Continuation of 17 Part I...

Despite everything that has been going on at home, I tried not to be bothered especially when I'm in front of Dani. I don't want her to feel down just because I am.

"And because it's our anniversary today, I prepared something special for you", I exclaimed. I surprised Dani on our 3rd anniversary as a couple. I learned how to play Clair de Lune on the violin. I thought I'd give it my all.

This may be the last time she'll get to see me play.

"Hey, look! There's a shooting star! Let's make a wish", I exclaimed. Like what I promised back then, I wanted us to have a date at my office overlooking the city at night. She'd always look up at the sky with adoration just like how much I admire her face every time I see her.

I closed my eyes and made a wish. I wished for my dad to change. I don't know what his reason was for hurting my mom and I but I wanted it to end. I want to live as I wish and not be ordered around. I want to raise a family with Dani. God, I'd die if it's not her who I'd see walking towards me down the aisle.

Simula noon, madalang nalang kaming magkita ni Dani. I'd always go home to check on mama. Dun na rin ako madalas matulog sa bahay imbes na sa condo dumiretso galing sa trabaho. Masyadong natuon ang atensyon ko sa trabaho at kay mama kaya unti-unti ko na ring napapabayaan ang relasyon namin ni Dani. I can sense how annoyed she is at me whenever we'd call each other.

But I have no choice. Dumagdag pa yung pagkawala ng mga investors sa kumpanya. Not to mention, unti-unting bumababa ang income namin for the past few weeks. I've been so stressed that I barely get any sleep. My anxiety level rises whenever I'd leave mama and go to work. I was worried papa might do something bad to her when I'm away. I also sometimes couldn't control my feelings to the point where I'd shout at my employees.

Everything has not been going so well for me.

"You're the one at fault here!", rinig kong sigaw ni papa kay mama. I decided to stay outside for a while to listen in on their conversation. I got home from work and saw them fighting again.

"Ano ka ba Dave! Hindi natin kailangang hawakan ang buhay ng anak natin. He has a life of his own so please do not force anything on him", sagot sa kaniya ni mama.

"Hindi ka ba nag-iisip? If he gets married to Zara, it'll be easier for the company. Hindi na tayo malululon sa utang."

"You're always at the casino spending all your money so now, our son has to suffer. Solve it on your own dahil ikaw ang may kagagawan niyan. Wag mong idamay si Dee. The bankruptcy is of your own doing! "

Sabay ng pagsigaw ni mama ay isang malakas na sampal sa kaniyang pisngi ang kaniyang natanggap kay papa. I tightly closed my eyes as they shed tears down my face. I couldn't believe he's been gambling the whole time. I was about to step in when I received a call from Dani. I moved a little bit further for my parents not to hear me.

["Hi bub."] I heard her voice from the phone.

I wiped my tears and cleared my throat before answering her.

"Bub, hi. Uhm...what is it?" I tried my best to sound alright even though I knew in myself that I wasn't. I want to have a proper conversation with her but I couldn't because of everything that's been going on.

["Didn't you see? I'm all over the news now"], she said in an annoyed tone. I haven't checked my phone today so I didn't know what she was talking about.

I flinched when I heard mama shouting.

"I'm sorry, bub. Now's not the right time. I'm doing some-"

["Then when is the right time?! "When is the right time for us to talk, Dee? We barely even had a proper conversation since our anniversary. Ganito na ba pag magiging CEO ng isang kumpanya, huh? Is your work more important than this relationship?"], she said cutting me off.

"Hindi naman sa ganun, Dani. Please understand. It's just that something happe-"

["But you always say that, Dee! Something happened pero wala ka namang sinasabi sa akin. How can I understand if you don't tell me things? Ganito nalang ba tayo palagi? Hindi na nga tayo nagkikita tapos palagi pa tayong nag-aaway."]

"Dani, please. I'll explain everything. Just not now. Babawi ako sayo."

