#ChainedtothePastWP

Chapter 29
Heiress

My father and I spent the whole day recollecting memories. We talked about our past, and how I lived my life in San Isidro. He was so attentive while I told him everything. I also filled him in with the details on how my mother found me.

He promised me that once my mother loosens up and allows us to travel together, he would take me back there. He told me he wanted to meet my second family and my friends. He wanted to show them his gratitude personally for taking care of me and for giving me love.

Of course, I look forward to it. But I hope that my mother could also be with us when that time comes. I really had not showed her around when she came to San Isidro. I was busy collecting memories with the Hernandez for I wouldn't be seeing them for quite some time, and my mother was also busy with my transfers and such.

It was almost time for dinner when my mother arrived. Dad was still here and he volunteered to cook our dinner. Though he asked for a favor. He didn't want my mother to know that he was the one who cooked our meal because he was afraid that she would lose her appetite.

"So, you're still here," Mom coldly acknowledged my father's presence.

"I'll be very busy for the rest of the week, that's why I want to spend the whole day with her," Dad reasoned out.

Mom just nodded her head nonchalantly, like she wasn't even paying attention to daddy at all.

Lumapit naman ako kay mommy dahil baka kung saan pa magtungo ang kanilang usapan. I didn't want them to have a heated conversation before eating dinner. It would spoil the meal.

"'Mmy, luto na po ang hapunan," malambing kong sabi kay mommy at hinawakan ang kanyang braso. "Kain na po tayo."

"Okay, darling. I'll just change my clothes." She smiled sweetly at me, then scowled when she turned to daddy. "Dito ka na kumain ng dinner bago ka umuwi."

Hindi namin napag-usapan ni daddy na rito siya kakain ng hapunan. All he wanted to do was to cook us dinner. He looked genuinely surprised when my mother invited him to eat dinner with us.

Si mommy naman ay mukhang wala lang sa kanya ang ginawang pag-imbita kay daddy, pero nasisigurado kong hindi rin naging madali sa kanya ang gawin 'yon. I was convinced that she hated him so much, so sharing our dining table with him would be impossible. I never thought she would be the one who would do the initiative. I was sure it took a lot of internal conflict.

Nauna na kami ni daddy sa hapag at hindi rin nagtagal ay dinaluhan na kami ni mommy. Nakapagpalit na siya ng pambahay na damit, but her look still screamed elegance.

My mother casually sat at the head of the table, while her eyes scanned the dishes served on the dining table.

Dad cooked her favorite food. Pero para hindi masyadong magtaka si mommy ay niluto niya rin ang aking paboritong putahe. I was actually surprised earlier that my father could cook a native Filipino dish. He didn't bother to read a recipe in order to do it. He also didn't ask for my help.

"Clem, call Kalcifer to dine with us," utos ni mommy.

Napaawang ang aking labi. Muntik ko nang makalimutan na nandito nga pala si Kalcifer. I was so pre-occupied with my parents.

"Uh... S-sige po." Bahagya akong nag-alangan, ngunit pumayag din ako kalaunan.

I told myself that if I want to move forward, I shouldn't avoid him. Rather I have to face him. Moving on is not a game of hide and seek, but a game of patintero. You have to go face to face, while trying to cross the line and move forward. That way, you'd be braver and you wouldn't falter when you meet the person head on.

Pagkatapos ni daddy magluto at nang dumating si mommy ay natanaw ko siyang nasa garden pa rin. He was working on his laptop, while I was with my father earlier. Noong sa sala kasi namin naisipan ni daddy na magpalipas ng oras ay nagkusang-loob siya na lumipat sa hardin. He just watched us through the glass walls from time to time.

I immediately went to the garden and saw him still busy typing something on his laptop. Agad niyang naramdaman ang pagdating ko dahil hindi pa ako ganoong nakakalapit sa kanya ay nilingon niya na ako.

Slightly taken aback by how he seriously glanced at me, I stopped walking closer and stood still.

"Uh... Kakain na raw ng dinner," medyo nag-aalangan ko pang sabi sa kanya. "Pinapatawag ka na ni mommy sa hapag."

