"What? Nasaan kayo? Pupunta ako. Is Mel's fine?" Nanginginig kong tanong. Lumakad ako palayo sa kanila, pero ramdam kong sinusundan ako ni Thaddeus na hinayaan ko nalang.Suddenly, as I turned a corner, I was confronted by my father. His face was a mask of fury, his eyes blazing with anger. Before I could react, he delivered a harsh slap across my face, sending my phone skittering into the sea. The sting and shock of the blow made my tears spill uncontrollably.The pain was not just physical but emotional, compounded by the weight of my father’s rage. I stood there, trembling, my heart pounding with a mix of guilt and confusion. Was this the moment I had been bracing myself for, Cali?"What did you do, Cali?!" my father roared, his voice echoing off the walls. "Why did you hide everything from me?! Era’s pregnant and missing?! And Mel too?! Damn it, Calliope! You had your siblings with you, but you couldn’t even keep a proper watch over them?!" His anger was palpable, and every word c
It's been four weeks since Thaddeus and I had a proper talk. Tumatawag parin siya, pero palaging oo o hindi lang ang naging sagot ko sa kanya.I know he's trying to comfort me even at this crucial time for me and my family. But I still can't get my head straight.Sobrang lutaw na lutaw parin ako lalo nang hindi pa nahahanap si Era at hindi parin nagigising si Mel. Bawat galaw ko sobrang bigat sa pakiramdam.'Yung feeling na buhay ka pero para ka naring namatay. Ganon ang ginagawa ko sa araw-araw ko dito sa Sicily.Tristan and Lia stayed even though Lia has an upcoming fashion showcase, yet isinantabi niya iyon para makasama ang kakambal niya.Tristan took a leave of absence from service. Hindi ko alam kung pwede ba iyon sa kanya, but he stayed. Even if his rank is at stake.Mommy's been here too; walang maayos na tulog kakabantay kay Mel.Ali continues her search for Erato, kasama ang mga bodyguards at Seirra Elite Team. Minsang sumasama sa kanila si Tristan to locate Era. But up until
Nasa private plane na ako, kasama si Lia at Ali pabalik ng Miami para sa trabahong naiwan namin nang umuwi kami dito sa Pilipinas. As I making myself comfortable, my phone rang, expecting a call from Thaddeus, but the name flashed on the screen was Monica."Yes, Monica?" I answered, trying to sound cheerful despite my exhaustion."M-Miss Cali... Urania..." Monica's voice trembled. I frowned, sensing something was wrong."What happened to Urania, Monica?" I asked, concern edging my tone. I began to open my laptop to go through some documents, trying to maintain focus.There was a prolonged silence from Monica's end, filled with heavy, uneven breathing. I could feel my anxiety rising. "Spill, Monica. I don't have much time to stay on the phone talking with you," I said, trying to stay calm."Miss Cali... Urania is sinking."Halos gumuho ang mundo ko nang marinig kong lumulubog ang Urania. How could this happen? We had checked and rechecked everything before setting sail. The Urania was
Nagising ako na nasa loob ng hospital. Kaagad akong napaupo pero ramdam ko ang pagkahilo at nanakit ng ulo dahilan para mapasigaw ako sa sakit."Cali! Cali, are you okay?" Lia's panicked voice cut through the fog of my mind. I saw her rushing toward me, but I pushed her away in my desperation to find answers."Si Thaddeus? Nakita na ba siya?" I demanded, my voice trembling as I reached for the lingering memory of his presence. The fear of losing him forever clawed at me.Lia bite her lips and shook her head. "No," mahinang sabi ko."No, Lia! We need to find Thaddeus! Umuulan na ng niyebe! He'll be frozen there. Please! Let's go find him!"“Cali, stop!” Ali’s voice was sharp and filled with urgency as she burst into the room, followed by Zen, Andrei, and Eros. Their faces were a blend of worry and exhaustion.Eros stepped forward, grabbing my hand with a force that made me wince. “Ano ba, Cali! You need to calm down!”“No! Let me go, Eros! I need to find Thaddeus! He’s out there! We ca