["Your work or our relationship?"], she asked me straightforwardly. I couldn't help but feel a pang of pain hit my chest. It's not about what she think it is. It's not work that's bothering me. It's about my family. I can't choose. 

"Dani, please don't do this", I pleaded.

["Don't break my trust, Dee. I'm begging you."]

Nagulat nalang ako nang may marinig akong parang nabasag na salamin.

Si mama.

"D-Dani, I h-have to go. I'm sorry." I immediately ended the call without waiting for her answer and rushed over to see what was happening.

I saw mama curled up on the corner while covering her ears. Papa was holding a baseball bat and pieces of mama's painted vase were scattered on the floor.

Akmang tatamaan niya si mama nang harangin ko siya. The bat hit me hard on my back and a part of my head which caused me to get dizzy.

"Dee!" She worriedly looked at me and glared at my dad. He was left dumbfounded with what he did at parang natauhan siya nang makita ang sitwasyon namin ni mama. He dropped his bat and left us.

"Ma, just hold on, ok? Itatakas kita dito", I weakly assured her. I won't let him do this to mama again. Hindi ako papayag na basta-basta na lang niya kaming itrato ni mama.

After that incident, I remembered how things ended with Dani a while ago. I wanted to make it up to her. I also saw the news about what happened during the fashion show. I wanted to comfort her but I wasn't there. Kaya kahit masakit ang katawan ko at madaling araw na ay pinilit ko paring tumayo at puntahan siya.

When I arrived at her house, I saw her sleeping peacefully beside her piano. I carried her up to her room careful to not wake her up. I tucked her in at pinagmasadan ko ang kaniyang mukha. Her face looks like there are dried tears. I gently caressed her hair.

"I-I'm s-sorry, b-bub", I tearfully said.

"I'm sorry I couldn't say anything to you. I don't want to burden you with my problems. You're already going through a lot now." I bit my lip and tried to stop myself from crying too hard.

"N-Nahihirapan din a-ako, bub. Everything's so hard. I hope you understand that. I'll tell you everything soon."

I gently laid beside her and slept. A few hours later, I decided to leave before she even wakes up. I know her head's a mess. Baka mag-away lang ulit kami. I'll give her some space for the meantime. The both of us need it and it's probably for the best.

As I got home, I saw Mr. Madrigal in front of our house.

"Tito, what brings you here so early?", I asked as I step out of my car.

"Dee, where's your father?", he asked me worriedly.

"Tito, I just got home. I haven't seen him since yesterday." I was confused by the way Tito Raul was acting. Parang hindi siya mapakali.

"I have something really important to say", he said as if he read my mind.

"Sige po, tito. Let's talk inside", pag-aaya ko sa kaniya. We went in and sat down in the living room.

"Dee, hindi na ako magpapaligoy-ligoy pa. The police will be here any minute. May naghain ng arrest warrant kay Dave for illegal possession and import of drugs."

"Po?", gulat kong sabi. Since when did he use drugs? Does that explain why he has been violent to us for the past couple of months? Hindi ko na namalayang tumutulo na ang luha sa mga mata ko.

"I'm sorry if you had to hear this from me, Dee. I knew about it last night. I asked to meet him to break off the marriage deal. I told him to surrender himself to the officials but he refused." He sat beside me and pat my back.

"Dee, I'm sorry for forcing things between you and Zara. I never understood how the both of you felt. Zara told me that you're with Chanel...my eldest daughter." He said the last words faintly. What a small world. Destiny really knows how to play the game. I guess I was meant to connect Dani to her family.

"It's ok, tito. It's all in the past now. I'm glad you talked to me about this", I said. Napabuntong-hininga siya.

"I better get going, iho. Pag may balita ka na sa papa mo, call me right away", he said before leaving.

After our little chat, I tried contacting papa pero out of reach ang phone niya. I gave up calling him after so many tries. I took a nap before going to the office. Medyo may kirot padin akong nararamdaman sa likod ko kung saan ako tinamaan ni papa. It made me uncomfortable but I was still able to bear it.

