my hope, my miracle | completed

chapter thirty-one: slap

chapter thirty-one

"Dear, Kirion's dad died the same time the problems happened."

Biglang nablanko ang isipan ko sa narinig. Naririnig ko rin ang mga sigaw na reklamo ni Eonna dahil sa sinabi ng mama niya.

Anong ibig sabihin niya? Noong nag-leak ang scandal? Noong biglang may nakausap si Lezus sa tawag at biglang nawala?

Nalilito ako.

"P-Po...?"

"I didn't tell you this to make you feel guilty. I told you this because I want you to be enlightened why Kirion's absent the whole time you were suffering," agad na dagdag ng mama ni Eonna.

"Mom! Please, don't tell her anything. Kirion told me—"

"She needs to know, Eonna Zeraphyne," madiin namang sabi ng mama ni Eonna. "If I don't tell her now, who will? She'll be buried with questions left to answer. Can't you see that she already had enough? Even after everything that happened, she still went to see him. Now, sit down and shut up, young lady or you'll fly to America this instant."

Natahimik agad si Eonna dahil sa sinabi ng mama niya. Padabog siyang naglakad papunta sa papa niyang tumatawa lang.

Lumingon siya sa'kin at ngumiti. "Are you alright with me telling you this?" maingat na tanong niya sa'kin.

Hindi muna ako nakapagsalita. Hindi ko alam. Gusto ko bang marinig ang buhay ni Lezus? Oo. Gusto ko bang siya mismo ang magsasabi sa'kin? Oo. Napatingin ako sa tulog na Lezus. Kitang-kita ko ang maiitim na parte sa ilalim ng mga mata niya. Mukhang pagod na pagod na siya.

Napabuntong-hininga ako.

"Opo," sabi ko sa kaniya na ikinatango niya.

Lumingon siya kay Lezus at inabot ang kamay nito. "Ever since Kirion's childhood, his father was abusive. Everyday, he can't get out of the house without a single bruise," napatigil ako sa narinig. Biglang bumilis ang kabog ng puso ko. "His mother was too kind. She loved her family so much that she was willing to take every abuse that she can get just to protect Kirion and his little sister," napalingon ako sa kaniya nang narinig ang huling sinabi niya.

Hindi ako nag-ingay. Nagpatuloy siya sa pagsalita.

"We never knew about what happened within their family because we were in America the whole time. His mother would never tell us anything when we call to catch up. It was the one we regretted the most, being so ignorant about everything," nanginginig na ang mga kamay niya.

Ang sakit sa dibdib ang mga naririnig ko.

"Kirion was a tough boy. When his mother is out unconscious, he would always protect his fragile little sister. He would face every slap, punch, and other abuses that his father gave him. Lezia, his sister, always got a sickly body. She was very weak so when the time came when his father picked out on her. She died in front of him, helplessly."