A Love To Remember

Chapter 17: On the Way

"Ayieeh, ngumiti na siya! Ngiti lang po kayo palagi Ate ganda, mas gumaganda kayo lalo eh!" sambit niya, she kept on calling me Ate pero I think, magka-edad lang kami.

"Chiara. My name's Chiara, what's yours?" pagpakilala at tanong ko. You see, I'm really not the friendly type. Sa school nga, tanging si Kallie lang ang kinakausap ko palagi pero this one's different, ang gaan ng loob ko sa kanya. She's harmless, I think?

Ngumiti siya, exposing her cute dimples, "Hi po, Ate Chiara! Taglamig, 'yan po ang pangalan ko!" she answered, the fuck? If her sister is Taginit then, she's...Taglamig? Pinagloloko ba nila ako?

"Uhm, are you serious? Taglamig nga ba ang pangalan mo?" I asked trying; my best not to sound insulting in her ears, tumango naman siya.

"Opo Ate, seryoso ako! Kung nahahabaan po kayo sa Taglamig, then you can call me Kulay po!" sagot niya, making my jaw drop, so seryoso nga siya? Kulay? Taglamig?

Andaming pangalan sa mundo and then there's the two of them..

"Oh.." iyan na lang ang naisambit ko, nadako ang paningin niya sa relo ko at kaagad na nanlaki ang mga mata niya upon seeing the time.

"Waaah Ate 5:00 pm na, kailangan ko na pong umuwi! Lagot ako kay Umaga nito
Bye po Ate Chiara, see you around!" she exclaimed at tumakbo na palayo sa 'kin, I stood up para sana ibigay sa kanya ang panyo niya pero nakalayo na siya.

Napatingin ako sa panyo and I think, this one is personalized at may nakaukit na pangalan dito.

"Amber.." basa ko, bakit Amber? Akala ko ba, Taglamig ang pangalan niya? Naah, maybe she's just fooling around.

Nevertheless, napangiti na lang ako upon remembering the things that she told me earlier, somehow, nakalimutan ko ang problema ko sa bahay because of her..

Malayo pa lang, natatanaw ko na ang ngiti ni Daddy as I went inside our house. Nakaupo siya sa couch dito sa salas and I tried to ignore him but unfortunately, he saw me making me stop from walking.

"Chia? San ka galing?" he asked, I shrugged my shoulders in response. He's acting like everything's normal but actually, it isn't.

"D'yan lang po sa tabi-tabi.." I answered, avoiding to have an eye contact with him. Who knows? Baka maiyak na lang ako bigla dito.

"Oh.. Go upstairs na, change your clothes and we'll eat dinner." he ordered, tumango lang ako at umakyat na patungo sa kwarto ko sa taas. Upon arriving inside, I immediately locked the door as I jump at my bed, crying.

I don't know why am I even crying. Maybe I feel betrayed. Dad's the last person in the world whom I thought will never change my Mom's position even tho she's not here in his life. I'm wrong, afterall, maybe, I don't know him yet.

Umiyak lang ako nang umiyak until I cried myself to sleep and deep slumber..

I woke up nang maramdaman ko ang vibration ng cellphone ko and I can also hear my ringtone, someone's probably calling. I'm still in my uniform kaya agad ko munang hinubad ang sapatos ko as I fixed myself first before grabbing my phone which is inside my pocket.

I took a glance at the clock right on top of my bedside table, 11:23 pm. Woah, gano'n ako katagal natulog? And, who in the right mind would call at this time of the day?

Without hesitation, I answered the call nang hindi tumitingin kung sino ang tumatawag.

"Hello?" tanong ko sa kabilang linya.

"Chiara, baby?" my eyes widened when the person who called me answered, bumilis bigla ang tibok ng puso ko at feeling ko, pinagpapawisan ako kahit na air-conditioned naman 'tong kwarto ko.

The voice... I haven't heard it for years and now?

"Mo... mommy?" I said, almost out of voice, my voice is shaking and I'm stuttering for I don't even know why either.

"Chiara! God, I miss you! How are you na? Are you doing fine there? Inaalagaan ka ba ng Daddy mo?" sunod-sunod niyang tanong as I bit my lower lip, now I'm crying, again but this time, tears of joy na 'to! I missed my Mom so, so, so, much!

"Mommy.." 'yan lang ang naisabi ko, I'm speechless.

"You're crying, don't you? Mommy taught you to be strong 'di ba so baby, stop crying na.." she said calmly, as much as I want to hug her right now, I can't. Maybe, I can tell her my problems? She's my Mom after all.

"Ma.. asan ka ba? I.. missed you. Uwi ka na, please? I need you.. really." wika ko.

"Miss na miss na rin kita baby, kayo ng Daddy mo. Tell me, may problema ba d'yan?" she asked.

I took a deep breathe first before answering her question, "Mommy, I... I saw Dad kissing Tita Lea earlier." I admitted and silence eloped for a minute or so. Natahimik siya.

"Ma.. still there?"

"Oh yes, I'm still here. You saw what? Don't worry 'nak, Mommy's on her way at kung ano man ang nakita mo, forget it, okay? Hindi maagaw ng Lea na 'yan ang Daddy mo, I promised. Uuwi na ako to bring back our family again. I'm on my way.." she said with a stern voice. Napangiti na lang ako, I can sense war..

Mom and I will be Tita Lea's worst nightmare.

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