Chapter 3: Is This Called Home?

The Olivarez called for a family dinner and Keilah knew that they would be discussing what happened earlier at their workplace. She still couldn't erase in her mind what her older sister told her, now it is confirmed that her family were threatened by how she freely moves in the hospital that is why they are trying to get rid of her. Alam niyang pagtutulungan na naman siya ng mga ito pero kailangan niyang ipakita na hindi siya natatakot, kailangan niya rin humanap ng paraan para protektahan niya ang sarili niya. Keilah wants what is best for her family but seeing that their dirty works are staining her name, she wants to get away from them. She is not involved in their business, in fact she couldn't understand it the first time she started her work.

Keilah grew up believing that she took a medical course to serve the community and help the patients to find cure for them. Her mother was the one who decided for her to take the program, she really thought having a family of doctors could be really cool because they can be of good service to the community. Her fairytale-like dreams came to shattered when reality uncovered the veil in her eyes. Kahit paano ay gusto pa rin niyang ipagpatuloy ang nasimulan na trabaho, she wants to challenge herself and knowing that she could be the only one to ruin her family’s business and name by exposing them satisfies her inner thoughts. She loves them, but she doesn't tolerate murderers.

“Miss Olivarez, pinapatawag na po kayo ni Maam Kassandra,” sambit ng secretary niya. Bahagya na lamang siyang napabuntong hininga bago tinignan ang sarili sa salamin na nakadikit sa wall ng room niya.

“Kaya ko ba talagang harapin sila?” bulong niya sa sarili niya. “Oh gosh, this is killing my inner peace. Of course I can face them, it's not like I was the one who did wrong.” Patuloy niyang kinombinsi ang sarili niya hanggang sa may lakas loob siyang tuluyang mag punta.

She drove home, and her thoughts are bothering her. It has been years since Keilah moved out of their mansion, she just thought it would be better to live alone and distance herself from them. She is deeply aware that her life is in danger even before she moved out from their roof, she would find herself being strangled in the middle of the night or nearly drunk a poison. Keilah wants to investigate further about all the attempts she encounters, pakiramdam niya ay hindi siya ligtas sa sariling pamamahay dahil hindi niya alam kung sino ang dapat pagkatiwalaan.

In spite of all of those incidents, she still survived. She has to live.

She snapped back in her senses when she arrived at the main entrance. Her eyes trailed the rusty metal gate indicating that the place is quite old, “They haven't renewed the paints, sa sobrang busy nilang lahat kinakalawang na itong bahay.” Inis siyang nag patuloy sa pag da-drive nang pinapasok siya ng house guard.

Nakita naman niya sa unahan ang mga kotse ng kapatid niya na naka-park sa harapan. “I guess I’m late again? Ano pa bang bago?” She parked her car and walked inside her old home, in fact it doesn't feel like home as before. This house gave her too much trauma, she can't imagine herself coming back to this place but looks like she disappoints herself again.

“Andito na pala siya,” Narinig niya ang boses ng nakatatanda niyang kapatid na si Khloe. Nakaupo ito sa sala kasama ang asawa nito na kasamahan rin nila sa ospital.

“Wala nang bago, she is always late.” Rinig naman niyang komento ng nakababatang kapatid na si Karter.

Tahimik lamang siyang nag lakad papunta sa kusina upang puntahan ang ina, sinalubong naman siya ng yakap nito. “Keilah, how are you sweetie? Narinig ko ang nangyari kanina, I was worried.” Keilah simply let out a fake smile and hugged her mother back, her trust issues can’t take it anymore.

“Ma, pwede ba huwag na muna natin yan pag usapan?” Kacie entered the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water.

“Oo nga pala, since we are now complete, why don't we have our seats and enjoy our dinner together?” Kassandra called out her children to prepare for dinner, with a smile on her face she placed the plates on the table and took out the food. Seeing her children dining in together makes her heart happy, alam niyang hindi nagkakasundo ang mga ito ngunit iba ang saya kapag nakikita silang lahat na magkakasama.

