Loving You Once More

Chapter 41

Sumakay na ako sa coupe ni Jessica. Ilang segundo lang ay bumukas na din ang pintuan ng driver's seat at pumasok siya. Inalis niya ang kanyang shades at ngumiti sa akin.

"All set?"

Tumango ako at inabot ang seatbelt para isuot. Habang umaalis kami sa pagkakapark ay nilingon ko si Juniel na nasa labas. Nakatayo siya sa gilid ng kanyang sasakyan at pinapanood ang sasakyan na ito habang umaalis sa parking. He doesn't see me because this car is heavily tinted but still he waved his hand nang tuluyan na kaming umalis. Sa likuran naman namin ay ang sasakyan ni Rey at sa likuran nila ay ang iba pang mga sasakyan ng mga kasama namin. Juniel is the last one to go dahil siya itong tsaka pa lang sumakay ng sasakyan niya nang mawala itong sinasakyan ko sa paningin niya. 

The whole car ride I was trying my best not to sleep kaya walang tigil ang kwentuhan namin ni Jessica. It's a good thing that there's a lot for us to catch up on. 

"How is Juniel adopted?" tanong ko nang mapunta ang usapan namin sa mga kapatid niya.

"Actually, Juniel's mom was a close friend of our mom." aniya habang hindi pinuputol ang tingin sa kalsada.

"Oh, kung ganoon Juniel already met his biological mom?"

Ngumiwi si Jessica at matamang umiling. 

"Never."

"Sabi ni mom, she's a college friend. Nabuntis din just like her noong nag-aaral pa lang sila. Her friend is not well off at siguro dahil nga bata pa ay napanghinaan na din ng loob. Hiniwalayan din kasi siya nung totoong tatay ni Juniel. "

Hindi ko maialis ang tingin kay Jessica habang nagkukwento. Is this why he's a player? 

"Ayun, hindi rin matanggap nung parents ni Tita Cynthia dahil hindi rin kayang buhayin si Juniel kaya pinaampon niya kay mommy. Our mom is more than willing even when she just gave birth to me 2 years ago. She really likes being a mom."

Kumunot ang noo ko sakanyang sinabi 

"Yes, mom and dad are teenage parents when they had me. Tumigil mom ko noon ng pag-aaral because of the pregnancy pero tinuloy din niya and that's where she met Juniel's mom."

Hindi ako makapagsalita. Parang istorya sa pelikula ang naririnig ko. Alam kaya ito ni Juniel? Siguro naman. I can't imagine how he feels.

"Lucky for mom and dad because they both came from a family with money but that's not the case with Tita Cynthia."

"Nasaan na siya ngayon?"

Jessica shrugged.

"Mom said balak niya sanang alalayan si Tita Cynthia and just take care of Juniel for the meantime pero bigla na lang daw itong nawala. Hindi na pumasok at hindi na nagpakita. Of course, Mom and Dad tried to find them pero hindi rin alam ng parents ni Tita Cynthia kung saan siya nagpunta. Even Tita Cynthia's ex, Juniel's father bigla na lang nawala. Sabi nagtanan daw, whatsoever." she shrugged.

"So they decided that Juniel will be a Jimenez. Our parents never tried to search for them again. It's now up to Juniel if he wants to meet them someday."

"Of course he wants to, right?" 

I know I don't have an opinion to this but I want that for him. I know he feels empty, I know he feel something is missing. I know dahil yan din ang naramdaman ko nang mawala ang mama ko at nang iwan kami ng papa ko. At least I get the peace of knowing why I will neve see my mother again. In my dad's case, he just left me. May bago na siyang pamilya ngayon. Matagal ko ng tinanggap na iniwan niya ako. He doesn't want me in his life and he's never present while I'm growing up kaya itinatak ko sa sarili kong hindi ko din siya kailangan.