Hook Me Up (Completed)

85

ANAIS was just putting her shoes on nang marinig niyang may kumakatok sa front door niya. Thinking it was Kolin, she immediately ran to it.

Atat na atat talaga ang lalaking 'yon! He wasn't supposes to pick her up for another thirty minutes. Buti na lang at maaga siyang mag-ayos.

But the person who showed up was the person she wanted to see the least. Kung pwede lang hindi na niya ito makita habang buhay, mas gugustuhin niya iyon.

It was her mother.

"Ano pong ginagawa mo dito?" she asked, trying so hard not to be impolite. That's the last thing she wants to become.

"Hindi mo sinasagot ang mga message ko," Daniela said, her face void of any emotions.

Anaïs forced a smile. "Hindi ko po nakita." Then she looked at the clock. "May pupuntahan po ako. Ano ho bang gusto niyong sabihin?"

"You need to live with your father. Hindi na kita kayang sustentuhan. The twins will be in college soon. They'll need this apartment too." Derederetso ang pagsasalita ng ina niya. There wasn't even a hint of any emotions.

Anaïs scoffed. The twins weren't even her biological daughters! Anak iyon ng bagong asawa ng mama niya sa ibang babae, and she's gonna throw her out for them? And the last time her mother gave her money was when she was a freshman in college. Second year na siya ngayon. She lives off her scholarship allowance and small business. Iyong apartment na lang ang ambag ng nanay niya sa buhay niya.

"Hindi—"

Daniela cut her off. "You have to," pagdidiin nito. "You're too much of a burden. Hindi ako makapag-focus sa kambal dahil nagpapabuhat ka pa. Wala namang ambag ang walang kwentang tatay mo sa pagpapalaki sayo—"

"Hindi niyo rin naman po ako pinalaki—"

A slap. It stung so hard na kahit pinilit ni Anaïs pigilan, a tear fell off her eyes. It was the first time she saw her mother in person in three years at ganito ang bungad nito sa kanya.

"Wala ka na talagang respeto, Anaïs," her mother looked at her pointedly. "Ayaw kong aabutan kita rito pagpunta ko bukas."

"Okay."

It was all Anaïs could manage to say. If her presence was too much of a burden, then she'd do everyone a favor and be gone.