Five

PART FIVE: DAVID

"Where is my mother?" I asked the receptionist

After knowing that my mother had a heart attack I immediately got out of my meeting. I literally let my Mercedes-Benz fly, breaking all the speed limits. There was a police officers when I was driving to the hospital and that stupid officer said that I will be in prison if I will break the rules again. Good Lord, those fellas don't know what an emergency is. I thought they were educated people.

God, of all the hospitals in the Philippines, do those people really need to go to this hideous place. The De Villas might thought that I am shameless for coming to this hospital. Well don't blame me, I am not the one who is driving the ambulance your driver is so f*ck off if you will think that I am here in this hospital.

That would be a big humiliation if the "World's Best Hospital" will drag away a patient, especially if the patient is one of the Largest Companies in the World. Besides, all patients are equal aren't they. So you will treat my mother whether you like it or not. The end. Don't worry we have a lot of money to pay the stupid hospital bills.

"She is transferred to a ward sir." The receptionist scribbled something on a piece of paper and hand it over to me. By the way, no offense but are your mouths inactive. Why is it so hard to say the number of the room to be a little bit faster.

"Thank you," I said politely and look at the paper the receptionist gave me while riding the elevator.

I stop at the 7th floor and got off the elevator--what was the room number again. I glace at the paper: Fatima Wing, RM #647. Now I know why De Villa General Hospital writes their room number. So that you can't forget where the room is. I'm a very forgetful person, runs in the blood of the Evans.

Okay, so the number is: Fatima Wing, RM #647, this must me my mothers room. Carefully, I opened the door and see my older sister and brother. My father is not here, he died the two months after our divorce, I can't blame the De Villas that my father died because he died in the emergency room of De Villa General Hospital in Toronto.

He also had a heart attack and died when he arrive at the hospital. That is why my heart almost drop when I heard that my mother had a heart attack.

Dad left us many months ago, I could not bear to loosing my mother.

"Hola, mamá. ¿Cómo estás??" I said with my usual British-ness with Spanish accent.

Mother smiled weakly. "Estoy bien, hijo. No tienes que preocuparte. Diane dijo que estaré bien, no te preocupes."

"¿Qué quieres decir con 'No te preocupes',?!" I panicked. "Mamá, tengo derecho a preocuparme por ti. ¿Qué pasa si te mueres? ¿Crees que estaré vivo si mueres?"

Mom keeps her mouth shut the same thing with my two older siblings. Yes, I may be the youngest but I have the guts to shout and talk. Natalie and Richard are such tight-lipped persons. They don't speak unless they are asked, just like mom. I'm like dad.

I soften my look to my mother. "Piénsalo madre..."

I though that mom would be mad or cry because she is always like that but in fact, no, her lips form in to a smile and took my hand into hers.

"Sabes que nunca moriré. No dejaré a mis hijos". She said.

That made my heart soften. I know very well that you won't leave us, it's sad that Hellen and Michael are not here. They would be devastated when they see that their abuela is in the hospital. Diane has full custody of the twins and every son since our divorce, I didn't get to see them. Wish that they miss me, as much as I miss them.

"Te preocupas mucho, hermano. Respira hondo, el médico es muy bueno en su trabajo". My brother said.

I furrowed my brows when Richard said that word "medico". Figures, the doctors in this hospital are top-notch. De Villa Group of Medics do not choose any kind of doctors, they choose doctors (or shall I say Medical Students) from Harvard University, Oxford University, University of the Philippines, University of Pennsylvania and other top universities in the world. Not only that, doctors have to receive hard training to enter DVGOM, if you fail then you will not be a doctor of the top De Villa General Hospital.

"¿Quién es el médico?" I ask.

Talia hesitated at first but Richard forces her to answer my question. I don't want to shout at her because of a simple and single question so I patiently waited for an answer.

She inhales oxygen before answering. "El doctor es tu esposa."

Esposa, that means wife, I am not dumb in Spanish but did I clean my ears in the morning or before I came here. I don't understand what my dear sister is saying. I look at her with a What are you saying, I don't understand look.

"Eres un tonto, hermano." Richard said. "Dianna Dominique Xiao De Villa, es la médica de nuestra madre. Ella ha vuelto."

What did he say, Dianna is back from Canada. When?! How??! Where?!! Why didn't she go to my house and let me see Hellen and Michael. How selfish of her! Yes, she has full custody of the twins but I am still their parent. I have all the rights to see them. Unless, if my own eyes see her I will not believe that she is not here.

"No te creo. Diane no está aquí, no está aquí. No la vi, significa que ella no está aquí. ¿Entiendes."

"¿Estuviste aquí hace un momento? Claro que no. Somos nosotros los que la vimos, no tú". Natalia said.

Just then, the marimba tone from my phone rings loudly acroos the room. Phew, save by the phone call. I wish that it's the company calling so that I can escape from this hospital. I look at the caller ID and raised an eyebrow. Now, what do you want.

"Hello, what do you want from me again, Rima."

"Rima called you, what does she want with you again. Didn't you broke up with her." Lenard said.

Sipping a glass of champagne calms my mind down. The woman I had an affair with called me saying she needs money cuz her sister is sick. That woman doesn't know who the hell is she to call the CEO of Evans Industries. Rima doesn't have a ring on her finger how dare she called me like I'm her husband or something.

I am not her provider, what is she? A poor person that does not know how to look for a job. There are a lot of simple jobs here in Manila she could search the whole city just to look for that. Lesson learned, honey, it's not every time you get so lucky to have man like me. You need a collage degree or a diploma so you could be my lover.

"She said that her sister is sick and needed some medicine. Bet my bones that she needs money for drugs again." I said.

"So are you gonna date another woman, David?" Jake asks.

"I thought we already talk about this, bro. I have enough with women. All they do is destroy my reputation, gambling, doing whatever they want to do, cheating. Women don't know how to work, they just rely on man's money."

"Well not all women." Jake pours champagne on our glasses.

Agreed, not all women are the same I truly know that. There was a woman who captured my heart. She's smart, mysterious, kind, loving, often selfish, and hardworking. Diane, the woman who I was married to. She divorce me when she know that I had an affair but she didn't listen to me. I don't  wanna remember that.

"So, how was your mother. Is she alright." Lenard diverts the topic "¿Está bien su condición?"

I  put the wine glass down. "Ella está bien, pero mi hermana y mi hermano dijeron que Diane es su médico."

Jake and Lenard almost chocked their champagne and look at me like What the hell did you just say, I thought that she is in Canada. I laughed looking at their faces which are looking pale white.

"Haha, so very funny.." Lenard said sarcastically while wiping his mouth with a handkercheif.

"I'm sorry, hermanos." I  said. "You two were like cows about to give birth to a calf."

"So," Jake coughed. "Is Diane really back. Good news, you're gonna see your children then."

"I can't see them.." I murmured. "Diane hates me for having an affair, she didn't bother to listen to me and I  didn't see my Hellen and Michael for a year. Don't know what they look like right now." I smiled remembering their daddy-like faces. "Hopefully they still look like me after one year."

"Hellen and Michael are very close to you. I bet that they will still miss you, you are thair daddy and nothing's gonna change that." Lenard said trying his best to cheer me up.

I took a sip of the champagne while looking at the heavens. "Someday..."

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