Chapter 16
"Rhys!" Maligayang bungad sa akin ni Tita pagdating ko sa kanilang bahay. "Come in, come in!"
Nahihiya akong tumango at iniwan ang sapatos ko sa kanilang shoe rack. Pumasok na ako sa loob at sinundan siya papunta sa kusina.
"I'm really glad that you came. Wala akong ma-invite simula noong lumipat kami rito. Halika, umupo ka..."
I sat down where she led me. "Pasensiya na, Tita. Hindi ako nakapagdala ng kahit ano."
She laughed. "Ano ka ba, 'nak! Ang dami ko na ngang niluto, eh! Sige na, kumain ka na..."
She really cooked a lot. Mula sa menudo na paborito rin ni Kariza hanggang sa tinola, lechon, at kare-kare na lagi niyang hinahanap-hanap whenever she's on her period. Wow, I couldn't ask for more.
She got an instant food court in her house!
Tumikhim ako ng menudo at sinundan ito ng isang subong kanin. My head unconsciously took consecutive nods. Masarap, as usual.
"So..." Excited siyang umupo sa tabi ko. "How do you like it? Masarap ba?"
Tumikhim ako, tinatapos ang pagnguya ng pagkain. "No doubt, Tita. You're an awesome cook."
"Umaasa akong hindi bola iyan..." Pinagsalikop niya ang kaniyang mga kamay sa ibabaw ng mesa. "Kumain ka pa."
"I'm okay. You should... eat, too." Nagpatuloy pa rin ako sa pagkain. "I'm really sorry. Ngayon na lang ako nakadalaw sa inyo, wala pa akong nadala."
"Naku! Huwag ka nang mag-abala pa. You're here, iyon lang ang mahalaga. Alam kong may mga pinagkakaabalahan ka rin ngayon so this is the least I could do to serve your time well."
Umiling ako. Para naman akong sobrang espesyal nito.
"No... I mean, aside from my studies, I'm totally free. I know you know. Hindi ko rin naman kayang maging normal pagkatapos ng lahat."
A person's death changes everything. Tita moved out of their family house after this unexplainable separation with Tito. Tito was even more serious in his experiments. Ako... sirang-sira pa rin. Gulong-gulo at hindi makabangon.
What's more funny is... I don't even have a cycle. Pakiramdam ko ay para akong nakulong sa isang lugar kung saan walang nangyayari. Ang tanging nararamdaman ko lang ay sakit. Hindi ito umiikot sa kaligayahan o kung ano pa man. It's just there. And I don't know how to get out or at least, knock.
"You met my husband?"
"Yeah." Sagot ko sa tanong niya.
"I didn't invite him." She said bitterly. "He never really cared. He only likes to help himself—his work. He's a nutjob."
Huminto ako, trying to contemplate. Dapat ba akong sumang-ayon sa kaniya or should I tell her that what she was saying was not exactly right?
"We're supposed to be a team. I was counting on him. When we lost our daughter, I thought... we are going to help each other heal but he just..." Nagkibit-balikat siya. "I don't know. He burst out like a bubble. He left me shattered. Parang ako ang pinatay."
I knew we'd talk about this. In fact, ang topic na ito lang ang mapag-uusapan namin. Sigurado. Walang duda.
She began to release these emotions. I understand her. She doesn't have anybody right now. Not even her husband, her daughter, her parents. Kung hindi patay, iniwan siya ng mga ito. I am basically all she got, madalang pa akong dumalaw at mangamusta.
Kaya nga siguro ako nakakarinig ng boses. Karma.
She wiped her tears.
"Mas masakit kapag iniisip ko na... ako lang ang nakakaramdam nito. Parang nababalewala lahat ng sakit ko dahil baka ako ang problema. That maybe I was just being dramatic and I'm the one who's prolonging this pain—"
BINABASA MO ANG
The Touch of Eternal Sorrow (Altarieno Series #3)
Romance[COMPLETED] Getting over the fact that Meara Kariza Connors is gone has never been too easy for her boyfriend, Haryhson Tomas Altarieno. She was the best future he could ever have. The most valuable person he could ever hold. But then, things starte...