Pagkapasok ko sa office ay ginawa ko lang ang mga trabaho ko. Everything was okay not until I received a call from our helper.

"Manang, napatawag ka?", sagot ko.

["Anak, u-umuwi ka na p-please. Andito si Sir Dave, nak. Nakita ko siyang pumasok na may d-dalang b-baril. Natatakot ako, nak baka ano nanamang gawin niya kay Ma'am Sol. P-pinalabas niya ako ng b-bahay."] Napatayo ako bigla sa kinauupuan ko nang marinig ko ang mga salitang iyon. Her voice was scared. She was even whispering.

"Sige po, manang. Humingi ka ng tulong pag may marinig ka. Uuwi na ako." I immediately ended the call and went home. Hindi ko na tinapos ang mga trabaho ko sa opisina. Halos pinaharurot ko na ang sasakyan ko. I was even beating the red light. Fuck, baka magkaroon ako ng violation nito.

Pagkapasok ko ng bahay ay nakita kong sinasakal ni papa si mama. Halos mangitim na ang labi ni mama. Dali-dali ko siyang nilapitan at sinuntok sa mukha pero bumawi siya at sinuntok din ako. Napaupo ako sa sahig. I can taste the blood on my lips. Tumingin ako sa kaniya at nagulat ako nang bigla niyang kinuha ang vase sa may lamesa at binagsak ito sa akin. Tumama nanaman ito sa likod ko.

For the first time, I actually felt numb deep inside. I didn't care if he would hit me. Heck, he can just kill me. Wag lang niyang gagalawin si mama. Mas lalo akong nasasaktan pag nakikita ko si mama na ginaganito niya. I'm willing to take every hit for her.

When I was able to recover, I looked at mama with weak eyes. She was just in one corner while crying her eyes out. Halatang naghahabol pa siya ng hininga niya. I felt like she wanted to come near me but she couldn't because she's afraid of what papa might do to her again.

"M-ma, it's okay. It's just the d-drug kicking in kaya siya g-ganyan." Mama's eyes widened. Mukhang ngayon lang niya nalaman na lulong sa droga si papa. I gulped and looked at papa who is still eyeing me furiously.

"P-pa, a-alam kong hindi mo naman s-sinasadya. Y-you're just i-intoxicated, right?"

With what I said, he looked like he was coming to his senses but his phone suddenly rang.

"You fucking stay there! I'll just answer this call", he said before going to our garden for us not to hear the conversation.

Mukhang busy siya sa kausap niya kaya naisipan kong itakas si mama. Despite the ache that I was feeling, I gathered all my strength to get up. Inalalayan ko si mama patungo sa sasakyan. I was being careful for him not to notice us.

I drove the car on the way to my condo. That's the safest place I could ever think of. Papa never goes there. While driving, tinawagan ko na rin sila Tito Raul and Zeke to inform them of what happened.

"Zeke, papunta ako sa condo ngayon. Andyan ka ba?"

["Yes, Dee. What's wrong? Your voice sounds hoarse."]

"I'll explain later. Just prepare my emergency kit and a cold compress please. Don't tell this to anyone. I'm on my way."

I ended the call without waiting for him to answer. Namalayan ko nalang na humihikbi na pala si mama sa tabi ko. She was covering her mouth while looking outside the window. Her wedding ring is still there on her finger. It must've been hard for her to love someone so brutal to her.

Hindi ko na rin napigilan ang iyak ko nang makita ko ang itsura niya. She had bruises all over her body. I wanted to kill myself for not being able to protect her.

I jolted to a stop when I realized we're in front of a stoplight. I took the chance to hold mama's hand.

"Ma, it's okay. Everything will be okay. We're free now, ma. I'm here to protect you. Don't worry." I looked at her with reassuring eyes.