Without any word, he gently closed his laptop and stood up. Naglakad siya pabalik sa loob ng bahay, pero huminto siya nang makarating sa aking harapan.

I looked at him curiously. He raised his brows like he was taunting me.

"Bakit?" tanong ko sa kanya dahil hindi ko alam kung bakit siya huminto sa harapan ko.

"It's your house," he simply said and put both his hands inside the pockets of his jeans. "Lead the way."

"Oh..." Iyon na lamang ang nasabi ko.

Naramdaman ko ang pag-init ng aking pisngi kaya agad ko na siyang tinalikuran. Gaya ng gusto niyang mangyari ay nauna na ako sa paglalakad habang ang puso ko ay naghuhuramentado.

So much for trying to move on, Clementine! You couldn't even stop your heart from violently going crazy because of him.

When we arrived at the dining area, the atmosphere was very quiet but tensed.  Tingin ko naman ay hindi sila nag-usap, pero hindi ko alam kung bakit ganito kabigat sa pakiramdam ang silid.

I went back to my seat, and Kalcifer sat in front of me, while my father remained seated beside me.

Agad din kaming sumandok ng pagkain nang makaupo na kaming lahat nang maayos. Daddy made sure to take care of my plate first before he got his own food. Si mommy ay tahimik lamang na kumukuha ng paboritong ulam niya. And as usual, Kalcifer was also silent, too.

Holding my breath, I watched my mother took her first bite of her favorite dish. She chewed once, and then stopped for a few seconds.

Her eyes looked conflicted.

I had no idea if she realized that it was my father who cooked dinner today. But I guess not because she just continued eating without giving a remark or something.

Dinig ko rin ang mahinang pagbubuntong hininga ni daddy nang makitang mapayapang kinakain ni mommy ang kanyang mga niluto.

"Uhm..." Daddy cleared his throat.

Mom slightly looked up to him. Napatingin din ako kay daddy at ganoon na rin si Kalcifer.

"On Friday..." he trailed for a fleeting moment. "If you're not busy, I hope you and Clementine can come and visit the company."

Bago pa ako makapayag ay naunahan na akong magsalita ni mommy.

"For what?" Her voice was so cold that I almost shiver.

"A meeting with my lawyer and some of my trust board members," Dad answered.

"As far as I can remember, I already sold my shares from your company." Mom wiped her lips gracefully with the table napkin. "I'm not a part of it already. Why do we have to be there?"

"I bought back the shares you sold to Mr. Pagudian at a higher price," he told my mom.

My mother seemed slightly shocked.

"But that's not the reason why I want to invite you and our daughter to the company," he said, sounding like a business man now. "As the heiress of Guillermo Holdings, I want my daughter to familiarize herself with the company and introduce her to the board members."

My lips parted.

It never crossed my mind to be the heiress of Guillermo Holdings. I was well aware that my father was the President and CEO, and it should be obvious that I'm going to be the heiress of his company, but that matter wasn't clear to me yet.

Since I grew up in San Isidro, I had different plans for my dream. All I planned to do was to graduate and land on a nice job or help Nanay Marissa at the eatery to repay the them for taking care of me. I even have plans to build and manage my own restaurant someday. Owning a huge empire wasn't on my list.

Napadaan ang tingin ko kay Kalcifer at nang tumama ang aking mga mata sa kanya ay mabagal niyang binaba ang kanyang tingin sa pagkain.

"Napoleon, I hope you're aware that your daughter is still in college," Mom told my father, and I could tell that she was starting to lose her patience. "Familiarizing her with your company? Really?"

"I know," Daddy simply said. "But I also know that's she's already at the right age to be aware of her future responsibilities. Of course, I wouldn't pressure her if she thinks she's still not up for it." He looked at me now with an earnest gaze. "What do you think, Clem?"

Inheriting a huge empire is so blinding, but I don't think it would hurt if I check it out. Besides, we're talking about the company that my father built, developed, and strengthened, along with my mother by his side.

"I have no problem with it, dad," I told him with a smile.

