NAGISING na lang ulit siya sa parehong pwesto ng pagiyak niya bago nakatulog. Umaga na at masakit ang mga mata niya. She must have cried river last night. Her eyes are swollen from tears.

Marahan siyang kumilos mula sa higaan patungo sa pintuan. She went out barefeet slowly taking steps to check on her parents. Natanaw niya sa ibaba ang mga magulang facing each other in opposite seats sa living room. May brown envelope sa center table and no one touches it. Tahimik lang ang dalawa hanggang sa magsalita ang daddy niya.

"Is this real?" Her dad's voice cracked. Nakaiwas ng tingin ang mommy niya while keeping her ego attached. "Do you think this will solve this.. this situation?" Dugtong pa ng daddy niya and Gayle bit her lips upstairs. Namamasa na naman ang mga mata niya sa nakikita. They're already talking about them separating, for real.

"Alam ba ito ni Gayle?" Nakatitig siya sa mga magulang talking about her. Tumango lang naman ang mommy niya.

"I already told her about this last night when you're busy somewhere on the street. Nangako ako sa kaniyang magsisimba tayong magkakasama so please act properly today. This might be the last time we'll be with her. I'll migrate to Switzerland after you signed it. I'm giving you freedom to do whatever you want so don't prolong your decision." That added pain to Gayle. Hindi siya makapaniwalang permanenteng maninirahan sa ibang bansa ang mommy niya after divorce.

"What? You'll move to Switzerland? How about Gayle? Are you leaving us here for good? Sabihin mo nga? Ako ba talaga ang may kabit dito o ikaw?" Unti-unti na namang tumataas ang boses nila sa paguusap, early in the morning.

"I'd still contact her. She'll be fine. Malaki na siya para maunawaan ang sitwasyon natin. At wag mong ibalik sa'kin ang kasalanan mo. I barely leave this house kaya sa tingin mo may time ako para manlalaki? Ha!" Gayle walks back to her room at tinapos na ang pakikinig sa adoptive parents niya. She heard enough.

Mabigat ang pakiramdam na kumilos na siya para maligo at magayos sa pagalis. She wore the dress na binili ng mommy niya para sa kaniya. Hinayaan niya lang ulit na nakabagsak ang mahabang kulot na buhok at isinabit ang shades sa neckline ng damit niya.

"She's here. Don't ruin this day for her." Her mom silently warns her dad. She pretended she didn't heard anything. "G-Good morning po." Gayle greeted, forcely smiling. Neither one of her parents smiles back though. "Good morning din, anak. Tayo na. Malelate na tayo sa mass." Magkakasunod na silang lumabas ng bahay after the awkward morning greetings. All pretending to be happy for the mass.

She's sitting on the backseat of their car. No one is speaking and Gayle just had herself busy on watching the moving sight outside. She's counting heads too kapag traffic.

"May gusto ka bang puntahan after the mass? We can take you anywhere you want. Do you have a place in mind?" Napatingin si Gayle sa ina at tinanggal saglit ang isang earphone sa tenga niya.

"Wala po. Okay lang po ako. You don't have to make this day extra special for me. I might just think this day over and over that it'll be harder to forget. Alam ko pong maghihiwalay na kayo at.. nirerespeto ko po ang desisyon niyo mom, dad. I- I'll be fine." She tried to sound considerate and understanding. She covered her crashing heart.

"Anak, if you don't want us to separate, you can tell us. I can't remember you opened up about how you feel. We've all been distant." Her dad asks her. What's the point of opening up if they had decided? It'll only increase the pain of not being able to do something to fix their home.

"Pwede po bang humiling ng isa?" She suddenly uttered sad. "Yes, anak. Go on."

"Can you.. attend my graduation together? Kahit.. yun na lang po. That will be my final wish before we.. all get separated." Pinanuod niya ang reaction ng mommy at daddy niya. They glance at each other at napipilitang tumango. Pretentions.

"I-if you say so. We'll be there." Nakangiting sagot ng daddy niya but her mom just shrugged. "I'll try to keep up with your dad until then. But we're always proud of you even if we're not at the ceremony, you know that right?" Her mom smiles to her. She's a bit disappointed to what they mean. Maybe it was too much to ask that when she knew they will break up. Maybe this should be the day to accept that fact.

"I think it's already starting." They all unbuckled their seatbelts at lumabas na ng kotse outside the church. People are busily coming and going to and from the church. There are vendors selling everything from street foods to toys and balloons.

Her parents are walking side by side ahead of her. Nakikisabay sila sa mga taong papasok din sa loob ng simbahan. Dinig sa paligid maging sa labas ang pagkanta ng mga choir sa misa.

"Wait, I forgot my purse on the car. Gayle, can you get it for me?" Utos sa kaniya ng mommy niya and her dad gave her the key. "Sumunod ka din agad ha." Bilin ng daddy niya at nauna na sa kaniyang tumuloy sa loob ang magasawa.

