Author's Note: Ahem! Striktong Patnubay ng Magulang lang po. Kids, close your eyes please! ;)
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“Hi Ma, kumusta na kayo?” Kim was talking to her mom later the next night, through Skype. It was almost midnight but she had burning questions that she knew only her mom could answer. Besides, she missed her terribly.
“Eto anak, okay lang kami. Ikaw, kumusta ka na?”
“Sorry late na ‘ko tumawag.”
“Naku anak, alam mo namang anytime, pwede ka tumawag.” Mrs. Karina Chiu made sure she was always available whenever her oldest child, Kim, would call. Widowed at the age of 43, she focused all her attention on her three children. Now, eight years later, she had two children done with college and with stable jobs, and one soon to graduate.
Kim cleared her throat. “Eh Ma, na-withdraw mo na ba yung pinadala ko nung isang araw?”
“Oo anak, bayad na ang tuition ni Krystel.” Mrs. Chiu paused, furrowing her brows at her daughter’s image on the screen. “May problema ka ba anak?” Kim smiled faintly at how mothers can be so perceptive.
“Wala naman Ma… marami lang tanong.”
“Tungkol saan?”
“Tungkol sa’yo Ma.”
“Sa akin?” Mrs. Chiu was puzzled.
Kim hesitated, this being the first time she’d ask her mom about it. “Ma, hindi ka ba… hindi ka ba mag-aasawa ulit?”
Mrs. Chiu raised her eyebrows, surprised at her daughter’s question. “Gusto mo na ba akong mag-asawa ulit?”
Kim smiled faintly. “’Di naman sa ganun Ma… kaso ang tagal na diba? Naalala ko may nanligaw sa’yo dati, ano nangyari dun Ma?”
“Teka nga anak, bakit parang under interrogation ako ngayon?” She paused, sensing that her daughter was not suddenly asking these questions for no reason. “Don’t tell me may asawa dati si Xian?”
“Wala Ma.” Kim gave out a faint laugh. “Well, almost…” And she gave her mom a gist of the situation.
Mrs. Chiu thought for a while before speaking. “Hmm, medyo iba ang situation niya kasi hindi naman sila kinasal… pero, sabi mo nga, engaged na sila… kaya halos ganun na rin yun…. Tinatanong mo kung hindi ba ako mag-aasawa ulit … depende kasi yan …” Her voice trailed off.
“Depende saan Ma?”, Kim urged.
“Dapat kasi…kung may bagong lalaki man sa buhay ko, dapat malawak ang pang-unawa niya...”
“Pang-unawa saan Ma?”
“Kasi… ‘di na mabubura ang daddy mo sa buhay ko kahit anong mangyari … dadating at dadating ang oras na maalala ko ang daddy mo o kaya ma-mi-miss ko siya … dapat unawain yan nung isa.”
“Eh Ma, posible naman na ma-in-love ka ulit?”
“Oo naman anak, marami akong kakilalang biyuda din na nag-asawa ulit at masayang-masaya sila.” Mrs. Chiu paused, weighing her words. “Kaya anak, dapat i-assure ka ni Xian kung talagang mahal ka niya… at ikaw, unawain mo siya … huwag mong pagseselosan yung nananahimik na ha.” Kim nodded, greatly enlightened at her mom’s words.
