Medyo mabigat. Medyo seryoso.
Medyo masakit.
Medyo lang. Rawr.
Enjoy.
Ellena Odde ♥
🌈🌈🌈
Caleb had to remind himself, it's Maria's birthday. But still, he feels that he is being played. She is playing his feelings, controlling and having fun at his expense.
'May problema ba?' tanong ni Maria.
Of course there is. But then, hindi siya magpapatalo. Kinuyom niya ang kamao, humugot ng malalim na hininga at ngumiti, katulad ng prinsipeng tinutupad amg kahilingan ng kanyang prinsesa. "Of course there isn't. It's your birthday after all."
Nagliwanag ang mukha nito at niyakap siya. "Thank you Mon-Mon."
Sa pagdating ni Mia, animo lahat nagkaroon ng sigla. Pilit. Para lang mapunan ang tensyon.
"Mabuti at nakababa ka Tita," salubong ni Maria, sabay yakap.
"Of course, ikaw ba naman nag-imbita sa'kin."
"Wow," anito matapos ng matiim na titig, pagkatapos ay tingin kay Caleb, "Tita, pareho pala kayo ng ngiti ni Mon-Mon."
Naipon ang pwersa ni Caleb sa kamao at hinarap ang dalawa. "Of course, she's my mother." Sa gilid ng mata niya, nakikita si Matthew na pasimpleng kumukuha ng litrato o video, habang si Mrs. sabel ay naiiyak.
Ngumiti si Mia. "Of course..."
Ang panandaliang katahimikan ay naputol sa boses ni Tamara, nakatingin sa kalangitan. "May bagyong paparating."
Sinundan niya ang paningin nito, nagtaka dahil wala siyang makita ni katiting na maitim na ulap.
Sa paghikayat ni Maria, nagsimula na ang selebrasyon. Nang nasindihan ang kandila ng cake, kumanta sila ng tradisyunal na Happy Birthday, may kasamang palakpak. Si Maria ay animo kinikilig, at pasimpleng sinundot ang gilid ng cake para tumikim. Kinailangan pa niyang tampalin iyon para pigilan ito.
"Make a wish!" halos sabay na sabi ng lahat.
Pinikit ni Maria ng madiin ang mata. When Caleb thought she'd make a wish in her mind, she started talking.
"I wish for more buckets of fried chicken and icecream and hamburgers and cake and ham and fried rice. Please. Please. Super please. Oh, and jam too."
Hey, he thought, you're asking for useless things.
"I want to eat them with everyone. With Mon-Mon too. And more kisses from him. And hugs. And hugs again."
"Hey–" he whispered, trying to stop her before she says more embarrassing things.
"I want him to smile, for real."
Maria opened her eyes and blew the cake. Nagpalakpakan ang nasa paligid habang siya ay nakatingin lang dito. Nang nagtagumpay ito sa pagsundot sa gilid ng cake para tikman, hindi na niya nagawang sumita. Sa sandaling iyon, ang tangi niyang ininda ay ang kung anong kirot sa dibdib niya.
In a short moment, he hated looking at her smile, it made his chest hurt. Nasulyapan niya si Mia, nakatingin din sa kanya. His chest hurt more.
"Mon-Mon, ang sarap nga!" Animo nagulat pa siya nang sa isang kisap mata, halos magkadikit na ang mukha nila, may tsokolate pa sa ngipin. "Ang cake, masarap!"
Tumikhim siya, "I'm glad you like it." Natural lang, he paid a fortune for it.
Nagsimula silang kumain. Kahit na pito lang, napunan ang katahimikan sa pagbi-videoke ni Matthew at Mrs. Sabel. Tinawag din nila Lord at Shalla.
"Ayoko ng malaking party," ang sagot ni Maria sa tanong ni Mrs. Sabel. Kasalukuyang kumakanta si Tamara ng My Way sa madilim na bersyon nito.
"Pero, 'di ba, debut mo na sana?"
"Opo."
"Mabuti at pinayagan ka ng Daddy mo," singit ni Caleb.
Ngumisi ito. "Ehe."
"Even if he's busy, he should be here."
Pero puno na ang bibig nito para sumagot. He gave up and gave her a drink.
Sa sandali ding iyon, tinawag din siya ni Mia. "Caleb... gusto mo ng cake?"
"No," ang diretso niyang sagot.
"'Di daw po siya mahilig sa matamis," sagot ni Maria.
Caleb wondered how fast she could eat. On their background, Tamara was almost finished with her song and Matthew is waiting for his. Habang ang tiyo at tiyahin niya ay nagsususbuan pa. Nandiri si Caleb sa kilos ng dalawa.
"Oh," narinig niyang sagot ni Mia. "Dati, baliktad. He liked sweet so much."
"Really Tita? nagningning ang mga mata ni Maria. "Please tell me more!"
Mia glanced at him, cautious, as if asking permission from him.
He didn't care and looked on his food to criticize it instead.
"Maybe... next time."
The celebration continued, Maria sang countless songs while Caleb declined. Nakatanggap din si Maria ng regalo mula sa mga kasama.
"Mon-Mon, na'san 'yong gift ko?" tanong nito.
