Crystal Mist

Chapter 16: A Miracle

Brielle POV

Mahirap ang buhay.

Unlike other children who were enjoying their childhood to the fullest, I was already doing labor jobs.

Nang mamatay ang tatay ko, iniwan niya kami ng milyong milyong utang. Dahil naman doon, halos mabaliw ang nanay ko. She's technically insane now. Wala sa sarili lagi.

"Magbabayad nga kami! May trabaho ang asawa ko. Tignan niyo lang, uuwi na siya mamaya, lagot kayo. Hehe." sabi ni Mama noong minsan sa mga bisita namin sa bahay.

Bisita? More like mga tagasingil ng utang. Everytime they go to our house, they threaten us or randomly take things away.

"Matagal nang wala 'yung asawa mo. Kailangan mo na magbayad sa'kin, Rosa. Jusmiyo, ilang taon mo na di nababayaran 'yun." sabi pa ng kapitbahay namin.

That's right... my mother was so lonely when my father died so she went ballistic. She practically stopped working so from an early age, I had to seek for jobs myself. I know everything's going to go one by one so I need to at least work just to survive everyday.

Mabuti nalang at may public high school pa. Nakapagtapos ako ng hanggang Grade 12 pero hindi ako naka-qualify sa kahit anong free universities. Mababa kasi ang grades ko dahil iilang part-time jobs ang ginagawa ko noong high school.

What I was earning was barely enough, anyway. Sakto lang pambayad ng renta, at saktong pagkain lang para sa aming dalawa ni Mama.

We always move from places to places but somehow, our debt collectors always keep on managing to follow us. Minsan talaga, nakakapagod na. Gusto ko na talaga sumuko...

But despite the darkness in my life, there was something comforting about it.

It was him, the miracle in my life.

I first met him while I was working in one of my many part-time jobs. I worked as a waitress at a cafe shop and he was just another customer to me. All along, I always thought he was just a mere office worker.

Many times, when I couldn't bring food to myself and Mama, he would provide it for us. When he sees me struggling with my debts, he willingly pays it for me.

I was so frustrated and guilty for all that... I mean, he was just a mere office worker after all. Paano naman siya?

But still, it was his effort and genuine care that won me the most. With him, I was the happiest.

"Mahal kita, Von." I whispered during one of our lovemakings. He's the only man who's ever been intimate with me and I don't regret anything about it. He makes me feel like there's hope in all of this. He makes me happy even if I'm so, so miserable.

"Oh, I love you the most, Brie." he said tenderly.

I was happy with him, with us being like that. But even if I try so hard to ignore the miserable truth about my life, it still keeps on haunting me. That's why, when something looked like an even bigger miracle than Von, I was immediately tempted.

Natanggap ako bilang isang laundry shop assistant. It's far more chill here than being a waitress or a call center agent because all I do is sit and just put some clothes on the machine.