Chapter Theme: Move along - All American Rejects

Black Parade

7:02 PM

Haji ni Bray:

Lahat ng mga naging aso ko, kinagat ako at nilayasan ako.

Reika:

Hahahahahaha!

Kaya pala paiba-iba mga aso mo noon hahahaha wala talaga natira?

Magno:

Tapos sinasabi ninyo walang nagmamahal sa akin ano?

Sawyer:

Wala naman talaga nagmamahal sayo hahahaha

Magno:

Ano ba si Reika? Patatas?

Sawyer:

Impakta

Haji ni Bray:

Impakta

Reika:

Subukan ninyong palitan ulit ang nickname ko at papatayin ko kayo

Haji ni Bray:

Sige na, tapos na ako

sino sunod? sino mas may malalang childhood?

Sawyer:

Mas malala sa akin

Sa sobrang kulit ko, inahit ng yaya ko ang dalawa kong kilay

nasisante siya pero wala pa rin akong kilay

Haji ni Bray:

Kingina naalala ko pa yon hahahahahahahaha

Magno:

Hahahahahahahaha Tita had to draw your eyebrows everyday

Reika:

Hoy bakit di ko alam to? 

Haji ni Bray:

Magaling mag-drawing ng kilay  si Tita hahahahah

Sawyer:

Pucha tapos na ako

Ikaw Magno?

Magno:

Baka nakakalimutan ninyo anong pangalan ko?

Haji ni Bray:

Suko na ako, si Magno pinaka kawawa

Sawyer:

Panalo na si Magno

Reika:

I feel a lot better now.

Stay strong Mags

thanks ugly dudes

Magno:

Pucha kayo

Asan si Slade? Wala ba siyang entry?

Reika:

Kumakain pa hahaha Matatagalan yon

Silver:

Ano meron?

Magno:

Ba't andito ka?

Sawyer:

Bawal engkanto 

Silver: 

Nasabi ko na bang mga hayop kayo?

Haji ni Bray removed Silver from the group

Haji ni Bray:

Tawa ako nang tawa dahil sa kanila. Ni hindi ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataon para maiyak o magmukmok dahil tinadtad talaga nila ako ng mga message. Nagpa-contest pa sila kung sino ang mas kawawa para wag akong malungkot.

Maswerte talaga ako sa kanila.

"R-reika? Dinner's Ready." Mom sounded hesitant as she knocked on the door.

I took a deep breath and sighed, preparing myself for another word war with Mom. 

I sat down the table and found take-out food laid right in front of me. As expected from her. 

Mom sat down right across me, looking  so unnerved and dejected. She couldn't even look at me. It felt more awkward as we ate. None of us were speaking and the only sound came from our utensils.

I only spoke up and broke the silence after finishing my meal.

"No matter what you say, I'm not leaving Filimon Heights." I began with my head held high as I looked at her sternly. "I'm graduating here with my friends--"

"Reika, I've seen your grades. You won't--"

"I can and I will. It's not too late to change my ways." I shrugged. "About my grades, I can cross-enroll, even take extra loads just to graduate on time. If my changed ways won't do, then I will make a way even if it means using Grandpa's connections. It is unfair for the other students so I will make it up by earning good grades on my own merits and efforts. I'm not leaving my friends. I'm not leaving Magno. I was born in Filimon Heights. I will die in Filimon Heights."

Umiling siya pero bago pa man siya makapagsalita, inunahan ko ulit siya.

"Let's compromise." I made sure to be firm with my words. "I know it hurts your pride to see me getting along with the enemy so I promise that I will never see nor talk to Dad as long as you don't want me to.  In return, you will let me stay in Filimon Heights. You can go back to whatever country you're from and live the life you've always wanted."

I waited for Mom's answer but she just looked at me with her mouth hanging open. 

"If you still don't like the terms, fine. You can disown me, officially." I paused just to take a deep breath. "For once in my life, I am sure one of thing, and that's to remain in Filimon Heights with the people who never abandoned me... Unlike you, I will never abandon the people I love." I smiled scornfully. "Sorry Mom but I will never let you ruin the only good thing in my life."

"G-ganyan ba talaga ang tingin mo sa akin?" Mom's voice cracked as tears dropped from her eyes.

All of a sudden, it felt as if all of my anger melted. Still, I kept my head held high, trying to look unfazed.

"By the way, don't tell Gramps about Dad. I can't lose the only real parent I have." Tumayo ako ngunit nang akmang tatalikod na, muling nagsalita si Mommy.

"Anong kasinungalingan ba ang tinanim ng lolo mo diyan sa isipan mo?!" She cried, her begging eyes staring at mine as if it was looking for an ounce of sympathy.

"Mom, it's okay." I sighed as my lips thinned in sheer resentment. "You don't have to make him a bad guy in this narrative just to save your--"

"Reika, I didn't abandon you!" Mom yelled as her face turned red from all the crying. It hurts to see her cry but it's difficult not to resent her.

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah... You just followed your heart and pursued what you wanted to do even if it meant leaving behind your child... your child who only wanted her parents' love and affection. Whatever helps you sleep at night." I said sarcastically.

"I never wanted to leave you but I had to! Kinailangan kong magtrabaho para sa kinabukasan mo! Ano ba sa--"

"Oh come on, Mom! Your parents are filthy rich! You never had a job even before I was born! You never cooked or cleaned! You were spoiled to the core just like me! Buong baranggay kayang-kayang buhayin ni Lolo!" Giit ko pa.

"Reika, hindi mo naiintindihan...." Mom cried as she raised her palm towards my direction as if she was begging for me to hear her out. "Anak, maniwala ka naman sa akin oh! If only it was that easy but your Grandpa--"

 "No." Umiling agad ako kasabay ng pangingilid ng luha ko. Nawalan ako bigla ng lakas para pagtaasan siya ng boses. "Y-you don't get to drag Grandpa into this." 

