Hello, Ligaya (Sining Series #1)

Chapter 31

"You still love her don't you?"

"Bettina, let's not do this today." Tahimik na nakikinig ang dalagang si Saoirse sa likuran ng pintuan ng kaniyang silid na ilang hakbang lang ang layo sa silid ng ama't ina. Ipinikit nito ang mga mata at mahigpit na hinawakan ang brush ng pintura na kaniya sanang idadampi sa blangkong canvas bago marinig ang pagtatalo sa kabilang silid.

"Go, just please be honest with me naman. I know something is wrong!" Dinig niyang sambit ng ina.

"Bettina, we can talk about this tomorrow." Malumhanay na tugon ng kaniyang ama. Kinagat ni Saoirse ang kuko niya kahit pa batid niyang may pintura ito. May plato pa siyang tatapusin, ngunit hindi niya mapigilan ang sarili na makinig sa diskusyon ng mga magulang. Ngayon lamang niya nakitang ganito ang magasawa sa tagal ng kanilang pagsasama. Iba ang isang ito.

Am I about to experience a broken family this time? she thought.

"Gomez, I know you met her again." Her Mom went hysterical.

"Bettina, matagal na 'yon. We literally have a family, what makes you think that way?" His Dad's voice echoed across the corner of the hallway.

"I know you're lying." Her Mom's voice started to sound shaky.

"Bettina, please. Saoirse is right next to our room." Namilog ang mga mata niya nang sabihin iyon ng ama.

"You still love her..." Nang bitawan ng ina niya ang mga salitang iyon ay tuluyan ng tumahimik ang buong paligid. Tanging tibok lamang ng puso ni Saoirse ang nagsilbing musika sa loob ng silid niya na nagpapakalma sa magulo niyang isipan.

Just when she was about to start painting again, her Mom's voice echoed across the hallway, the next thing she heard was the sound of glass hitting the floor.

"I knew it! did you even love me ha?"

"Answer me!"

"Bettina, I married you. Let's call it a night parang awa mo na okay?"

"Now I understand why I can still see her everywhere, even in our child. Things that reminds me of her is still haunting me to remind me that you married me because you've lost your hope in finding her again." Saoirse can hear her Mother's cry.

"I don't understand you Bettina, matagal na panahon na 'yon. I love you and Saoirse. I will do anything for this family, walang kinalaman si Agnes sa pamilyang 'to Bettina. I raised Saoirse the way she can handle this world the same way you handled it because I failed to." Ramdam niya ang talim ng salita ng ama.

"But I know you raised her the same way you know you would have raised your child with Agnes. You taught her art, you taught her to be revolutionary, to never succumb to the world's darkness. That is something she would do, you know that!"

"I taught Saoirse to dream her own dream, to not let people decide for her, to never be the victim of an opportunity with a dark scheme, to never see the world how I see it when I failed and succumbed to this life's misery Bettina." Saoirse's breath narrowed.

"Kasama ba ako sa failure na 'yon?" At that moment poor Saoirse tighten her grip on her shirt and slowly bend down to reach for her knees to sit right next to her bed.