“Where’s grandma?” Karter asks and sits beside her sister Kacie.

“She’s in her room, papunta na rin yon dito.”

Keilah did not proceed to take her seat, she momentarily glanced at them and said “I'll go and call her.”

Kamila seems to be not in her best mood, due to what happened earlier she nearly had a heart attack. Good thing the doctors assisted her and gave her medication, however, seeing that Keilah disobeyed her, she wanted to punish the child. Mahalaga sa kanya ang kompanya at negosyo nila, kung kaya ay hindi siya papayag na basta-basta lamang itong bumagsak.

They began to have their dinner, tahimik silang kumain at mahahalatang may sama ng loob sila sa isa’t isa. Keilah didn't make any sound at all, she knew at any moment her grandmother would call out her name. “Keilah,” at ayon na nga ba ang sinasabi niya.

“Po?” she paused from eating and gently put down her spoon.

“Are you aware of what you've done at the conference earlier?” Kamila didn't hesitate to ask her granddaughter directly. Bahagya namang napa sulyap sa direksyon nila ang mga kapatid habang tahimik na nagpapatuloy sa kinakain.

“I'm sorry po.”

“Do you think your sorry will fix the possible damage you've caused?” Her voice speaks authority, that’s one of Kamila Olivarez assets and she will use it to anyone who dares to hinder her in every plan she plots.

“I still don't understand why it's my fault. As far as I remember, wala naman po akong ginawang mali. I was about to save the man’s life, anong mali doon?” Hindi na naman napigilan ni Keilah ang sumagot, she wants to be straightforward as possible but seeing that Kamila is way too sensitive than before, wala na siyang magawa kung hindi maging maingat sa pananalita niya. She can't afford to lose her grandmother.

“Can't you understand that it's a business?” singit ng kapatid na si Karter.

“I am not talking to you, Karter.” Nagsisimula nang mainis si Keilah, alam niya kung saan na naman ito mapupunta pero hindi niya hahayaang basta-basta nalang siyang apak-apakan.

“Damn you!”

“Huwag mo akong babastusin, ate mo pa rin ako!”

“Keilah, Karter! Ano ba? Hindi na kayo mga bata, act professional please.” Hindi naman mapigilan ni Kassandra na sitahin ang dalawa. Maging siya ay nagtitimpi lang rin, ngunit kailangan rin nilang mapag sabihan ng hindi dinadaan sa away.

“Look at those attitudes of yours! Ganito ko ba kayo pinalaki? Anong klaseng mga ugali iyan? Pinahiya niyo ako sa harap ng board members, what can I expect more from all of you?”

“Mamita–”

“I am going to suspend you for a week, Keilah. One of our shareholders wants to work with us, I don't want to waste the opportunity and let it pass. Torrent Perez is much better of a doctor than you, I can’t believe naging apo pa kita.” Her last words are like daggers that could pierce anyone’s soul. Maging ang mga kapatid ni Keilah ay napatingin kay Kamila nang sabihin niya iyon.

“Ma naman, you can't just say that. Give her another chance, she wants to work in our hospital because she wants to serve us. Magaling na doktor si Keilah, she can easily file a leave form and work abroad.” Pagtatanggol naman ni Kassandra sa anak, bahagya namang yumuko si Keilah at tahimik na pinapakalma ang sarili niya. She knows any moment she could bark out of frustration, she hates it when she is being compared with other people.

“What do you want me to do, Kassandra? I don't tolerate such behavior. Ilang beses ko na pinagsasabihan ang mga anak mo na itama ang mga ugali nila, especially Keil. Good thing I did not fire her. Suspension for a week would be enough to fix the damage, I can't believe we nearly lost a client.”

