She stopped talking to me after that day and no matter how much it killed me inside, I pretended that she was just busy and we were okay.
"Hindi ko na yata nakikita si Ia," my mother remarked one Thursday afternoon as we were eating lunch. "Nag-away ba kayo?"
"Hindi po," I said. "Busy lang po kasi marami raw po silang summer activities sa org n'ya."
"Sabagay, nabanggit nga ng Mommy n'ya na s'ya raw ang incoming president ng organization n'ya kaya siguro hindi na nakakapasyal dito. Pero, ang sabi ko nga ay baka naman may boyfriend na si Ia. Aba, twenty years old na 'yung best friend mo, maganda, at matalino kaya sigurado akong maraming lalaking nagkakagusto d'un."
"May nabanggit po ba si Tita Ana, 'Mmy?" I casually asked.
"Wala naman, ang sabi lang ay palagi nga raw late na umuuwi at minsan nga raw ay may sumusundo at meron ding naghahatid."
Wow, tiniis ako nang apat na araw 'tapos malaman-laman kong may naghahatid-sundo pala sa kanya? Sige lang, Ia, saktan mo lang ako. Kaunti na lang talaga, iiyak na ako...
"Anak, what's wrong?"
I looked up to find my mother's worried gaze on me. "Bakit po, 'Mmy?"
"You are not eating and you're just pushing your food around your plate. Hindi mo ba gusto ang pagkain?"
"Busog pa po ako, 'Mmy."
"Busog? Hindi ka pa naman kumain, ah."
"Kumain po ako ng oatmeal kanina."
"Ai, that was hours ago. May problema ka ba? Masama ba ang pakiramdam mo?"
I shook my head because I couldn't exactly tell my mother that I was heartbroken. "Hindi po..."
"Then what's wrong? May gusto ka bang ipabili?"
"No, Mom, wala po. I'm just tired."
"Why?" my mother asked as she rose from her seat to feel my forehead. "Medyo mainit ka. Magbihis ka, magpa-check-up tayo."
I laughed softly. "Mom, I'm okay—"
"No, you're not and it's my fault. I should have taken better care of you. I should have taken you to the doctor when I started to notice you acting lethargic. Ni hindi ka na nga lumalabas—"
"Mom, I'm fine," I said. "Really. Wala po akong sakit. Mainit lang po talaga kaya wala po ako sa mood din na gumala. And I might be eating less but I eat eight times a day kaya bawing-bawi po."
"Puro Doritos ang kinakain mo kaya hindi counted as meals 'yun."
"I eat pizza and fries, too."
"Baby naman, eh. Mommy is worried. Are you sure you're okay?" my mother queried, her eyes overflowing with concern.
I gave her a reassuring smile. "Opo, okay lang po ako."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, 'Mmy."
"Tell Mommy, ha, kung may gusto kang kainin o ipabili. Kahit anong gusto mo ibibigay ni Mommy sa'yo."
Gusto ko po si Ia... I wanted to say but held myself back. "Si Mommy talaga. Nakalimutan na n'ya yata na mag-si-seventeen na ako at hindi na ako bata."
"Isaiah, kahit mag-po-forty years old ka pa ay ikaw pa rin ang baby ni Mommy," she said hugging me tight. "Love na love ka ng Mommy, Anak."
My mother used to work for a bank. But, when she married my Dad, she decided to open her own business so she'd have more control of her time and could therefore take better care of my father. When she had me eight years later, she decided to become a stay-at-home Mom to look after me.
