Guarded Soul (The Brats #2)

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Above

Rejo's mother was right. He will ask me to run away with him. I remember Tita Farah warning me about her son's possible plan.

"Thank you for accepting my invitation," she formally greeted me with a timid smile on her face.

I knew she doesn't like me for her son. Pero kahit gano'n, ngumiti pa rin ako.

Dahil wala naman si Rejo sa bahay nila, roon na kami nagkita. She was hospitable enough to prepare their veranda for me. Honestly, I didn't know why I agreed to her invitation. I just knew that... I needed to. Not to please her, but to listen to her.

I sighed. "How are you po?" I asked respectfully, staring at her puffy eyes. I suddenly got curious why her eyes are sore.

"In hell, but still doing everything I can to make things better for everyone," she answered.

I nodded consecutively. I knew she didn't mean to attack me personally, but I still felt attacked.

She's trying to make things better for everyone, while we only fight and think of our relationship. Mabilis na dumaan sa isip ko na... gano'n ba talaga kami ka-selfish?

Were we too blinded by love that we turned out selfish and inconsiderate?

"How about you?"

I pursed my lips. "I'm..." I was speechless for a moment. "I'm sorry po, but I don't know how answer that." Kinakabahan akong tumawa nang kaonti.

"I understand. Everything has been chaotic and harsh to the both of you..." She was sincere and calm. I didn't expect her to be this vulnerable in front of me.

There was a short silence before I asked a question.

"Uh, bakit niyo po pala ako inimbitahan?"

She heaved a deep sigh and smiled, pressing her lips into a thin line. Hawak n'ya ang tainga ng kaniyang tasa. She couldn't look into my eyes straight.

"I know you already have an idea why I called for you..."

Tumango ako. I'm not that naive.

"Yes, Hiraya... I want to convince you... to break up with my son."

We were at the second floor of their huge house. Sa harap namin ay ang tahimik at mapuno nilang hardin. With only the sound of chirping birds, her words were clear as crystals to me.

"You two are still young. There are so many more good things to experience... Please, as a mother, don't ruin your lives for love."

Hindi ako umimik. I couldn't look into her eyes. Nasa baso ng tubig ang mga mata ko.

"I could no longer grasp everything that's happening in our lives. There are so many things on my plates right now, and your situation with my son is the heaviest among them all..." she said, her words were not too clear because of her breathing.

I nodded, my heart was hammering with a painful rhythm.

"I'm trying to understand the truth you two are trying to tell me but I could really not accept it without the other side of the story. Anak ko si Rejo, kaya dapat siya ang paniwalaan ko... But no. I can't... do that."

When I heard her voice broke, I glanced at her. She was already crying. Sinubukan n'yang ikalma ang sarili n'ya.

"I don't want to tolerate my son's wrongdoings. I don't want him to be like my father someday... I want him to be raised with respectable principles." She breathed heavily. "I really hate... the idea of cheating."