Chapter 28: Chapter 28
Acwell is still not successful in finding where his wife and son are. It's been days now, and none of the people he asked knows where they are.
He tried to contact Camila, but until now, she has not read his messages. He tried to call her, but she won't answer.
Days turned to weeks. And weeks turned to a month. Acwell just busied himself so he would not feel lonely and depressed. But his mother has been asking him where her grandson is, and he doesn't know what to say. He still doesn't want to tell her the truth the Kamiah left with Kai. His mother would be greatly disappointed and hurt. She might even fight with Kamiah's mom, who also doesn't know and understand what is happening.
Acwell missed his family so much. The house is empty and dirty now that they are not there. There are so many things that he wanted to do with them if only they were there.
He wanted to play with Kai. He missed hearing him laugh and seeing him smile. He missed holding and kissing him.
Kamiah's smile, her voice, Acwell kept dreaming of it at night. He would wake up in tears because she was not there beside him.
He would check his phone almost all the time to see if Camila had replied with good news. But until now, she hasn't. He can't complain because he caused this problem, and it's not her job to keep track of Kamiah and Kai.
It is only Catrina who keeps sending him messages complaining about him not visiting his daughter. He can't seem to force himself to see them. There is a little bit of anger in him that started since the day Kamiah left. He somehow blamed them.
But today, that anger had subsided a bit. Acwell realizes that he can't blame an innocent child. None of this was Amara's fault. And since he misses Kai, he decided to visit Amara on his off. He thought seeing her would make him feel like he was seeing Kai.
He knocked on the door of Catrina's apartment. Catrina was shocked but happy that he had come. A forced smile is what Acwell could offer to her.
"I did not expect you to come today. It's been a month since the last time you visited Amara. What happened? Why did you not see her, especially when she got discharged from the hospital?" Catrina asked.
"Catrina, I did not come here to discuss that. I came here to see my daughter," Acwell replied.
Catrina could not answer and just watched him go to Amara. They played and watched cartoons together.
Acwell did not talk much with Catrina. His focus was on his daughter. He is tired of arguing with her mother.
When Amara slept, Catrina could not hold her mouth and ask," What is wrong with you? Why are you not talking to me?"
"I am tired of arguing with you. And to be honest, I don't even feel like coming here if not because of Amara."
"You are not really coming here. You rarely visit your daughter. What kind of father are you who only sees his daughter after a month?"
"One who still cares, even if all I get is problems and heartaches."
"Problems and heartaches!? You don't know what you are talking about, mister. You are not the single mom here."
"Yes, I am not. But I have lost and destroyed one of the most important things in my life because I still care for my daughter."
"What did you lose? Amara is growing up without a father. She will not experience a complete family. And here you are talking about losses."
"My wife and son left me because I am trying to do my responsibility for her! And I am so damn regretting it!"
"You regret doing what is unsatisfactory because that ungrateful bitch left you!? How dare you!"
"Kamiah did not know that I was coming here. Yes, we live in the same house, but I am working, which means I barely have time for them. And whenever I am off, I would come here. That means another day without having time for them."
"So, what about Amara? When do you want to have time for her?"
"I was trying to balance it, but you can't stop complaining."
"Because you are not fair!"
"What is fair to you is if I get married to you, which will not happen."
"But she left you."
"I still want them back."
"Can you at least consider us?"
"I don't know, Catrina. Let me go now."
Acwell left Catrina crying.
But now that Kamiah left him, would it be right for him to go back to her for the sake of Amara? He was thinking of that until he reached home.
He missed having a family to go home to. And he has not spent much time with her daughter. So, would this be enough reason to go back to Catrina?
Acwell could not eat that night. He checked if Kamiah was active on her social media, but she has not been. All he can hope is for them to be alright and not have a hard time.
Catrina sent him a message. He thought of not reading it, but Amara came to his mind.
"Consider coming back to us, Acwell. We have been waiting for you all of these years. We have never left you."
Then. she sent videos and pictures of Amara. She even captioned it, "Come back for me, daddy! I will never leave you."
In fairness to Catrina, she had been loyal to him up to the point that Acwell felt like she was obsessed with him. He hates it, and until now, he regretted knowing her.
He still feels like going back to her because he is losing hope of Kamiah coming back and for the sake of Amara. But if he does, it means he is losing his chances of fixing his marriage.
"Why does it have to be this hard?" Acwell complained before he forced himself to sleep.