Forty Nine

Maria

“Ija, come join us,” my mother called as she saw me coming down the stairs from my room. It’s been three months, but I still can’t believe what’s happening to me now.

It feels like just yesterday I was raised in Tondo, where I encountered all kinds of people. Not everyone there is bad, though. People just assume it’s a den of criminals, but not everyone is like that. Not everyone is bad.

It also feels like just yesterday when I was almost sold to the elderly for my soul, and also when I saw the man who saved me. I thought we would never see each other again, because who am I for him to look for? But I felt revived when someone arrived at the house, insisting that he’s my mother.

At first, I couldn’t believe it. I grew up in Tondo with my mother and two siblings, as well as my father. I didn’t finish college due to financial constraints, so I chose to work after graduating from high school to support my two younger siblings.

I helped my mother in the market on my days off an