Chapter 10

NAGISING ako ng hindi alam kung anong oras na pero maingay na sa labas. Kanina ko pa rin naririnig na nagv-vibrate ang cellphone ko pero hindi ko pinapansin dahil mas'yado akong inaantok para buksan ang mga mata ko.

"Marlo!" Tawag sa akin ni papa muna sa labas.

Napabangon naman ako at kinusot ang aking mga mata, tiningnan ko ang aking cellphone at napabuntonghininga nang makitang mahigit alas siete na. Bumaba ako ng kama at lumabas na ng k'warto.

"Kumain ka na, aalis ang tita mo, walang ibang tao rito sa bahay, gusto mo sumama sa 'min?" Tanong ni papa at napaisip naman ako. Kung nandito ako sa bahay, wala akong ibang magagawa rito, at kung sasama naman ako, tinatamad din naman akong gumala.

"Sasama na lang po ako," sabi ko sabay kagat sa pandesal. Mas mabuti na siguro 'yong malibang ko muna 'yong sarili ko upang hindi ako makapag-isip ng kung ano-ano.

Matapos kumain, naligo na muna ako at nagbihis ng maaari kong suotin doon. Isang itim na jodding pants at tshirt na lang ang sinuot ko. Magbabaon na lang ako ng jacket, baka kasi mainit mamaya.

WHILE we are on our way there, nakatitig lang ako sa labas. Nasa side car ako ng tricycle at tahimik akong naksandal habang pinagmamasdan ang mga bagay na madadaanan namin.

My brows then furrowed when I noticed a silhouette from a far, I looked back as we already passed by, but there was no one there. I thought it was a hallucination, so I brushed it off my mind, but I saw another one again and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Is someone following us?

Napakunot ang noo ko, bakit naman nila kami susundan? Wala naman silang mapapala kung sakaling sumunod sila rito, magt-trabaho lang naman kami.

I looked on my phone and winced when there's no service. I sighed and turned the screen of once again, I guess music is the only thing I have this whole day.

Nang makarating na kami, kaagad na kaming nagsimula. Ibinigay sa akin ni papa ang isang maliit na kawayan na mayroong talim sa dulo, parang isang sibat, pinag-iipon niya ako ng mga niyog habang kinakawit nila ang iba.

Gaya ng sabi niya, sinusundan ko ang mga niyog na nahuhulog at iniipon ito sa isang puwesto, bawat isang puno. Paulit-ulit lang 'yon at kalaunan ay nakabisa na ng katawan ko ang gagawin kaya't automatic nang gumagalaa ang katawan ko pagkakatapos kumawit sa isang puno.

Habang ginagawa ko naman iyon ay naalala ko ang message sa akin nila Daniel.

"Does that roger guy really has mood swings? qeez."

Napakunot ang noo ko, what does he mean when he said that? Noong araw na tinanong niya 'yon sa akin ay pagpd ako kaya hindi na ako nakapag-isip pa, pero ngayon ay muli itong pumasok sa isip ko at binabagabag na ako nito ngayon.

Pero kahit anong gawin ko, hindi ko pa rin maisip kung ano bang pupuwedeng dahilan ng behavior niya. I, then, looked at the direction of my father. Perhaps, he know a part of him. He must know a part of Roger, at least.

But I was too hesitant to go reach out and ask, I may sound insensitive if I asked him that. That would just cause more trouble in his mind, thinking what he did wrong to be replaced. I don't want that.

When they stopped for a moment, I took that as a timing to check up on my phone, my eyes widened when I saw that there's a service at least. I opened my cellular data and searched Roger on Facebook to browse through his profile.

At first look, there's nothing unusual. He doesn't post very much. His comment section is privated, too. And I guess that his posts are for friends only, but there's some uploads available for the public's eye.

The most recent upload that could be seen is his profile photo two years ago. I zoomed in the picture and noticed his tiny tattoo on his wrist, it's not even recognizable. His skin here more light that he actually was. But my brows furrowed when I spotted a little bit of redness on his neck.

"Marlo, halika na!" Natauhan ako nang marinig ang boses ni papa. Napalingon ako s kanilang direksyon at nakitang nakalayo na sila sa akin.

"Ah, opo!" Dali-dali kong inilagay sa bulsa ang cellphone at sumunod sa kanila habang tumitingin sa daan kung may nagkalat pa ring niyog.

Sa paglipas ng oras, ganoon lang ang ginagawa namin. Magkakawit ng niyog, iipunin ko ang mga ito at sa sumunod na puno ay iipunin ko ulit ang sunod habang si Tito Eric ay inilalagay sa kareta ng kalabaw ang mga niyog. Kapag titigil naman kami ay kakawit sila ng buko upang mainom namin ang sabaw.

NGAYON, kami ay bumalik na sa aming sasakyan upang kumain na muna. Pinabaunan kami ni Tita Madeline ng pagkain dahil malayo nga ito at hassle kung uuwi pa kami. Isa pa, wala ring tao sa bahay kaya matatagalan din kung magluluto pa kami.

"Kumusta nga pala ang pag-eskwela mo rito, Marlo?" Tanong ni Tito Eric habang kumakain kami. Matagal na rin kasi mula nang lumipat ako rito, nakabilis ngang talaga ng mga araw.

"Ayos lang naman po, better," I shrugged. Mas payapa ang buhay ko rito, walang taong nagbubulungan tungkol sa amin, at walang humuhusga sa kung ano mang pinagdaraanan ko. "I feel genuine acceptance."

"Mabuti 'yan, sabi naman sa 'yo magugustuhan mo rito, eh. Tingnan mo, hindi ka pa mas'yadong nagtatagal pero napakarami mo nang kakilala!" Sabi niya at napangiti na lang naman ako saka sumubo ng pagkain.

