Fictional (making some slight changes)

After Ending: Chapter 9

After Ending: Chapter 9

" Okay ka na?" tumango ako, " Medyo po.."

Ngumiti si tita habang nakafocus parin sa pagdadrive, " Good."

" Thank you tita ha.."

Ngumiti sya sakin sandali at ibinaling ulit ang tingin sa daan, " You're welcome.." binuksan nya yung radio kaya napairap na agad ako at natawa si tita.. " Tita naman eh!"

" Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts her cakehole." Kumunot ang noo ko, " Ano naman yun?" napailing sya, " Try to watch Supernatural. Seriously, kawawa naman kayong hindi sila kilala..."

" I don't know them sorry! 'Once a upon a time' lang alam ko—shit." Ngumiti—no, tita smirked. I swear she smirked.. Pagka-on ng radio ay naabutan lang namin ang boses ni DJ Ilaw, " Umiyak na ang mga makarelate, milk tea pa!" at nagfade in na yung kanta..

Pills and potions, we're overdosin'~ I'm angry but I still love you~ Pills and potions, we're overdosing~ Can't stand it but I still love you~ I still love, I still love~ I still love, I still love~ I still lo-o-ove, I still love~ I still love, I still love~ I still love, I still love~

" Salamat talaga tita.." sarcastic na sabi ko pero hindi nya lang ako pinansin. Tumingin ako sa labas at tiningnan ang langit—nagkocolor orange na sya. Ang bilis ng oras at 4 na agad ng hapon.. Binuksan ko ang bintana at hinayaan ang hangin tangayin ang buhok ko habang nakikinig parin sa kanta.

" Tita, anong araw na?"

" Mid October. Why?"

Kumunot ang noo ko pero nawala din agad, " November o December na ata sa mundo ko ah."

" Your world runs through words. It will continue if the writer continues to write or if the character went out of the book. Unlike your world, time don't freeze here. If something went wrong in this world, it will still keep on spinning. If you stay in one spot, you will be left. All we gotta do is suck it up, move on and face the next day."

" Pretty brutal, huh?"

" Kinda." I felt her smirked, " The story written in this world won't stop with just one person because there are 7 billion of them. Everyone has a story, all connected to each other. Because all of us are characters—the book is called Earth and the words are called life."

" What are we gonna do?" malumanay na tanong ko,

" Probably, just keep on living and moving forward.."

\\

The thing about choices is it's always either. They are choices because you always have to choose either or neither but never both.. It's really hard if fate's pushing you to let him go.. and in the end, you know you don't have a choice but to do so..

" Oh, ano? Iyak ka diba? I'm so proud of Supernatural..." tiningnan ko si tita habang natulo parin ang luha, " It is frustrating!"

Tumango sya, " Fate's a bitch.."

Pinunasan ko ang mga luha sa mata ko, " Why do they don't have any choice? Bakit sila pa? There are other siblings out there who would gladly kill each other.. Bakit sila pa?" iyak ko kay tita, " Probably because they fit in the two angels' role.. The big brother Michael who's obedient of daddy's orders and the younger brother, the rebel—who opposes daddy's commands. It fits Sam and Dean's lives, Yumi. You won't be picked as a character if you can't connect to the character... You can't understand them if you haven't been in their spot."

Umiiyak kong tiningnan si tita kaya niyakap nya ako, " Choices are choices because it's always either but never both.." napatingin ako sakanya, " How did you know what's in my mind?"

Ngumiti sya, " I'm awesome."

" Tita.."

" Probably because my motherly instincts are kicking in.." Ngumiti ako sakanya at niyakap sya ulit, " Yumi, we have choices for a reason.. But that doesn't mean you will not end in the same destination if you picked the other choice before. Actually, come to think of it... We all have the same ending. It's all just a matter of when." She paused for a moment, " So that's means, if we all have the same ending, the only thing that's unique about us is our journey... Life is an experience both a gift and a curse—it depends on what you think of it and how you see it.."

" Do you know what's the fun thing about living? It's all about having mistakes and learning from it.. Life is boring avoiding mistakes. Because mistakes gives us lessons no book could ever teach.. You make a mistake and learn from it. What's the awesome thing about his world? You can always be forgiven if you just ask. Because in the end, we choose things over the other just for the journey. So when we look back, we know that we had fun. And living was the best torture you ever had."

Ngumiti ako kay tita, " I never thought a television series could teach me a lot of stuff.."

" I'm teaching you three things right now.." tumango ako, " First, we all have a choice.. Just choose what you think is right. But always think about others. That is what people lacking nowadays so maybe a change of one can start the change of the world.. Honestly speaking, I think you can relate."

Nanahimik lang ako habang nakikinig, " Either you forgive Mico now or forgive him next year of next-whatever-year, it will always end the same—trust me." She smiled at me, " Second, this is also connected to the first—everyone has a character to play a role. Everyone made their choice that's why they have this certain story that makes them fit their role right now.. One maybe is a lonely person, a cold-hearted person, an all smile, or a beast—no one cares. Everyone's minding their own business making their journey worth awhile. You might think no one cares and maybe you are actually right... but no. There is always this one who cares and sends help in the smallest way people can't see the miracle itself."

I sighed, holding back tears. Having a mom feels great. I'm so glad I finally felt like I have one.. People never wanted to hear their parent's scolds or lessons but to a person who never had someone who scolded them because they didn't had one? Being scold is the best thing ever. Because you know someone cares..

" Always remember this, God give gifts. They are so small most of people didn't realize it is a gift. You have mishaps because He's teaching you a lesson to prepare you for the next things that will occur. How can you face a Danger beast in the level one hundred if you're just in level one? How can a character learn if there's no lesson? It's the same with everything. Every each one of us have those, and we pick different choices which puts us in a different path. That's how we differ from everyone else. You became different because of your choices that makes you as a whole."

Tears started flowing from my eyes again, " Naintindihan ko po.."

" And the third?" she smiled at me and wiped my tears away, " For a longest time you didn't have someone who you'll turn back to when it's already a dead end.. For the longest time, you already forgot what it felt like having a parent."

Kinagat ko ang ibabang labi ko pinipigilang pilit ang pagluha pero walang epekto. Iyak parin ako ng iyak, " So I want you to remember that I may not be your real mother but I will be here as a mom for you. I will take every responsibility as a mother, I will fill up those moments that you feel like you didn't had a mom..."

I sobbed uncontrollably and hugged her tight, so tight.. I felt like I finally had something I was silently wishing for a long, long time..

" Thank you.."