To Be Worthy of You

Chapter 24: The Confrontation

"I am scared kuya." Blaze can't seem to move. They are both still inside the car ten minutes after Blake has parked it inside the driveway. True to his words, Blake came back the next day with Blaze after much discussion and persuasion.

"We need to do this brother, it's  you who said we cannot expect Erin's family to forgive us if we ourselves cannot forget what was mom's role into this." Blake answered coldly.

Blaze moved out of the car as soon as he took off his seatbelt. Blake followed swiftly too, the cast on his arm was also removed yesterday.

They both walked silently past the receptionist desk along the corridors to their mom's unit. Blake held the brass handle to the door and looked at Blaze, he nodded.  They were both surprised to see Eleonor on the sofa obviously waiting for them.  Her gaze transferred to both of their faces multiple times before it got fixed to Blaze's.

"An... Andrei?" She cried.

Blaze could not look away. She stood up slowly and went in front of him. Blake was watching, frozen.

"You... You  have grown up a lot... You look like your dad." She whispered still looking at him intently, then she lifted her hand meaning to touch his face when Blaze stepped back in horror, covering himself with his hands, as if dodging a blow. Blake exhaled sharply and he saw their mother winced. She recoiled fast and went back to the sofa. Blaze realized his actions and looked at his brother for support. Blake extended his arms to his shoulders and guided him to sit opposite their mother.

As soon as they are seated, she let out a chuckle. Then her voice came out with a bitter tone.

"So, that's what you remember from me huh?"

The brothers were quiet.

"You remember how I used to hit you that by merely lifting my hand you protect yourself." She is now intently looking at her two hands.

"Hanggang kailan niyo maaalala? Hanggang kailan niyo dadalhin yang takot na yan?Kailan niyo makakalimutan lahat ng sakit, pananakit na ipinaranas ko?" She is now crying.

"the accident... that... was I gues by far the most cruel thing I have done to both of you." She started sobbing.

"Mom, please... why don't you take some rest..." Blake interrupted her.

She looked at them.

"I am sorry to have scarred both of you, for taking away your dad and your mama Anita, I am so sorry that I have done such terrible cruelty, horrible tragedy. I did not know what I was doing; I just wanted to hurt your dad for hurting me too; for taking you away from me. I did not know that it would turn out that way, I didn't..."

"You always say that!" Blaze retorted in an angry voice.

"Blaze!" Blake gave him a warning look but he stood up.

"Mom, you always say you did not know, you always say you are sorry after the beatings, the shouting, the constant punishments we get from you when you were high. And now after killing dad, you are telling me because you did not know that you just wanted to hurt him too? And now you're sorry?!" blaze is now furious; he is tightly clenching his fists to his side.

"I really am..." Eleonor cried looking up at him, choking in her tears.

"No! You're not. You are not, because beating people and hurting people is where you are good at!" he turned his gaze towards Blake. "I am sorry kuya, I can't. I can't do this." He turned his back and walked towards the door.

Blake quickly held his mother's shoulders firmly.

"Mom, Blaze is not ready yet... I am sorry."

"No son, I am the one who is sorry. I deserve everything he said today. I deserve everything of this. I am just grateful to have seen you both..." Her words were cut off when Blaze turned his back to them and spoke in a calmer tone now.

"That's the thing mom. You should be seeing more of us today if you haven't done anything you did."

Their mom looked at him with a wary expression.

"The day of the accident, it was not just us mom. That day, you hit another car and that car carries my then pregnant girlfriend Erin and her dad, your friend Damian Leviste, her sister Iomhe. See, you killed your would be daughter in law and would be grandchild mom that same day. I was in coma for 2 weeks, I was in therapy for 3 months. I could not remember anything. I haven't even attended dad's funeral or Mama Anita's. I was not able to say goodbye because I was there fighting for my own life too. And all you could say now is sorry, you don't remember anything. Do you think that is acceptable? Kuya Blake met erin's sister and fell in love with her, promised to do everything for her but after she learned you are our mother she fled. Now, everything that you don't remember mom has already killed us both one way or another, everything you did not know has already doomed us forever." His voice trailed off, shaking.

Blake felt all of the pain he carried on his shoulders lifted away, he listened as his brother say all those nasty truth and felt relieved he said them all. He watched as his mother's expression turn from confusion into realization, remorse and sorrow.

For moments that seemed eternity, the three of them froze on where they are at in silence, no one was moving, their expressions unreadable.

"I am letting you both go now; I don't know how to give you the peace and the redemption you both deserve to be free of me, of what I have done. But, I won't stop until I'll find a way." Eleonor managed to speak in a calm voice, looking blankly at the wall.

They both looked at her now, confused.

She smiled weakly, looked at them for a while as if remembering this moment, their faces. Then she turns her back and retreated to her room.

"Kuya?" blaze's face now registers worry.

"Let's go brother." Blake answered in a somber tone. He has this terrible feeling in his gut that this is the last time they would see her.