5. Elisha's wish.

"Good morning. I'm Hannah Rodriguez. May I know the office of Nate Sarmiento, please?" nasa lobby siya ng NS Hotel na pagmamay-ari ni Nate.

"Do you have an appointment with the GM?" Tinapunan siya ng magandang receptionist ng isang nanghuhusgang tingin.

"W-wala. But he'll see me---" hindi na niya natapos ang sasabihin nang mag-dial na sa telepono ang kausap.

It was already the third day na nasa poder ni Nate si Elisha. Pangatlong araw na niyang ‘di nakikita ang anak. Pangatlong araw na rin na iniisa-isa niya ang bawat NS Hotel sa pagbabakasali na baka doon nag-oopisina ang may-ari na si Nate. Ang kinaroroonan niya ngayon ang huling branch sa Maynila. After nito, kailangan na niyang lumabas sa mga probinsya.

Pero imposible naman na sa probinsiya ito naglalagi. Sigurado siya na dito lang sa Maynila naka-base si Nate. Kailangan niya lang ikutin ulit ang mga pinanggalingan na niya kung sakaling hindi pa rin siya palarin ngayon.

Nag-aalala na kasi masyado si Hannah at pakiramdam niya mababaliw na rin. Paano kung hinahanap na siya ni Elisha? Paano kung umiiyak ang anak niya at hindi ito kumakain? Alam ba ni Nate mag-alaga ng four years old na bata?

"I'm sorry, Ms. Rodriguez, but you are not allowed to see the General Manager," pukaw sa kanya ng receptionist matapos itong tumawag sa kung sino.

"Hindi Miss, kaibigan niya ako—"

"Miss, please leave in peace. Or I will call the security to drag you out," putol nito sa sasabihin niya, masyadong suplada para sa posisyon nito sa hotel. Hindi ba dapat malambing at mabait ang mga receptionist?

"You don't understand. Please, I need to talk to Mr Sarmiento. It's about my child-" pagmamakaawa niya pero nagtawag na ito ng security guard para palabasin siya ng building.

Wala na siyang maisip na ibang paraan para makausap si Nate. Hindi ito sumasagot sa tawag. At hindi rin siya makabalik sa bahay nito. She was losing hope but she was far from giving up. Alam niya, hinahanap siya ni Elisha.

Luckily though, habang kinakaladkad siya palabas sa building, nakasalubong niya si Nate. Kakadating lang nito. May kausap ito sa cellphone but he stopped when he saw her. Their eyes locked for few seconds bago ito nagtuloy tuloy ulit. But she wouldn't let the chance slip, right?

"Mr. Sarmiento!" lakas loob niyang tawag dito "Let's talk... Please." Kinakabahan siya, Nate looked so much different from the man she met a couple of days ago. He was undeniably, dangerously handsome with his black suit and tie. Every inch of him shouts how powerful of a man he was. Pero kahit na anong kaba at takot ang nararamdaman niya, Hannah had to try. "Nate, please," she begged. That's when he finally stopped to face her, napalunok siya as he gestured to the guards to let go of her.

"What is it you want, Hannah?" He looked at her the way she would know that she was bothering him.

"Let me see Elisha... please... please. I beg you, Mr. Sarmiento—"

"You're telling me where Olive is?" Malamig na tanong nito.

"I really don't know where she is. Please believe me. I don't even have communication with her. If I have, I'll ask her so I can tell you—"

"Then it's a no." Tumalikod na agad ito at ipinagpatuloy ang pakikipag-usap sa cellphone.

"You're so heartless!" she yelled, wala na siyang magagawa, she already lost her temper. "All I'm asking you now is you let me see Elisha!"

Hindi na siya nito pinansin. Sumakay na ito ng elevator and never looked at her again. Nanlulumong umalis siya pero nagpasya siyang hihintayin niyang lumabas si Nate. Pumwesto siya sa harapan ng hotel kung saan hindi niya mapapalampas ang paglabas nito. She never left her spot to make sure she wouldn't miss him. She skipped her meals and waited till she was no longer sure if he's still coming out of the building.

Nine PM na according to her wristwatch at kung ‘di pa siya aalis, baka mahimatay na siya sa gutom. Nate probably left from the basement na nakasakay na sa kotse kaya hindi na niya ito nakita. Hindi naman kasi niya alam kung anong kotse ang gamit nito.

So once again, she failed to see Elisha. She was crying while going home. Hindi niya deserve ang ginawa ni Nate. Four years, four years na pinalaki niya mag-isa ang anak na gusto nitong patayin. Hindi siya humingi ng tulong kahit na kay Olive. Tapos ngayon, kukunin na lang basta-basta sa kanya si Elisha? Hindi siya papayag. She'd die fighting for the only family she's got.

-----

"Mommy."

"Elisha?" nagmulat siya ng mga mata at sinalubong siya nang mataas na sikat ng araw at ng maamong mukha ng kanyang anak.

"Mommy, I missed you," the little girl rained her face with her tiny kisses.

"Elisha? Baby, is that really you? You're really here?" napabalikwas na siya ng bangon at niyakap nang mahigpit ang anak. She couldn't help but cry. She missed her so much. "Are you okay?" she cupped her face at tiningnan nang maigi ang mukha nito, mga braso as if to check if may tanda na sinaktan ang bata. "I'm so glad you're here– but how?"

Natigilan si Hannah nang marealize niya na hindi naman makakauwi mag-isa roon ang bata.

