Rewrite The Stars (Completed)

Chapter 35*

Chapter 35*

Tariq

I swallowed hard when I saw my mother-in-law. She's sitting on the gazebo katulad noong hinatid ko ang mga sulat ni Papa sa kaniya. It was also the time I met my sweet Via but unlike before, she didn't give me a warm smile when she saw me. Lumapit ako sa kaniya.

"M-ma'am."

"Sit. If you want to talk." She said. Umupo ako sa upuang kaharap niya. Kabang-kaba ako but I know I need to do this. For Via, for our family and for my father.

"I'm sorry." I said. "I'm sorry for being mad. I'm sorry if I hurt Via, she's the love of my life and yet wala akong ginawa kundi saktan siya just because I'm mad at you." Marami akong kasalanan and I'm willing to atone it. If she want me to apologize while I'm on my knees, I will do it without hesitation.

"I wonder, will you still apologize if you didn't learn to love my daughter?" I didn't expect her question. Will I still apologize? I'm doing this because of Via but I'm also doing this because this is the right thing to do. I owe it to her. I owe it to my father.

"Maybe yes..." Napailing ako. "Trutfully I think no because if I didn't love your daughter I will never know what true love is. I now know how my father feels because of Via. I know it because I felt it with her." I know know why my father didn't marry my mother dahil kung ako ang nasa lugar niya ay ganoon din ang gagawin ko. Hindi na rin ako mangangahas na magpakasal because that would be unfair. My father built a family for me. Yeah, I know that. My mother said that but he also waited for almost three decades kahit na alam niya sa sarili niya na imposibleng bumalik pa ang babaeng pinakamamahal niya. Umasa pa rin siya hanggang sa nakamatayan na lang niya. He finally saw his beloved the same day he died and that hurts. I  understand how much it hurts. Iniisip ko pa lang na ganoon ang mangyayari sa akin ay parang gusto ko ng mamatay. I'm lucky that Via gave me a chance. So d*mn lucky!

Tumayo siya. "Follow me, Tariq." She said.

I stood up at walang tanong na sinundan ko siya. We went to the basement. "Get that box." Utos niya.

Sumunod ako pero nang aabutin ko iyon ay natigilan ako. I know this box.
Napatingin ako sa biyenan ko. "These are my father's letters." I said.

Hindi siya nagsalita kaya kinuha ko pa rin ang mga iyon. Naglakad uli siya at sinundan ko naman siya hanggang sa makarating uli kami sa gazebo. Sa harap ng basurahan. "Throw it."

"What?" I was shocked. Did I hear it right?

"Throw it, Tariq." Utos niya.

"But..." Bakit gusto niyang itapon ang mga sulat ni Papa? I know she doesn't love my father anymore pero bakit? I feel like she is stomping my father's heart and it hurts. Knowing how my father loves her so much.

"I never read it. Kahit isa wala akong binasa." Aniya. Nanatili akong tahimik. Samo't-saring emosyon ang dumagsa sa dibdib ko pero nangingibabaw ang awa para sa aking ama.

She sighed. "I know Trevor. I know him so well and I know he doesn't want me to read those. Alam kong ayaw niyang malaman ko kung paano siya nahirapan nang dahil sa akin. I didn't choose your father, Tariq and he accepted that. Kahit na masakit. Well, it was partly my fault dahil somehow pinaasa ko siya noon. We both hurt each other. Isang bagay na pareho naming alam. When he married me he vowed that he will let me live a happy life at natupad niya iyon kahit na hindi siya ang kasama ko." She smiled. "I never regretted my decision and I know that's good enough for him."