An Oath To Take (Imperfect Girls Series #1)

Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Phoebe

Kinabukasan ay agad din naman kaming umalis ni Andre. He still had work, and so do I. Hindi na namin kaya pang mag-extend para magtagal sa beach. I mean, it's not like I really planned to stay any longer. Wala na rin naman akong gagawin pa roon.

Hinatid naman agad ako ni Andre sa aking condo umagang-umaga pa lamang. I only had a few hours of sleep on the car and immediately went straight to work. Agad akong sinalubong ng aking mga kasamahan nang pumasok ako ng opisina.

"Imo! We are planning to have a team's dinner for tonight. Sama ka? Kasama si Mrs. Muñoz!" bati sa akin ng isa sa mga kasama ko sa office.

I gave her a small smile as I shook my head to the side. "I won't be able to come with you... I'm planning to visit someone tonight..." I trailed off.

"Aw, sige! Next time nalang, sama ka na 'ha?"

I'm planning to visit my daughter's grave today. I visit her grave every month since I lost her. The same date of her death anniversary, but I just do it monthly. It's been like my monthly routine to visit her.

The moment I got off at work, dumiretso na ako sa isang maliit na flower shop. Thankfully, maaga-aga kong natapos ang aking mga ginawang designs kanina. I bid goodbye to my colleagues as well as to my mother. Pinayagan naman na nila akong umalis ng thirty minutes earlier kaysa sa kanila.

I bought a bouquet for her. It was a small bouquet mixed with baby's breath and magenta and purple lilacs. Nang makabili ng bulaklak ay agad na akong dumiretso sa lugar kung saan siya inilibing.

I quietly walked over to her small grave. Pinaspasan ko ang semento kung saan nakalagay ang kaniyang pangalan. I named her. I decided to put a name on her grave after a few months of her being buried. I thought that she deserved to have one.

Phoebe Imogen M. Velasquez

I wanted her to have at least a small part of me with her. So, I decided to make my second name as hers too.

Dadan-dahan akong umupo sa lapag kasabay ng paglapag ko ng bulaklak na aking dala-dala kanina pa. "Hi there, my little Imo..." I whispered as my fingers continued to caress the top of her name.

A small smile appeared on my lips upon remembering something that happened yesterday in the wedding. "You know, mommy saw a little girl just like you yesterday at Tita Kiana's wedding," paninimula ko. I was pertaining to the small girl that I bumped into at the wedding. "It immediately reminded me of you..." I whispered.

I bit my lip as I felt my chest slowly tighten. It's been two years, yet the pain is still there. I guess, this is the thing that you left behind for me? It's still there, but it's much more bearable compared to the pain in the past years.

I guess it is because I also had a bit of closure as to why you left. After months of experiencing the miscarriage, I found out that in our family, my mother's side, had a history of these kind of incidents too. And, unfortunately, I was also one of the women who experienced it.

"Your father and I met again... After one whole year..." saad ko at saka tumingin sa baba. "He looked fine and healthy. I think he has already moved on." But, I still haven't.

I let out a sigh as I continued talking to her. I told her about all of the things that have happened to me in the past month. I always do this. It was like she became the person that I vent all of my problems to. She was the person that I talk to whenever I need to release my emotions, whether it be a sad or happy one. She became my safe place.

Halos mag-iisang oras na rin akong salita lamang nang salita sa kaniya hangga't sa mapansin ko ang unti-unting pagdilim ng paligid. Napatingin ako sa aking orasan. It's almost six in the evening. Muli kong ibinalik ang aking tingin sa kaniyang puntod at muling hinimas ang kaniyang pangalan. "I'll leave for now. I'll come back next month..." I whispered as I arranged the bouquet of flower beside her grave. Inayos ko iyon ng lagay at saka na umalis.