"Later," ang maikli niyang sagot.
"Okay," ang tanging sabi nito, hindi man lang nangulit.
At least, the cheap party didn't bore him, Caleb thought.
Hours later, it was time to pack up. Nang nagsimula silang magligpit, kinalabit siya nito. "Mon-Mon..."
"What?"
"Unahin mo namang ihatid si Tita sa kwarto please, magliligpit lang kami."
'Di pa niya naibuka ang bibig para tumanggi, tinawag na nito si Mia, "Tita, okay na po, si Mon-Mon na maghahatid sa inyo pabalik ng bahay," at muling bumaling sa kanya. "Thank you," at agad tumalikod.
It didn't even last for five seconds. Nang nilibot niya ang tingin, lahat may ginagawa mula sa pag-aayos ng sobrang pagkain, naglilinis ng mesa, pagbubuhat pabalik ng bahay ng videoke. Even Maria was pretending to do something, pinagpatong-patong nito ang mga plato at pasimpleng tumingin sa direksyon niya.
"Wow, ang busy namin Mon-Mon," anito, at kunwaring nagpupunas ng invisible na pawis sa noo.
"You're not even doing anything," bulong niya at hinarap ang ina. Mia looked uncomfortable, but she was waiting for him. He stood there for a few seconds, not sure what to do.
Nang hindi pa rin siya kumilos, ngumiti si Mia. "It's okay, I can do it," at hinawakan ang gulong ng wheelchair para bumalik sa bahay.
He cursed under his breath and took big steps. "Ako na," sabi niya, at itinulak ito.
Animo ramdam niya ang mga tinging bumubutas sa kanyang likod. Wala siyang narinig maliban sa yabag niya at gulong ng wheelchair sa damuhan. He was sure everybody was staring at them now, happy by the melodramatic view of a parent and a child reunited.
Caleb felt disgusted. There was nothing warm in the view.
"Thank you," sabi ng ina nang makalayo sila sa kubo.
Tiningnan niya ito. Ang mahabang buhok ay nakapusod. Sa natatandaan niya, hinahayaan lang iyong nakalugay noon, sumasayaw sa hangin kapag naglalaro sila ng habulan sa hardin. Dati, mas nakakasilaw pa sa tanghali ang ngit nito. Dati, parang hinihele siya ng boses nito mula sa iba't-ibang kwento tungkol sa mga diwata at higante.
Dati.
Noong buhay pa si Alex.
It was all in the past. He had a good share of childhood, and a bad ones too. It was fine. It doesn't matter to him how things turned out. Actually, it turned out for the better. Now, he'll be the next Montreal heir. Only him.
"Kumusta ka na?" anito.
"I'm fine."
"That's good."
Sa isip niya, nagmaktol siya kung bakit masyadong malawak ang lupain nila Matthew. It was as if it could take them forever to reach the house.
"I'm glad... you're okay," anito. "How's school?"
"It's okay."
"Si Maria?"
"What about her?"
"Bagay kayo. Pinapangiti ka niya."
Hindi siya sumagot. Nanging tahimik na rin sa Mia. Nang sa wakas narating nila ang bahay, sinunod ni Caleb ang direksyon kung saan ang espesyal na hagdan para sa wheelchair nito. It was a spiral smooth path leading up to the second floor.
Narating nila ang kwarto ng tahimik. Ngunit bago siya umalis ay tinawag siya nito. "Caleb... son..."
He stopped opening the door but did not look.
"I missed you..."
Napahigpit ang hawak niya sa seradura. Instead of walking out, he turned to his mother, now with a sad smile. "Mia," he called, "can I ask you something?"
"Y-Yes..." garalgal ng boses nito.
"That night... that night when you decided to leave Dad, why did you leave me too? Alex was Dad– Sir's favorite, but why did you take him instead?"
Napapikit ito. "Walang paborito ang Daddy mo."
"If you say so," ang kaswal niyang sagot.
"At... pinili ko si Alex dahil mas kailangan niya ako. You knew your brother was weak."
"Ah yes," at tumango tango siya. Naalala niya ang nakakatandang kapatid. Sa kabila ng katalinuhan at galing ni Alex, sakitin ito, laging hinahanap ang ina at kadalasan ay umiiyak. "...and you assumed that I didn't need you, is that correct?"
"No," anito at umiling. "Hindi iyon ang ibig kong sabihin. Son... that's not..."
"But you were right, I didn't need you. I'm better than Alex. I'm stronger than him in anything now. And the same as before, I still don't need you." Ngumiti si Caleb. Tama nga naman ang desisyon nito. Hindi na siya musmos para magtampo.
Nang gabing naghiwalay ang mga magulang niya, pinili ng ina na dalhin ang umiiyak na si Alex. At sa gabi ring iyon, naaksidente ang dalawa. Alex didn't survive and Mia lost her ability to walk.
"Because you left me, I'm still alive," ang kaswal niyang sabi. "So thanks," at lumabas ng pinto.
Walking away, he could hear crying from her mother's room. But Caleb kept on walking. It was all in the past.
Family. Pain. Loss.
Love.
Such useless things don't even bother him anymore.
🌈🌈🌈