"Daddy brought me here," sagot ni Elisha at saka lang niya napansin na may kasama sila sa kwarto.

Leaning against the door frame was Nate in denim jeans and white v neck shirt. Hannah almost gasped at the sight of him. How did he manage to look awesome even when he was just standing there while watching them with evident boredom?

"Elisha wanted to see you," was the explanation he offered before she could say thank you. So she just nodded at him.

Though she wished na lumabas muna ito. Kagigising lang niya and obviously she wasn't in her best appearance. Not that she wanted to look good for Nate but she was worried he might take everything against her. 

Gaya nang natulog siyang suot pa niya ang damit niya kahapon at gaya ng pamamaga na ng mata niya dahil sa kakaiyak. Baka pagdudahan nito ang abilidad niyang alagaan si Elisha kung ‘di niya maalagaan ang sarili niya.

"I missed you, Eli." Niyakap niya ulit ang anak. "Mommy's so worried about you. Have you been okay?"

"Yes mommy!... Daddy is the best daddy ever," Elisha said cheerfully. "But I want to be with you mommy." Mahigpit ang yakap nito sa kanya. "Please, come with us."

Nasaktan siya sa sinabi ni Elisha. Paano magiging best daddy si Nate kung nasa tiyan pa lang ito ni Olive ay pinapapatay na ito ng ama nito? Surely, Nate didn't tell that to Elisha.

"Have you been crying mommy?" Elisha kissed her eyes. "Did I make you cry?"

"No... No baby... I'm just tired. You didn't make me cry," kaila niya na mahigpit ulit itong niyakap.

She thought she'd never see her again. She's feeling a lot better now...

"Can we talk?" Baling niya kay Nate who just nodded at lumabas ng silid. "Eli, magbibihis lang si mommy. Wait for me here, okay?"

"Yes, mommy."

She took a very quick shower and slipped to a decent dress. Sabay silang lumabas ni Elisha ng kwarto to find Nate waiting impatiently on the couch.

"S-sorry," she murmured. "Do you want coffee—"

"No," he said coldly. "Leave Elisha in the room so we can talk."

She obeyed like a child to her father. After all, she owed him seeing Elisha again.

"I and your daddy need to talk," she told Eli. "While we talk, you can play with your dolls, okay?"

"Yes mommy. I love you."

"I love you too, Eli."

Huminga muna siya nang malalim bago bumalik sa kinaroroonan ni Nate. She sat across from him while he did his usual scrutinizing gaze. Napalunok siya at how he looked at her like she's some kind of an organism under a microscope. Then his eyes stopped on her still swollen arm that he held tight three days ago. His eyes reflected anger in them as she heard him mutter a curse under his breath.

"Hannah," umpisa nito na nakatingin na sa mga mata niya. "Much as I hate letting Elisha see you, I think she needs you."

Nagliwanag ang mukha niya. Finally, ibabalik na nito sa kanya ang anak niya.

"But, I am not letting my daughter live in this filthy apartment of yours," he said, adding how they easily entered the apartment kahit naka-lock iyon. Laglag ang balikat ni Hannah and was about to beg Nate to reconsider when he said, "So my offer is, you come with us."

"Are you serious?" Hindi siya makapaniwala and she didn't hide how surprised she was at his offer.

"It's Elisha's wish." He shrugged.

"But is it okay with you?"

"Do you really have to ask me that?" His brows furrowed in annoyance. "Of course not! You still owe me the four long years that you hid my daughter from me! And if it's not Elisha's wish, I wouldn't want to see you again"

"Hid your daughter? Are you serious?" Gusto na niyang magalit. "Mr Sarmiento, hindi ba't gusto mong ipa-abort ni Olive ang anak ninyo? And Olive would have willingly obeyed you. It was just I who convinced her na ituloy ang pagbubuntis niya. So, saan galing ang ibinibintang mo that I purposefully hid your daughter from you?"

"What are you talking about?" Naningkit ang mga mata nito. "I don't even know she got pregnant! I will never hurt my child, Hannah!"

"You're not serious." Nagulat siya sa reaksyon ni Nate. "Liv won't lie to me... So, if you didn't know that she got pregnant, what makes you so sure that Elisha is your daughter?" Kasi kung totoo na hindi nito alam na buntis noon si Olive, ang ibig lang sabihin no'n ay ang kaibigan niya lang ang nagtangkang ipalaglag si Elisha. Mas sumakit ang puso niya sa naisip. Hindi masamang tao si Olive.

"Don't ask the obvious." He stood up, pero halatang galit pa rin ito. "So, are you coming or not?"

"How did you know about Elisha?" She asked instead, somehow she wanted to know if it was just his money that worked it out or somebody just spilled the secret to him. And for a while she felt her heart ache at the possibility of betrayal by the only person who knew about Elisha aside from her.

'It couldn't be.'

Nate didn't answer. Sa halip ay nagpatiuna na ito sa paglabas after telling her na binibigyan lang siya nito ng one hour para dalhin lang lahat ng importanteng bagay na kakailanganin niya.

As if naman madami siyang gamit. Tama ito, salat sa materyal na bagay ang apartment niya. Pero ang kakulangan nila sa gamit ay pinunan naman ng pagmamahal nila ni Elisha sa isa't isa. Sapat ng kayamanan niya ang kanyang anak. Kaya labis siyang natutuwa na makakasama niya ulit si Elisha.

Her daughter is her happiness...