Strings of Memory

Chapter 26

Fractured Chords

The warmth I felt from my mother lasted only for a moment. Isang iglap lang, but in that moment, I felt something—kahit saglit lang—other than the suffocating weight in my chest.

Pero kahit saglit lang iyon, it was enough. Sapat na para pigilan akong tuluyang malunod sa sakit. Sapat na para gumalaw ulit, kahit pilit.

Instead of staying locked up in my room, nagsimula akong gumawa ng mga gawaing bahay. I swept the floor, washed the dishes, wiped the dust off the shelves—kahit hindi pa rin ako pumapasok sa school, at least I was doing something. And that alone was enough to make my mother smile. I could see the relief on her face every time she looked at me. She was happy that I was finally moving—compared to before, when I was nothing but a ghost in my own home.

Pero kahit nakahanap ako ng dahilan para gumalaw, hindi pa rin bumalik ang tunog sa mundo ko. I still couldn't hear anything except for the faint ringing that had been stuck in my ears since the day I learned the truth. It wasn't as deafening as when I first found out about Luna's death, but it was still there—like a ghost that refused to leave me alone.

And yet, kahit wala akong marinig, naiintindihan ko pa rin ang mga sinasabi ni Mommy sa akin. Hindi ng tenga ko, pero ng puso ko.

And for now, that was enough.

Wynther.

Napatingin ako kay Mommy nang tawagin niya ako.

Can you buy these for me?

She handed me a small piece of paper, along with some money.

Kinuha ko iyon at lumabas ng unit namin. The moment I stepped outside, the cold air hit my skin, pero wala akong naramdamang kahit anong pagbabago. I just walked—one foot in front of the other—out of our building, heading straight to the marketplace.

For the first time in weeks, I was outside. I should feel something about it, but I didn't. Wala pa ring nagbago. The world around me was still gray, still muted, still distant.

Pagdating sa palengke, binili ko lahat ng kailangan. I went from stall to stall, handing over the money and taking the items without a single word. The vendors spoke, probably thanking me or telling me the price, but I couldn't hear them. Just moving on autopilot, doing what needed to be done.

But after I finished shopping, I didn't go straight home.

My feet moved on their own, taking me somewhere. Wala akong tiyak na direksyon—wala rin akong pakialam. I just walked, not knowing where I was going or why I was even doing this. My thoughts were blank, but my body kept moving.

And then I looked up at the sky.

For the first time in a long time, I actually noticed it. The vast, empty sky stretching endlessly above me. It was gray. Just like before I met her.

Still, my feet kept moving.

Hindi ko na inisip kung saan ako dinadala ng mga paa ko. I just walked and walked, not feeling any exhaustion kahit ilang minuto na akong naglalakad.

Hanggang sa bigla akong huminto nang may mabangga akong tao.

Nagtaas ako ng tingin, only to realize that I had wandered into an unfamiliar alleyway. The buildings around me were old, the walls covered in graffiti, and the ground littered with crumpled wrappers and cigarette butts.

What the hell? Where am I?

Then, out of nowhere, biglang may humila sa braso ko at marahas akong hinarap sa kanya.

My body jerked violently at the sudden force, and I found myself face-to-face with an unfamiliar guy. His expression was twisted with anger—his brows furrowed, his jaw clenched, his grip on my arm tight.