ZHUBAO
After the dance, we went singing, I was with Shaina and Yelimi. Hindi ko lang maintindihan kung bakit puro ang check nila saakin eh ako itong naka upo lang.
"Māmā I'm just going to the restroom..." I said, kanina pa kasi ako naiihi, at may napapansing kakaiba sa paligid, kaya kailangan ko munang maka layo dito.
"Oh, sige." she nodded saka patuloy sa pakikipag usap sa mga bisita.
"I'll be back..." tinalikuran ko na sya at pumunta sa restroom, maya maya lang, hanggat hindi nila
"Wag na kayong magtago..." ,sabi ko. "I know you're out there, show yourself. I am not afraid of you"
"Raven eyes, they're right that you have it." ,yung lalaki. He came out of the dark so I saw his masked face, pinaningkitan ko ang mata ngunit hindi ko padin sya makilala.
"What do you want?" ,tanong ko.
"Your mom..." I saw him smirked but he doesn't own such, he is ugly using such a smirk. It doesn't suit him even though he's masked.
"Why?" I kept my voice cool even though I am afraid of what will they do next.
"You doesn't know about it huh?" tumawa pa sya. "You will know it-" hindi na nya natapos ang sasabihin ng may marinig syang tinig.
"Zhubao are you there?" si Allerioh.
"SOON..." sabi ng lalaki at tumakbo sa labas.
"Oh, Zhubao kako na nga ba't narito ka sabi ng mommy mo nasa restroom ka lang?" nang matapos nya ang sinabi saka palang ako humarap sakanya.
"Oh, yeah I just talked to someone" pilit ngiting sabi ko. Saka maglalakad na sana palayo pero hinawakan nya ang braso ko.
"Where, I didn't see anyone?" nakangiwing sabi nya.
"Bago mo 'ko mahanap ay umalis na..." Hinawakan ko ang kamay nya na kinabigla nya pa. "Tara..."
Natapos ang gabing yon na masaya sila ngunit ako ay hindi, maraming nasa isip ko. Puzzles that seems to be so hard, what about māmā?
I need to find who's behind all of this.
KINABUKASAN.
Hindi na ako pinapasok sa eskwela dahil hindi pa magaling sugat ko, kagigising ko lang kaya naman tumayo na ako at nagpunta sa banyo, naligo at nag-sipilyo.
Paglabas ko ng banyo ay nag-ring ang cellphone ko kaya naman kinuha ko agad 'yon. "Hello?"
"Hoy ako 'to si JC 'tong baklang to..." sa kabilang linya, bakla nga, boses palang.
"Napatawag ka?" I asked.
"Magsimula ka na daw sa lunes sabi ni manager..." She said, "Kahapon sana ka'so nabalitaan namin ang nangyari sayo, ayos lang daw kaya yun sa lunes na lang..."
"O sya sige..." at ibinaba ko ang linya.
"Jièjiè..." si Yelimi na kumakatok.
"Pasok!" Sabi ko kaya pumasok sya at dumapa sa kama ko.
"Hey, jièjiè?"
"Yes?" sagot ko an hindi sya nililingon, patuloy sa pagpapatuyo ng buhok ko.
"Did you noticed it?"
"Noticed what?" saka ko lang sya hinarap at ginaya ang pwesto nya, pareho na kaming nakadapa sa kama ko at magkatabi, pero syempre ako ay tumagilid dahil naalala ko na may sugat pala ako.
"Yesterday...." binitin nya pa ang sasabihin. "Hoy jièjiè humiga ka nga baka magalaw yang sugat mo..."
Tch, oo nga pala. Bawal padin nakatagilid, humiga ako at lumingon sakanya nagtatanong gamit ang mga mata. "Oh?, what about yesterday huh?" irita kong tanong.
"During your party" nanlaki ang mata ko."There are many eyes watching us..." dagdag nya pa.
Napabalikwas akong napaupo sa kama, ginaya nya ako at naupo sya sa kama. "Did you noticed it?" tanong nya uli, at tango nalang ang aking naisagot.
"I'm scared jièjiè, why are they watching us?"
"Shhh, don't speak too loud..." bulong ko at lumingon sa pinto.
"Tss, mom is not home..."
"What?" sigaw ko.
"Why?" nakangiwi pa sya.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" tumayo ako at nagbihis ng black pants and boots, black t-shirt and black jacket nag-abot din ako kay Yelimi na litong litong nakatingin sakin.
"Where are you going jièjie?" She asked and innocently looked at me, uh this girl gets things slow.
