Our Yesterday's Escape (University Series #6)

06

Her mom was nice, but I really could not accept another mom after losing mine. I appreciated her efforts pero hanggang doon na lang. 

Bumaba ako sa kama para kuhanin ang phone. Hiro's contact was there, also Chevy's. I felt grimaced when I saw that my dad's number was also saved there, but I couldn't delete it because what if something happened at home? I should know. Tita Erin's contact was also there. Good thing she didn't save their contacts as "Mom" or "Dad," instead, she saved them as their full names. 

I immediately called Hiro as soon as I got to bed. [Hello?] he answered after three rings. [Who's this calling?]

"Hi," I greeted. I felt a little awkward because we didn't talk as much when I moved to Bataan. "It's Shan." 

There was a long silence before I heard him gasp. [Yo, you're back?! Where did you get my number?! Wait, wait... How have you been?!] He sounded so excited to talk to me so I felt relieved. I thought there would be a gap between us. 

"I'm back at home... here in Manila," I told him. He was so happy to hear it, oblivious of what it was like at home. "Because my mom... died... so my dad's here to take care of me." 

I heard him sigh. [Yes, I heard. My family attended her wake, but I didn't see you there. I wanted to check up on you, but I figured you didn't want to talk to anyone at that time. I'm so glad you're doing better now...]

Hiro was always so nice and compassionate. He understood me the most. Not just me, but he was always so understanding with everyone around him. He was just too nice, and when I thought no one could be any nicer than him, I met Acel. Damn, I was surrounded by people full of love and kindness... and here I was, trying to pull myself up from the darkness.

"I enrolled in Lopez High. I hope we're classmates!" I told him. "Let's see each other by then!" 

[Why wait for the first day of school? Let's hang out tomorrow!] 

"Uh... I can't..." I looked at my door. "I can't leave my sister alone."

[You have a sister?!] 

I didn't know how to explain it better, but I still tried to gather my thoughts. I said we should talk about it at another time, kapag kasama na si Acel so he wouldn't feel left out. Ayaw ko namang ulitin ang kwento dahil masakit din sa akin. I knew I had to tell them someday... and it was impossible to explain how I got a sister that was, I think, three years younger than me without telling them about what was happening with my family. 

I also talked to Acel over the phone, and we tried to catch up on things. We talked a lot, but I still failed to ask him where he enrolled in high school, the reason why I tried to find him in Lopez High on the first day of school. 

I checked the bulletin board to see which section I belonged to and then tried to find the room, but I ended up in the office because my aunt wanted to see me. It was the office of the director of the school. As soon as she saw me, she immediately gave me a hug like she was hugging her late sister. She looked like my mom... so I had the urge to cry, but I didn't.