Until Forever (Published!)

Chapter 1

Crap, but where the hell was she now? Nasa dulo na yata siya ng Pilipinas!

Mia had been driving for like an eternity already, yet she still couldn’t find the landmark specified in the map that was serving as her guide.

Was she lost? She groaned in frustration at the thought. She was tired and had little patience left for this ordeal.

Binagalan niya ang pagpapatakbo sa sasakyan at inabot ang nakalukot na mapa sa dashboard. Iyon ang mapang ibinigay sa kanya ni Detective Kalinawan, ang private investigator na inupahan niya ng halos tatlong buwan upang hanapin ang kanyang ina.

            She cursed under her breath at the thought of her mother. Kaagad na kumulo ang kanyang dugo sa inis at galit. She hated this, and if she only had other choice, never in her wildest dream that she would go back to her roots. She would never spend any effort to look for the person who abandoned her as a child.

            But she had to do this. Kahit labag man iyon sa kagustuhan niya. Isang napakaimportanteng bagay ang nakasalalay sa lakad niya ngayon – her inheritance.

            It was stipulated in Gilda’s Last Will and Testament that she must find her biological mother or else she wouldn’t get a hold of her inheritance. Maisasalin lamang sa pangalan niya ang pagmamay-ari ng dalawampu’t-limang ektarya ng manggahan sa Iloilo na minana pa ni Gilda sa mga ninuno nito kung matutunton niya ang ina at mapapatunayan iyon kay Atty. Joshua Edmundo, ang abogadong itinalaga ni Gilda upang subaybayan ang pagsunod sa Last Will and Testament nito.

            Si Gilda na ang nakagisnan niyang magulang. She raised her like her own. At para sa kanya, ito ang kanyang tunay na ina. At wala na siyang balak pang hanapin ang taong nagluwal sa kanya.

            But Gilda wanted her to look for her long lost mother. She even put it in her Last Will and Testament. So here she was now, traveling alone in the far-flung part of Southern Philippines.

Detective Kalinawan found her mother in Makilala, North Cotabato, a remote town in the Southern part of Mindanao, living in the company of her current family.

Bigla ang naging paninikip ng kanyang dibdib sa puntong iyon. The notion that her mother was blissfully living with her family made her feel ill and despondent. Her stomach churned in distaste, and the urge to throw up the vile liquid that instantly rose in her throat was almost uncontrollable.

Her biological mother had her own family afterall, and the thought that she was an excess baggage that had to be given away made her hate her even more.

Ipinamigay siya ng sariling ina kay Gilda, isang nurse sa ospital sa Iloilo kung saan ito nanganak noon, at hindi na binalikan pa. Her surrogate mother did not conceal the truth from her. But despite everything, Gilda only showered her kindness and love. She had acknowledged her as her own flesh and blood, loved her unconditionally and gave her all the things a normal child longed to have. Hindi na ito nagkaasawa at siya na ang nagsilbing katuwang hanggang sa huling hininga nito.

Gilda died of a heart attack. Natagpuan na lamang niya itong nakahandusay sa loob ng silid nito. Kaaagad na tinawag niya ang private nurse na nag-aalaga rito upang madala nila sa ospital ang ina-inahan ngunit huli na ang lahat.  Gilda had no more pulse. Ayon sa nurse ay mukhang ilang oras na itong patay. 

The tragedy was a total shock to her. She couldn’t believe that the only person who treated her as family was now gone. It didn’t sink well with her. Sa sobrang sama ng loob at pagdadalamhati ay nawalan siya ng malay nang malamang patay na si Gilda at sa ospital na nagising kinabukasan.

            Kaagad na pinalis niya ang luhang tumulo sa gilid ng kanyang mata. She composed herself. She hated crying. Isa siyang matatag na babae at kailangan niyang patunayan iyon. Kaagad na itinakwil niya sa isipan ang mapait na bahagi ng kanyang kahapon.