Woven on Time (Student Series #3)

Chapter 25

TW: Suicide

Chapter 25

"Baby, please, open the door." His plea was tailed with three consecutive loud knocks on my door. "You haven't had your dinner yet. Come on..."

I remained unmoving in a fetal position on my bed while hugging Donut. I told him to keep quiet and he was obedient enough to follow me. Napakain ko na siya pero ako, dinarama lang ang pagkulo ng tiyan.

"Go away! Leave me alone!" My voice shattered. "I don't need you here!"

I wanted to take back my words when he bestowed me the silence. Sinubsob ko ang mukha sa katawan ni Donut at inakalang umalis na nga si Kuya Rain sa harap ng pinto pero muli siyang nagsalita pagkatapos ng ilang minuto.

"I'm... Iiwan ko na lang dito ang pagkain mo. I'll leave... but please... eat..." Nanghihina na ang kaniyang boses. "Good night..."

I refused to believe them, let alone accept them as my family. It infuriated me how they thought I was too gullible to fall for their trick. Kaya naman ginampanan ko ang hindi pagkausap sa kanila na talagang hindi rin ako lumabas ng kuwarto. I hit the bed that night and woke up the next day, starving.

"Miss Minion, open the door," si Kuya Wai naman ngayon. "Aalis kami ni Rain kaya kumain ka na, please. We're not going to disturb you, I promise you that."

I directed my sight to the door while still lying dead on my bed. Tumatahol si Donut sa pinto tapos ay tatakbo palapit sa akin, para bang gusto niyang lumabas.

True to his words, I eventually went out of my room to gratify my hunger. Dahil weekend at maaga pa naman, libre kong naipasyal si Donut para pumunta sa playground sa loob ng subdivision. Pinakawalan ko lang siya sa kaniyang leash dala ang ginawa kong elepanteng laruan niya nang nakaupo na ako sa swing para makapaglaro siya roon sa dalawang aso na dala ng isang lalaki.

The morning sun blessed me with adequate vitamin my body needs. Abala ako sa pag-crochet habang dumuduyan at binabantayan ang alaga. May ilan pang dumating na mga tao na may dalang aso.

"Donut!" gulat kong saway nang tumakbo siya sa akin at kinagat ang bola ng yarn sa kandungan ko.

Bago pa siya makayo ay tumayo na ako at hinabol siya. I laughed when he looked back at me, wagging his tail like he was happy to get my attention. He jumped over the string of yarn and rolled on the ground. I didn't mind getting the dirt from the ground. Sabay na lang kami maliligo mamaya. 

It was around nine o'clock when we got home. No one apart from us was in our house. It somehow felt like an abandoned home upon entering. I then again remember how our conversation went last night.

"I am not her sister, Kuya Wilder," I corrected him, shaking my head.

"Well, Miss Minion, you are..." he pressed. "He's your brother and I am your cousin, too. How's that?" 

He smirked like he was taking it lightly. Pilit akong tumawa at sinundot-sundot siya sa tiyan. There's no way he was serious about it. I shifted my gaze to Kuya Rain, who was now holding me with his weighing stare and his lips pulled together tightly.

"You are my Kuyas..." I projected a smile. "Don't worry po! That won't be changed, okay po?"

"Yup," Kuya Wai said with a pop at the end. "But I'm sure your pretty head doesn't have the same idea of how we see you as our family."

Umiling ako at kinuha na sa kaniya ang tupperware pero hindi niya iyon pinakawalan.

"Miss Minion..."

"Akin na." Nagulat ako sa lamig ng boses. "Ako na ang magpapainit. Kaya ko na 'to."