CHAPTER 13
Reyna enjoyed contacting her mother in Manilla once every two weeks on a Wednesday evening about seven. Her homeland was five hours earlier in time than that in Auckland, making it early afternoon over there. She would usually chat away and found she was really the only person in her family that she could confide in.
Her delight at seeing Rosamie Aquino on the international video contact sunk to despair when her father Vedasto appeared on her mobile screen. His stern appearance and eyes that bore into her and frightened her as a child had not changed.
"Ama," she said using the Filipino name for Dad. "This is unexpected but it is nice to be able to talk to you."
"Is it, Reyna?" he replied without even a hint of a smile on his face. "I shall be blunt."
"Aren't you always?" sh
