"Ano na naman to Charlotte Abigail Mendoza? ilang ulit ka pa ba namin pagsasabihan ng daddy mo? you are already twenty-two and and you act like you're sixteen?" sigaw ni mommy.
I didn't care.
I just continued to eat my breakfast and act like none of what she just said hurt me.
What did I expect? of course they will be angry again because of this and that, that maybe I am participating in the drug parties of my friends who are said to be drug addicts.
"Anton! tignan mo nga ang anak mo! hahayaan mo na lang ba siyang ganyan? she's old enough to find a job or make her choosen career into realization, pero nagbubulakbol! diyos ko naman!"
My choosen career?
Yes, I graduated college. Business ad na ayaw ko namang i-take kaso pinilit nila kasi wala daw future sa music.
Sinunod ko lahat ng gusto nila kasi 'yon ang tama, and they promised me that after I finish that fucking course, they will give me the freedom I deserved which is... hindi nasusunod.
"You are around this sick barkadas of yours? Like Dara Licauco? yung hubadera at walang respeto sa magulang kasi spoilde brat? and this Xian Monteclaros! anak ng gobernador pero adik naman! yan ba ang manliligaw mo ha Charlotte?!!" galit na galit na sigaw ni mommy.
I was involved in a drug raid scandal last week that put me in jail, if my lawyer cousin didn't help me, I might be eating breakfast in the cell right now. I was even accused of using drugs because I was with Dara and Xian, which is that we don't really use drugs at all. It was all false accusations of the people around us.
We we're having our night in one of Xian's friend's house ng magkaroon ng raid at nadamay kami sa paghuli ng mga pulis. When my cousin Eda requested for a drug testing for me, the police found out that I was positive with alcohol but not with any substance like methamphetamine or cocaine or any illegal drugs that was found in the house where the police raided kaya agad akong pinakawalan ng mga pulis.
Nakatanggap ako ng magkapatid na sampal mula kay mommy that time kasi hindi biro ang napasukan kung gusot. I thought I will be kicked out of our house ng dahil doon sa scandal na yon.
"Can you please cut your connections with those people Charlotte? hindi ka ba nahihiya? Mendoza ka! pero kung sirain mo ang pangalan ng pamilyang ito parang anak ka lang ng yaya Lucy mo! isipin mo naman kami ng daddy mo!"
I smirked and look at her.
"Talaga mommy? kung magpalit kaya kayo ng posisyon ni yaya Lucy? baka matuwa pako sa inyo!"
Isang malutong na sampal ang natanggap ko mula sa nanay ko.
Nabitawan ko pa ang mga kubyertos na hawak ko sa lakas non.
"Inggrata! wala kang mudo! kung hindi ako ang nanay mo saan ka pupulutin? kung hindi ka Mendoza ano ka ngayon?!" sigaw niya sa mukha ko.
I felt the pain not because my mother slapped me, I felt the pain because of the words I heard, if I'm not Mendoza what am I? who am I?
Fuck it! if I wasn't born Mendoza I would be free to do what I want.
To pursue my dream and living the best life I could live.
A single tear fell from my eye which I immediately wiped away.
I stared at her.
"Mom, I thought you will give me freedom to enjoy my life after being masunurin? I took the course you wanted me to take kahit alam niyo naman na ayaw ko diyan sa Business Ad na yan kasi mas gusto kong i pursue ang music pero ano? sinunod ko parin kayo, I sacrifice everything to graduate and have that fucking summa cum laude na gusto niyo kasi ayaw niyong masabihan ng mga kumare mo na bubo ang anak mo, so now? tell me. Is this the freedom you promised me 5 years ago?"