Keilah sighed and continued eating, she lost her appetite but it would be rude to walk out. Her tears were about to fall down her cheeks but she chose to never show her weak side, she believes that crying makes her even weaker. They finished off their dinner with a heavy heart, their mother asked her to stay for the night but she knows she might find herself in the middle of seeing her own death. Keilah chooses to drive home to her condominium and snooze herself, she is exhausted mentally, emotionally and physically. Yet despite all that, she is still looking forward to a brighter day tomorrow.

On the other hand, Rogue is wide awake while sitting on his study table and facing his laptop with a weary look. He has been studying the documents that his father handed for his new task, he still couldn't believe that he will be doing it alone. Kouen already left the country for his new assignment, it was told that it's a secret mission and Rogue doesn't want to find out. “I should be sleeping by now, this is unhealthy. I've been doing this for a week, damn.” He groaned in pain when he felt his head hurting. Wala naman siyang magawa kundi tapusin agad ito bago pa man siyang tuluyang madala sa katamaran.

Being alone in his unit is worrisome, he would find himself always lying in bed and couldn't even afford to get up to take a shower or have his meals. Now he is starting to miss his best buddy, Kouen Anderson, who was responsible for cooking his favorite food and cleaning the house, although that guy is known to be obsessed with video games, he can still manage his time and prioritize the most important things.

“I better call that dumbass and annoy him,” Rogue took out his phone and dialed his friend’s account. He turned on the video chat and after a few seconds, he answered.

“How’s my homie right there?” Kouen’s stern expression filled the entire screen and as usual he was in the middle of playing his video game. He was supposed to crack a joke but his looks are way too opposite of what he wants to sound like. His hair is quite messy and he is not wearing any shirt on, Rogue placed his phone in his phone holder and continued digging into his computer.

“Are you working on your new task? All I could say is good luck.” Kouen shrugged and had a mouthful of strawberry ice cream while still in his game, Rogue tried to focus himself on his little study but he couldn't keep up.

“Hey, do you know this woman named Keilah Olivarez? I heard you mentioning her name the last time this was given to me.” he asked and continued to scroll down on his computer while checking out the info from the documents on his table.

“Dude, you don't want to know. Baka mag back out ka,” Kouen jokingly uttered and he thought it was supposed to be funny, siya lang rin naman ang natatawa sa sarili niya.

“Ano nga? What are the things you know about her?”

“I don't know her personally pero pamilyar ang pangalan niya. I thought I've seen her before, hindi naman ako nagkamali kasi hospital pala nila iyong pinasok namin dati,” Kouen paused his game for a moment and drink a box of milk.

“What on earth are you drinking? Gatas ba yan?” Pangungulit naman ni Rogue at tinawanan ang kaibigan sa kabilang linya.

“Hindi ba halata?”

“Grow up, dude.” Isang mapangasar na tawa ang kumawala sa bibig ni Rogue bago pinag patuloy ang tanong niya. “Ano nga?”

Nagsisimula namang mapikon si Kouen dahil sa inasta ng kaibigan, “As what I know, she is a surgeon in their own hospital, suplada siya at ang blunt mag salita. If I were you, I wouldn't involve myself with her, she's not the type of girl you'd mess with.”

“Interesting,” Rogue commented, which made Kouen nearly spill the milk from his mouth.

“What made you find her interesting? She has that beauty but pass ako sa ganyang ugali,” komento naman ni Kouen at nagpatuloy sa nilalaro niya.

“What else?” Rogue opens his note and typed down the information he received from his friend.

“I think she has two older sisters and one younger brother, as I've heard, they are family of doctors. Ang cool diba? Kaso ang sama ng mga ugali, walking redflag kamo.” Gusto namang tumawa ni Rogue habang pinapakinggan ang sinasabi nito.

“I’ll be asking a lot of questions from you so you better put all your ears on me.”

“Aren't you sleepy? Gabi na dyan ah.”

“I’ll just finish this one then I’ll knock myself off.”