Divina Gracia would always say my mother was an average nurse. Nalinawan ang parte ng isip kong naguguluhan kung saan nagsimula ang pagkayamot ng nga De Morga sa ina. Divina Gracia has been using the words my mother wrote on her application letter about her being average. Mom surely meant differently, but the remorse pushed Divina Gracia to remember her that way.
Without any bias, Mom deserved the scholarship. Pero kahit sino yata ay mapapatanong. Bakit nga ba nagtrabaho siya sa ospital na kalaban ng mga De Morga? If she was their scholar, she should've been an advocate of the De Morga Medical Center.
And why did years after, Dad deny his relationship with her? Did she have another man? If so . . . does that mean I'm not a De Morga?
"Abuelo." Kinatok ko ang tarangkahang gawa sa yero. Mas malakas, mas maingay, mas maganda. "Abuelo? Si Maurice 'to!"
Magdamag akong ginambala ng mga tanong, higit lalo ng katotohanan tungkol sa akin. There's a possibility that I never really met my father, that I'm not a De Morga—like Ingrid. Hindi ko alam kung ikatutuwa ko ba 'yon.
"Abuelo?!" Hindi ako tumigil sa pagtawag kahit wala pa ring sumasagot limang minuto na ang nakalipas. "Abuelo!"
My desperation brought me in front of his house at early five. I don't think I can wait until the end of the day to do something. I need to feed this curiosity before it can kill me.
"Abuelo—" Isisigaw ko na dapat ang pinakamalakas ko nang biglang bumukas ang pintuan ng bahay. Tanaw kasi iyon mula sa likod ng mababang haligi.
"Sino sila?" tanong ng kagigising na matanda. Nilinis muna niya ang antipara bago isinuot at inaninag ako.
"Abuelo, si Maurice po."
His half-closed eyes widened. "Oh, Maurice. Bakit napakaaga ng pagdalaw mo, apo?" Papalapit na siya sa tarangkahan nang itanong'yon.
When he opened the gate, I wasted no time. "Abuelo, can I know where you get your books?"
"Saan ko kinukuha ang mga libro sa Esperanza?"
"I need to know who supplies you."
"Bakit? Masiyado bang malaki ang patong ko?" tanong niya na animo'y nahihiya.
"Hindi—Hindi po. May hinahanap po kasi akong libro. I know you only get the books that are in the best condition, but I'm worried the books I'm looking for are old and worn out enough not to be chosen. I need to find them, abuelo."
Last night, I learned that the three books I haven't finished reading yet are not just a trilogy but a series. It was recorded as the first best-selling series in the city. I already have the first half of the series, I need to find the second half.
"Mukha ngang napaka-importante nito sa 'yo. Hindi ka paparito nang alas-singko kung hindi."
"Hindi ako sigurado kung mahahanap mo pa ang mga libro dahil halos lahat ng may aklatan ay doon kumukuha. Pero sa Encantar, doon ang bagsakan ng mga libro, bago at kahit iyong mga pinaglumaan. Bukas sila mula alas-sais nang umaga hanggang alas-sais nang gabi."
"Encantar . . ." I tried to recall where I saw the name.
"May tagong eskinita sa Paraiso, Maurice. Malapit lang ang Encantar sa palengke at palitan ng mga prutas."
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...