He sighed in relief and smiled wider. "That's great," he exclaimed then averted his gaze back to my mother. "Our daughter has no problem with it, Carol. I hope you'll also consider coming."

"If Clementine wants to come, then I will go. As if I'd let my daughter go alone." My mother finally agreed, and took a quick sip on her water. "But what about your other daughter, Napoleon?"

The smile on my lips faded and as well as my dad's. His expression became firm and serious.

"Are you sure you're going to appoint Clementine as the heiress?" Mom sounded like she was testing daddy. "I actually heard from my other business partners that Arlene's already in training to be the heiress. She is studying and working hard for it, right?"

"Our daughter's back, Carol. Clementine is alive and back here with us," Daddy answered like it's already enough reason. "The Guillermo Holdings belongs to her. She is the only heiress right from the start. The company that we built together rightfully belongs to our daughter."

"Then what about Arlene?" She shut her brows up, still challenging him. "She is also your daughter."

I thought my father would give a satisfactory answer to my mother, but he just smiled, and no one knew what that smile was for.

"I still have so many things to prepare, so you will know about it on Friday," he vaguely said.

Umirap na lamang si mommy. She didn't push making his vague words clear.

Pagkatapos ng hapunan ay nagpaalam na sa akin si daddy. He said that he would keep in touch with me and try to meet me when he has time to spare. It was hard to send him away after spending so much time with him, but I just consoled myself at the thought that I'm going to meet him again this Friday.

After watching my father's car vanished into distance, I spun around to go back inside the house when I saw Kalcifer watching me. I didn't know that he followed me outside, but I guessed he really needed to keep his eyes on me.

Smiling, I tried to start a conversation with him. "Nakauwi na si daddy," bungad ko. "Puwede ka na ring umuwi at magpahinga."

He just stared at me without saying a word. The confidence I gathered to talk to him popped like a bubble.

"Uh... Sige. Pasok na ako sa loob," sabi ko na lang at akmang lalagpasan na siya.

"Are you sure about inheriting your father's company?"

I was surprised when he suddenly spoke and asked that question. My eyes slightly squinted as I turned to him.

"Why are you asking me about this?" I asked him back.

His jaw clenched. "I just want to know."

Kinagat ko ang aking ibabang labi at saglit na nag-isip. "Ang totoo ay hindi ko pa sigurado," sagot ko. "That's why I want to come on Friday. I want to learn about the company and its people. At tingin ko ay maganda rin 'to para sa plano ninyo ni mommy."

He looked taken aback.

Don't tell me he didn't think of that?

"This will trigger Tita Drizelda's plans if she's really the one behind the kidnapping before," I continued. "Gusto kong makatulong sa inyo ni mommy. Nag-isip-isip ako at sa tingin ko ay makakatulong 'to."

Ngumiti ako sa kanya, ngunit hindi niya iyon binalik sa akin. It's alright, though. Sanay na ako.

"Anyway, I'll go up to my room now. Mag-ingat ka sa pag-uwi," sabi ko at saka nagpatuloy na sa pagpasok sa loob ng bahay.

I went straight to my room and checked my phone if I have any messages from my family back in San Isidro, since I haven't checked my phone since I went down earlier.

Hindi ako nabigo dahil mayroon akong mensahe galing kina Lydia, Nanay Marissa at Karmela. Inuna kong basahin at replyan ang mga mensahe ng kapatid at nanay ko. Hinuli ko na ang kay Karmela at hindi ko inaasahan ang ibabalita niya sa akin.

From: Karmela

Drop out na rin si Alastair! Walang nakakaalam sa amin kung saan siya lumipat. May nasabi ba siya sa'yo?

I stared at Karmela's message for too long, and I still had no idea what to reply. Hindi ko alam kung uunahin ko bang sabihin sa kanya na hindi Alastair ang totoong pangalan niya o ang totoong edad at trabaho niya o sabihin na nandito siya sa Maynila kasama ko.

In the end, I just sent a simple reply without bothering myself to go through the details.

To: Karmela

Wala siyang nasabi.

That's because he really didn't tell me anything. I just came to know the truth myself.