Chapter 31 – Promise.

Hannah woke up a little bit heavy headed the next morning. She seemed like she caught Nate's colds. At siguro dahil din for the past day ay iyak lang siya nang iyak.

She was contemplating on the things that she lost because of her stupid decisions.

She shouldn't have left without talking to Nate first. Dahil sa ginawa niya, she left him an impression that she never really cared for him and Elisha. At sa lahat naman ng maibabatong akusasyon sa kanya, 'yon ang pinakamasakit.

Because it was never an easy decision to leave them. She died every day for three months. And they didn't have any idea how hard it was to keep moving on when the very reason she's still alive was no longer in her life.

Pinilit ni Hannah na bumangon. Mag-aaga siya ngayon. Kailangan niyang maunahan si Nate.

First step, be the ideal employee to Nate Sarmiento.

Thirty minutes later, nasa workstation na niya siya. Pati si Sarah wala pa. Nilinis niya ang area nila tapos umakyat na siya sa penthouse. Maglilinis siya sa opisina ni Nate. Ang bawal lang namang galawin ay ang lamesa nito. So pwedeng maglinis ng sahig.

Armed with a vacuum at pamunas, she made her way to his office. She cleaned the carpet at nagpunas din ng mga trophies/awards nito na nakalagay sa ibabaw ng mga shelves.

She was almost done cleaning nang mapatingin siya sa table ni Nate.

'Never ever touch anything on his desk.'

Kaso may nakita siyang picture frame na nakataob. Hindi naman siguro masamang iayos iyon. So she reached for it at dapat itatayo lang niya. Kaso nang makita niya kung anong litrato ang 'andoon, she had the urge to look at it closer.

It was her and Elisha in the picture. A candid shot. When they were on the farm for Eli's family day. Hindi nga niya alam kung kailan kinuhaan iyon ni Nate. Because in the picture, she was hugging Eli as they were looking at something. On their faces were big smiles.

Why would Nate have a picture of her when he could have simply framed a solo picture of his daughter?

She found herself smiling, oblivious that Nate was already in the room. Narealize niya lang 'yon nang kunin nito sa kanya ang picture frame, buksan iyon, tanggalin ang picture at pinunit sa harapan niya nang maraming beses bago binitawan ang mga iyon. The tiny pieces scattering on the floor with no chance of pasting them back together.

"Now, clean that," he said coldly before sitting on his swivel chair, opened his laptop and never once looked at her again.

Hannah watched the whole act with teary eyes. Bakit kailangan nitong gawin iyon? To tell her that it meant nothing to him?

Pinigil niyang tuluyang mapaiyak habang pinupulot ang mga piraso ng picture na nakakalat sa sahig.

'He's still mad,' she thought as she quietly exited his office. 'But don't give up now, Hannah.'

Tama. Kung gusto niyang baguhin ang impresyon ni Nate sa kanya, hindi dapat siya maging iyakin. She gotta start showing him that she's brave, that she cares for him and that she loves him.

"'Morning, Hannah!" bati ni Sarah sa kanya. "Early today, huh?"

"Yeah," nakangiti niyang sagot. "Pinag-isipan ko ang sinabi mo and you're right. Ako na dapat ang gumawa ng paraan para magkaayos kami."

"That's my girl," tuwang-tuwa ito sa desisyon niya. "Asahan mo ang suporta ko at ng buong pamilya namin," she grinned.

"Thanks, Sarah... " niyakap niya ito.

"Soon, you're gonna call me Aunt Sarah."

Tumawa siya. It's good to know na boto sa kanya ang pamilya ni Nate kahit hindi pa naman sila okay ng binata.

"Go, bring him his coffee."

Masaya siyang tumango.

'Nate, babe... wait for me. I'll show you my love!'

She's not an expert in love. Actually wala siyang idea kung paano niya ipapakita ang pagmamahal niya kay Nate. She's just relying on her instinct. Sana lang magawa niya nang maayos ang gusto niyang gawin.

-----

Tatlong kalkuladong katok muna ang ginawa niya bago niya narinig ang pagbibigay permiso ni Nate sa kanya na pumasok.

"Here's your coffee, Sir!" Ipinatong niya sa usual spot ang kape nito.

