Square One: Ashboo Fanfiction

Sidestory: Circa 2005

"Francisco, let's go. Please open the door."

A woman of age had come to knock in his bedroom door. She was quite small, with a fair complexion. Fine lines in her face are visible, but she still looks beautiful. Her eyes are brown, with long lashes.

She has a full thin lips and a pointed nose. Her hair is all white, but it was perfectly bun, she was wearing a black satin dress and a black overcoat, her scarf was deep blue, complementing a piece of accessory in her wrist.

Her hands are what we can say a 'worker's hand'. It wasn't nailpolished, her nails are quite jagged, calluses are obvious, as well as the wrinkles... but to him, to his son, it is the softest hands that caresses him in times of pain, in times of joy.

Cecilia, or Sesing as what her friends and family call her, is Bamboo's mother.

"Just... Just give me more time, please give me more time..." A soft voice echoed inside. She was already waiting for about 40 minutes. She was about to get the key downstairs when she heard the door unlocked.

She entered inside, and stumbled upon a very, very dirty room. Music sheets are everywhere, three guitars were scattered on the floor, the bedsheets were undone, cabinet doors are opened, everything, everything... is totally messy.

She picked up the empty bottles of beer and threw it in the trash can. The lights were turned off. The only source of light was coming from the bay window. It was covered in a sheer curtain, and there she sees the silhouette of a man, a then 29-year old Bamboo Manalac. He was looking far away in the view of the window.

No, he wasn't looking anywhere, he seemed to be daydreaming.

Sesing went further and parted the curtains from the left. Now, he can clearly see his son,
who has very dark circles under his eyes, thinner than ever, and paler than his original complexion.

His left leg was resting in the couch that occupied the seating space, the other one was folded where he rests his elbow.

He was still looking far away. She sat down infront of him. In a moment, she held his face, and then his hands.

"Anak... Halika na, lumabas ka naman dito. Please?" She said in a very careful tone.

He didn't answer but he took a deep breathe. He was still looking away.

"Francisco... Tumingin ka sakin." She ordered.

Slowly, Bamboo turned his head to look at her.

How painful it is to see your son in this condition?

He looked horrible, he looked like he haven't slept for weeks.

"Anak... Hindi mo pa siya binibisita. Ayaw mo bang maayos ang lahat ng ito?" She asked with a very soft voice, like she was about to cry.

"..." He was still staring at her.

"Makinig ka sakin... May pupuntahan tayo ngayon, mag-ayos ka ha? Sige na, para kay nanay." She pleaded.

Finally, his face soften, as if he heard the magic word that made him normal again.

"Saan?" He finally spoke a word after a million years.

"Sa Agno Basilyo. Magsimba muna tayo-"

"No. Ano pagdadasal ko? Eh sinira naman niya lahat."

"Francis--"

"I'll go, sige. Gusto mo? Sige let's visit Him. So he can fucking see me and realize that this was the result of the bullshit he did--"

"FRANCISCO. Tumigil ka. Wag mong isisi sa Kanya lahat." She commanded.