Hello, Mister Wolf

5: LIKE A RETARD

Chapter 5: Like a Retard

CATTALEYA

Binabad ko ang sarili ko sa tubig at hinayaang sakupin ng bula ang buong tub. The candles lit the place at nilaro-laro ko ang wineglass na naglalaman ng inumin. My mind is at haze. Before, nothing matters to me but achieving great at school or making my hair pretty and other stuff like that.

I don’t care about my identity. Ang alam ko lamang ay si Aurora ang pamilya ko. I never once question my life, kung bakit nasa kamay ako ng mangkukulam. But as I grew up, I began asking how did I even make it out to this world pero may bahagi ko na ayaw malaman iyon. Hindi ko pinagsisihan na si Aurora ang nagpalaki sa akin.

She’s the great parent everyone would like to have-- except for her weird activities like making poisons and toxins na nakakalat sa bahay. Ilang beses na ba akong nakakain ng pagkaing may lason? Sa dami na ng pagkakataong ganoon ay tila naging immune na nga ang katawan ko.

Don’t get me wrong. Aurora didn’t try to poison me. She’s only trying it witches, humans, animals o kung ano pang nilalang but I, as kid was very curious. I would snuck on the kitchen and grabbed muffins or fruits without knowing she used it for experiment.

Halos isang oras din akong nagbabad sa tub bago ko naisipang tumayo. Sumilip ako mula sa itim na kurtina at natanaw ang madilim na paligid. Tatlong katok ang pumukaw sa akin kaya agad kong binuksan ang pinto.

“Gising ka pa pala,” bati sa akin ni Isabelita. Her body was bent due to old age but Aurora's mind is still young and smart. She can still make poisons that can kill creatures in one shot. Lumapit siya sa tokador at inabot ang hairbrush ko. Like I always do, I sat in front of the mirror and let the old woman brush my long hair.

“May bumabagabag ba sa isipan mo, Cat?” tanong niya.

“Wala naman,” sagot ko sa kanya.

She didn’t insist that something’s wrong. “Nasiyahan ka ba sa paglangoy mo sa ilog kanina?”

“Hmm,” I replied with a nodded. “Not until I found a dead wolf man on the side.” Hindi ko na lamang ikinuwento na sumama ako sa grounds ng mga lobo.

She laughed. “Bumula ba ang bibig niya?”

“Hindi, I think an omega killed him.”

Aurora sighed. “Akala ko ay nakain niya ang bagong lason ko.”

Napangiti lamang ako habang nakatingin sa salamin. She has nothing against wolves or any creatures. She’s just an outrageous witch, obsessed in making toxins. Other witches says she’s raised by one of the most feared witches of all time-- Greta. She learned from her, before the townspeople burned Greta alive. Aurora set foot to the forest and followed Greta’s legacy. It’s her fetish to make deadly toxins and see any creatures die.

“I’m always thankful to you for raising me,” wika ko sa kanya.

She smiled at pinagpatuloy ang pagsuklay sa akin. “Ang laki mo na nga, isang araw ay sasabihin mo na sa akin na mag-aasawa ka na.”

Then that dog just popped in my mind. Damn, no. I’m not going to marry that mutt! No way!

“That if a man will pass my standards,” sagot ko sa kanya.

“Cat, gusto mo bang malaman ang pagkata--” I cut her off by gently holding her hand.

Hinawakan ko ang kanyang kulubot na kamay at dinama iyon sa pisngi ko. This old woman is my mom. She’s my family. She raised me so even if i am dying in curiosity, I won’t bother knowing who I am. “You should sleep now.”