TROUBLED SOUL

“WHERE are you going, sweetheart? Do you have a practice?” Attorney MM asked her daughter.

In just few minutes, the darkness will spread already. That is why she hurriedly asked her where is she going at the moment.

“No, Mom. Me and my friends has something to do for our studies. Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll take the car so that even if we will finish late, I can come home safely. I love you, Mom.” She hugged her and picked up the car key.

“Okay, sweetheart. Be careful outside. Don’t be a reckless driver. Remember that you are young even you’re already eighteen. Your old mother love you so much.” There’s nothing she could do not to agree to her one and only daughter.

Stephanie smiled and went outside and go straight to the parking area.

“ARE you avoiding me, baby?”

A voice asked her that even she will not turn around, she know the owner.

“No. Why should I do that?” she answered back without  facing him. Instead,  she inserted the car key.

“Then, why you are going outside again at this time? I already observed that since that day. Did I do something wrong against your will? C’mon, tell me,” he said.

‘I need to distance myself to you, Daddy Ramil. Because I’m so jealous when you are with my Mom. You already broke my heart when you married her. And now, you did it once again. Yeah, I purposely did that. Because you never come to me as you promised,’ Stephanie said to herself  before she turned around and faced him.

“Hmmm, don’t worry about me, Daddy. I’ve got a permission from my Mom. Me and my classmates has something to do regarding to our studies. I’m going and see you later.” She smiled and didn’t wait for any answer.

‘I hate you, Daddy Ramil! You are always hurting me!’ Stephanie cried silently as she started the engine of car.

IN meanwhile, Ramil watched his step-daughter’s car while leaving the premises.

“What did I do this time? It seems that she’s disturbed by me. But how? I’m dealing and treating her as usual.  Is there’s something wrong that I don’t f*ckin’ know?” he mumbled as he watched the car goes away.

“Honey? Who are you looking intently? Did you meet Stephanie along the way?” he heard his wife voice behind him.

“Yes, honey. But I wasn’t able to talk to her. It seems that she’s on hurry. I even don’t know if she notices my presence.”

He turned around and wear his smile for her. He need to be careful when his wife is around. She trust him completely.

“Ah, I let her, honey. At first, I thought that they have a practice in the church. But she said that it’s for their studies. Come, let’s go inside now.”

She smile back to him as she plunged herself to him.

What they don’t know is! Stephanie witnessed that sweet moments.

“Why I’m feeling like this? My God! There are so many men who’s more good looking than him. In the university where I’m studying as well. My classmates, there are more handsome. Why do I need to have a rival with my Mom?” she muttered out loud while hitting the  car steering wheel.

She’s in despair but she never think of committing suicide. That is why she’s completely surprised when someone knocked her car door.

“Are you sure that you don’t have a plan of killing yourself, Miss? I’ve noticed you here already for few minutes. Is there’s something wrong?” the police officer asked her suspiciously.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Mr officer. I was lost into a deep thought while waiting for the green light. I’m sorry for the disturbance,” she answered as she continued on her way.

A way without directions, actually. It’s  just her alibis that they have a project with her classmates just to get away from her step-father. But her feet leads her to the church where she’s  one of the choir member.

“Buenas noches, Stephanie. No tenemos una práctica. Entonces, ¿qué estás haciendo aquí? ¿Tienes algunas consultas?"(Good evening, Stephanie. We don't have a practice. So, what are you doing here? Do you have some queries?)"

The mother superior asked her immediately when she noticed her.

“"Lo mismo para ti, Madre Superior. No, solo vine a rezar solo. Por cierto, estoy perturbado. Le mentí a mi madre que iría con mis compañeros de clase para hacer algunos proyectos, pero la verdad es que quiero alejarme de ellos.(“Same to you, Mother Superior. No, I just came to pray alone. I’m disturbed, by the way. I lied to my Mom that I would go with my classmates to do some projects, but the truth is I want to get away from them.”)

And yes! The mother superior knows everything about her and her step-father. If she didn’t confess something to her, is the truths that she almost lost her precious virginity to him.

“If that’s the case, go inside the confession room, my dear daughter. You are not new in praying. So, you already what’s your next step. As long as your heart and mind will collide, you can fight and drive those temptations away,” Mother superior explains.

Stephanie just smiled and nodded her head to the mother superior before entering the confession room. But as she stepped into the church door, she knelt down to the floor and closed her eyes and made her way.

“Padre Dios en el cielo, por favor ayúdame a superar toda esta tentación. Muéstrame el camino correcto. Ya soy un pecador para que conozca mis sentimientos reales mientras lo fantaseo. Por favor, Dios mío.(Father God in heaven, please help me to overcome all this temptation. Show me the right way. I am a sinner already in letting him to know my real feelings as I fantasises him. Please, my God.)”

She enthusiastically and passionately prayed while kneeling on the ground. And after sometimes of praying ardently, she stand up and went inside the confession room.

AFTER SOMETIMES, when she was done confessing, she once again prayed before leaving.

“Hmmm... They will think more if I will go back home now. It’s still early, so I will go somewhere--- Oh! I remember  now! The mall is still open or in the park.”

She smiled with pure heart when she stepped out of the church. To avoid any further confusion and errors, she need to do something in a proper way. They might not the wealthiest creature’s alive in Madrid Spain. But they have more than enough. According to her parents, they were from the Philippines. But way back then up to the present, they are working for the country. And the royal monarchy of Spain graced and bestowed them the citizenship and huge amount of euros.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Miss. I’m on hurry. I didn’t mean to bumped at you,” a young boy asked for forgiveness.

But since that she’s also at fault, she smiled and answer immediately.

“No problem, Mister. Just go on your way if you are bus. I’m going as well,” Stephanie said.

“By the way, my name is Gonzalo Rodriguez. How about you?” he extended his right palm.

“Stephanie Fuentebella.” She accepted his hand and shook it off.

But it doesn’t ends there. The young boy insisted for them to have snack or dinner before separating their ways. That is why, Stephanie didn’t have a chance to disagree. She doesn’t want to be disrespectful, by the way.

“NO, Gonzalo. I will decline your request. Because ny mother doesn’t know that I am here. Some other time since that you took my mobile number. You can call me anytime.” She respectfully refuses his offer to accompany her.

She refuse it. Yes, that’s true. But it doesn’t mean that she don’t like to be friended with him. Her mother trust that she is with her classmates not with a man. And besides, her daddy Ramil will get angry of there’s any other man who get closes to her.

But!

AS she reached their home, and parked her car. She went directly to her room. But before she can open it, it swang voluntarily.

But the more shocking part is, the person who’s waiting purposely to her and opened the door!