Jump From the Air (Erudite Series #5)

Kapitulo 19

Days after Mommy started ignoring me, I fell sick. Naambunan kasi ako no'ng pauwi kahapon, kaya nagkaro'n ako ng sipon pagdating sa bahay. Tapos, paggising ko ay masakit na ang ilong ko, 'tsaka nilalamig ako.

I told my friends and classmates to tell our professors I was sick so that my attendance would be excused. Sinabihan ko ang mga kaibigan ko na pahingi ng notes o sabihan ako kung may utos ang prof sa klase.

Hindi pa ako nakabababa sa kitchen para mag-agahan. Hindi ko kayang gumalaw ng sobra. Nagbanyo lang ako kanina para umihi at suminga. I took the tissue with me from the bathroom and placed it on my bedside table.

I so wanted to ask Mommy to cook me crab and corn soup—like she always did when I had flu—but she might just shrug me off. Still, my pain overpowered whatever pushed me not to talk to Mommy.

"Mommy!" I shouted, hoping she could hear me from downstairs.

Nakapatay na ang aircon ko, pinatay ko kanina. Hindi ko rin binuksan ang electric fan dahil masiyado akong giniginaw. Mainit, kung tutuusin. Pero halos hindi ako makagalaw mula sa balot ng kumot ko sa katawan.

Maliwanag na ang kuwarto ko, nanggagaling ang ilaw sa mga bintana ko. I could perfectly see my room from my state. I then realized how I've never changed it since forever. Ang desk ko ay naro'n kung saan siya unang inilagay nang bilhin. Ang wardrobe ko ay nasa harap ng kama ko, gano'n pa rin, may mga stickers mula sa pagkabata ko.

"Mommy!" I tried again when no one responded and came.

"Sandali!" hiyaw pabalik ni Mommy bigla.

I breathed out and waited. Suminghot ako at pumikit muna. Nang marinig ko ang pagbukas ng pinto ko, nakita ko ang ina kong kasama si Maki na papasok sa kuwarto ko.

Bago ko pa sabihing nilalagnat ako, hinawakan na agad ni Mommy ang noo ko at leeg. She looked at me for a second and went out of my room. Maki stared at me while his tail wiggled before he got out of my room.

Bakit kaya alam niya agad na masama ang pakiramdam ko? Kahit no'ng bata pa ako, magtatanong agad si Mommy bago pa ako magkuwento sa kaniya. It was like a sixth sense for her.

Bumalik si Mommy na may hawak na thermometer. She placed it below my underarm and went out again. No exchange of words between us, just glances. How difficult and uncomfortable it was—but again, this was how we already were since the Ugbo incident.

Mommy came back and placed a glass of water on my bedside table before leaving me again. I think she was going to cook now. Maki stayed in my room. He lay on the floor as I did on the bed. Tahimik kami at tanging ang malakas na paghinga ko lang ang maririnig. Pinikit ko muli ang mga mata ko at umidlip.

Pag-angat ng mga talukap ko, papasok na si Mommy. She was holding a breakfast tray that had a bowl of soup and sliced apples. Maki went to her as I tried to sit up.

"Ubusin mo 'to," were her only words. She said it quite coldly as if she was a school principal and I was a delinquent student.

She put medicine beside my water and left my room. Mabilis siyang nakabalik, may hawak na siyang fever patch this time. I blew my soup as she prepared to put a patch on my forehead. Maki was watching us quietly, lumapit lang nang ilapat na ni Mommy ang patch sa aking noo. I petted him and went back to eating.

"Maki," tawag ni Mommy sa aso bago lumabas. Pakakainin na siguro ni Mommy si Maki.

Pagsimot ko ng soup, sinimulan ko na ang mansanas. I opened my phone while chewing and saw some messages from Kalon.

Mangundapat Kalon: san mo gusto kumain later for lunch?

Mangundapat Kalon: i was thinking of el poco, been a while since i ate there