CHAPTER 20

I'm driving back in my Honda Accord, having just come out of Terminal 3 at NAIA. After spending two weeks with my family, I am alone again. I dropped them all off at the airport as they returned to Canada.

I became more emotional than them because I didn't know when I would be able to see them again. They promised to come to my wedding next year. Eric and I decided to extend the preparation.

I also promised my family we would visit them in Canada with Eric after our wedding. I still have a lot of paperwork to handle before we can go to that country.

My Android phone rang, and I answered it using my Bluetooth earphones. "Hey, Tita Cecile, why did you call?"

I stopped the car because the traffic in E.D.S.A. became a sea of red lights.

"Can you have a sleepover here in my unit tonight? Eric requested it. He will chat with us on Skype."

"It's okay, but I must head home first and grab some clothes."

"I'll wait for you. Come here for dinner. Have you already brought your family?"

I sighed. "Yeah, Tita. The departure was a bit delayed initially but still went through."

"That's just how it is, Ara. Your work is here, and you have no choice."

"Yeah, that's true. Luckily, you and Eric are here. You are my family away from my real family."

"Oh dear! You're becoming emotional. Come here tonight, and let's talk about it. Be careful when driving."

I am glad to have met Eric and his family. It's rare to find someone like Tita Cecile who cares for me even though we are not blood-related. Now that Eric and I are getting married soon, I'm so excited to be part of their family.

A surge of excitement washed over me because I wanted to see Eric's face now. I mostly hear his voice when he calls me. I have been missing him for two weeks.

***

"I will stay here for a while. My dad was unconscious at the hospital. He suffered a stroke. My uncles and aunts were all here with me," Eric said.

The dark circles around his eyes and creased forehead showed how tired he was. I watched him on the laptop's monitor on the coffee table while Tita, Cecile, and I sat on the sofa together.

I took a deep breath as my brow furrowed, observing his current situation. "Take care of yourself. You seem tired. Don't let yourself get too stressed, or you might get sick. I miss you so much. Tita Cecile and I will pray for your dad."

I felt guilty because I couldn't do anything. These are the moments when I should be by Eric's side. However, processing a U.S. visa in our country takes a long time, so it will be impossible to accompany him there. It's a good thing we have Skype and other forms of technology. Communicating with him wasn't a burden, but I can't help but feel affected by what he's going through right now.

I rub my temple as Tita Cecile approaches me with coffee. Our video chat ended at two o'clock in the morning.

I took the cup from her and placed it on the coffee table. "I am worried about Eric, Tita. It seems like I won't be able to sleep because of this."

"Just relax, Ara," Tita Cecile said. She sat beside me and rubbed my back. "Worrying won't help."

"How's Tita Carol?" I asked her.

She let out a sigh. "My sister was worried too, like Eric, but she couldn't do anything about it. It seems like Eric's grandmother is still angry at her. But she and her husband both have faults toward each other. They divorced due to irreconcilable differences."

"I feel sorry for Eric. He was the one –" I paused, talking.

The sound of a banging door disrupted our conversation. There was a thunderous knock. I exchanged a glance with Tita Cecile. She got up and hurried over to open the door, and I followed suit.

When she peeked through the door, I heard the voice of a very anxious woman. "Hide us, please! We beg you; he's coming here."

Startled, Tita Cecile opened the door for the woman right away. Just as she came in, I discovered that it was the same woman I had previously seen. Her child, who also cried, was beside her. They both trembled from an unknown fear, and my heart sank from an overwhelming concern about them. Derek and Hans also came out of their bedroom, probably disturbed by the noise.

Tita Cecile closed the door quickly and locked it. "Just calm down. We will call the police."

The child's mother was having difficulty breathing and noticed that her left cheek turned red. Tension rising, I faced the weeping child and asked a question. "What happened?"

The little boy didn't utter a single word. His face was gleaming from his tears while his body still trembled. My heart weakens out of sympathy for them.

"Ma! I'm going out. I'll check it," Derek interjected.

Tita Cecile scolded him. "No, Derek, stop it. You might get into trouble."

"Me? With my size, I can handle it."

"Derek, your mom is right," I cut in. I noticed his clenched fist. "Let's just call the police. They will take care of it."

He took a deep breath and stepped back. But another knock came, with a volume threatening to shatter the door.

A man's voice appeared out of nowhere. "Ma!" the man cried, "PLEASE COME OUT NOW." His voice was deep.

Tita Cecile curled her arms around the woman as if she were trying to protect her. I noticed that she was still having trouble breathing.

But Derek had enough as he rushed to the door. "Derek, what are you doing? Don't open that," Tita Cecile scolded him.

She held his son's left arm because her right arm was embracing the mother. I also intervened, along with Hans. Derek challenged the voice outside. "Mom! Let me out. I will teach him a lesson. Don't worry, I can handle it."

With all his might, he opened the door, and we all screamed. But Derek only made it to the door and couldn't go out. I heard many voices talking on the other side, but I couldn't see what was happening because Derek blocked my view. I could see the backs of many people while the child was still in my embrace. He wouldn't stop crying.

"If you don't stop, we will call the police! We will have you arrested," said an elderly man's voice. Derek was peeking out alongside Hans. I took the mother and her son to the living room with Tita Cecile.

"I'm Sorry! I want to talk to my wife. I didn't mean to hurt her," I heard from outside.

"Son, we will not allow you to speak to them. Please go back to your unit when you have a clear mind."

Once more, Tita Cecile and I exchanged glances. The mother sat on the sofa beside us, her eyes swollen from crying. Her son sat at her side and curled his arms around her body. Tita Cecile stood up and left me with the two when she saw Derek finally come out to meddle.

"Please, please, please! I want to talk to them! Ma, I'm sorry," the man's voice pleaded between his sobs.

The woman turned to the door in a daze. She seemed to have come back to her senses. "I'll talk to him,"

She was about to leave the sofa, but I stopped her. I took hold of her left arm. "Miss, let's not do anything for now so the situation won't worsen. Let them call the police to resolve this."

Then she burst out crying and started begging me. "Ma'am, please don't do that. I'll go out and talk to him."

"Look at your son. He is terrified, so please don't leave him," I said. Her mind is in turmoil. I am observing her actions and reactions to what is happening around us. "I'm not trying to interfere with your decisions, but please don't go out yet. They will handle the situation. Just wait. This is also for your safety."

She sat back on the sofa and hugged her son once again.

Tita Cecile's voice caught my attention as my eyes went toward the door. "We will never let you see your son and wife! What you did to them was not right. We will have to call the police. Don Brando, please take him away from here."

As the noise outside grew louder, the tension seemed to escalate. An older woman showed up at the door. She was wearing a bathrobe and silk pajamas. She came running over to us.

"Are they okay now? What happened?" the older woman said in a calm voice. The mother, sitting on the sofa, did not answer. She constricted her arms around her child while staring into space again.

I speak to the older woman instead. "I think she was experiencing an anxiety disorder, ma'am. Let's calm her down first and her child as well. They can stay with us for now. Please tell them to keep an eye on her husband and guard them."

The older woman nodded silently and stroked the child's hair before leaving. I sighed and watched the mother and child. I had been right all along to suspect. As a woman who cares for the mother, hundreds of thoughts ran through my mind. I wanted to help them because they now had P.T.S.D.

At that moment, I unexpectedly gained responsibility for the two of them.