Shattered Wife

Kabanata 7

Past

After I presented my gifts to the children and talked to the place's superior, I bid my goodbye to them.

Maraming tao mukhang may mga politikong invited dahil may celebrasyon sa loob. Noong pumunta nga ako ay nasa kalagitnaan na ng misa. Dumaan pa kasi ako para bumili ng pagkain at nagdala ng cupcakes para sa kanila.

Nagpatulong lamang ako sa pagkarga doon sa naghatid sa 'king mamang tricycle driver.

Hindi na ako nagtaka kung bakit naroon ang mga Madrigal as from Cassandra they extend help here. Alam ko naman iyan noon pa, they helped more charity place, even sa Negros and Manila.

Bago pa tuluyang makalabas ay rinig pa ang sigawan ng mga batang humabol pa sa pagpaalam sa akin.

I then smiled and only waved at them.

My heart swelled at that. Those are the faces of children, face to face with unfavorable circumstances. But they are somehow blessed to have taken care of and to have a right shelter to live.

I can see how hopeful they are, trusting the process and aiming to have a better life ahead.

Some experienced trauma in the hands of bad people, some were left behind and we cannot change that.

But I believe that their future starts within them and that they can still determine and reroute their life.

In life we can be lost or sometimes that our choices can influence its outcome. Yet we can halt and redirect ourselves to something that awaits us... more meaningful life from last path experience.

After the conversation with Cassandra, I was left curious.

I wonder what really happened the day I left.

I sighed.

I was kicking little rocks while waiting for a tricycle to ride back to Lily's. Only jumped in surprise by a car honked and it stopped in front of me.

I furrowed my brows.

Nang nagbaba ng front door glass window ay nagtama ang tingin namin ni Mahieu Sebastian. Nagtaka naman ako, e kanina lang ay inaaya niya si Cassandra paalis.

Palinga-linga ako sa paligid.

"Hatid na kita," aniya.

Tinuro ko ang daan kung saan dumadaan ang tricycle pero hindi ko siya nilubayan ng tingin. "Hindi na. Akala ko ba ay nagmamadali kayo kanina?" nauutal kong tanong.

"Na, sila lang. They have to do some things before their flight back to Manila."

Oh.

Bakit naman ako magiging entresado sa ganap niya?

"Okay. Sige mauna ka na."

"Why?"

"Because I don't wanna be with you, obviously," suplada kong sabi sabay irap.

"Look, Mahieu... hindi tama itong ginagawa mo."

Sebastian knitted his brows.

"Can we talk, Lumiere?" His voice were soft compared before.

Mga mata niya ngayon ay puno nang pagsusumamo.

Bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko kaya nag-iwas ako ng tingin. "I'm not stupid, Mahieu. I know your ways, fishing information about how my life went. Kaya alam kong alam mo lahat ng nangyari sa akin."

Dahil nga hindi ko na siya matignan ay lagabog na lamang ng sasakyan ang dinig ko. Mas lalo akong pinanuyuan nang laway dahil biglang nasa harap ko na siya, nagbukas ng pintuan sa passenger seat.