Red Strings

09

Mas nauna pa pala si Samuele pero mas pinili pa rin ng tatay niya na sumama doon. We can't really blame those people that chooses the second instead of the first one that came. I don't understand it, If that man loved Tita Michelle, they have Ade, bakit nagawa niyang ipagpalit, bakit mas pinili niya ang kabit niya? 

In the middle of my thoughts, my phone vibrated inside my pockets. Si Mama ang nagtext, ilang text na rin ang nandoon. Umuwi ba siya ngayon?

From Mama:

Bella, where are you? 

Tinamad ako magreply, I asked Ade a selfie of us as a proof, sa baba ko lang inilagay ang cellphone, nakita ang mga bumbilya na umiilaw sa puno and I clicked the shutter quickly at sinend. The picture was lowkey memorable to keep.

To Mama:

Intramuros:))

I sent that after the picture.

I want to keep pictures as memories so I handed my phone to Ade and asked him to take a picture of me. I leaned my head on the street lamp at kita parin ang mga puno na umilaw. I put my hands in the pockets of the jacket and wore a small smile.

It was an awesome picture, he took it nice, photographer din ata 'to e.

"Thanks!" I smiled widely at him. Lumakad na kami papuntang parking, he started driving and I felt sleepy kaya natulog muna sa byahe.

Mom was probably worried. I left without a notice. Alam niyang first day ko at imposibleng late ako umuwi. Nagpaalam na ako kay Samuele pero hindi nagtanong kung ihahatid ako bukas sa school, bahala na.

"Ma, umuwi ka po pala dito?"

"Saglit lang, Anak. Chineck lang kita." Ani Mama.

"Okay lang, Ma. I'm doing good."

"Ade brought you to Intramuros?" Usisa niya.

I nodded. "Bakit daw?" Tanong niya ulit.

I chuckled before answering. "Wala ma, namasyal lang." I said that I didn't want to say any more details.

"Sus," She gave me a questionable look. "Dinate din ako diyan ng Papa mo." She smirked at me. Alam ko kung ano ang ibig sabihin niya, aasarin niya na rin ako kay Ade, huh?

And her little devil laugh faded, nagseryoso na ang tingin ni mama. "I'm sorry if I can't be with you on your first week of school, Anak, aalis din ako bukas..." 

"Bakit po? May problema po ba?"

"Wala, wala.. May kailangan lang ako asikasuhin sa Batangas. I just found out something about your tita, my sister..." Tila nagliawanag ang mga mata niya. Kitang kita ko sa kanya na matagal na siyang nanunumbalik sa pagmamahal ng pamilya niya.

Her sister is the only family she's left. I was surprised when she said that. May possibility na magkita ulit sila ng kapatid niya!

"I'm sorry, Anak.. Kaya mo naman dito diba? I'll ask for Ade or Alex to-"

"Ma! Chill, okay? Ayos lang. Kaya ko, what's important is your own business there. If you want to go home there to find Tita, hindi po kita pipigilan..." I hugged her. "So you better do everything to find her po, okay?" I assured of that.

She nodded while caressing my hair. "Yes, Bella, everything just to find her, Anak." She kissed my forehead.

"How about your family, Mama?" Tanong ko, hindi ba mas masaya kapag mahanap niya rin ang buo niyang pamilya?

"What family? Kayo na ang pamilya ko, Bella. Except for your tita, I don't want to find them anymore. Lalo ikaw, ginagawa ko ang lahat ng makakaya ko para sa'yo para hindi mo maranasan ang watak na pamilya na naransan ko noon. Nang ipinanganak ako, we were separated. You know that my biological parents are dead already, right?" I nodded at what she said. Mom was a foster child when her biological parents died. At first she never told me that she have a sister dahil wala rin siyang hinala doon. All I knew ever since na ayos sila ng pamilya na nagampon sa kanya and now I can't believe that Mama didn't told us about it.

"Alam ba 'to ni Papa, Ma? Bakit hindi mo sinabi sa amin agad?" Pagaalala ko. When we were in Batangas, Mama always dedicated her own life just for us especially me, she never been so selfish. She's always selfless for us. 

It must have been pressuring for her to raise her only child because she didn't want me to experience a broken family.

"It's fine, it's fine, Anak... Ang mahalaga nakikita kong kumpleto tayong tatlo. Kayo lang ng Papa mo, ayos na ako, Anak.."

Her foster parents abandoned her few years after Mom turned legal. Mom had nowhere to run to, so she worked hard to survived her life. Up until now that she has a family, nagsasakripisyo pa rin siya. Hindi ko naisip na ganito ang katotohanan at nasasaktan ako habang iniisip na ganoon na lang ang pagsesettle ni Mama. I know she's happy whenever she see us complete, pero sana sinasabi niya rin sa amin ang mga ganito bagay, ang mga nararamdaman niya, because she deserves to be heard after all. If this meant my Mom's happiness aside from us, I wouldn't even think twice to object dahil lagi lang akong suporta because now Mama deserves everything after all her hardships. That means also if I'm going to be alone here for awhile, I'm going to face every day alone. I'll be facing new things for me alone being independent every day for me because I was blessed with a priviliged life and now I need to learn to be in my own feet.

After the talk nag ayos na kami para sa pagtulog. Before I sleep, I texted Ade for what he did for me tonight.

To Ade:

Thank you. :)