Missing Peace | COMPLETED

Chapter 28

April 22

"Tita! Tita!"

My gaze went from my laptop screen to my pamangkin. He's running towards me with a yellowbell in his hand.

"Yes, baby?" I asked softly nang makalapit siya.

Hinihingal siyang ngumiti bago iniabot sa akin ang dala niyang flower. I couldn't help but to smile. "For Tita Cams?"

"Yes po," he said with his little voice.

"Aww, thank you, baby," I said as I accepted his flower. "Go back there and play na," I added. He giggled before he nods at tsaka tumakbo papunta sa ibang pinsan niya na naglalaro just a few meters away from me.

Nasa Batangas kami ngayon, Daphnie's family's residence. Yes, the very house na katapat ng bahay nila Raiker. Good thing wala siya dito sa Batangas ngayon. Because I know he will come over dahil close niya rin sila Kuya Davis.

In fact, Daphnie suggested na sa residence na lang nila sa Quezon City kami umuwi but since it's super mainit, they all decided na lang na dito sa Batangas for its cold breeze. And we'll stay here for quite a while.

Nasa garden ako, bantay ng mga bata. Kaharap ko ang laptop ko and doing something with my writing blog. Nasa loob si Daphnie, naghahanda ng pagkain namin, si Kuya Davis ay umalis saglit at ang ibang tao dito ay hindi ko alam kung nasaan.

Dito na kami sa Batangas dumiretso kahapon pagkatapos ng graduation after party namin. Si Kuya Davis ang nagdrive kaya nakapag inom kami ni Daphnie together with our girls. Nagising na nga lang ako ay nandito na kami.

And I woke up with a major hangover. Afternoon na nga kami nakabangon pareho ni Daphnie, and to be honest my head is still pounding a bit.

The graduation yesterday went kinda well. I am happy, with my girls and my family. Hindi man nakauwi ang parents ko, Kuya Davis were there for me as well as their whole family.

And Raiker... I know gusto niya akong lapitan kahapon, even just to congratulate me, but he can't. Finally, he's doing what I asked him, and I don't know why I'm still in pain kahit ginawa na niya ang gusto ko. Also, Natacha was with him. Kompleto silang lima, Natacha and his boys.

Funny how I looked back on our conversation months ago that it is such a goal to graduate together. Ako dapat ang nandoon... sa tabi niya. Kami dapat ang masayang dalawa. We're probably bar hopping and celebrating right now with our whole circle of friends. But things do not always go according to plan.

"Cams, wala pa ba si Kuya?!"

I was pulled out from my reverie dahil sa malakas na sigaw ni Daphnie. Lumingon ako sa kaniya at umiling. She immediately groaned at nanatili ang pagsimangot sa mukha niya. May dala siyang two huge bowls habang nakasimangot na naglalakad papunta sa table kung nasaan ako.

"Kids!" tawag niya sa mga pamangkin namin. Tumigil naman ang mga iyon sa paglalaro at lumingon sa tita nila. "Go wash your hands inside and get the juice paglabas niyo," utos niya pa.

"Yes, tita!" they shouted in unison bago tumakbo papunta sa pintuan at nag unahan pa sila papunta sa pinto.

"Bakit pa sila ang inutusan mo? Pwede naman akong tumayo," I told my cousin as soon as makalapit siya sa akin.

"They need to learn. Besides hindi mababasag 'yon, I didn't use the glass one. Para lang matuto sila," she said and pointed to the table with her lips.

Inisod ko laptop ko and even my iced coffee na siyang tanging laman ng small table to give space sa dala niya. It is a huge bowl of fries and chips.

"Ang tagal naman ni Kuya, ano ba 'yan," she groaned as she sat sa katapat kong upuan.

I chuckled with how grumpy she is kaagad. "Bakit ba? Anong kailangan mo kay Kuya?"

"Nagpabili ako ng ice cream, e." She laughed.

"Pwede namang ikaw ang bumili, may bilihan naman sa labasan." Mahina ang pagkakasabi ko because I remember something, noong ako ang nautusan bumili ng ice cream that one late night.

"Ayoko nga." Kahit hindi nakatingin, alam kong umirap na naman siya. "Hayaan mo na si Kuya ang bumili, para pera niya," natatawang dagdag niya.

Napailing-iling na lang ako bago muling ibinalik ang tingin ko sa screen ng aking laptop. Tumayo si Daphnie mula sa upuan niya at sinilip ang laptop screen, then she suddenly scream.

"OMG! Sumusulat ka na ulit!" kinikilig na sigaw niya. Halos magpaikot-ikot pa siya habang mababang nagtatatalon.

Mahina akong natawa sa reaksyon niya. "Sinusubukan ko pa lang ulit. Hindi ko alam kung kaya ko pang sumulat."

"Ano ka ba!" biglang sigaw niya.

"Syempre kaya mo pa! Ikaw na rin ang nagsabi sa akin before, na kung mahal mo, kahit iwan mo saglit, nandiyan pa rin pagbalik mo."

