✔Letters to a Heart Stealer's Father

20th-2 months later

Dad,

Nakakatawa talaga. Ngayon na lang ulit kasi ako nakapaglinis ng mailbox natin sa labas, at doon tumambad sa'kin ang mga letters mula kay Hale.

Hindi ko alam na sumusulat pala siya sa'yo.

Hindi niya alam na sumusulat siya sa'yo, kahit na ilang buwan ka nang patay.

Cancer already claimed you months before he started sending you those letters.

Nabasa ko lahat ng mga sulat. I know you don't want me reading letters addressed to you, but I was just curious to know what he thinks of me. Tulad ng inaasahan ko, mukhang nagalit at nainis rin siya sa ginawa ko. But after reading his 19th letter, I guess he already figured out the truth by himself.

Dad, kaya ko lang naman ginawa 'yon dahil akala ko magagamit ko ang pagiging Heart Stealer ko para buhayin ka ulit. Alam kong binalaan na ako ni mommy na masyadong delikado ang kapangyarihan namin, but after you followed her to the afterlife, nothing felt the same anymore.

For several nights, I wallowed in grief and cried myself to sleep.

I became desperate.

"I need a male's heart."

Iyon lang ang nasa isip ko noong sumunod na linggo, kaya noong pinag-partner kami ni Hale sa isang project, I took the risk. I became reckless. I stole his heart without his consent, and ran away from home because I didn't have the courage to face mom's pictures without feeling an ounce of guilt for what I did.

Hindi ko alam ang gagawin.

Hinanap ko 'yong libro na akala ko makakatulong sa'kin.

Pero noong nakita ko 'yon sa kwarto ni Hale at binasa ko ang huling pahina, doon na ako sinampal ng katotohanan...

"Heart Stealers can never bring back the dead if she stole a heart without consent."

That was when I finally gave up and realized the shitty things I've done. Lalo akong na-guilty noong nakita ko ang kalagayan ni Hale. Dahil doon, napagdesisyunan ko nang tapusin ang kalokohang ito at ibalik sa kanya ang puso niya.

At kahit na posible ko pa rin itong magawa basta't may consent sa taong kukuhanan ko ng puso, I realized I don't want to do it.

I don't want to drag you back from your resting place and I don't want to ask for someone to sacrifice his heart just because I can't move on and accept the fact that death is inevitable.

In a way, everything became a blessing in disguise.

Dad, 'wag kang mag-alala. Nasa mabuti akong kalagayan. Hale is helping me stand on my own, and even though I know he can't literally steal hearts, I think he already took mine...

At please 'wag mo sana siyang multuhin kahit na alam mo na 'yong address niya hahaha!

You and mom can rest in peace now...

I'm fine and I'm happy.

P.S. Iiwan ko na lang 'tong letter na 'to sa tabi ng huling picture ko sa'yo noong burol mo.

The Heart Stealer whose heart just got stolen my Hale Williams,

Bianca Villamor  <3