Until Forever (Published!)

Chapter 51

Mia was already sobbing when she finished reading the letter. Ni hindi na niya nagawang basahin ang pangalan ni Gilda dahil tuluyan nang nanlabo ang kanyang paningin. Tears streamed down her cheeks, running like a flowing river. Samot-saring emosyon ang naghahari sa loob ng kanyang dibdib. Hindi niya alam kung magagalit siya kay Gilda dahil sa ginawa nito. Ngunit kapag naiisip niya ang lahat ng kabutihang nagawa sa kanilang mag-ina ng babae, partikular na sa kanya, ay nawawala ang anumang galit niya para rito.

Gilda became a victim of her lies, too. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang nangyari pagkatapos nitong isulat ang liham para sa kanya. She didn't know if she had already been in the hospital when she found her unconcious inside her room. Oh how she wished she was there so that she could fill the blank space after Gilda's letter. But it did not matter anyway. Ang sulat ng Mama Gilda niya ay nagbigay ng kasagutan sa maraming mga tanong na nasa kanyang isipan noon. The pieces of the puzzle had now fitted perfectly. It was Gilda who orchestrated her fake death certificate. And she was the culprit behind the impostor who assumed her identity. Malinaw na ngayon ang lahat.

Si Micheal kaagad ang naisip niya pagkatapos basahin ang sulat ni Gilda. She should tell her husband about the letter. He needed to know. Para maliwanagan din ito. She wasn't sure if he still had doubts about her true identity. He seemed already convinced though. Isa pa, he had never brought the issue again. Since they got married, Micheal treated her as his wife, as his partner in life.

She wiped her tears dry with her fingers. Her heart was full of mixed emotions, of agony, pain, longing and regrets. The thought that she hated her mother all her life, thinking that she intentionally abandoned her and gave her to someone else like an excess baggage, tugged at her conscience. Hindi naman pala ganoon ang nangyari. Jasmin wasn't really a bad mother afterall. She had been a victim of circumstances, of life's cruelty, and of other people's selfish motives. She heaved a deep, forlorn sigh. Binayo niya ng kamay ang kanyang dibdib nang maramdaman ang paninikip niyon. She really couldn't believe the twist of fate. At muling rumagasa ang mabigat na damdamin sa kanyang dibdib. Muling parang malakas na ulan na umagos ang kanyang mga luha. What she just discovered was too much to bear. Napayupyop na lamang siya sa couch habang patuloy sa impit na paghagulhol, habang patuloy sa pag-agos ang kanyang mga luha. Parang bulkang gustong sumabog ng kanyang dibdib. God, this was a torture! Kung sana ay hinanap niya kaagad ang kanyang ina, baka naagapan ang paglala ng sakit nito. Kung hinanap niya sana ito noon pa man, tiyak na maayos pa ito ngayon. Kung sana... Ang daming what ifs na wala na ring silbi dahil hindi na magbabago pa ang lahat.

Hindi niya alam kung kailan naubos ang mga luha niya. But crying helped her a lot. Nabawasan niyon ang bigat na dinadala niya sa kanyang dibdib. When she thought that she could already handle herself, she stood up. Her legs were very soft and unstable when she looked for her cellphone. She saw her phone on the dresser. Nilapitan niya iyon at dinampot. She rang her husband's number. She needed to talk to him. But his number just rang and rang. No one was picking up the call from the other line. Hanggang sa naputol ang tawag.

She redialed his number. "Come on! Answer the phone," she murmured impatiently. She really had to talk to him. Gusto niya rin kasing magpaalam kay Micheal na babalik muna siya ng Iloilo at may aasikasuhin lang. Pero walang sumasagot sa kanyang tawag. Hanggang sa hindi na niya makontak dahil baka nalobat. She decided to just go in the resort to personally talk to her husband. That would be better. She needed a hug and a consolation from him. She felt so down as of the moment.

Gamit ang sarili niyang sasakyan ay nag-drive siya patungo sa resort. Her chest was still heavy with mixed emotions. Pagdating niya sa resort ay kaagad na pinuntahan niya sa loob ng opisina nito ang asawa ngunit wala ito roon. Ayon sa sekretarya nito ay may pinuntahan daw sandali ang lalaki. Imbes na hintayin sa loob ng opisina nito si Micheal ay ipinasiya niyang maglakad-lakad sa palibot ng resort. She felt as if she was choking, and she needed to breathe some fresh air. And maybe with that, she might stumble with Micheal in the resort. Wala sa sariling naglakad siya sa paligid. She was trying to spot Micheal from the crowd of tourists and locals in the resort.

"Hinahanap mo ba si JM?"

Kaagad ang paglingon niya nang marinig ang boses na iyon. Alam niyang JM ang tawag kay Micheal ng mga tao sa paligid. Isang babae ang nalingunan niya. She looked beautiful, but she could see contempt in her eyes. She could easily tell that the woman hated her. Sino ito? She looked familiar though. Parang nakita na niya ito somewhere. Her eyebrows cocked as she raked her memory trying to remember the hostile stranger.

Her lips pursed hard when she finally remembered her. She was one of the spectators in her wedding. At nakita na rin niya ito sa resort noon. Noong ipinasyal siya ni Micheal. In those two instances, she was looking at her with hatred in her eyes. Ngayon ay magkaharap na silang dalawa. And she could clearly see the hostilities in her eyes as they engaged in an eye contact. The woman obviously didn't like her. Well, she didn't like her, too. Hindi niya gusto ang paraan nang pagtitig nito sa kanya. And she had this gut feeling that she was trouble in bold letters.

"Yes. I'm looking for my husband," mariing wika niya.

She glared at her. Her eyes sparkled with animosity, and then, she smiled at her as if she won a battle. "Hindi mo alam kung saan pumupunta ang asawa mo kapag wala sa tabi mo?" Bahagya pa itong natawa na tila tuwang-tuwa sa nalaman.

Mas lalong nagkasalubong ang kanyang mga kilay. Tuluyan nang nakuha ng babae ang kanyang atensiyon. May pinupunto ito. Nararamdaman niya iyon.