White Scarf

Epilogue

'He loves sweet.' I'm eating ice cream with a chocolate smudge on my face. 

'He's intelligent, my son.' In a competition that I join in first grade, she never attends any school priming but she's always, always present in parents' orientation. Secretly. 

She won't stand beside me on the stage in all the competitions that I won but she was behind me smiling. Proudly. My picture from infant till sixteen chapters of my life that she's present was centered on the wall. 

"Who told you my mother doesn't love me, Kakucho?" A picture of the two of us is in the middle of the room too, the first time I wear a suit and tie on my five years old birthday we took this photo. My mom was sitting on a grand chair while I was sitting on her lap. 

"Miss her?" A handkerchief masks my eyes. 

I heft a deep sigh, slowly sitting on my knees, hands covering my unstoppable tears to fall. 

"I am, I miss my dear mother." Uncle Ran stood on my side in silence and tap my shoulder. She didn't even say her last goodbye to me. 

"Unfair, imp. Damn unfair." Uncle Rindou comes in second. 

I grew up in an aberrant environment around me surrounded by adults, busy people, and a dangerous household. I matured earlier than my age, it was my mom who trained me to survive on my own. 

'If you can't protect yourself, who do you expect to do it?' My mother always engraved it in my mind, I should be strong. I did. I grew strong, mindful, and wise. Nevertheless, she always got my back.

"Do you and your mom communicate?" Uncle Koko asks before.

"I text mom more." I said, he nods and look at my mom. 

"What?" She fiercely asks as Uncle Koko and Rindou wait. 

"Your answer?" 

"Stop with the nonsense." 

"Okay, witch." The two said and return their attention to me. 

"Does she –." 

"I always call him, now get back to your work." She plainly said, my uncle, snickered as they leave. I look at my phone, she has two missed calls to me afore leaving me. 

"Mother, hear me out." I follow her as she furiously stormed out of the meeting hall, I know she'll be mad.

I know it, but I could never outsmart my mother, do I? After she drops the box that threatened my uncle. 

"I asked Mikey to make me his heir, please mother," I said, trying to convince her and her eyes look betrayed I clench my jaw as a slap forded my face. 

"Are you that ignorant?! Izana you're only sixteen years old! What do you mean to be Mikey's heir? Successor?!" She shouted, I didn't meet her eye, she sounds disappointed, and it was the last thing I want her to feel. 

"Your too rash! Too fool! Why can't you understand that I didn't make you my successors was it's because for your damn sake!" But I just fueled her fiasco on me, 

"Why are you so hard on my uncle? Did he ever do anything to you? I'm so tired of this feud between you and him." I said, too oblivious. 

"What did he do?" She asked, 

"You want to know brat? What I've been through because of your uncle?" 

I never know my mother's story, but I choose to ignore every endeavor that she encounters and choose the thing that I thought was the answer.