naman si Emerson sa pagsubo ng grapes saka nag-iwas ng tingin.

Samuel sighed. Itinigil niya ang pagbabasa ng newspaper saka sinulyapan ang asawa. Nang makita niyang nakatuon ang atensiyon nito sa niluluto, ibinaling niya ang tingin sa panganay. “Don’t let your mother find out what you did.”

Emerson touched his nape. Wala talaga siyang maitatago sa kaniyang ama. Kunsabay, sa ama naman siya nagmana kaya alam ng ama ang ginagawa niya kahit hindi niya sabihin rito.

Emerson cleared his throat and didn’t say anything.

Napailing si Samuel. “You’re my son. I know you. Just don’t let your mother find out, otherwise I can’t help you.”

Tumango si Emerson. “Thank you, Dad.”

“Just don’t use your money to hurt innocent people. I’m telling you, I will break your bones.”

“Roger, Dad.” Tugon ni Emerson saka nagsubo ng grapes.

It felt good to have your father’s support.