The Price Of Love

Chapter Seventeen

It was as if time stood still after they had broken the news to Saskia and Migs. No one dared say a word and no one dared to do something as simple as glance at one another. Yuka's sobs seemed to have amplified in the stillness, breaking the heavy silence that hung in the living room. Yvo sat beside Yuka and when he tried to comfort her, she shrug his arm off her. 

"O, ngayon iiyak-iyak ka. Sana naisip mo yan bago ka nagpakangkang." Sasha tried to keep her voice steady but it still quivered with impending tears. Her daughter was handed every opportunity to make a success of her life. Nabigay sa kanya ni Migs at Saskia ang buhay na hindi niya naibigay sa mga anak. Nakapag-aral ito sa magandang eskwelahan, nakatira sa malaking bahay, wala na itong poproblemahin. She had it easy compared to what she and Saskia had been through in life and she had all of wasted it. 

They waited for Saskia's reaction but received none. She had always trusted Yuka. Siya ang higit na nakakakilala sa kapatid niya. She was far too cunning to sleep around and even more so get pregnant. Her family, they were resilient people but Yuka had a different kind of resilience than the rest of them. While they follow the path thrown to their way, Yuka makes her own way. She had always been like that as a child, head strong and knew exactly what she wanted. Alam niyang hindi matutulad sa kanya o sa Mammy niya si Yuka na tanga sa pag-ibig, na hindi man matalino si Yuka katulad ni Cosme ay sa kanilang tatlo siya ang pinakamautak. 

"Ate, Kuya, sorry..." Yuka said in between sobs when the couple still hadn't said anything. 

Ayaw pangunahan ni Migs ang asawa. He was in shock but he knew that his wife was devastated. He had absolutely no idea that Yuka and his second cousin, Yvo, even knew each other. They didn't even have time to greet each other when Sasha told they had something important to say. 

"Kunin mo na ang mga gamit mo." Saskia said, barely showing any emotions. 

"Ate!" Yuka shook her head profusely. "Ate, please, ayaw kong umalis..."

"Hindi na kita responsibilidad, Yuka. Ayusin mo na ang mga gamit mo at umalis ka na dito." Saskia couldn't keep her voice from breaking. She had done everything to make sure her siblings could have a better future than they had before. Tinulungan sila ni Migs na magkaroon ng magandang kinabukasan at ito pa ang igaganti niya sa kabutihan sa kanya ng lalaki. He had never treated any of her family any less than his own. 

"Ate!" Yuka got to her feet and went after Saskia. "Ate, please, ayaw kong umalis. Dito lang ako!"

Saskia turned a deaf ear to her sister's pleas. As much as this pained her, siya halos ang tumayong nanay kay Yuka lalo na noong nagtatrabaho ang Mammy nila, she knew that she needed to face the consequence of what she had done. She went straight to Yuka's room and threw open her closet, pulling out all her sister's clothes. 

"Ate!" Niyakap ni Yuka si Saskia. "Ate, huwag mo akong palayasin. Hindi ba nangako ka sa akin na hindi mo ako pababayaan? Pati ba naman ikaw tatalikuran mo din ako?"

Saskia closed her eyes, her legs giving way as she couldn't carry the heaviness of the emotions she was feeling. Napaupo na lang siya sa gilid ng kama ni Yuka at lumuhod ang kapatid niya sa harap niya habang yakap siya. Yuka rested her head on her lap and cried to her like a little girl would on her mother's lap.

"Isa lang ang hiniling ko sa inyo, ang makapagtapos kayo ni Cosme dahil ayaw kong bumalik kayo sa pinanggalingan natin. Bakit hindi mo ako napagbigyan doon?" Saskia's voice was shaking as she tried to keep her tears at bay. "Hindi habang buhay kargo kita at ng asawa ko. Ngayong magkakaanak ka na, tama lang na umalis ka na dito." 

Saskia felt horrible saying those words to her own sister that she had raised like her own child. Sunod-sunod na napailing si Yuka, more tears blinding her eyes. Saskia tried to pry Yuka's arms off her but she just held her tighter.