"A-anak, I m-must b-be the one p-protecting you. M-masyado akong n-nagpadala sa p-pagmamahal ko sa k-kaniya to the point na nagbulag-bulagan ako. And now, you're suffering because of me. I should've l-left h-him a long t-time ago", she weakly said.

"Shh, ma. It's okay. Just rest. You don't need to say anything. It's not your fault."

When we arrived at my condo, I covered mama with her shawl and brought her up to my unit.

"Dee!" salubong sa amin ni Zeke nang buksan niya ang pinto. Napatingin siya kay mama. "Tita? What happened?", he asked confused. "Let's bring her inside. We need to treat her wounds."

Inalalayan namin sa mama sa kama ko at binalutan namin siya ng kumot. She was shivering intensely. I gently placed my hand on her forehead to feel her and she was burning hot.

"Zeke, call your cousin for me please. I don't want to bring her to the hospital just yet. Papa's still on the loose. I'll explain later I promise."

He went out of the room and called his cousin who is also our family doctor. 

Suddenly, a felt pain vibrated all over my back. Ilang beses akong tinamaan ni papa sa likod kaya ang kirot nito. I didn't really pay attention to it because it wasn't that bad compared to what he did to mama. 

A minute later, Zeke came back.

"Dee, she's still in the hospital right now. It might take her an hour to get here. Umuulan kasi tsaka traffic. But she told me what to do", Zeke said.

Just then, my phone rang and saw Dani's caller ID on it. I bit my lip and contemplated on whether I should answer it. I'm such in a bad place and I didn't want her to be involved. I didn't want to worry her.

"Zeke, you know what to do right? I'll just answer this call." I went out of the room and attended to my phone. 

["Dee."] Her voice. I missed listening to that angelic voice.

"B-bub...I missed you." I felt my voice crack. 

["Where are you?"], she said in a monotone voice. Her voice sounded different. She wasn't amused about what's happening between us.

"In my condo. Why?" I tried to sound as casual as possible to hide the pain I'm feeling. 

["I'm going there now. Let's talk."] 

"But-" Before I could answer, she already hung up the phone. She sounded serious. I wanted to tell her that now's not the time especially because my mother is here. But I didn't want to feed her all up with the words I keep on saying to her. Napabuntong hininga ako. 

I went back to my room to check on mama. Sumandal ako sa may pintuan. I saw Zeke putting a cold towel on top of her forehead. She was already fast asleep. Awang-awa ako kay mama. Ni wala man lang akong nagawa para sa kaniya. 

"She'll be ok", Zeke said and tapped my back. "Si Tito ba may gawa nito?", he asked. I gave him a questionable look. 

"Before you came, I saw the news about him. Pinaghahahanap na siya ng mga police ngayon", he said. 

I looked down on the floor. 

"Di ko alam kung bakit kami humantong sa ganito. I could've stopped all of this from happening.  I was too focused on myself."

"What's done is done, Dee. He'll be paying for everything", Zeke said reassuring me. 

"Thanks Zeke." He grabbed my hand and gave me a quick hug. 

Maya't maya pa ay may narinig kaming doorbell. 

"That's probably Dani." I slowly got up and fixed myself. To be honest, I was really taking my time. I didn't want to open the door. Baka hindi ko magustuhan ang susunod na mangyayari.

"Zeke, bantayan mo si mama. I'll just talk to Dani outside." Tinanguan niya ako. 

I went out to the living room and stood in front of the door. I took a deep breath before opening it. Her eyes pierced through mine looking so emotionless. I stepped aside to give her way. She came in and as soon as I closed the door and faced her, she slapped me right on my face. I was taken aback. I did not expect her to do that to me. 

"Y-you and Zara, huh?" I gulped.

"Bub, l-let me e-explain..." I tried to compose myself but I couldn't. Tears rolled down my face. 

"Palagi mo nalang sinasabi yan. I don't need any of your excuses anymore!", she shouted at me while stabbing my chest. 

"I d-didn't want to h-hurt you."

