Daddy's Love.

Daddy’s Little Black Book

As the plane descended from 30,000 feet (about the height of Mount Everest) and the clouds looked like giant balls of cotton, I watched as the land below had perfectly measured squares. Objects appeared as busy ants working to store food but the closer the plane got to the ground the more life-sized everything became. The hustle and bustle of the travelers and busyness of the city were all too familiar.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have been cleared for landing at Manila International Airport. Looking out of the tiny square-round window, I had always dreamed of the day I would return home, but not for this occasion. Did anyone else leave? I wonder who will be here?

Once I retrieved my luggage I was standing and watching as the tourists were arriving. Tourists always stand out because they are excited and at once iPhones on display, and totally oblivious to their surroundings. Then I heard, “Anna, Annatalia Bautista is that you?”

"What on earth are you doing here, I thought you were in California? Didn’t you leave for school?”

Yes, I’ve come home for some family business. I took my luggage and got into an uber. On the ride to the house, I could see all that had changed since. I almost didn’t recognize the place. I went into the house where my stepmother was sitting, and she was surprised because my flight arrived a little earlier than expected.

Good, I’m glad you are here because now we can get down to business. She rolled her eyes and went back into the living room where my step-sister was sitting. I dropped my bags and went straight in. They were trying to plan for the service but needed me in order to make any concrete decisions. My father had given me specific instructions on what he wanted in case of his death. The family business had to still continue. I began working in the office right away. I was at my father's desk when I found a little black book in the desk draw way in the back, it had ten sets of initials and what seemed to be serial numbers beside them. What on earth did this all mean? Are they dollar amounts? Transaction numbers? I have no clue, but I will not be sharing this information until I figure this out. I put the book in my purse and headed upstairs to take a break and change. See my step-mother always loved when the money came in but never wanted to be a part of the business. Twenty minutes later I see her go outside and she is throwing out of the old photos and documents that my father had saved. She had been just waiting to be able to get rid of this stuff for years. We have started trying to clean out the house and office and she is already destroying things. How rude. How did she know I didn’t want some of this stuff?

As evening came, I decided to go out for a bite to eat. On my way out I saw a friend from high school. We decided to get some dinner. While we got caught up and I started to share what was going on. I then asked her what she thought the numbers could mean. We spent the next few days trying to decipher what was in the book. " BA ,WF, I got it she screamed they are account numbers!" she screamed. The intials are the banks where they are located. We couldn't wait until the next day so we could test our hypothesis and start calling the banks. Hours seemed like forever as I waited for the time to make the calls.

The next morning I got up early and left to pick up some things and while I was out I sat there and made the calls. Hello ma'am my name is Annatalia Bautista and I am calling in reference to my father Pollicopo Bautista. The account number is 3456978. She says, Yes let me verify your identity. What is your date of birth? April 3 ,1973. And your Fathers middle name? Quenzell. Yes ma'am, how may I help you? Can you give me the account balanced? Sure, $2000.Is there anything else I can help you with? no that is all. I went to the next one and it was the same amount and then the next until I got through each one and I found out that my dad had put me on each account because he knew I would be the one to come home and find it.I had $20,000.