Woven on Time (Student Series #3)

Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"What are you doing here?"

After almost three years... I saw my mother again. Bahagyang kumirot ang puso ko habang pinagmamasdan siya. Buhaghag ang kaniyang buhok kahit nakatali, upak na ang pisngi, at kapansin-pansin ang pagkabawas ng timbang.

She sat across from me with only a wooden table between us. I took my time observing the changes in her appearance.

"K-Kumusta ka po rito, Mommy?" naisaboses ko rin. "Pinapakain po ba k-kayo nang maayos dito?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Her eyes rolled.

Bumagsak ang mata ko sa dalang lunch bag para sa kaniya. Nilapit ko iyon sa kaniya at tipid na ngumiti.

"Dinalhan ko po kayo ng pagkain. Pang-dinner ninyo po. Hinanda po iyan ni... Tita Rappy."

Her blank face remained. "So, did you finally meet and acknowledge your biological mother?"

I silently bobbed my head. When I tried jumping off the building that night, Kuya El came, and it knocked my head to return to my rational thinking. I was shot by someone being hunted by the authorities until now.

After all the unfortunate events in my life, luck was on my side during that time. Naroon sina Kuya Wilder, Kuya Rain pati ang mga magulang ng huli. I was ashamed for thinking of ending my life that I refused to talk to them. But eventually, with Kuya Rain and Kuya Wai's persistence, napapayag akong sumailalim sa DNA test through swab.

While waiting for the result, doon pa rin muna ako sa bahay namin nanatili kasama si Kuya Rain. Mahigit isang linggo lang ang hinintay bago makuha ang resulta.

"Mabait din po sila, Mommy," I told her after a short reminiscing. "At... tanggap na tanggap po nila ako."

Contrary to what I thought of them repudiating me. Pero saka ko napagtanto na kung ayaw nila sa akin, dapat ay hindi na nila ako pina-DNA test una pa lang.

"Good. Is that what all you want to say?" Malamig pa rin ang boses niya. "Kasi kung wala na, puwede ka nang umalis. Naiiirita na ako sa pabalik-balik mo rito kaya nilabas lang kita ngayon—"

"I missed you, Mommy." Bumuhos agad ang luha ko. "I missed you, really. I'm sorry if I wasn't good enough to be your daughter. I'm sorry if you are here because of me..."

I wiped my own tears but they kept on flowing like a free river. Nalaman ko na ang buong pangyayari simula nang na-kidnap kami noon hanggang sa na-comatose ako. I know Mommy could be harsh to me, but I didn't know she could do that for me.

Tumingin siya kanan upang iwasan ang tingin sa akin. Kitang-kita ko ang pag-alon ng lalamunan niya at paggalaw ng panga. Ang paggalaw ng dibdib niya ay bumilis nang kaunti.

"Umalis ka na."

"Mahal na mahal po kita, Mommy," I croaked. "At alam ko pong mahal n'yo rin ako kahit—"

"Umalis ka na sabi!" Hinampas niya ang mesa at galit akong tiningnan. "Hindi kita mahal, puwede ba? Hindi kita tunay na anak kaya bakit kita mamahalin?!"

Her voice cracked. Her eyes were misty, red and fierce. Tila ba nilalabanan ang nagbabadyang luha sa pamamagitan nang pagtalim ng tingin sa akin.

She was always like that. She never showed me her real feelings—only her cold and ferocious side. She was never warm to me. Pero kahit ganoon, hindi ko pa rin talaga makuhang magalit nang buo. Nang matagal. Nang malala.

Her ways of showing filial love may be different from other parents but now, I accepted it wholeheartedly. Alam kong pinag-isipan ko rin nang hindi maganda si Mommy lalo na noong panahong hindi siya naniwala sa akin at pinalayas ako. But it will never suppressed my care and love for her as the mother who raised me.