–Caia–
I was excited to go home.
But I didn’t expect people to be near our house.
Music blasted, and they seemed to be having a party.
I frowned and rushed inside.
I heard someone calling my name, but I froze momentarily upon seeing my mom on the sofa on another man’s lap.
I looked at the room where we put Dad, just close to the living room.
“Caia!” Mom called as I rushed there.
Dad was on the bed, lying there like he was sleeping.
“Dad,” I called as I reached him, but somehow, he was cold.
Too cold.
“Dad!” I shook him.
He was stiff.
I pressed my ear to his chest.
“Dad…” I reached for his face.
He was cold.
Very cold, like he had been dead for a very long time.
My heart shattered instantly.
“Dad!!!!” I screamed.
“Wake up!”
“Caia!” Mom shouted at me and tried to pull me away from Dad.
“You said that he was in the hospital!”
My eyes also widened when I saw my youngest sister with bruises on her cheeks.
I put Dad down, and my instinct kicked in.
“What did you do?” I asked my mother.
“Where is all of the money that I sent you?” I shouted at her, but I received a hard slap across my face.
I glared at her.
“I need the money to pay for loans,” she said softly.
“Caia, I’m sorry about your dad, but he’s already dead.
We can’t do anything about him anymore.”
And that hurts more.
Not the slap, but her words.
I sold my body for my dad’s medical expenses.
Then, I came home.
He’s still in his room, uncleaned, already smelling like he hasn’t been sponged for a while, and not breathing anymore.
I don’t know what happened to me.
But it seemed like someone had taken over my body.
I pushed my mom hard until she hit the concrete wall.
A man entered and pushed me away.
“Caia!” My youngest sister, Agatha, reached me and hugged me while she cried.
I watched as my mother grabbed my bag.
I reached for it.
I tried to get it back, but she pushed me off.
No, she can’t see that card that had millions on it.
She can’t.
I want to punish her.
–Aamon–
I watched from the living room as I got closer, seeing how her crazy mother rummaged through her bag, taking out money and cards.
I reached for my phone to call the bank and freeze it.
But then, Caia pushed her mother and clutched her purse.
Then, she hugged her father while crying.
I stepped back slowly.
She can’t see me.
There was the other sister, wearing expensive clothes from head to toe, with shopping bags.
This is messed up.
I left the area, but I listened to them talking.
The husband was probably dead for hours by now.
I looked at the transient just across from Caia’s house.
I went inside and spoke to the caregiver.
“Mr.
Chris, right?” she said as I nodded.
I signed my fake name on the log.
She gave me a key to a room as I headed upstairs.
There was a terrace that had a nice view of my Caia’s house.
It was a mess back there.
I really wanted to help.
I watched from the window as the community ambulance arrived, along with the Barangay Captain, a female who spoke to Caia and even tried to comfort her.
They took the body, covered with a white cloth.
Caia entered the ambulance, clutching her bag.
The mother also came out, her face flushed while the neighbors started muttering.
“Tsk, tsk!” I looked down at the caretaker.
“He’s probably been dead for a while now.
They’ve been having a party for two days.”
I watched from the window as the second daughter, Lilith, spoke to her mother aggressively.
Just how dirty and dark it is.
I reached for my phone and called my father.
He answered after a few rings.
“Aamon, why aren’t you at the office?”
“I already finished my work, Father,” I said in a low voice.
“Remember the Blackwoods?”
He was silent for a while.
“What about them?”
“I heard that you’ve been looking for them.
Guess what?”
“What?”
“Eric is dead.”
There was a long silence.
“He’s been dead in his bed for a day or two now.
The eldest daughter found him while Celestina was throwing a party at their home.”
“Celestina.” His voice was nearly a growl.
We all knew that Celestina was a gold digger before Eric married her.
“Give me the address.”
“Sure.”
I hung up and gave him the address.
I watched the chaos unfold.
I made a few phone calls to arrange a few things.
–Caia–
I think I heard someone talking to me, but I couldn’t understand it.
Then, someone squeezed my hand.
I raised my head to look at my sister.
There were bruises on her face.
I reached for it.
“Tell me what happened?” I pulled her down to sit.
“Mom was not gonna tell you,” she muttered.
“She had a gambling debt of 500k.”
“I gave her more than that,” I muttered.
My heart ached.
“Why isn’t Dad in the hospital?”
“She was never gonna send Dad there.” She started sobbing.
“I tried, really, really tried to tell you, but she took my phone and locked me up.
She said that she’ll sell me if I tell you.”
I hugged her.
I didn’t know how much she had suffered under Mom’s abuse.
“How about Lilith?”
I think I saw that sister of mine eating wherever she wanted while our sister was this thin.
I sent her money too for her college.
I had never thought that I’d come home to find her wearing nice clothes while our sister, Agatha, wore my old clothes.
“We are leaving after Dad,” I muttered.
The funeral company prepared everything.
I made sure that Dad had a grand funeral.
A monument, too.
I have enough money for that, and I will never give my mother money again.
I want her to suffer.
Instead of going home, Chief Gayle, our barangay captain, suggested that I use the covered court just close to our home.
There was a room for us to stay in.
I nodded as she hugged me.
I have known her since I was a kid, and she indeed helped us settle into the house that Dad bought for us after the family business went bankrupt.
All day, Agatha and I took care of everything.
I made sure that she ate and bought her new clothes instead of those tattered ones while my dad was being taken care of.
I didn’t shed a tear.
I need to be strong for my sisters.
I watched her eat like she hadn’t eaten in a while.
“Slow down,” I said softly.
She nodded.
“Tell me, who is that bastard Mom making out with?”
“He’s Carlo, a gang member.
Mom’s been with him for months.
I heard them talking about selling us to their club.”
My eyes darkened.
I’ve been a stripper for a few days back in that high-end club.
It’s not an easy job.
I even sold my virginity for it.
But somehow, I didn’t regret selling my virginity.
This time, I will provide for my siblings.
I don’t care about my mother now.
I hate her so much that I want to kill her.
I caressed her hair.
“I’ll take you to Manila.
I’ll find a boarding house for you in Quezon.
How about UP?
You said you wanted to go to that school.
There’s Ateneo…”
“It’s expensive.”
“No, it doesn’t matter.
Let’s start over again.”
I wiped her tears as she nodded.
We finally headed back as I paid in full using the card.
We also chose the coffin for Dad.
I don’t care about the prices now.
I want to give him a proper burial.
That’s what he deserves after years of sacrificing for us.
And as a daughter, I am ashamed that it’s all I could give.
I didn’t even get to talk to him.
My heart hurt so much, and my throat was closing from the pain.