Pinanuod niya ang mga magulang na tila walang iringang nagaganap sa mga ito. They still look passionate not even realizing it. Ang kamay ng daddy niya ay sekretong nakaalalay sa likod ng mommy niya protecting her from the wave of the crowd. That shouldn't be how a couple who will get divorced looks like.

Tumunog ang kotse nang pindutin niya ang key. Binuksan niya ang bahagi kung saan nakaupo ang mommy niya kanina. She searched for the purse and it fell under the seat. She bent her back to take it when she heard someone opened the backseat kaya napaangat siya ng tingin to check it. Akala niya ay sumunod ang mommy o daddy niya.

"Shh! Hindi ako masamang tao. Makikitago lang ako sandali." Isinara nito ang pinto ng kotse sa likuran at yumuko roon. Gayle just stood straight and search around outside.

Hinanap niya ang posibleng pinagtataguan ng lalaki at napansin niya ang isang manong na nagsisindi ng sigarilyo at tila may hinahanap. Palinga-linga ito at may biglang hinablot sa damit na binata.

"Nasa'n na ang pinsan mo? Alam kong kasama mo siya, Garry." Maangas ang pagtanong nito sa binata na kumamot sa ulo. "Hindi ko po siya kasama, tsong. Ang aga-aga amoy may amats ka na naman po." The guy talks back kaya dinuro naman ito ng manong.

"Wala kang pakialam! Pag nakita ko yang pinsan mo mabibigwasan ko na naman yan!" Umalis na yung manong matapos pagbantaan at itulak ang lalaki. Ito naman ang tila naghahanap sa paligid.

"Si tsong talaga panira ng araw." Gayle heard the guy speaks from the backseat. Maingat itong lumabas na ng kotse at tinanaw ang puwesto ng dalawang lalaki kanina na nakita niya. Wala na doon pareho ang dalawa. The guy now looks at her pagkalabas.

"Thank you, lady. Emergency lang kaya kinailangan kong magtago. Wag kang magalala, wala akong dinukot dyan ha. Kahit kapaan mo pa ako." Bahagyang lumukot ang noo niya nang ilapit pa nito ang bulsa ng suot nitong short na gustong ipakapa sa kaniya. His hands have candles he's probably selling. Nang nahalata nitong wala siyang balak kapaan ang lalaki ay lumayo na lang ulit ito sa kaniya.

"Teka, nagkita na ba tayo?" The guy didn't leave yet. She's checking their belongings inside the car kung wala nga ba itong kinuha and when it's seems fine, sinara niya na ulit ang kotse at nilock. Hawak niya na ang purse ng mommy niya.

"Tama! I remember you. Kahapon! Ikaw yung babae sa duyan kahapon diba?" Gayle didn't change her expression. Naglakad na lang siya para pumasok ng simbahan. "Hey, lady! Salamat nga pala dun sa sandwich tsaka sa juice kahapon." The guy still following her. This is annoying kaya binilisan niya ang hakbang.

"Sandali lang! Stop!" A hand halt her steps. The guy blocked her way. "Oh, kandila. Bayad ko sa mga mangga kahapon." Bumaba ang mga mata niya sa inaabot nitong brown na kandila. An ordinary candle that people were lighting to pray.

"Sindihan mo ito dun saka ka magdasal. Dahil hindi mo ako sinumbong kahapon at binigyan mo pa ako ng meryenda, sigurado akong matutupad ang dasal mo. Hindi binibigo ni Lord ang kahilingan ng mga mabuti ang kalooban." Kinuha nito ang kamay niya saka inilagay ang kandila dahil hindi niya ito tinatanggap.

"Bayad na ako sa mangga ha." The guy even winks at her before leaving. Halagang piso lang ang kandila na binigay nito sa kaniya and he's insisting this as a payment on trespassing their yard as if it equals the cost of the mangoes he stole. She didn't made a fuss about the trespassing stranger not because she's kind. Wala lang talaga siyang pakialam dito.

She just ignored about the stranger. Hinanap niya ang mommy at daddy niya sa loob. May nakuhang puwesto ang mga ito para upuan but there's no space for her so she just stood beside the door with the crowd and listens to the mass.

Natapos ang misa at pauwi na sila nang mapatingin siya sa mga taong nagsisindi ng kandila at itinatayo sa karamihan noon. Hindi namalayan ng mommy at daddy niya ang paglapit niya doon at ang pagsindi niya sa kandila na ibinigay sa kaniya ng lalaki. Let's see if that guy is speaking the truth.

She lit the candle and wished. She wished to keep her parents together. She prayed that this family she was blessed to have could last forever until they get old. Will she even get heard though? She hopes that she atleast had the pure heart the guy said for her prayers to be fulfilled. Without expectation, she left her candle there glowing in the day, slowly melting.

Shelovesrain❤