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As soon as I stepped out of the car and closed the door shut, my heartbeat raced even faster. I looked up at the two-story house right in front of me, and memories from childhood immediately came flooding back—papa teaching me how to ride a bike, mama letting me help in her garden, and then there was PJ, lounging over his hammock while reading his books.
Weekend afternoons were always spent playing with the neighborhood kids in the beach. Meanwhile, weekend nights felt like a feast with papa always inviting his friends or co-workers over for a little barbecue party in the backyard, and mama would have this little 'meeting' with her church friends.
Weekdays, on the other hand, had PJ and I sneaking out of the house like little criminals just so we could hang out with our different set of friends. Weekday nights had almost everyone asleep by eight.
However, when it rains, it felt like all parents in the neighborhood would collectively let their kids loose just so everyone could have the chance to play happily together.
I stopped traveling down the memory lane and took a deep breath.
"Nieta. I can't do this," bulalas ko at dali-daling umikot, ngunit huli na. Bigla na lamang humarurot paalis ang may kalumaang patrol car at binuhagahan pa ako ng usok.
"Sandali lang, traydor!" Hindi ko napigilang sumigaw sabay wasiwas ng kamay sa harapan ng mukha.
Sa isang iglap, bigla na lamang lumangitngit pabukas ang gate sa likuran ko.
"J-Jordan?"
Dali-dali akong napaikot nang marinig ang boses labis kong na-miss. Awtomatikong humapdi at nanubig ang mga mata ko nang makita si Mama pagkatapos ng tatlong taon.
Sisigawan, sasampalin, pagagalitan—kung ano-ano ang inasahan ko, pero ni isa rito ay hindi nangyari. Bagkus, laking gulat ko nang bigla na lamang umiyak si Mama at niyakap ako nang mahigpit.
Namalayan ko na lamang na umiiyak na kaming dalawa habang magkayakap, parehong labis ang pangungulila sa isa't isa.
"Ma! Ma, sorry!" Tanggal lahat ng angas ko, tumulo pa kahit ang sipon ko.
"Saan ka ba nagsususuot, bata ka!" Iyak niya sabay hampas sa balakang ko, dahilan para mapa-aray ako nang wala sa oras.
"Ma!" Umiyak lang ako nang umiyak.
Makaraan ang ilang sandali, lumuwag ang yakap niya sa akin at hinawakan ang magkabila kong pisngi. Umiiyak niyang pinagmasdan ang mukha ko, at ako naman din sa kanya.
The last three years years took a toll on her glow. She's not as youthful as she used to be, but she's the same woman I loved with my whole heart.
"Saan ka ba galing? Ba't hindi ka na nagpakita? Bakit ganyan ang kulay ng buhok mo?! Bakit ang ikli ng damit mo?!" Iyak niya pa kaya natawa na lamang ako't muli siyang niyakap nang mahigpit.