"Just change your clothes..." I rolled my eyes, "Aren't you going to school?"
"No, I had an excuse letter..." she said at pagka- tapos magbihis ay inaya ko sya papunta sa motor ko na matagal nang naka tunganga sa garahe.
"Jièjiè, māmā told us not to use this..." she said saka tumingin 'don, "The last time we used this its because of the illegal racing-"
"We need to use this" ,I cutted her off.
"Why?" She asked.
"I'll explain it later" hinagis ko sakanya ang isang susi upang magamit nya ang pulang motor at aking ang asul na may itim, she knows how to drive, she's still 13 but who cares.
"Alam mo ba kung 'san pumunta si māmā?" tanong ko.
"She said she's going in the mall..."
"Let's go..." pinaharurot ko na ang motor. Pagdating namin sa mall ay lakad takbo ang ginagawa namin.
"Wear this..." ihinagis ko kay Yelimi ang hat, tinignan nya ito na tila hindi alam ang gagawin.
"Where are we going?", tanong nanaman nya.
"Just follow me," I said with a tone of annoyance, kanina pa sya tanong ng tanong, hindi nalang sumunod para malaman nya kung saan kami paroroon, she's just so dumb sometimes. Napa tigil ako na'ng makita ang pamilyar na babaeng naka upo, umatras at nag tago sa likod ng isang standee. "That's mama..."
"Let's go near her," I admit, na minsan lutang din ako pero hindi kasing lutang ngayon ni Yelimi, she makes decisions like a kid, na pag nakita ang mama nya, tatakbo para yakapin sya.
I mentally rolled my eyes, "Lutang ka ba ngayon o sayang ganyan ka na, nakikita mo naman sana na may kausap sya and why would you let her know that we followed her, using our bikes na hindi nya tayo hinahayaang gamitin."
"Is the guy an issue?" She asked and gave me an apologetic smile after seeing me glared at her.
"Just shut up let's go, we are sitting a little bit far from them and don't you dare take off your cap." I pointed her, threatening.
"Why?" She asked again, wala na ba syang masabi kundi why?!
"Just shut up, wag kang papahalata ah?" I asked her and naglakad sa direkyon ng kinauupuan nila.
"Noted..." sumaludo pa sya, umorder kami ng coffee at ipinaliwanag ko kay Yelimi ang ginagawa namin at ikinwento ko rin ang nangyari kagabi.
"The guy didn't tell you?" She asked while slightly sipping on her coffee.
"He told me that we will find out soon, and what's puzzling me was, mama did not even dare to tell us what she knew, matanda na tayo at kailangan na natin malaman ang mga bagay bagay, nakaka intindi na tayo oh," I said and sighed, "Alam mo yung feeling na may alam si mama pero hindi nya sinasabi saatin?"
"Ang pamilyar nung kasama ni mama, likod pa lang ay makikilala mo na ito." Yelimi said.
I squinted my eyes to see them clearly, trying to recognize the guy but seems like I couldn't say his name at all, but how'd they knew each other and didn't even tell us that they we're friends or more than that, but why am I thinking it was more than friends, mom is married to another guy, and they are living happily, bakit naman magagawa iyon ni mama, hindi ba?
"No, don't tell mama that we followed her, understand?" I asked quoting the word.
"Yes..." she nodded.
"Don't talk about what we've seen and what are we going to see..." I said again.
"Noted..." I looked at mama, but the both of them held each others hand, hindi na nagawa ni Yelimi na makita iyon nang hilahin ko sya palayo, "Bakit nagmamadali ka?"
"We're going, let's go..." I pulled her with me hanggang sa nakita namin si mama at yung lalaki na sumakay sa kotse.
Pagka rating sa bahay, tinakpan agad namin ang mga motor saka tumakbo sa loob ng bahay, agad kaming nag bihis nagbihis isinindi ko ang TV sa kwarto ko, while Yelimi got some bowl of cereal and milk, kinuha ko agad ang mini table sa ilalim ng kama ko at iponatong nya ang lahat doon. "Hey, act like nothing had happened huh?"
"Yes jie..." she nodded; I know she doesn't want to lie but we need it right now, we both heard the knob twisting kaya agad kaming nanahimik, alam ko naman na magagalit si mama dahil tinanghali nanaman kami ng gising, pero anong magagawa ko kung nilamon ako ng kyuryosidad sa totoong pagkatao nya?