I smiled genuinely at her. "Thank you." Si Daphnie na lang palagi ang nagpapalakas ng loob ko whenever I think I can't do it anymore.

"Tita!" Sabay kaming napalingon ni Daphnie sa pamangkin namin when he shouted. Our little boy is crying.

Without second thought, Daphnie and I rushed towards him. He's crying no matter how hard he's trying to stop and he keeps wiping his tears with the back of his palm.

"Baby, why are you crying? What happened?" I asked softly when I got near him.

"I'm... I'm sorry po..." he keeps sobbing.

"Shh, baby, it's fine," Daphnie hushed our nephew. "Tell tita what happened and we'll fix that, okay?"

He sniffs while slowly nodding. "The... The juice po... It fell..."

"Come here." Binuhat ni Daphnie ang pamangkin namin before we head inside.

Pagkapasok pa lang namin sa living room rinig na agad ang iyakan sa may kusina that made us rush in there. Nadatnan naming umiiyak ang two little ones while the bigger one and higher in age is trying to clean up the spilled juice.

Lumapit ako sa mga maliliit naming pamangkin na nakaupo na sa sahig and crying so loud. Paluhod akong umupo sa harap ng dalawa while Daphnie put down our nephew who keeps on crying before she deals with the juice on the floor.

"Shhh, Shhh, babies..." I tried hushing them but it didn't work.

I tucked the girls loose hair behind their ears and wiped their cheeks full of tears. Mas lumapit pa ako sa kanila but I made sure that my approach is soft and tender so they won't be scared and cry more.

"Don't cry over spilled juice, babies." I gave them a warm smile as I wiped off their tears. "These precious tears you all got shouldn't be wasted by little things, okay?"

"Do you understand, Tita?" I asked. I laughed at the back of my mind when they just stared at me. "I know you all don't understand what I'm saying right now, but someday you will."

"We're sorry po, Tita Cams..." one of them uttered softly.

"It's okay, babies. Tita Daphnie and I know that you just want to help and learn. We can timpla ng bago naman," I assure them.

"Now, come here..." I open my arms at pasugod silang niyakap ako that made me sit into an indian sit.

I chuckled and hug them all back. Good thing they were still small kaya kasya pa sila sa arms ko. Would it be too much if I wish na sana palagi na lang sila ganito kaliit?

Daphnie sat down beside me. "How about me naman?" she asked, pouting. "Pa-hug din si Tita," she pleased at ibinuka rin ang kamay to hug them.

Lumipat sa kaniya ang isa and the two left with me, pinaupo niya rin sa hita niya ang pamangkin namin who helps her clean the spilled juice kanina. I laughed inside. We looks like cousin-cuddling because of a spilled juice.

I let them sob for a while, inuubos ang mga natitira nilang luha. I just kept on humming as well as Daphnie because that helps them hush. And when they were done crying, that's when I talked again.

"Now, listen to Tita..." I started softly and our little kids looked at me.

"Just because you got hurt, just because you fell down doesn't mean the world is already falling apart. You can always get up again, push yourself up, and start over again. You can." I smiled genuinely at my nieces and nephews. "You will always fall, but don't ever stop from trying to try again. And don't let anyone and anything lock you in your downfall."

I chuckled when I saw them staring at me blankly. I know they won't probably remember this moment when they grew up, but I will.

My gaze went to Daphnie when she chuckled lightly. "Now tell that to yourself, Cams."

Hindi ko agad naintindihan ang sinabi niya kaya tawang tawa siya when it tooks seconds bago ko siya inirapan.

"Words from the heart, based on experiences," tumatawang pang-aasar pa niya that made me roll my eyes again.

"Oh? Bakit nandito kayong lahat sa loob?" Kuya Davis voice suddenly tuned in. "Cams, laptop mo nasa labas," dagdag pa niya.

"Ay, opo, magtitimpla po kasi kami ng juice," I reasoned out before I winked sa mga kids that made them giggled.

"Kuya!" Daphnie whined. "Ang ice cream ko?!" Ngumangawa siya, na parang mga pamangkin namin kanina. Ngayon alam ko na kung kaninong tita sila nagmana.

"Iniwan ko na sa table sa labas," Kuya answered.

We all got up. Nagtimpla ulit kami ng panibagong juice. We had our snacks sa garden, highlight ang bagong dating na ice cream na dala ni Kuya Davis. Kuya knows us well, alam niyang we are all into ice cream kaya dalawang tub ang dala niya.

I couldn't help but to cherish this moment. Hindi man aminin ng family nila Daphnie, I know nagpumilit sila na dito kami umuwi and wag mag-stay sa dorm because they want to spend time with me and bond with me before I leave and go to Canada.

I go back looking at my laptop screen after watching these Ellwoods. I am going back home. I'm going back home where I am happy and feeling at home, writing.

I am crawling back to my shell, because I've got my story to write.