"Hindi naman po ganoon karami," natatawang saad ko. Mga kakilala ko lang naman rito ay ang mga nakakasalamuha ko araw-araw sa school, saka ang mga nakakalaro namin ng basketball sa covered court ng Barangay.

Napatigil naman ako nang mag-vibrate ang cellphone ko, it's a text message.

Unknown Number
Hey, it's Daniel. You're not responding on Social Media, so I asked your sister for your number. But anyways, has mom always been violent? That Roger guy sure is going through something, he's neck is red, failed to be covered by foundation. He also has wounds and scratches.

My brows furrowed. I witnessed mom being violent, but never towards that Roger. Maybe they finally saw each other's true colors?

Marlo
I don't know, man. Maybe, spy them a little bit more? They won't suspect a thing.

Daniel
I knocked on their door, I asked if I could use the computer, Roger actually let me in. But yesterday, he told me to never come back.

I sighed and slid my phone in my pocket. Sumasakit ang ulo ko kakaisip sa kaniya. Napailing na lang ako at tinapos ang pagkakain. If that Roger doesn't have major mood swings, I don't know what it is.

"Idlip lang kami, 'nak. Sigurado ka bang ayos ka lang d'yan?" Tanong sa akin ni papa sabay tapik sa balikat ko. Napatango na lang naman ako saka tumango. "O'siya, kapag may kailangan ka, gisingin mo na lang ako."

"Opo," ngumiti ako at tumalikod naman na s'ya upang mahiga sa itinali niyang duyan sa puno.

Napabuntong hininga na lang naman ako at umakyat sa bubong ng tricycle upang doon maupo. Tinitigan ko ang direksyon nila papa pilit na ngumiti sa sarili. Nagda-dalawang isip pa rin ako kung magtatanong ba ako tungkol kay Roger o hindi.

Napatingin naman ako sa cellphone ko nang mag-vibrate ito mula sa aking bulsa.

Daniel
I rummaged through his stuffs, he has pictures of him and your father. The pictures are obviously decades old but if you're going to look closely, Roger has scratches and wounds on his skin. So, those wounds still being present on his skin is probably not something to doubt on.

The photos printed images that is attached to his message caught my attention. Those pictures are vaguely familliar. Perhaps, I've seen it on my father's stuff before?

Marlo
Maybe, he does have similar wounds before but we don't know what caused it now. It's still a thing to be considered as a clue. It's still a question that needs to be answered.

Daniel
Yeah, you're fight. But, who's going to answer those questions?

I stared on the screen of my phone for a moment. I sighed and looked at my father's direction.

Marlo
I know someone.

Huminga ako nang malalim at tumingala sa langit. The only thing I need to think of now is to find the right timing to ask my father about it. And, how am I going go ask it without him being offended.

-**-
THE DAY ended so fast we have now arrived home. I am currently at the bathroom, taking a cold shower to somehow ease the pain of my body. After rinsing off my body, I stepped outside the bathroom to grab the hot water I prepared. I've heard hot water helps to improve your sleep.

Nang matapos akong maligo, lumabas na ako ng banyo habang pinupunasan ng tuwalya ang basa kong buhok. Si Tito Eric ay nakahiga sa upuan sa sala, habang ang iba anman ay hindi ko makita.

Pumasok ako ng k'warto at napatigil nang makita si papa na nakaupo sa kama at nakatitig sa isang papel. Lumapit ako at nakita kong picture nila iyon ni Roger, kagaya ng sinend sa akin ni Daniel na picture.

"Pa, can I ask you a question? Regarding him," I said and locked the door.

"Hmm? Go on," he said and looked up to me.

"In that picture, I noticed that Roger has wounds and scratches, although it's barely recognizable, I could tell that it's a scratch. I scrolled through his Facebook timeline and saw scratches, too. Then just now, Daniel, noticed the redness together with wounds, we were wondering what would that be?" I asked that made his brows furrowed.

"Before, the reason of his wounds were the beating from his own parents. That is why he rarely comes home and sometimes sleep at my house because he was scared. Almost everyday, he has a fresh wound and his neck and other parts of his body turns red," he stated that shocked me.

I am lost of words, he experienced that as a child? Such a tragic life he has.

"He lived his childhood in constant fear, and when he tuned your age, the abuse got worse. He was forced to give up his organs to his mother who got leukemia when he was thirteen. And even when he was in verge of death, he still worked his ass off by cleaning their house," he said that made me frozen on my place.

"B-but, why?"

"His father accused of him being gay. And his mother suspects him being autistic. Even in front of other people, they would yell at him, saying that, someone like him shouldn't live long. Because he'd just embarass the family," he wiped his tears, recalling all his memory from the past.

"But, he's still alive until now. What happened?"

"When he turned, I think, seventeen, his mother died. His father was furious and blaming him for letting his mother die. Saying that he should've been the one inside that casket. What happened next? His father bribed a doctor to perform vasectomy to Roger," he said that made my jaw drop.

His own body was abused as a child. He was forced to give up his organs. And he was robbed of having a child of his own?

"But right now, I don't know what's causing it. I don't know what's going on with him, I haven't been on touch with him in ages," he said that made my brows furrowed.

"Has he always have sudden mood swings? Like, severe mood swings?" I asked that made his brows furrowed, too.

"Mood swings? No, not really. Why did you asked?" He said that sent chills to my spine.

If he doesn't have mood swings, then what is it? I ended the conversation with dad and thanked him for sharing his story. I opened my phone and what could be it's reason, a lot has come up on the internet. But, there's one thing that caught my attention. And I know it's not good.

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Note: This chapter is purely fictional.