The man I've tried so hard to forget is here. The revelations were so sudden. Who would have thought that Life had written a great plot twist for me?
I need to process all these. I think my head is gonna explode.
First. Corbyn didn't cheat. I cursed him for nothing. I had a great deal of pain for nothing.
Second. He has a twin. And I never knew of this twin. I'm not important enough to know about his personal life. How bullshitty is that?
Third. Walang nagbago. Masakit parin.
Fourth. My family is here. Arvin's family is here. Arvin, who is one of the people who uplifted me from drowning, is here. I need to pull my shit together and pretend, at the very least, that I am not affected by Corbyn's come back.
Fifth. My parents do not know what happened in America before. Ang tanging alam lang nila ang wala na ang kung anumang namamagitan samin ni Corbyn. They thought I was too clingy kaya... I don't know what would their reaction be.
Inayos ko ang paglakad. I heard their footsteps behind me. My heartbeat went berserk again. Just thinking of him walking behind me, not even that close, makes me tremble already. How crappy is that?
Narinig ko ang pagtawag sakin ni Corbyn. My heartbeat halted.
Binilisan ko ang paglakad habang inaayos ang mukha ko. Nakalimutan ko na ata kung pano ngumiti pagkatapos ng muling pagkikita namin.
The stare at my back is so heavy and it's pulling me back but I'm different now. Just because the cause of my pain is not true doesn't make my pain irrelevant.
"Momma!" Hiraeth stood from her chair. Si Arvin lang ang nakapansin sa anak dahil busy sa pag-uusap ang mga magulang namin kaya siya lang ang nakakita sa mga taong nasa likod ko. He was shocked.
Habang tumatakbo patungo sakin si Hira ay naramdaman ko ang pagkatahimik ng grupo sa likod ko.
"Who's the kid?" naga-alinlangang tanong ni Fate sa diko alam kung kanino.
"Avi posts pictures with her so we assumed she's her d-daughter," nahihintakutang wika ni Veneza.
"Fuck," dinig ko si Charlemagne. It's easy to differentiate the twins. "Bro, you'll die a virgin. That's for sure."
Shit.
"I miss you, Momma!" Hiraeth said sweetly.
"I miss you too, baby." I kissed her temple. "Come, let's go."
"Dad's been calling you. You're not answering your phone. He was worried." She talks clearly in the age of two.
"Oh my God." Mahina lang pero dinig ko si Fate.
Hinawakan ko ang kamay ng bata at inalalayan siyang pumunta sa table namin. Arvin rose from his seat and offered me the seat beside Hira. Pero bago pa ako makaupo ay nauna na si Hira sa uupuan ko sana, leaving me with no choice but to sit beside Arvin. Kinabahan ako doon.
"You okay?" bulong niya sakin habang inaalalayan akong umupo.
"No. But I can still manage," I whispered back.
Inayos niya ang buhok ko at ngumiti. "Got your back, okay?" Ngumiti rin ako pabalik.
"Anak, nandito ka na pala. What took you so long?" tanong ni Mama. Everyone looked at me. I smiled. I felt Arvin's hand on mine. Pero hindi parin kumakalma ang sistema ko dahil alam nito na nandiyan lang siya sa paligid.
I cleared my throat. "There was a commotion at the C.R. a while back, Ma," I explained.
Bumati ako sa parents ni Arvin and they were all smiles.
BINABASA MO ANG
CREAM OF THE CROP
Ficción GeneralIntelligence is a gift. In this field where brains are their weapon, where minds are above the hearts, will minds be enough to solve this war called love? Beauty, is ordinary but it is a wonderful experience to find beauty in the ordinary. Will the...