I stormed off to my room. I was too upset that Mom had to brought up Grandpa... not because I hated how she threw the blame on him, but because I was scared to see Grandpa in a different light.

To distract myself from the pain, I grabbed my phone only to find a message from Magno's Dad.

Tito Addam:

It's going to be okay

Your Mom loves you

Reika:

Thank you po

****

Desperado akong makaalis agad at makalayo kay Mommy kaya naman maaga akong gumising at nagbihis kahit na tanghali pa ang pasok ko.

"Reika?" At dahil sadyang minamalas ako, naunahan pa talaga niya ako ng gising.

"Unfortunately that's me." I sighed in defeat.

"Food is almost ready. Upo ka muna." Mom smiled at me and continued cooking as if we didn't just argued real bad the night before. I couldn't help but feel bad when I noticed her swollen eyes. My bad.

I felt bad that she cried while I didn't, so I sat down.

"How's your sleep?" Mom asked, breaking the silence between us.

"Good." I chuckled. "So Good that I didn't want to wake up again."

Mom turned the stove off, making a little clicking sound. I braced myself for another heated argument but to my surprise, Mom just sighed and turned to smile at me.

"Pagpasensyahan mo na kung walang wifi dito. I promise that by next week meron na." 

Agad nakunot ang noo ko. "What's the point of putting wifi? You're planning to leave and it's not like I'll stay here when you leave."

"Reika, I thought a lot about what you said and you were right." Mom walked up to the table and sat on the chair right across me. She had a small smile on her face but I could see sadness and pooling tears in her swollen eyes. "I was wrong and I'm sorry. I was just too upset. You have the right to be with your father--"

"No harm done. It's not like I would leave Filimon Heights either." I cut her off. I hated the drama and I didn't want her to think that she had the power over me. The pride was at it again. I told Slade that I would stop being a slave of my pride but I failed. 

"Alam kong sobrang dami kong pagkukulang sa'yo." Suminghap si Mommy at muli na namang naluha pero mabilis niya itong pinunasan. "Sana bigyan mo ako ng pagkakataong makabawi... live under my roof, pwede ba iyon?"

"Mom you'll just leave." Natatawa kong paalala sa kanya.

"I've already saved enough money to get you through to college. Your Tito Addam will also help me find a good business to invest on and your aunt will let me work on her company--"

"Hold your horses Mom." I quickly stopped her. It was so overwhelming that I found my heart racing and my hands trembling. "Bakit biglaan naman ata? Is there some competition between you and Dad?"

"Reika, this had always been my plan from the very beginning--"

"Mom, can we just not talk about this please." I pleaded and in the end, she had no choice but to nod and smile.

Hinilamos ko ang palad bago bumuntong-hininga. "Okay fine, I'm staying with you. Just stop all this dramatic stuff. It's creeping me out."

"Thank you! Anak, thank you!" Mom cried as a smile full of happiness appeared on her face. She grabbed my hand and held it tight. "You don't know how much this means to me."

It was awkward living with Mom at first but unlike with Dad, adjusting to her presence was quite easy... maybe because we always got to see each other during holidays and she kept in touch with me through texts and emails for the last few years. 

One week later, I found myself having Dinner with Mom, Silver, and Slade. Mom didn't care about the twins' history with Dad, well at first she was uncomfortable with them but she eventually warmed up to them. Malakas din kasing mambola ang kambal lalo na si Slade na nagdadala lagi ng kung ano-anong pagkain sa tuwing bumibisita.

Even if Mom didn't ask me to, I still kept my word. I stopped communicating with Dad even if he kept me sending messages like 'ingat palagi', 'i miss you', 'umayos kang bata ka at wag mong susubukang mag drive nang wala ako', yadda-yadda. 

Ayon kay Slade, bumalik daw muna si Dad sa Redwood bilang respeto para sa gusto ni Mommy habang galit pa ito.

"How's the food? Si Reika nagluto niyan." Pagyayabang ni Mommy sa kambal. Kung alam lang niya sinong nagturo sa akin.

"Mas masarap pa rin po ang luto ninyo." Giit ni Slade kaya agad ko siyang sinamaan ng tingin. 

Gaya noong kay Lolo, ayaw din niyang makita ni Mommy na sinusubuan ko siya. Nakakatulong lang ako kapag may kailangan siyang i-slice o kunin mula sa malayo. 

"Sipsip." Pasimpleng umubo si Silver kaya natawa si Mommy.

"Ang cute n'yo talagang tatlo, buti di kayo napagkakamalang triplets," biro ni Mommy kaya nasamid si Slade sa kinakain at Silver naman ay agad na ngumiwi.

"Grabe kayo. Hiyang-hiya ako sa inyo." I looked at them blankly.

"Kung hindi ko rin alam na maraming lalakeng kaibigan 'tong si Reika, aakalain kong may relasyon kayo." Sabi pa ni Mommy kay Slade kaya ako naman ang nasamid.

"Bakit Tita? Papasa ba ako kung sakali?" Ngumisi si Slade at pabirong inayos ang kilay gamit ang mga daliri. Pinamulahan agad ako ng pisngi lalo na nang tumawa si Mommy. Akala niya ata nagbibiro lang si Slade.

"I think you're a good kid. Why not." Mom shrugged.

"Hah!" Slade yelled out to Silver's direction.

"But she has to graduate first." Dagdag ni Mommy.

"Hah!" Silver yelled out and grinned right back at him.

Pilit akong tumawa sa kabila ng sobrang kahihiyan.

▬ end of 46// thank u ▬