"Cali, kailangan mo munang magpahinga, you can't overwork yourself." Nag-aalalang sabi ni mommy tsaka kinuha si Anchor saakin. Kakagising lang ni mommy dahil kinukusot niya pa ang mata niya nang pumasok siya sa kwarto namin ni Anchor."Mom, I can manage, isa pa, sabado naman bukas. Walang pasok." Pagdadahilan ko. Kakauwi ko lang galing trabaho. Sobrang nakakapagod dahil ang dami kong kinakailangang asikasuhin dahil sa nangyari sa Urania nitong pitong buwan ng nakakalipas.The compensation to the passengers and the staff is still ongoing. We lost a million dollars in the accident, but still, we need to provide them with the excellence that our company provides.We have to. Para bumalik ang tiwala nila sa cruise ships namin. It was also reported by the first mate that the monitor has been off, the reason that they can clearly see what's going on while taking the route.Still, it's been mysterious to us why it happened. The engineers and even Thaddeus, checked it multiple times before set
Halos gumuho ang mundo ko nang makita ko si Thaddeus na nakatayo sa harapan ko. Nakakunot ang kanyang noong nakatingin saamin ni Anchor.Mas lalong kumunot iyon nang tawagin siyang Dada ni Anchor. Lumapit sa kanya ang bata at hinawakan ang kamay niya."Dada!"Hindi ko naman magawang maalis ang tingin ko kay Thaddeus. He's changed. And the way he look at me... Changed...."T-Thaddeus...""Who are you?"Tumulo ang mga luha ko nang sabihin iyon. Tuluyang gumuho rin ang mundo ko sa sinabi niya. Who are you. Fuck. Wala na bang mas sasakit doon?Ang hindi makilala ng mahal mo?"Dada! Dada!" Napatingin si Thaddeus sa bata at nagulat siya nang tuwang-tuwa ang bata nang makita siya.Anchor know his father. Gabi-gabi ko kwinukwento sa kanya si Thaddeus, halos walang oras na hindi niya nakikita ang litrato ng lalaki dahil gusto ko, habang lumalaki si Anchor, kilala niya ang ama niya.Umupo si Thaddeus para pantayan ang bata at pinatong pa kamay sa ulo ni Anchor, tsaka ngumiti ng matamis. "Sorry,
THADDEUS DELA VERAI stared blankly at the ocean, where the waves crashed fiercely against the shore. Despite the chaos of the sea, I found a strange comfort in its power. The night was dark, but the moon’s light was so bright that it outshone the stars.The cold breeze brushed against my skin, and I felt a tightness in my chest that I couldn’t quite understand. The calm of the night contrasted with the turmoil inside me, making the moment feel both peaceful and unsettling.“Thad,” I heard a voice and turned to see Jasmine approaching. She wore a thin fabric that barely covered her, shivering slightly in the cold.She sat on my lap, placing her hands on my shoulders, and leaned her head against my chest. “What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice soft.“Nagpapahangin. Ikaw?” sagot ko, halata ang pag-aalala para sa kanya. “Malamig na ah. Sobrang nipis pa ng sinuot mo, magkakasakit ka niyan.”Jasmine lifted her gaze, a hint of surprise in her eyes. She grinned and leaned closer. “A
THADDEUS DELA VERANaghahanda ako ng gamit ko para sa unang pasukan sa Smith International Academy. Sobrang tuwa ni mama nang makapasok ako roon, at libre lahat.Isa iyon sa pinakasikat at mahal na school sa lalawigan ng Cebu. Isa din sa school na may mataas na rate para sa mga nakapasok sa colleges."Oh, anak, heto baon mo. Ubusin mo ha!" Sabi ni mama habang pinapasok ang baon sa bag ko, habang ako naman ay nagsasapatos na bagong bili ni mama."Aba oo naman, ma! Luto mo 'yan e. Wala ng mas sasarap pa sa luto mo!" Nakangiti kong sabi."Aysus, Thadeo! Nangbola pa nga. Wala akong pera," anas ni mama kaagad kaya napatawa ako."Kiss nalang mama!" Sabi ko sabay tayo at lumapit kay mama para halikan siya sa pisngi."Oh siya! Bilisan mo na at baka mahuli ka pa sa unang araw mo sa SIA!" Sabay tulak ni mama saakin palabas ng bahay. Napanguso naman ako sa ginawa niya pero tumawa lang si mama."Bye ma! Bye pa!" Sabi ko sabay halik sa litrato ni papa na nasa tabi ng altar namin."Mag-iingat ka sa