"Ms. Rodriguez, I need you to bring this to the Marketing Director. Make sure he has it before the Board meeting in thirty minutes," pormal na sabi ng binata habang iniaabot sa kanya ang isang folder.

"Okay, Sir." Kinuha niya ang folder. "I'm passing by the restaurant, would you like me to get you anything?"

"No," seryosong sagot nito.

'Okay,' she thought. 'Suplado much.'

"Be back at once. You need to answer emails for me."

"Yes, Sir."

Back in his office, Nate let her have his laptop while he went over some documents.

"You and Sarah will come with me in the meeting. Get ready," mayamaya ay sabi nito bago lumabas muna ng opisina nito.

She was fully concentrated in her task when Nate's cellphone rang beside her. Hindi naman sana niya iyon papansinin kaso nang matapos ang tawag at magflash ang lock screen nito, she couldn't help but smile.

It was her. This time, siya lang. Like the framed picture, it's also a candid shot of her. Pero sa beach ang kuha na iyon.

"What are you smiling at?" Parang iritadong tanong nito nang madatnan siyang all smiles habang busy pa rin sa pinapagawa nito.

"Nah," she said shaking her head, sa isip niya, huli na niya ang pasupladong binata. Kahit pala isang kagaya ni Nate Sarmiento, jologs din.

Imagine, a picture of a girl he claims he hated most as his phone's lock screen? Bahagya siyang kinilig doon pero napigilan niya ang sarili niya. "I'm almost done here."

"Good." Kinuha nito ang cellphone nito and returned the call he missed.

Isa pa iyon, kahapon kung makataboy ito wagas na wagas. Pero ngayon, heto, sinasama na naman siya lagi.

"Let's go, Ms. Rodriguez. Meeting is starting in ten minutes."

"Yes, Sir."

Dinaanan muna nila si Sarah bago nagtuloy sa Conference room.

"Bakit kasama ka?" Sarah whispered, teasing her.

She just shrugged.

Martha and Lucas Mejares greeted her when they saw her with Nate and Sarah and jokingly introduced her to the Board as Nate Sarmiento's fiancee.

The group of middle aged to old members of the Board expressed their delight at the GM's supposedly engagement. Alam naman nilang biro lang pero sinakyan nila iyon like they were very happy that Nate Sarmiento was finally tying the knot soon.

Hannah felt her whole body blushed and had the sudden urge to run for her life. Hiyang-hiya siya lalo na at kulang na lang ay hindi na maipinta ang mukha ni Nate.

NS Hotel's largest shareholders and Directors are the ones present in the meeting. Meaning, hindi sila mga ordinaryong tao lang. All of them are running their own other businesses aside from their involvement in NS Hotel. These are the kind of people whom Hannah doesn't cross paths with everyday.

"Ms. Rodriguez is my assistant," Nate clarified with his famous serious suplado look.

Iyon lang ang sinabi nito and everyone was back to their formal faces. Not long and the meeting started with everyone's attention focused on the General Manager and owner of NS Hotel.

Nate Sarmiento amazed Hannah. This was her love presenting confidently to a group of extraordinary businessmen. He's way too young than the majority of the Board and yet they listen to him.

Hannah couldn't help but be proud of Nate.

-----

At around lunch time, in the middle of his presentation, Nate received a call and excused himself.

It was unusual as Sarah said that he would be interrupted in the middle of a Board meeting. Must be important, she said.

When Nate returned, nagmamadali nitong tinapos ang meeting telling everyone he needed to go. Tapos isinama si Hannah paalis.

Hannah was wondering pero hindi siya nagsalita. Nate looked flustered and terrified. Halos paliparin nito ang kotse and Hannah tried so hard to calm her nerves kahit gustung-gusto na niyang magreklamo o tanungin kung bakit ito nagmamadali.

They ended up in a hospital.

"Nate?" Kinakabahan na tanong niya. "Why are we in a hospital? What are we doing here?" She tried keeping up with him dahil malalaki ang mga hakbang nito.

He didn't answer and continued walking hanggang sa huminto sila sa tapat ng isang private suite. He turned the knob with shaking hand and they entered the room.

"Kuya," it was Adam na sinalubong sila.

"How's dad?" he asked in a broken voice.

"Not good," sagot ng kapatid nito. "He's just waiting for you."