That was all I could say. I know she's hurting too and from my perspective, it'll be a lot easier for her if she didn't know what's happening with me. 

"Pero sa ginagawa mo ngayon sa akin, mas lalo mo akong sinasaktan. All I ever wanted was for you to be with me. Ang dami kong problema ngayon but at the end of the day, you're the only person I want to be with to ease the pain I'm feeling. Pero nasan ka? Nandun kay Zara who happens to be my sister? Ginagawa niyo akong tanga! Ginagawa niyo akong bobo! You were supposed to get fucking married! And you told me your company was doing well but I just found out that you got bankrupt. Why are you feeding me such lies?"

Sa bawat salitang kaniyang binitawan ay may kasamang kirot sa aking puso.

 At pano niya nalamang na bankrupt kami? I furrowed my brows in confusion. 

"How did you..." I paused and thought for a second. Mukhang alam ko na kung sino ang nagsabi sa kaniya ng mga yan. "Papa..."

"Bakit hindi mo sinabi sa akin lahat ng ito? Bakit?! Kailangan ko pa bang malaman sa ibang tao ang mga nangyayari sayo?!" She continued shouting at me until I lost my patience.

"Because I didn't want to burden you!" I was quite taken aback with my sudden outburst. "Just like what you said, may mga problema ka din. Did you seriously think you're the only one suffering? Sa tingin mo ba pag nagsama tayo at nagsabihan ng problema, would that solve anything? How could two broken people fix each other?", I said while in the verge of tears. 

All that is running through my mind is how could she come here and accuse me of cheating on her when she saw how messed up I was? I have bruises all over my face but she didn't bother to ask me if I was okay. Hindi na siya yug katulad dati na kapag nakikita niyang pagod ako galing sa trabaho, she'll sit on my lap and cuddle me like there's no tomorrow. 

She changed.

And it's my fault. 

"I'm sorry. It's just that wala kang alam sa pinagdadaanan ko ngayon, Dani", I apologized. 

No matter how much I'm hurting at the moment, I don't want her to feel like siya ang may pagkukulang. Kasi sa totoo lang, ako talaga ang may kasalanan. I want to set things right but now is really not the time for that. 

"Exactly. So how am I supposed to understand you when I don't know anything?", she asked. 

She became quiet for a while until she said something that made my heart drop. 

"Let's just end this"

Her voice echoed through my ears. I did't want to believe we'd end up here. 

I immediately knelt in front of her and gripped her hand. "No, please. Dani, please. I'm sorry. I'll do everything just don't go, please." 

She roughly took away her hand from me. 

"I'm sick and tired of giving you more chances, Dee. They just go to waste anyway."

I got a hold of her right leg and I embraced it as if my life depended on it. I bawled my eyes out. I didn't care if naririnig ako nila mama at Zeke. I just don't want to lose her like this. 

"Dani, please." 

She dragged her leg with me as she walked to the door. 

"Stop it, Dee! This is not gonna work anymore."

A few minutes passed before I let go of her leg. I guess we really just need to end this. Nasasaktan lang namin ang isa't-isa. We both need to cool off and settle our problems first. 

"G-goodbye, Dee."

I firmly closed my eyes while my tears fell on my face. 

"I will wait for you no matter how long it takes. I-Ikaw l-lang..." I hit my chest. "...ikaw lang a-ang l-laman nito." 

Babalikan kita, Dani when the right time comes. When both of us are free from what is bothering us. 

I clenched my fist when I heard the sound of the door close. 

She's gone. 

I thought it was you and me against the universe, Dani. 

We gave up on each other way too easily. We turned away when we needed each other. We were both selfish and I couldn't blame you for that because I know that you just wanted to be happy in my presence. But I failed you. 

I'm sorry.  

You deserve so much better, Dani. I promise I'll fix myself and come back for you. And hopefully by that time, I'll be more deserving of you. 

The star will always find its way beside the moon like how my heart will always find its way to yours. 

**End of chapter**