Write Me a Heartache

Conclusion

"Tara magbola."

I stared at my brother. I was ten and he was fifteen, yet I don't see any maturity in him. He was always a happy-go-lucky guy that even though our mom passed away just last month, he can act like nothing happened. I ignored him. I don't want to play. I just want to stay here inside my room where my mother and I's memories linger.

"Ayaw mo? Sige."

Umalis siya at ibinagsak ang pinto. If mom were here, she'll probably scold him. But yes, mom was dead because of a freaking cancer. No one will scold us anymore.

"Sir, pinapababa po kayo ni Sir Richard." I heard the maid knocked on the door. Again, I ignored it. I turned my back against the door and closed my eyes.

"Sir, sabi ho ni Sir Richard kapag daw po hindi kayo bumaba kukuhanin daw po niya ang computer mo." Naiinis akong bumangon. Computer na nga lang ang nakakapagpabangon sa akin, pagbabalakan niya pang kuhanin.

I opened the door. Halata ang gulat sa mukha ng katulong nang lumabas ako. I practically live inside my room. Hindi na ako lumalabas mula noong nawala si mommy. They bring my food in my room and I just tell them what I need. There's no need for me to come out.

"Mabuti ho at lumabas kayo, Sir."

Nilagpasan ko ang katulong. I immediately saw my father talking to another woman. Napahinto ako sa pagbaba. Who is that woman?

"Here's my second son, Savina. Come here, Grant. Meet you aunt Sav." Daddy smiled. A real smile. Something I've never seen since we discovered that mom has a cancer.

I nodded. "You're so handsome!"

Naupo ako sa tabi ni kuya Issaac. Tahimik lang din itong kunwaring nakikinig ngunit nakikita ko ang panaka-naka nitong pagsilip kay Daddy at sa babaeng kasama nito.

"What?" maangas niyang tanong sa akin. I didn't answer. "The woman is pretty. Just like mom."

Yes, that is no doubt. She's even younger than mom and I couldn't blame my father for having another woman in just a month after my mother's death. It was my mother's fault that their relationship fell apart because she kept everything on her own. She said she didn't need us because she will probably die and there's no way we can save her. Selfish. She didn't know she hurt us. Ang naisip niya lang ay ang sarili niya.

But still, masyadong mabilis ang lahat. Baka pineperahan lang siya nito lalo pa at siya ang namamahala sa Verdad ngayon. It was a family business passed down from generation to generation. Verdad publishes news and magazines about the country, ngunit dito lang iyon nilalathala sa Nueva Ecija.

"From now on, she will live in our house." Father announced after their civil wedding. That's to be expected. The woman didn't ask for a grand wedding, kaya mas lalo akong nagtaka. Just who are you?

Then one day, while father was gone because of work, I saw her. She was watching news about election. I realized she was interested in politics, but I was wrong. After school, she was watching the same channel and same city. Nagpaulit-ulit iyon hanggang sa naghinala ako.

Gabriel Mark Alvarez. Why is my step-mom so fond of you?

I researched the internet about that guy. He's a former councilor for six years, and he is now running for his second term as a Mayor in the city of Santiago. Aside from being the son of the former governor in their province, wala akong ibang nakita. Nothing connects him to my step-mom. But then, I started admiring this Gabriel Alvarez because of his service. He was young, but he was great. They call him a genius. I guess that is the reason why aunt Savina likes watching news about him.