"Caffè Mocha, please."
"185 pesos, Ma'am." ani Vlaster sa isang babaeng nasa edad 30's.
Nagpacute pa ito kay Vlaster bago umalis.
We've been looking for Moraine's Diary all day but we can't really find it. Kimara actually held the notebook but she also put it back on the table when she found out it was Moraine's Diary.
"Ano, wala pa rin ba?" Vlaster asked me.
Tumango ako at nilapitan si Moraine na busy pa rin sa paghahanap.
"Ipagpatuloy na lang natin ang paghahanap bukas." I said and she agreed.
The sun was about to set so we were already feeling tired at alam naming ganun din ang mga staffs kaya pinauwi na namin sila.
Hinintay muna namin ang shifts nila bago din kami umuwi nina Vlaster at Moraine.
"Cali, how's your coffee shop?" Dad asked me.
"It's okay Dad. Just like before, there are still a lot of customers" I replied.
"Cali, your Daddy and I wanted to tell you something."
Dad and I looked at Mom as she approached us.
"Amor, I don't think this is the right time for us to tell Calista." I looked at Mom as well as Dad.
"Dad, Mom, I don't want you to keep a secret from me. Ano po yun?" I asked.
"We are preparing this for a long time. Sorry Cali pero kailangan mong magpakasal." Mom replied. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang magiging reaksyon ko. Alam kong ginagawa nila ito para mas lalong dadami ang kanilang pera.
"W-what? Seriously Mom, Dad?" I tried to calm myself.
"You need to follow what we want, Calista." Dad said.
"I can't. Sorry pero kailangan ko po kayong suwayin sa pagkakataong ito." this is the first time na susuwayin ko ang kagustuhan nila para sa akin. Sinusunod ko naman sila pero pagdating sa lalaking mamahalin ko, hindi ko na kailangang sundin ang gusto nila para sa akin.
"Whether you like it or not, magpapakasal ka sa kaniya Calista." maotoridad na sabi ni Dad pero umiling lamang ako sa kaniya.
"You can't force me, Dad." I replied then I went to my room and left them there.
Hindi ko alam kung anong magiging buhay ko kung susundin ko ang kagustuhan nila. Basta basta na lamang nila akong ipakasal sa taong hindi ko kakilala. Ang malala pa dun, pati man lang pangalan niya hindi ko alam.
I slowly opened my bedroom's window and the moon appeared on me. Millions of stars were sprinkled behind it but the moonlight still dominates.
The moon's smile is sweet and I admire it. Even if it is not complete, it can still enlighten the whole world. But when the day comes, it will also disappear and that's the saddest part as a moon.
Marami tayong pagsubok na pinagdadaanan sa buhay ngunit kagaya ng buwan, we should shine in the darkness of our life and give way to the path of light. Kaya nga rin sumisikat ang araw para iparating nito sa atin na marami man tayong problema sa ngayon, masosolusyonan rin ito sa tamang panahon.
"Good night, Luna." sambit ko. I pulled the blanket up over my body and fell asleep in the moonlight.
Kinabukasan, maaga akong pumasok sa aming Coffee Shop. Nadatnan ko sina Vlaster at Moraine na seryosong nag-uusap habang ang iba naming staffs ay tahimik na nakayuko lamang sa gilid.
"What's going on here?" I asked them.
Vlaster looked at Moraine.
"We're losing 300,000 pesos, Cali." Vlaster replied.
That was a small amount for our parents but for the three of us, 300,000 pesos was a huge amount. We worked hard for that money.
"Anong nawawala? Baka nandyan lang yun."
"Cali, we've been looking for it everywhere but we can't find it. What kind of coffeeshop is this? All our belongings are gone. Bakit ba kasi hindi tayo pumayag na nagpakabit ng CCTV noon?" said Moraine.
"Sa mga night shift, wala man lang bang nakakita sa kanila kung sinong kumuha?" I asked.
"Tinawagan ko na si Rocky pero hindi niya alam na may nawawala sa pera natin." Vlaster replied.
Napabuntong hininga na lamang ako. Bakit ba sobrang daming dumarating na problema ngayon sa buhay ko?
"Maybe Felmar took it po. He needs 300,000 pesos para sa operasyon ng kaniyang bunsong kapatid." singit ni Kimara dahilan para sabay sabay kaming mapatingin sa kaniya.
I looked at the staffs one by one but Felmar was not among them.
"Where is Felmar? He can just borrow from us but why does he have to steal?" Moraine asked angrily.
"Moraine, we're still not sure if Felmar really took it. I don't think he can do that to us. Let's not blame him pero kung siya man ang kumuha, hayaan na muna natin kasi kailangan niya ng pera." I said and Vlaster agreed to me.
After a minute, Felmar came.
"Late po ba ako?" he asked. Lahat kami napatingin sa kaniya na kaagad namang ipinagtaka nito.
"B-bakit po? May dumi po ba sa mukha ko?" he asked again. Too innocent.
"Saan ka galing?" Kimara asked him.
"Sa Ospital, dumaan po ako saglit doon upang ibigay sa Mama ko yung 300,000 na gagamitin namin sa operasyon ng kapatid ko."
"See? Ikaw nga ang nagnakaw sa pera natin."
"T-teka, anong ninakaw? Wala akong ninakaw na pera, Kimara."
"Anong wala? Ikaw na nga mismo nagsabi na ibinigay mo yung 300,000 sa Mama mo. Sakto namang 300,000 yung nawawala sa pera natin. Magkatugma kaya ikaw ang kumuha." pamimilit ni Kimara.
"Yung 300,000 na sinabi ko, inutang ko yun kay Dshárz. Hindi ko magagawang magnakaw, Kimara. Mahirap lang kami pero walang magnanakaw sa Pamilya namin." he said and Kimara was speechless.
"Huwag kang mag-alala, Kimara. Mapapatunayan ko sayo yun at mapapahiya kung sino man yang magnanakaw na yan. Tatawagan ko na lang si Dshárz para sabihin niya po sa inyo ang totoo." Felmar added.
May kung anong kumiliti sa tagiliran ko nang marinig ang pangalan ng lalaking hinahangaan ko.