"You surely know how to put yourself in trouble, Mauve." Nilamutak ko ang mukha nang masulyapan ang inilagay niyang pagkain sa bag. Nakapatong na iyon ngayon sa lamesa ko.
He had something for me since college. I had something else for him too. Had. It's all in the past. I took the opportunity to be his handmaid to help myself. I need money! I overlooked the downsides.
"It's okay." I patted my shoulders.
There's nothing I can do to stop him from doing what he was already doing even before, but I can set boundaries. If he's not willing to grab the chalk, I'll be the one to draw the line.
"Right." I breathed deeply. "You're all good, Mauve."
Pagkatapos kong makumbinsi ang sarili sa dapat na gawin, tumayo ako. Kinuha ko ang mga pagkain at lumabas. Natagpuan ko ang sariling nakatayo sa tapat ng mga basurahan. Ihuhulog ko na lang ang mga pagkain ay hindi ko pa magawa.
I am not thinking about Yuri. I'm thinking about the starving people. I'm thinking about the cooks who prepared them. I'm thinking about how throwing them is such a waste.
I pulled the bags back, away from the mouths of the bins. If I can't eat these, someone else can. Hindi muna ako bumalik sa loob ng unit. Naglakad-lakad ako at naghanap ng mapagbibigyan. Marahil dahil malalim na ang gabi, wala na gaanong tao sa kalsada. Usually, there are homeless people sitting at the streetside. Pero malinis ang paligid ngayon. Nalampasan ko muna ang ilang kanto bago natanaw ang isang pamilya sa gilid ng kalsada.
"Para po sa inyo." Inabot ko iyon sa Tatay.
"Pagkain?" Nanlaki ang mga mata ng lalaki. "Naku, maraming-maraming salamat po. Tamang-tama, hindi po kami nakapaghapunan." Boses niya ang nagpaingay sa kalye.
A little guilt crawled across my chest. "Sige po. Mauna na 'ko."
"Sandali lang, ineng. Ano ang panagalan mo?"
Nahinto ako sandali nang magtanong siya pero hindi ako sumagot. I hate introducing myself to people. I hate it when someone knows me. Maybe because most people think they know who you are when they know your name.
"Maraming salamat, ineng!"
I didn't look back until I was far enough. A few minutes to watch him wake the children up to eat was enough for me. At kahit hindi ako ang tinawag niyang 'anak', sa lambing ng boses niya, pakiwari ko'y napunan ang kung anong espasyo sa loob ko.
Naalala ko ang tanong ni Clo noong nakaraan. Kung kaya naman pala ng Diyos paginhawain ang buhay ng iba, bakit sila lang?
I walked away, feeling a little bad yet fulfilled. It didn't last though. I was easily carried away by random thoughts. Bigla na lang bumisita sa isip ko si Dad. He never called me 'anak'. Sa katunayan, mabibilang pa sa daliri kung ilang beses niyang sinambit ang pangalan ko na siya mismo ang nagbigay. Isang tawag ang sumira sa pagmumuni-muni ko.
Lindsay Marquez is calling . . .
Bihira tumawag si Lindsay kahit noon. She won't call if it's not too important or an emergency. Kinabahan ako nang kaunti. I am afraid it's going to be bad news.
"Where are you?" Inunahan niya akong magtanong.
"Sa bahay."
"Your father is at the hospital," she said. "He caught a bad flu so he'll be staying until tomorrow for observation. You can drop by if you want. If you're concerned, you can see him yourself. I'll be dropping the call."
She's no different from Ingrid, limited edition ang kabatian. But why is Dad sick? Does he still take his maintenance? Is he missing them again?
BINABASA MO ANG
The Heaven's Wildcard
Romance[SLOW EDIT] For most people, hell is just a concept or a place where the evils fall into after death. But for the registered nurse, Maurice Severina de Morga, it is her reality, her life. Her first cry was on her mother's death, died on a hospital b...
