Serendipity

Chapter 2

God knows how much it hurts to see my mother crying with bruises all over her face and body.

She quietly wiped her tears. She sadly smiled and offered me her bed. Mahina akong umupo sa tabi niya. Marahan niyang hinawakan ang mga kamay ko.

"Kung alam ko lang sana..."

"God, no Yuki. Hindi ko alam na ganoong klase siyang tao. Mali ako ng pagkakakilala sa kaniya. He was not the right---"

"Misa, can you please wake up?" naputol ang sasabihin ko sa kaniya. Hindi ko na masabi ang mga gusto kong sabihin.

Lahat ng sinabi ko sa matandang babae. They are all meant for her. Pagod na pagod na akong intindihin siya. Gusto kong sabihin lahat ng sinabi ko sa matanda pero nanghina ako.

Enough is enough, Yuki. You're hurting your mom already.

Napayuko ako dahil sa inasta. Hindi dapt ako sumigaw. I lost myself into anger the moment Misa will always talk about love. The thing is, Misa is a hopeless romantic person. A young single mother who still believes on fairy tales and destiny. One day, I asked her a question. Why she kept jumping from man to man. And I realized that the reason why we lived miserably is because of her poor decisions in life.

"May nakatadhanang tao para sa akin. Alam ko iyon pero napagod na akong maghintay sa tadhana. Kaya ako nalang ang maghahanap sa kaniya."

Thinking love is dreamy and wonderful, she had me from a young age. Thinking love is always a happy ever after, she'd been broken for seven times. And the worst is the last one.

Ilang minuto kaming tahimik ng bigla siyang tumawa. Nagulat ako ng bigla niyang sinampal ang kaniyang mukha. Malungkot niya akong tiningnan. She smiled weakly, and I know she understands everything. Wala akong sinabi pero alam kong naiintindihan niya na.

"Narealize ko na mas maganda pala maging single, walang stress sa buhay," she laughed loudly and freely.

I tightly embrace my mother, accepting all her flaws and imperfections. This is Mirasol Salazar were talking about, the woman who raised me alone for sixteen years. We both learned our lesson, finally.

Marahan kung kinuha ang kaniyang kamay at tinali ang pulang lubid. Nagulat ako ng sumigaw siya at mabilis na inalis ito.

"Saan mo ito nakuha, Yuki?"

Kumunot ang noo ko.

"Some weird old woman sold this to me," ani ko. Hindi na dinagdagan ang mga sinabi dahil maiinis lang ako.

Tinuro niya ang kaniyang bag sa malapit na mesa. Nalilito ko siyang tiningnan ngunit inabot rin ang kaniyang bag. Tulala niyang binuksan ang bag at maigi akong tiningnan.

Itinapat niya sa akin ang isang itim na lubid. Parehang pareha sa pagkakagawa at disenyo ng akin, ang pagkakaiba lang ay ang kulay.

Ipinagtapat namin ang dalawa lubid. Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa.

"Yuki."

The red string of fate. That's how it's supposed to be called but I wonder, why is this string black?

Saan kami uuwi ngayon? Embarassing to say but we lived on Simon Pig's apartment. Kaya rin pinagtyagaan ni Misa dahil may pera kahit basagulero at pala-inom. Dahil kay Ex number 4 (the scumbag thief), napatalsik tuloy kami sa tinutuluyang apartment dati. Now, this is getting stressful.

I walked through the hallway of the hospital. Tamad akong naglalakad, nag-iisip ng solusyon sa problema. I saw two nurses approaching in my direction, both look dismayed and sad.

"Naawa ako sa bata. Ang malas niya para magkacancer ng ganon kabata."

The other nurse nodded, she replied, "Yes, the parents suffered the worst after losing him. The disease is incurable and everyone expected his death, so it might lessen the pain but still... masakit parin." The woman in her forties wiped her tears, annoucing her grief queitly.