My Man

Chapter 25: Someone's back from the grave.

WALA sa sariling hinawakan ni Cybil ang pisngeng sinampal ng ina at nanglalaki ang mga matang sinulyapan ito. Hindi siya makapaniwalang napagbuhatan siya nito ng kamay. Kahit na kalian, kahit na gaano pa siya ka pasaway hindi pa siya nito pinagbuhatan ng kamay. Ngayon lang. Cholera! And it was all because of her father who suddenly appeared in their house. Mas lalo tuloy siyang nagalit dito.

“I can’t believe you dared talk to your father like that Cybil,” medyo pumiyok na ang boses nito at ilang sandal nalang at luluha na ito. “Ano man ang nangyari noon, iniwan man niya tayo, hindi mo pa rin mababago ang katotohanang kalahati ng dugong nananalaytay diyan sa katawan mo ay nagmula sa kanya. Kahit balibaligtarin mo pa ang mundo Cybil he’s still your father.” Her mother sighed. “Why does it so hard for you to forgive and forget?” whispered her mother. “He’s your father Cybil for Pete’s sake!”

“Father?” she sarcastically laughed. She looked at the person standing just next to her mother. She once adored and respected him so much. Umabot pa sa puntong na ang gusto niyang makatuluyang lalaki ay katulad ng kanyang ama. Responsible, mapagmahal, maprinsipiyo, may isang salita- tsk! But he’s not that person anymore Cy, paalaala niya sa sarili. Binalingan niya ang ama. “You called yourself our father,” she said and paused for a while to calm herself. At that moment she wanted to punch and kick someone and also break something. “Where were you when the twins were almost dying from Dengue? Where were you when they’re weak from so much blood loss, thin as if they weren’t fed for a month and when they were unconscious for days? Where were you?” Marahas niyang pinahiran ang mga luhang nagsisimula ng umagos mula sa kanyang mga mata. “Where were you when Mama had an attack and needed a bypass surgery? Where were you when she was so stress out for the twin’s well being and collapsed the same hour as the twins were rushed to the ICU unit? Where were you?” Tinignan niya ito mula ulo hanggang paa. “And where were you when I needed you?” pumipiyok niyang saad dito. Nanginginig ang kanyang mga kamay na tinakpan niya aang kanyang bibig at pasimpleng tumikhim.

“You have no idea how scared and alone I was back then. Suddenly the people I trust most left me hanging,” pagak siyang tumawa habang naglalakad sa harapan ng mga magula. Her tears kept on falling from her eyes but she didn’t care about it. “Funny, as I recall it correctly those people who left me were the same people who promised that they will stay by my side no matter what happens.”

“Cybil-”

“You made me believe I’m your princess and that no one will dare to hurt me pero hindi eh. For starters I’m not a princess at kayo mismo na pamilya ko ang nanakit sa akin. You also made me believe my world is perfect but nobody’s world is perfect and,” she paused for a while. Her lips were trembling at nararamdaman niyang konti nalang pipiyok na naman ang boses niya. She took a few deep breaths, medyo nahihirapan na rin siyang huminga gawa ng kanyang pag- iyak. “I-I learned that in a hard way. You lied to me! All of you lied to me…” she trailed off. Nanghihinang napaupo siya sa sahig at napahagulgol ng iyak habang yakap-yakap ang sarili. She heard her mother sobbing her heart out and when she looked up she saw her father tenderly stroked her mother’s back while tenderly whispered words of comfort. Nakayuko lang ito pero agad itong nag- angat ng tingin nang mapansin nakatitig siya rito. Lalapitan sana siya nito para aluin pero natigilan ito nang tinapunan niya ng masamang tingin.

Nakipagtitigan muna siya sa ama bago taas noong tumayo. “Kyle, Kent and Mama could have died if it wasn’t for my friends,” nanginginig niyang sabi rito. “If you’re really our father,” saad niya nanakataas ang isang kilay. “Tell me, where were you when all of that happened?” Unti- unti niyang ikinuyom ang mga kamay. Gustong gusto niyang suntukin ang lalaking nasa harapan niya ngayon. Sino ba ito sa tingin nito? Basta na lang sila nitong iniwan tapos ngayon bumalik ito sa kanilang buhay na parang wala lang ang nangyari, na parang hindi lang sila nito iniwan for almost a decade. “You were suppose to protect your goddamn family from all that. It’s your job being our so called father and Mama’s husband but where were you-”