Sunburst

Kabanata 9

~ Brielle ~

Current Location: On the death row of hell.

Time: Before Sunrise

Duration of travel: Hopefully as long as the earth revolves around the sun.

Destination: That place. 10000 feet from hell.

It's been a few years since I left my hometown and decided to live in a big city. Since that day, I never once went back, not to visit and not to stay. The only time I got a chance to be with my family was when they came to visit me or if we went on a family vacation outside the hometown. I've been doing my best to stay out of that place for various reasons, but the worst part is coming back with -

"We'll be there in three more hours. You okay?"

I nodded. Honestly, I feel sick. Feeling ko nagsisirko-sirko ang mga bulate ko sa tiyan. Ano ba 'yan, masususka pa yata ako. How did it end like this anyway? Why did we decide to go back?

I sighed. Life is a bitch.

___

~ End of Summer: June of my 3rd Year in College ~

Family Reunion....daw.

Bakit ako pupunta kahit wala naman akong balak? Dahil nagdradrama ang best actress kong ina kasama ang aking nakakatandang kapatid na tinopak nanaman sa kaartehan. Hindi naman talaga kami mag-rereunion eh. May party daw kasi ang pinsan kong hilaw na kababalik lang galing ibang bansa, at dahil minsan lang daw umuwi, naisip nila na magdiwang at imbitahan ang buong angkan or so I heard, pero sa rami ng tao rito, sigurado akong hindi lang angkan namin ang inimbitahan nila kung 'di buong bayan.

Sa isang private resort gaganapin ang so called reunion, away from my birth town, and by the looks of it nagsimula na sila.

"Briely! Mabuti naman dumating ka nang bruha ka. Kanina ka pa namin hinihintay," bati ng pinaglihi sa pompyang kong pinsan na si Joyanne, na talagang ginulo pa ang magulo ko nang buhok.

"Sino ba kasing may sabing maghintay kayo."

"Grabe ka naman bruha, syempre tagal ka naming 'di nakita kaya excited kaming masilayan muli ang kapangitan mo."

"Pinagsasabi mo gurang," asik ko habang naglalakad papasok sa venue. "Nagkita lang tayo last month malapit sa Royale."

"Eh iba naman iyon," paliwanag nito. "Tara na nga ipakikilala kita sa mga bagong miyembro ng pamilya natin."

Ito nanaman tayo sa pakilala. Every family gathering may tinatawag na introduce-yourself-to-people-who-is-apparently-your-kamag-anak-but-you-didn't-know-existed-until-now-because-they-lived-far-away-or-because-galit-sila-sa-iba-niyong-relatives.

Or you will be introduced to the son of your third cousin who's the daughter of your second cousin in the father side of your family whose uncle once married the tenth daughter of your mother's third cousin whose mother is your paternal grandfather's fifteenth wife.

Make sense?

Isang oras din ang tinagal ng introduction portion ni Joyanne. Wala rin naman akong ma-aalala kinabukasan kaya tumango-tango na lang ako.

"So Brieley, balita ko sumali ka raw sa banda," chismiss ng bruhang Joyanne na ngayo'y prenteng nakaupo.

"Sinong chismosa nanaman ang nagsabi sa'yo 'yan?"