Memories In Red

Chapter 5: Restart

    Everyone in this world is like a leaf; they grow and develop, but as the years pass by, they change color and fall from their places.

Nasa puntod ako ngayon ni Lola at ni Tatay. Their graves are a few steps away from the mansion, along with my ancestors—the Harrietts.

Shelley K. Harriett
Birth: January 29, 1971
Death: June 01, 2023

Traise K. Harriett
Birth: July 28, 1989
Death: January 09, 2022

Ang bilis talaga ng panahon, Parang kahapon lang buhay pa si tatay at si mommy. Kung kailan pa kami maligaya at contento ngayon naglaho na ang lahat nang 'yun.

Alam ba ni tatay na hindi niya ako tunay na anak? How about si lola, naniwala kaya siya sa sinabi ni mom? I feel like I donʼt deserve to stand at the Harriett's residence anymore.

Charles Jr. Harriett
Birth: May 21,1971
Death: November 30, 2010

He is my grandfather, and he passed away when I was about to turn 3 years old. 40 pa lang ang age ni lolo nung nauna na siya.

I still remember mommy's story. They were so young when they got engaged, I think around 16 pa sila, and they had dad nung 18 na sila.

Mommy said that she loved lolo so much that's why she forced her parents to marry him.

At first, lolo and mommy shared the same feelings, but then after years of being married nagsawa na si lolo kay mommy and that's why he had a mistress

Majority si mommy 'yung nagpakahirap sa pamilya nila, she worked 24/7 sa Ospital just to feed
her family with enough money.

Grandfather was the reason why she was striving so hard, but in the end he betrayed her for his own desire.

Nangyari 'yun lahat nung 32 years old na si lolo, nalaman din ni mommy, and she was so frustrated that lead to many arguments between her and lolo. Sobrang bata din daw kasi ang pinatulan ni lolo, mga 18 years old.

Habang si tatay ay 13 years old around that year. So kung sasabihin, 5 years difference ang age ni tatay pati mistress ni lolo. The story was depressing to recall, actually I really didn't expected that my lolo would be like that. Hindi ko lang alam if nasaan na ngayon ang mistress niya.

“Mommy…halos limang buwan na'ko hindi nakadalaw sa'yo. Simula kasi nung namatay na si nanay, madaming tao ang pumupunta sa bahay para kamustahin ako, pero sa totoo lang hindi ko alam kung maaawa ako sa sarili ko o kay nanay,” I let out a sigh before I continued.

All those visitors said were like kakayanin ko raw mabuhay mag-isa dahil nandyan naman daw sila para tulungan ako sa anumang oras. Iyon daw ang pang bawi nila kay nanay.

"Pero, my..” I held back my tears and wiped them away. “N-naawa ako kay nanay nung sinabi niya ang kanyang mga huling salita. She may have been a bad mother to me, pero my.. She just wanted to live peacefully. And I feel sorry for her,” I clenched my teeth after saying those words
and finally bent down to let out all of the tears that I had been holding back for a while.

After sharing my concerns with my grandmother, I finally bid her farewell and left the grave to
return to the mansion. Pinuntahan ko agad ang silid ko at tiningnan ang loob nito. Bawat furniture ay nakatakip ng puting tela. Bigla ko na lang naalala ang mga dating alaala sa likod ng kwarto na iyon.

Mga kulitan namin ni mommy, our story-telling moments, every memory flashed through my sight.

“Hija...” Napalingon ako sa pintuan kung saan nanggaling ang boses. It was Manang Nina.