The Secret's Magic

Kabanata 41

Sa hinaba-haba ng flight ko mula Paris hanggang Manila, heto ako't natagpuan na lamang ang sariling yakap-yakap si Alexander.

"Mama ko,"

Halo-halong emosyon ang nararamdaman ko ngayon. Sobrang pagka miss sa mga tao dito sa tenement, pangungulila, at pag dadalamhati.

Habang nasa loob ako ng eroplano ay hindi ako matigil sa pag-iyak. I was hugging and comforting myself because no one can do it for me.

I am in complete confusion, thinking about why did papa die. It was so vague for me. Bakit biglaan nalang siyang inatake at namatay bigla?

"Tahan na, Alex." Pag-aalo ko sa anak kong iyak ng iyak.

Alam ko kung bakit ganito nalang ka-emosyonal si Alexander. For a short span of time, he was able to meet his grandfather. In that short time, they already built a connection that really makes my son so much attached to papa.

At ngayong nalaman niyang wala na si papa, alam kong sobra-sobra ang epekto nito sa kanya.

Mula sa anak ko ay inilibot ko ang paningin ko sa mga taong nandito sa loob ng bahay. Nang mag tama ang mga mata namin ni nanay Nancy ay bigla nalang nagsi laglagan na naman ang mga luha sa aking nga mata.

She run towards me and embraced as if she's sending me some strength, a thing I badly needed right now.

"Nakikiramay kami, anak."

"Nay," Iyak ko sa kanya.

I felt tatay Berto's palm on my back, giving me a comforting caress. Totoo ngang kahit na anong pilit kong pigilan ang mga luha mo at umaktong matatag ay hindi mo ito magagawa kapag nasa harap ka na ng mga taong tunay na nagpapakita ng malasakit sa iyo.

After hugging them, I hug at Melissa too. Nasa tabi niya si Benjo na nakatingin lang sa akin.

"Calla," He said befor hugginh me as well.

I can't stop crying while receiving comforts from these people. Mas lalo akong nanghihina.

Pero sa kalagitnaan ng supportang natatanggap ko mula sa mga taong ito, bigla kong naalala si Cole.

My poor brother. I know he's grieving too much right now. I just hope someone is with him in this darkest moment of our lives.

"Calla, pamangkin ko,"

I turned my gaze to our door. There I found tita Nathie who's wearing an all black attire, just like me.

"Tita,"

"Wala na ang papa mo, Calla. Wala na ang kapatid ko." Iyak niya sa akin nang masalubong ko siya ng isang mahigpit na yakap.

Heavy breathings, that's what I can feel from my tita Nathie. Her and my father may had fights before because of how tita Nathie dislikes my mother for her borther, but for sure it's also hard for her to accept the lost of papa.  

"Tita anong nangyari kay papa? Bakit biglaan?"

After some time, we found ourselves sitting on the small living room of our house. Melissa took care of Alex for a while, while tita Nathie and tito Damien explain everything in front of us.

"On the day of his death, the mansion received a summon for you mother. Unfortunately, it was your father who receive the letter."

Labis na pag tataka ang rumehistro sa mukha ko matapos kong marinig ang tungkol sa summon. Why would the mansion receive a summon?