Oh, My Ma'am!

Chapter I

TARA had strictly asked him to please try and look presentable. She asked him to at least shave, for heaven's sake. Pero heto sa tabi niya ang kanyang ama, mukhang dugyot na mamâ na naligaw sa school assembly nilang iyon—with ghastly stubbles on his face, nakasuot ng gusot na button-down shirt na basta lang yata hinugot sa damitan nito.

He hadn't taken notice of the stuff she prepared for him for today. Like always. Pinlantsa niya pa kagabi ang dapat na isusuot nito. Pati ang rubber shoes at medyas inilagay niya rin sa may pintuan ng silid nito para madaling makita. Pero tiningnan niya ang paa ng ama. Madumi ang suot nitong sandalyas.

Ibinagay sa madumi niyang kuko, at least, she thought.

Napailing si Tara.

Hindi na yata talaga makaka-move on ang kanyang daddy sa pag-iwan sa kanila ng kanyang ina. It had been more than a year now. At kalalabas lang ng annulment papers na masyadong minadali ng Mommy niya. Now, her Daddy was officially single.

And officially emotionally unstable.

She hated her mom sa panlolokong ginawa nito sa daddy niya. And she might never, ever forgive her, and it was totally understandable na hindi rin ito mapatawad ng daddy niya. But looking at him like this...

He needed to forgive and forget, desperately. It was his only way to recovery. Unti-unti itong kinakain ng depression at galit, and he was being pulled into a deeper and deeper chasm of hopelessness minute by minute.

Tara was a daddy's girl. Always had been. Kahit nung mga panahong buo pa silang tatlo, alam niyang mas malapit ang loob niya sa daddy niya. Ramdam din iyon ng kanyang ina. Okay na okay lang naman dito, which was a very sad thing for Tara. She'd never given effort to "make lambing" with her only daughter. Pero minahal niya ang mommy niya kahit ganoon. Only she loved her father more. She loved him best in the whole wide world, because he was the best daddy, like, ever.

But the best dad in the whole world seemed to have completely fallen apart.

Tara heard her father sigh. "Nakakainip na, ha."

"Malapit ka na, Dad, don't worry," alo niya sa ama. She knew how easily he was triggered. Blame anxiety and depression. He wasn't always like this. He used to be the coolest.

Times like this, he would always be the one to find ways to entertain the both of them, with magic tricks or silly guessing games. It hurt to miss the bygone days.

Naiiyak na naman tuloy siya. She took a deep breath, to keep herself from bursting into a bout of tears. She had to be strong for her father. Not that her daddy was weak. It was that his father's love for her mom was too strong it overpowered him. It destroyed him.

At hindi siya puwedeng umiyak dahil nasa eskuwelahan siya para sa meeting na iyon. Andoon ang mga kaklase niya—ang Grade 7 class, star section—kasama ang kani-kanilang mga magulang, for the giving out of their report cards. They were each one waiting for their turn para makausap ang kani-kanilang class adviser.

Nakita ni Tara na nagkamot ng kili-kili ang ama, pagkatapos ay inamoy iyon.

"Yuck, Dad, ano ba," saway niya dito. "Baka may makakita sa 'yo."

Tiningnan siya nito nang masama. "Bakit ba?"

Her brows furrowed. "Stop doing that."

"Hindi ko sure kung nag-deo ako, eh. Nagpapawis na ang kili-kili ko sa inip dito." Susubukan sana uli nitong amuyin iyon nang tampalin niya ang braso nito. "Ano ba, Tara? O, ikaw ang umamoy."

Napasimangot si Tara nang bahagyang itinaas ng ama ang braso at iniumang sa kanya ang kili-kili nito. "Dad!"

Her father gave out a laugh. Or an immitation of it. Hindi ganun tumawa ang old daddy niya.