The Possibility Of You And Me

Chapter 7: THREE MOTHERS

With the help of Fr. Jowie, we were able to convince Mrs. Rowena Garcia of the Social Welfare to temporarily take care of us and allow us to stay in the church convent. I was almost jumping for joy when I heard the wonderful news from her after Mrs. Verna woke me up to go to Mrs. Rowena Garcia's office and speak to her on the phone. I know Oteph will also be happy with what Fr. Jowie told me because he has also become closer to the priest. Fr. Jowie and our mother, Luisa, were close friends when they were still in high school. My mom often tells the story that if Fr. Jowie hadn't become a priest, he and my mom might have ended up together instead of my dad, Rudy.

Fr. Jowie said that he might bring us to the convent the day after tomorrow because there are still some documents that need to be processed for us to be officially under the care of the Social Welfare. I'm already excited to leave the social welfare facility because I miss what I used to do before. It has been almost a week since they took us from our father's house, and we haven't been able to go to school either.

Daddy Rudy and Aunt Alma are not allowed to come near us because the Social Welfare has obtained a restraining order against them. Because of the agency's actions, I feel like a thorn has been removed. Not just for myself but especially for my younger brother, Oteph, who was deeply traumatized by what happened. I try to make my brother feel that he has nothing to fear, especially now that we are no longer under our father's control. No one will hurt us or mistreat us anymore. My brother and I are finally free from the cruel hands of our father and Aunt Alma.

It turns out, it has been several days since Oteph and I last went to school. I also miss being a student. Before, we used to leave my brother's house together to go to school. Before going to my own school, I would first take Oteph to his classroom, which is just beside the barangay hall, to make sure he is safe and in good hands. Then I would entrust him to the school guard, whom I would pick up when my class ends at twelve noon. We would have lunch together, and then I would leave him with Grandma Rosa.

After school, I would immediately join Gem Ver to do extra work at their car wash, which is owned by his parents. There, I earn extra money for our allowance and daily meals.

Speaking of the car wash business, I suddenly miss my best friend, Gem Ver. Our parting that night wasn't so good. I know he got mad at me because he suddenly went silent before I got out of Sir Omar's car. Gem Ver and I haven't talked since that night, and I haven't been able to go to school, so we haven't seen each other for almost a week. I also miss that guy, even though he can be annoying at times. I also miss the frequent treats he would give me for snacks during recess and our food trips to the totobits corner.

I sat on the cot that I use for sleeping and looked for the small, round mirror on top of the small drawer. When I saw the mirror, I gasped at the sight of the big bruise on my face. It's not as dark and swollen as before, but the discoloration is still noticeable, standing out from the color of my skin. Mrs. Paula Ilagan, our counselor at the center, said that in a few more days, it won't be noticeable anymore, so I just have to endure it for now. She said it will eventually fade away, and I'll be able to go back to school. She said that what happened was too traumatic for both me and my brother. That's why we have regular stress debriefing sessions with her. But as for me, I'm okay now. I'm okay because Oteph and I have already left the custody of our father and our witch stepmother. That's all that matters to me. Maybe for Oteph, it's not that easy for him to recover from what happened because he's still young to experience all the hardships that Aunt Alma and Father Rudy put us through. Even if I were his age, it would probably have the same effect on me. I decided not to wake up Oteph and let him continue his peaceful sleep on our bed.

I neatly arranged my blanket and pillow before heading to the mess hall, where the three mothers who volunteered at the Social Welfare office were already preparing breakfast for all the children under the care of the Social Welfare Service Center, that's includes us. I glanced at the wooden wall clock as I walked down the hallway towards the mess hall. It was already past 6:30 in the morning, so the three volunteer mothers were already there, busy cooking breakfast in the kitchen. There are only a few minors in the social welfare center. In the few days that we've been staying here, there are three girls and twenty-five boys who are older than Oteph. Twenty-five of us are currently here. I am the oldest among all the children here. I'm not considered a child anymore, that's why I'm not with them. I'm only here because I'm still considered a minor, that's what Mrs. Garcia said, and to accompany Oteph here in the center. We were also not allowed to go to Lola Gloria in Bicol because she is unable to take care of us anymore. Lola Gloria is just living with her cousin, so we can't go with her.