Masked Joy

1

The next day, I went to the kitchen to ask Manang Lucy some questions.

"Manang, mayroon po akong katanungan," I started.

"Anong katanungan mo, iha?" Manang Lucy asked with a smile.

"Bakit po kaya ganun si Luke? Parang hindi niya ako mahal o ayaw niya saakin," I asked with a confused look on my face.

Manang Lucy put down the knife she was holding and turned to face me. "Alam mo, iha, hindi ko rin alam kung bakit ganiyan si Sir Luke. Matagal na akong nagtatrabaho sa kanila at hindi ko pa rin masagot ang tanong mo."

"Hindi naman po ako makasiguro pero pakiramdam ko kasi mahal pa niya si Scarlet," I said with a heavy heart.

Manang Lucy nodded knowingly. "Oo alam ko iyon. Pero hindi mo dapat isipin yon. Baka kasi hindi iyon ang totoo. Malay mo naman, mahal ka rin niya at hindi lang niya maipakita ng maayos dahil sa iba pang problema."

"Paano ko po ba malalaman kung mahal niya rin ako?" I asked with hope in my eyes.

"Basta, iha, maghintay ka lang at patunayan mo sa kaniya na mahal mo rin siya. Hindi mo naman kailangan magpakita ng sobra-sobra, basta lagi mo lang siyang suportahan at pangalagaan," Manang Lucy advised.

"Salamat po, Manang. Sa susunod po tatanungin ko pa rin po kayo," I said with a grateful smile.

"Walang anuman, iha. Basta lagi mo lang tandaan na nandito lang ako lagi para sayo," Manang Lucy said with a reassuring pat on my shoulder.

I left the kitchen feeling a bit more hopeful. I knew that things won't change overnight, but I was determined to do everything I can to make things work between me and Luke.

Luke arrived home with a scowl on his face, making me tense up. I nervously asked him, "Luke, what did I do wrong? Why are you treating me like this?"

"Can't you see that I'm tired?" he snapped. "I don't want to deal with your problems right now."

I felt my heart sink, feeling rejected and unimportant to Luke. I watched him storm off, leaving me alone in the kitchen. I was left questioning myself again, what did I do wrong?

I went to the living room and sat on the couch, tears threatening to fall from my eyes. I couldn't understand why Luke treated me like this, no matter how many times I asked him. I couldn't help wonder if I was a burden to him, if he regretted marrying me.

As I sat there alone, I couldn't help but feel hopeless and alone. I knew I needed to talk to Luke, but I also knew that he wouldn't listen. I needed to find a way to make him understand my feelings and make him see that he was hurting me. But how? That was the question I couldn't answer.

After that tense conversation with Luke, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with emotions. I lay down in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling as tears streamed down my face. I tried to make sense of what was happening in my life, but it felt like everything was slipping out of my control.

I couldn't understand why Luke was so angry with me. I had done everything I could to make him happy, but it seemed like nothing was enough. I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong, that there was something I was missing.

I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. I kept replaying the conversation with Luke in my head, trying to figure out what I could have said or done differently. But the more I thought about it, the more confused and frustrated I felt.

As the night wore on, my tears eventually dried up and I found myself drifting off to sleep, but my heart was heavy and my mind was still racing. I knew that when I woke up in the morning, I would still be facing the same problems And uncertainties, and the weight of it all seemed unbearable.