Take Me Back

Chapter 7: Bittersweet

RAQUEL

Pagkatapos naming kumain ng tanghalian sa bahay nina Tonyo ay umuwi na kami dahil may kanya kanyang pupuntahan ang mga magulang namin. Kahahalal lang ng ama ni Tonyo bilang kapitan ng barangay na ito kaya madami pa syang aasikasuhin, related to his duties as a barangay captain.

On the other hand, my parents, who happened to just arrived Batangas from America, insisted to go home already, sa kadahilanang pagod daw sila sa byahe. Sumama na ako sa kanila dahil nabubwisit lang ako sa pagmumukha ni Tonyo.

Char lang yon, ang fogi nya kaya.

Ginusto ko na ding umuwi dahil hindi pa ako nakakamove on sa mga nangyayari. I don't even know why I'm here or what this place is. Plus the fact na ang magaling kong "bestfriend" ang may pakana kung bakit nangyari sakin to. Isipin mo, tinulak ka lang sa hagdan tapos pag gising mo nandito ka na. My brain can't handle these shits that are happening.

***

"Anak, gusto mo pa?", tanong ni Mama sabay alok sa akin ng afritada. "Etong pata anak, gusto mo pa?", wika naman ni Papa sabay abot ng isa pang putahe sa akin. I didn't really had the apetite to eat ngayong nagssink in na sakin lahat ng nangyayari. Pinilit ko lang kumain dahil baka magtaka sila sa kung anong nangyayari sakin.

"Hindi na po Ma, Pa, busog na po ako.", I tried my best to make my smile look sincere as much as possible, but I'm really feeling shit right now. "Uhmm, kung ayos lang naman po sa inyo, pwede po bang umakyat na ko sa kwarto ko para magpahinga?", tanong ko at tumingin sa kaniang dalawa. "Medyo pagod pa rin po kase ako sa byahe e.", dugtong ko para mas maging kapanipaniwala ang pagdadahilan ko.

"Huh? Anak, nung isang linggo ka pang nakauwi ng Pinas ah?", nagtatakang saad ni Papa na syang ikinagulat ko. Yataps, last week pa pala dumating si Juana bitch huhu. I have to make up with what I said omg! "Ahh.. hehe ano po kasi-"

"Mahal, hayaan mo na ang anak natin. Siguro naninibago pa rin sya dito sa Pinas kaya ganun." Ghooorl, my Mama is a life saver shOoosH! "Sige na anak, lumakad ka na sa kwarto mo. Ang iyong ama na ang magliligpit ng pinagkainan natin.", natawa ako sa naging reaksyon ni Papa. He looked like he wants to protest but he didn't, not just because he's scared to my mom, but he loves her and would do even the dishes.

I headed upstairs where my room is and got straight to bed. My mind's pretty messed up and I seriously don't know what to do. I can't sleep either even if my body's definitely tired.

The sky is awake, so I'm awake! Natawa ako nang maalala ko ang movie line na iyon ni Anna sa frozen. I smiled bitterly when I remember how me and Kuya Jam watched it together as we lock the door and put the television in the highest possible volume, para lang hindi marinig yung pag aaway ni Mama at Papa sa salas. Those were my real parents, of course. My parents in the real world.

I turned to the left side of my bed and saw some pictures in frames above the small table beside my bed. There was a picture of Juana when she was like 6 or 7 years old. There was a picture of her with her dad. Another picture of her, but this time, with her mom, but what caught my attention was the family picture. There were four family members, there was another girl who seemed to be 5 years older than Juana.

I touched her face as she was familiar to me. I feel like I saw her somewhere already, but I just can't remember. My memory was always fucked up, to the point that I can't even remember my own name sometimes, LMAO.

Hindi ko namalayang may tumulo palang luha galing sa mata ko. Agad ko itong pinunasan at huminga ng malalim. Fuck these flashbacks..