"I just bought chinese foods, let's eat lunch later on, late na din naman kayo sa school tanghali nanaman nagising." mom said from outside, kaya naman napa punta kami agad ni Yel sa labas ng kwarto, pagkatapos kong patayin ang TV, hinagis ko agad ang remote sa kama at tumakbo pababa hawak ang mangkok ng halos ubos na'ng cereal.
"We're coming māmā!" we chorused while stomping down the stairs.
We both sat on our seats kasabay ng pag tunog ng cellphone ko, it was a message, I immediately opened the message at binasa iyon.
From Dad
I'll be home later, nak.
You.
Really dad?!
From Dad
Yes, see you.
I closed my phone and put it down, napangiti ako at tumingin muna ako kay Yelimi bago bumaling kay māmā, masayang masaya ako pero tumingin lang si mama saakin bago ipag patuloy ang pag hahanda ng pagkain.
"Dad is coming home..." I uttered.
"Yes, may pasalubong ulit!" Yelimi said and looked at mama, napatigil agad sya at dahan dahang ibinaba ang mga braso nya, matagal, matagal bago muling nagsalita si mama.
"That's good," that was not the response we we're expecting, it was just too... dry. Mama loves my dad very much pero bakit ngayon ay tila wala siyang pake-alam. "Kumain na kayo."
Binilisan namin kumain at pumunta na ako sa kwarto ko pagkatapos lamunin ang tig isa naming bowl ng chinese noodles, isinara ko agad ang pinto at nilock, umupo ako sa tabi ni Yelimi. "Māmā is acting so strange," panimula nya.
"Yea she is, hindi ko mabasa ang mga mata ni mama. She seemed blank by the eyes; I can't identify what she feels at all..." I sighed.
"Yeah," kumamot pa sa hindi makati, "What happened to māmā?"
Maya maya lang ay dinig namin ang pag bukas ng pinto, kaya agad kaming napa takbo sa labas, "Dad!!!"
"Yel, I missed you anak!" si Dad.
"How about me dad?" biro ko, saka tuluyang bumaba sa hagdan at lumapit sa kinatatayusan nya.
"Of course, I missed you too big girl!" at niyakap nya ako, lumingon ako kay Yelimi na hindi na makapag hintay kaka tingin sa mga paper bags na dala ni dad.
"Dad is this for me?" sabay wagayway ni Yelimi sa mga LIGHTSTICK, nanlaki ang mata ko.
"Hoy, tig-isa tayo!" sigaw ko dahil lightstick 'yon ng TNT at TF BOYS.
"Go and get it!" sabi nya sabay takbo, hinabol ko sya hanggang maabutan. "Oo na ito na oh"
"Tch ibibigay din pala" lumapit ako kay dad humalik ako sakanyang pisngi. "Thank you dad..."
"You're welcome..." ngumiti sya.
"Thank you, dad." si Yelimi sabay pinatay nya ang ilaw upang tignan ang lightstick sa dilim. "This is beautiful..."
"Where's your mom Zhubao?" si dad na umupo sa sofa.
"I don't know dad," tumingin sakin si Yelimi at tumango.
"We will call māmā, right jie?" si Yelimi at binigyan ako ng makahulugang tingin.
"Wait for us here, dad..." I said and walked away.
"Sure..." at pinikit ni dad ang mata nang umupo sa couch, hinila ko si Yelimi at noong nasa tapat na kami ng pinto ay may narinig kaming kakaibang tinig mula sa likod ng pintuan ng kwarto nila mama.
"Shhh..." tinapat ko ang hintuturo sa bibig at utinapat namin ang tenga sa pinto ng kwarto nila māmā.
"Ano ba, nag abala ka pa, you shouldn't have, besides, I could've bought it for myself," my eyes widened for what I was hearing, and Yelimi had the same reaction, we did nit talk, for a moment and intently trying to wait for some more informations.
"Anak, parang ang tagal nyo nama'ng tawagin ang mama?" we almost jumped from where we are standing dahil narinig ko ang boses ni dad. Kasabay nito ang pag bukas ng pinto sa gilid namin, I thought we we're caught when mama saaw us, but he gave our dad a smile and gave him a kiss on the cheek as they both started walking downstairs, leaving me and my sister dumfounded.
UNBELIEVABLE!
Hindi ko alam ang sasabihin, napaka obvious ng narinig namin na masayang masaya si mama sa kausap nya, hindi ko alam kung sinasadya nya aba ang lahat o hindi nya lang naaalala na may asawa at mga anak sya.
She's just so secretive, thats not the mama we used to be with. We went to the living room as I saw mama hug dad tight, how could mama act like she did nothing earlier?
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MaharlikangLikha