Memories In Red

Chapter 2: The Red Ring

Kakatapos lang ng 1st Semester ngayon. Masaya kaming magkaklase dahil halos lahat kami ay nasa honor's list.

With High Honor naman ako, sadyang hindi lang masaya. Pinipilit lang ang sarili dahil sa paligid ko. Masaya si Pen, Masaya ang aming kasamahan at pilit akong ngumiti sa bawat pitik na kinukuha ng aking mga kaibigan.

Sa dalawang buwan na nakalipas, Nakahanap rin kami ni Pen na mga kaibigan, nagkaroon kami ng circle of friends ngunit mas close kami ni Pen.

And this is what I've learned; don’t be childish when you are a teenager, get out of your shell, and get a life.

“Bukas ha!” Pen said before bidding her goodbye.

“Sure, magpapaalam muna ako kay Mommy,” kasalukuyan ay nasa street kami pauwi na. At plano namin ni Pen ay kakain sana kami bukas sa labas.

I am now walking on my own to our house, overthinking. Hindi na'ko masaya sa nakakalipas na araw. I've been sad, bothered, and confused. Although I achieved many things at school, it couldn’t change the fact that our situation at home is chaotic.

Grandma has changed ever since Mom visited us. Matagal na 'yon pero nag-iba talaga si Mommy. And to find out that my mom is also a teacher at my school was even more crazier.

My life was getting more like a Ferris wheel. So fun yet scary.

I should stop my thoughts and focus on walking when suddenly…I felt someone from behind me.

I looked down at the road and saw a shadow from behind me. I tried to go different ways to see if it was still following me, and to my surprise, it was still following me.

It is 3 pm in the afternoon, it's broad daylight, napakat_nga naman ng k-ller if balak niya ako pa_ayin ngayon.

Yet I can't ignore this heartbeat of mine, I was scared to look at it, I was scared to confront it. Because we never know if the moment I turn around will be the last time I breathe.

Sa sobrang kaba ko ay nakarating din ako sa bahay. Nagpapanic nga lang pagpasok sa pinto kung kaya naguguluhan ang mga mukha ng mga maid sa'kin.

“H-haha, hello?” I forced to put on a smile but their face was just blank and wondering why was I running.

“Okay ka lang ba, hija?”

“Gusto mo ba ng tubig?”

“May humahabol ba sa'yo? Tatawag ba kami ng pulis?”

Sunod-sunod na tanong nila, pero tinanggihan ko lang dahil baka imaginary ko lang lahat nang 'yon. Nothing is more scarier than your imagination.

“Nandito ba si Mommy?” I avoided their follow-up questions by asking about Grandma. But their faces became more depressing and told me she was in her room.

Mommy isn't the same anymore as before, she used to be jolly and interactive with everyone in this house. And now all of a sudden the house became dull.

“Mommy?” I knocked on the door before I flung it open.

Naabutan ko si Mommy sa kanyang kama habang hawak hawak ang luma na photo album. The album contained all of my old pictures.

She was staring at it as if she was living at that moment. As she caressed the picture, the red ring on her finger caught my attention.

It was so beautiful.

I sat down next to her and that is when she realized I was already in her room.

“Oh Rean, nandito kana pala,” she said coldly. Hindi na malumanay ang pagsalita niya sa'kin and I kinda missed it.