It took a while before Hannah realized what was happening. 'Andoon sila para sa ama ng binata who currently lied on the hospital bed, almost already lifeless. A condition too far from the last time she saw him just over three months ago.

She held a hand over her mouth at the sight of a dying man in front of her. She fought back a sob as it reminded her of her own father whom she didn't have the chance to see in his dying moment.

"Dad," nilapitan ito ni Nate at ginagap ang mga kamay nito "I'm here," his voice was shaking and Hannah knew he was just trying to be brave. "I brought Hannah with me. Adam said you'd like to have a word with us. We're here, dad," he gestured to her to come closer.

Lumapit siya at hinawakan ang isa nitong kamay.

"Mr. Sarmiento," she whispered.

Benjamin Sarmiento slowly opened his already dimmed eyes as a small smile curved his lips.

"N-nate.... H-hannah... I-I'm g-going ahead, m-mga anak... I - i would h-have wan-ted t-to see y-ou together. B-but g-guess, c-could not...." hirap na hirap na sabi nito. "H-hannah, t-thank you. I-if it w-wasn't b-because of you, m-my son m-ight have not f-forgiven me..."

"You're welcome, Sir," humihikbing sagot niya though confused at what the old man said.

"P-please, p-promise me t-that you w-will s-stay by N-nate's side... H-he needs someone l-like you in h-his life..."

"I promise."

"N-nate, t-thank y-ou son for t-the s-second c-chance... I-i love you, a-anak…"

"I love you too, dad..." Nate said, allowing tears to flow from his eyes. "I'm sorry for everything!"

Umiling lang si Benjamin and called for Adam. The three of them stayed beside him in the next minutes of deafening silence.

And that way, they watched him catch his last breath and pass away.

The two brothers hugged each other tight with tear stricken faces. Hannah didn't know what to say. It was too painful and yet she wasn't a child of Benjamin. Pa'no pa kaya sina Nate at Adam?

She'd been in their position once. When her mother died. Pero 'andoon ang ama niya not to let her see how her mom breathed her last. But when her dad died, she didn't have any knowledge of it.

So seeing Benjamin die will surely leave a mark in her memory. He wasn't just some random man, he was Nate's father.

Hindi niya alam kung paano sila nagka-ayos. Pero ang sigurado niya, they were already okay prior to Benjamin's death. And that's good. It should have made the loss less regretful for Nate.

"I'm sorry that you have to see that," naramdaman niya ang kamay ni Nate sa mga balikat niya, she realized she's still crying.

"No, I'm sorry, Nate!" She turned around and hugged him tight, which he didn't refuse. Instead she felt his arms tightened around her as his shoulders were gently shaking. Nate Sarmiento was crying. And he was letting her see how vulnerable he was at the moment... "It will be okay."

She wished she could do more than hug him. Perhaps share the pain. It's difficult to see him so broken when she was used to seeing his strong version. But this was Nate, a human after all. Hindi ito pain proof.

-----

"Thank you for insisting that I should visit him, Hannah." They were already in the hospital's lobby while waiting for Adam who volunteered to do the papers.

She looked at him questioningly.

"The note," he reminded her with a pained smile. "The one you left."

"Oh... that---" yes, she remembered. The hasty note she left for him three months ago. "So, you were able to find it."

"How could I possibly miss it, Hannah? When it's all you have left for me?" he asked, pain evident in his eyes. "You've known it before me that my dad was sick."

"I have wanted to tell you sooner, Nate. But I didn't know how in a way you won't think I'm intruding with your personal affairs... I'm sorry."

"No, don't be... It's my fault. You were right, I should have listened to my heart. It took me too long and almost made it too late. When I saw your note, I was extremely mad. I was asking myself why would you leave me that kind of message when you could have written much more worthy things. It took me weeks before I finally understood that you may have meant something and I need to figure it out. So I paid my dad a visit. That's when I learned about his illness," kwento nito. "And he wasn't getting better. I wish I forgave him sooner."

"You're still luckier than I am, Nate. You were able to spend some time with him before he died. I was worried you'd end up like me. I'm glad you didn't." She smiled at him.

"Thank you, Hannah." Tumayo na ito. "By the way, you don't have to keep your promise to dad," dugtong nitong nagpatiuna na sa paglabas.

"I'm keeping it, Nate," she told him, unsure if he heard, but he stopped on his tracks for a while before he continued walking away.