Our Endless Story

XXII

After 4 years...

Nasira ang maganda kong tulog nang may naramdaman akong humihila sa aking kumot. At sa akin ding paa? This must be the twin---

"Diya! Please wake up already. Don't make Mommy Punky waiting on you!"

They know. Today is twenty four. And today is the most special day.

"Yeah. Wake up Diya please? I have make up session puh with nanay 1"

No.  Gusto ko pa matulog eh. Atsaka ang aga pa kaya. At anong make up session ang pinagsasabi ng isang ito? Hay, nagmana nga sa Mommy niya.

Hinayaan ko nalang sila na hilahin ako dahil hindi ko talaga kayang idilat ang aking mga mata. Inaantok pa ako. Bahala na. Hindi naman nila kaya na hilahin ako pababa sa kama. Siguro?

"If you didn't get up there, I will. . . "

You will what? Franci.

"I will kill this ant beside me."

Bigla naman akong napadilat sa sinabi nito. Okay lang anak. Hindi naman siguro magdedemanda ang pamilya ng papatayin mong langgam sayo.

"Diya, do you want Franci to be in jail?" Tanong naman ng kaniyang Kuya. Wala na akong magawa kundi bumangon na at napaupo habang nakapikit ang mga mata. Pinilit ko nalang dahil ayoko na makulong ang isa kong anak. Ayokong makagawa siya ng isang krimen. Hahaha.

"Good. You save a life, Diya! You're a hero!" She beamed, at binitawan na ang paa ko. Siya pala ang humihila doon. Maygahd.

"You two had breakfast already?" Tanong ko sa kanila dahil sa tingin ko, kanina pa sila gising.

"Yeah." Sagot naman ni Marxighd sa akin.

"At ikaw naman babae?"

"No. I just only drink my milk, Diya." Tugon naman nito.

"At bakit gatas lang?" Usisa ko sa kaniya. I just want an acceptable reason lang. Eh, kase naman. Hindi ba siya nagugutom? Sigurado akong gugutumin to mamaya. May lakad pa naman kami.

"You know, I'm on diet."

"At bakit ka nagdadiet!?" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko dito. Grabe, hindi ko kinaya ang rason niya.

"Why so many questions, Diya?" Reklamo nito at pumunta sa aking likuran. Oh ayan, buhok ko na naman ang pinagtripan.

"I want to know why."

"Because I want to be like mom. I want to be a model. That's why I'm making curves."

Making curves?

Making curves!?

Seriously!? Coming from 4 years old?

Intindihin ko nalang. Bata pa eh.

"You're not in the right age to do that. It's not healthy for you. And besides, chubby is the new sexy is right on this time." Sabi ko sa kaniya habang iniinda ang sakit sa pagtatali niya ng buhok ko. This is a perk of having a daughter. Mabuti talaga na may babae ako.

"When is the right age to take diet then?" Tanong nito at yumakap na sa aking likuran dahil tapos na ang mala-kalbong pagtatali niya sa aking buhok. Parang kinakalbo niya ako eh.

"When you already hit forty."

"You sure, Diya?"

"Yes. I'm one hundred percent sure."

"How about you, Kuya? Are you sure?"

"If Diya is sure, then I'm also sure."

Salamat at wala nang madaming angal ang isa. Palaging tapos ang usapan kapag si Marxighd.

"But it seems like you two are kidding."

Urgh maloloka ako sa isa pang ito. Hindi na yata matapos-tapos ang usapan kapag siya.

Bigla akong napatayo, at pasan-pasan ko na siya sa aking likuran. Hindi ko siya nainform kaya naman

"You're so bad, Diya!! Are you trying to kill your little punky!? I will tell two nanays about this!"

Edi magsumbong ka.

Tumawa naman ang Kuya niya at tumakbo na pababa. Sumunod naman ako. Kami pala.

Kung hindi ko lang talaga anak to, kanina ko pa to binitay sa sobrang kakulitan eh.

I never had thought that I survived a four years without you by my side. Maybe everything is imprinted onto me. The way you kissed me every morning, it was full of love, even in our last met on that terminal before you left, and gone. I could still feel the touch in the way you held me in our last hugged. The way you said Mahal Kita, I still felt the sincerity. Even if I couldn't hear it again. But it was okay, I know it's just you and me till we're grey and old even if we're not in the same world.
For now, I want to say I missed you, and I still do. We are world's apart, but you are still in my heart.
Happy anniversary Mahal. With a soft hum of a familiar song we both listened.
I love you. And goodbye. . . Until we meet again.

Inilagay ko na ang dala naming bulaklak sa tabi ng kaniyang lapida. We're here at the cemetery. Anniversary kase ng kasal namin ngayon ni Franki at kanina pa excited ang kambal na pumunta dito.

"Why Mommy gone so soon?" Marxighd  asked.

"Maybe, she wanted to be our angel. So that she can guard us every day." I replied.

"She's now an angel?" Tanong pa ng isa.

I just nod while remembering her beautiful face. She's really an angel. Lalo na kapag nakangiti.

"I want to be an angel, too."

Napatingin ako kay Marxighd when he uttered those words.

"Bakit?" Tanong ko.

"Because I want to see Momma."

Momma?

Yan ang gusto ni Franki  na tawagin sa kaniya ng kaniyang mga anak. Pero wala na siya. Hindi niya naabutan.

"Yeah, me too. I want to be an angel to see Momma also."

Ako din mga anak. Pero may tamang panahon para diyan. Makikita niyo din siya. Na naghihintay sa atin. Hindi lang talaga ngayon.

"So, uwi na tayo?" Tanong ko sa kanila. They are both nodded but may angal pa yung isa.

"But before that, can we buy ice cream first?"

"Oo naman. Whatever you want, Franci."

Kaya naman hanggang tenga ang ngiti niya.

Bumaling naman ako sa isa at nagtanong, "how about you lalaki?"

"All I want is to go home, Diya."

Sige, let's go buy ice cream and go home.

Pero bago pa ako humakbang ay nakita ko naman si Ate Soph na papunta sa amin.

Saan siya galing?

"Diana, we need to talk. You need to know something."