(A/N: Please do not proceed if you haven't read BOOK 1 yet.)
During their first week of stay there in Q Province, Yumi received a letter from Doctor Erasmus.
He told her that during his last conversation with Lolo Pikit, the old man told him that Yumi had already passed all her lessons from him.
This news, somehow, made Yumi sad rather than happy. After all, she still partly blamed herself for Lolo Pikit's death.
She slept all morning that day.
She was complacent and thought that her lolo was already fine.
She didn't even confirm that.
It was too late for her when she came to his tent then.
If she only arrived earlier, she could have done a follow up accupuncture to him.
But she just slept all through morning.
Anyway, Doctor Erasmus also said in the letter na ang susunod niyang guro ay ang Mama niya mismo.
He seemed to already talk to her when she came and visited him. And she agreed willingly. After all, why would she reject teaching her own daughter, right?
Kaya naman, sa mga sunod na araw at buwan, Yumi got busied by learning from Amelia.
The woman, as Yumi would describe, was a very good teacher.
She quickly let Yumi take cases right away. While doing so, she guided her with what she was supposed to do next.
Aside from that, Amelia taught her about indepth medicine. She let her learn about the easiest ways to cure these and those diseases and illnesses. Same goes with trauma cases and the likes.
And just this week, they began learning about Pill making.
Koshi, who was also taking the same course, would join them pagkakauwi niya galing sa school.
He and Victoria both enrolled in local colegio there in Q Province.
They had no choice kundi ang mag-enroll doon. Lalo na at mukhang wala ding balak pa na bumalik si Yumi sa L City. Kesa naman tumigil sila, di ba?
Going back, Yumi and Koshi were learning pill making at the moment when suddenly raised a topic about L City.
"You know, some of these ingredients in pill making are abundant in L City. That's actually one of the reasons why I went there."
Agad namang napatingin si Koshi kay Yumi only to look down again on his own cauldron.
It was evident that their entire stay in Q Province was dependent on Yumi. If she decided to go back in L City, then they would all go back. But if not, then they would be stuck here.
Not that it was a bad thing at all.
But for Koshi, it would cause him slight disappointment as he made a plan for himself when they go back to the city.
"Mama, do you want to go back to L City?" Yumi suddenly asked.
Amelia was a bit surprised when Yumi asked that casually while she was still busy with refining of the ingredients in front of her.
"I will if you only want to." She answered after a while.
"Should we go back then?"
"Are you better now? Are your heart and mind ready?"
Yumi stopped what she was doing and sighed.
"I will never be better, Mama. I will be forever grieving. But I understand that we all need to move forward since we are still alive. Lolo would want that for us... for me."
Hindi na napigilan ni Koshi ang sarili at saka siya tumayo at nilapitan ang kapatid. Then he gave her a hug.
"My poor little sister..." He said with a tap on her head.
"Kuya..." Yumi made a face towards him which made him chuckled.
Amelia felt warm after seeing this.
It was true that she gave birth to Yumi and fostered Daichi, Asahi and Koshi. But she couldn't take credit for raising the four of them.
She owed it all to her parents. Lalo na kay Lolo Pikit.
Now that he was gone, marapat lang na ipagpatuloy niya ang pag-aalaga sa mga anak niya. But after living and being with them these past few months, it was like she didn't need to do anything at all anymore.
These four kids were already grown ups.
Fine young lads and lady, indeed...
What's more, her foster kids surely loved and treasured Yumi so much. What else could she even ask for?
Anyway, naputol ang iniisip ni Amelia when Yumi suddenly asked her a question.
"Mama, how about you? Are you ready to see Papa again?" Yumi even raised an eyebrow at her. Then both she and Koshi had a teasing smile on their faces.
Amelia cleared her throat.
"I am ready, of course. Why won't I? It is just seeing him, after all."
"Really?"
Amelia flicked Yumi's forehead. "Stop teasing. Continue working."
Yumi and Koshi just chuckled at nagpatuloy na sila sa ginagawa nila.
***
Isang umaga, inabutan ni Yumi na nagtatali ng sulat si Mateo sa paa ng isang kalapati. After that, he let the bird fly away.
When he saw Yumi standing at the window, he leaned on the tree behind him then crossed his arms on his chest.
"Good morning." He greeted her with that side grin of his.
Inirapan lang siya ni Yumi.
"Go back, Mateo. Wala kang mahihita dito."
"I'd rather not. Unless you will come with me."
Yumi squinted her eyes at him.
"I do not know you can be this loyal towards someone, eh? Or is it only to Don Enrico? Does he scare you? Is that why you are doing everything to make me come back there?" She said in hushed voice.
Anyway, she knew Mateo would hear it. He was a martial artist. His senses were trained to be better than normal people.
She just couldn't risk anyone there to hear this conversation of theirs. Lalo na nila Amelia at ng mga kapatid niya.
Besides, her words were harsh because she hated Mateo. And if anyone would hear her saying those, baka magulat lang sila ng husto at mahusgahan pa siya dahil doon.
However, no matter how harsh her words were, Mateo didn't seem to mind it at all.
"No one could make me do things I do not want to do... unless it is you."
"Yeah? Then I am telling you to go back now and give me some peace of mind."
"Except for that."
"Bastard..."
Mateo only chuckled.
Then he began walking towards the window where she was standing from inside.
He stopped exactly in front of her.
"I hate you." Yumi said to him quietly, with full of despise.
"It's okay. I have enough feelings of like for the two of us." Mateo even managed to lift his hand para hawiin ang iilang buhok ni Yumi na kumawala mula sa kanyang ipit.
Yumi was seething after that.
The nerve of this guy!
She was about to slap his hand away from her when someone coughed from behind her.
Since Mateo was facing her, he naturally saw who that person was.
"Magandang umaga, Daichi."
"Magandang umaga din. Mayumi, halika at tulungan mo akong maghanda ng almusal."
"Let me join you then." Mateo offered.
"Kuya, how about kayo na lang dalawa ang maghanda? I will not be of much help anyway."
Daichi wanted to talk to his sister about Mateo. Pagsasabihan niya sana ito. Truth be told, there were instances na natatagpuan nilang mataman na nag-uusap ang dalawa ng sila lang. And that confused them since most of the time, iniignora lang ng dalaga si Mateo.
Those moments though should be prevented. They should observe a sense of propriety between them. Lalo na at mga dalaga at binata sila.
But since Mateo offered, tumango na lang siya at hinayaang makaligtas mula sa sermon niya si Yumi.
Anyway, there would be more time for that.
***