I had stopped crying in the taxi. Pero kahit na huminto ang pag luha ko, I felt so empty inside. Dumating ako sa condo at dumiretso sa kwarto ko. I stayed there for the whole day. Ni hindi ako nakakain. Nakatulala lamang sa kisame. I watched the sun rises and sets like a robot.
I saw Brent's name calling my phone. I even heard a knock but I ignored it. Tumawag siya nang tumawag hanggang sa kusang namatay na ang cellphone ko at nalowbatt. But I stayed inside, unmoving and helpless.
Hindi ako pwedeng magpatay oras ng matagal dahil may pasok ako. So I forced myself up and took a shower and made myself a coffee.
That morning too, Atty Cervantes together with a man who introduced himself as my uncle—Tito Tristan, came to my unit. They explained everything to me. He owns an architectural firm and spilled to me and confirmed what Brent told me.
My mom, indeed, is slowly extracting the money. But my dad owns hectares of lands in Bicol which is managed by Tito Tristan in the meantime. He promised to teach me all the things I need to learn if I decided to managed it. At agad akong tumanggi.
Nakakatawa. Na ngayon lang kami nagkita pero ramdam ko na kaya ko siyang pagkatiwalaan. Magkamukha sila ni Papa ang tanging naiba lang ay ang mata. Singkit si Papa habang si Tito Tristan ay hugis almond. My father looked so kind, Tito Tristan looked ruthless.
"Can I live in Bicol?" I asked him when they finished explaining everything to me.
Nagulat siya sa tanong ko pero agad na tumango siya.
"Of course, hija. When do you plan to visit? After your degree?" tanong niya.
Umiling ako. "Next month po."
"Next month? How about your studies? Hihinto ka?" umiling ulit ako.
"Can I ask a favor po? Help me speed up my transfer to Bicol. Is that possible?" tumingin ako kay Atty. Cervantes bago kayo Tito.
"Sure. Sure. Atty. Cervantes can do something about it." si Tito Tristan.
"I'll pull some strings, Mr. Marana." he excused himself at pumunta sa veranda para tumawag kung kanino.
I know its a selfish decision. Melly and Dior will get mad at me. But this city damaged me so bad. And this unit..Brent is all over the place. I can't take it. I can't looked around without getting hurt.
I lied when I said I'm fine. I lied when I said I'm over it. I'm mourning Brent's action then this happened....It's all too much for me to handle.
"Your mom is really cunning. She must be so mad right now."
Tito Tristan said looking out my window.
"And so I am, Tito. I won't let her touch any of my father's property, even if she's my Mom." I grit my teeth.
Humarao siya sa akin at ngumiti. Sinuklian ko iyon.
"Ikaw lang ata ang magandang nagawa ng Mama mo." umiling siya.
"My brother is so whipped for your mother. It blinded him. Kahit alam niyang napipilitan lang ang mama mo ay itinago niya iyon sa ngiti niya. And when he died, she crawled back to Gabriel—her true love." my heart hurt in an instant.
I'm weeping for my father. I know this story like the back of my hand. My mother told me this when I was a kid. Naiisip ko pa lang na napipilitan si Mama na pangatawanan ang sinumpaan nila sa harap ng altar dahil lang buntis siya, ako na ang nasasaktan para kay Papa.
No wonder, I can feel her fury even when I was a child. But is it enough to hurt me like this? Na parang hindi niya ako dinala ng siyam na buwan? Parang balewala lang ako sa kaniya.
