"Ma..."Mama was asleep when I got into their room. Naiuwi na namin siya for like five hours ago. Papa was outside the balcony making calls. Palagay ko ang kausap niya ay si Ninang Bathseeba. The ride home was exceptionally quiet. Kuya Apollo was gritting his teeth while driving. Percy started researching about Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease - I dunno about Kuya Achilles because he rode with Mama and Papa, kasama niya rin si Betchay.I sat beside Mama's bed and touched her face. She stirred a bit and then she opened her eyes. Nagulat ako kaya bahagya akong lumayo sa kanya. Akala ko ay sisigawan na naman niya ako but she smiled. She sat up on her bed and faced me."Kanina pa kita hinihintay." Nakangiti siya sa akin. Hindi naman ako makapagsalita. I wanted to say sorry for not going after her kanina sa mall. I wanted to apologize for breaking her heart back then but words cannot express my thoughts. Nakatingin lang ako sa kanya at naiiyak."Ma, ang tagal mo. Busy ba sa ospital?" Tanon
"Alejandros!!! O to the M to the G!"Nanlaki ang nga mata ni Elisha nang pumasok sa silid naming dalawa ni Sabino nang umagang iyon. She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes because we were about to make love and then she just barged in."I'll be taking a bath." Sabi na lang ni Sabino. He chuckled and turned around. Tinitigan ko naman si Elisha. Her eyes were still closed. Nakatitig ako sa kanya. I put my robe on and sat on my bed and still looked at her."Tapos na ba? O to the M to the G!"Elisha Marie Lamico sounded so much like my mother when they were the same age. She was my mom's goddaughter, Pan's best friend and my business partner. Halos kasabay ko na siyang lumaki. Pan and her would always have sleepovers when they were growing up. Isa din siya sa mga unang taong nakaalam kung ano talaga ang kasarian ako and she was okay with it."Eli, its fine. Sabino is inside the bathroom now. What are you even doing here? Hindi ka pa marunong kumatok?" Inis na tanong ko. She made a face
Eos Demitri deserve more than this.It was all I could think about while I sat inside the precinct that dreadful night. I couldn't stop crying. He's dead. The medic told me that after they tried taking his pulse and got nothing, he's dead. And I really think that he deserve better than this. He deserve so much better than this.The police took me to the precinct for questioning. I demanded to have a lawyer before answering any of their questions. Agad ko namang tinawagan si Piedro para puntahan ako. I asked him not to tell my brothers – especially my parents but I guess, Artie just couldn't keep anything for herself. So, now, I'm just waiting for Apollo to come and get me.I hate this.I don't want to be here. I don't even know if I should be mourning at all. Ano ba naman ako sa kanya. He only said he loved me. We were never an ite. – or any labels at all. Mahal daw niya ako. Mahal ko rin siya. Sapat na ba iyon para magluksa ako?"Eleithiya..." It was Apollo. I looked up and I saw him
Tia Vejar took me home that afternoon. I never liked her rotten spoiled brat attitude because it's getting to my nerves. Nakisakay lang ako sa kanya kanina dahil matatagalan ang driver ko sa pagsundo sa akin dahil nagkasakit ang driver ni Mama kaya ipinahiram ko muna ang akin. Pwede namang sunduin ako ni Daddy or ni Heath or Hunter pero hindi ko bet kaya inasar ko na lang si Tia. Natuwa naman ako sa reaksyon niya. Her reaction made my day. Pikon talaga si Tia."Nandito na si Daddy? Si Mama po?" Tanong ko sa maid nang masalubong ko siya. Sinabi niyang nasa itaas daw su Daddy at nagpapahinga. Agad naman akong tumakbo paakyat sa itaas para puntahan siya."Daddy!" Bungad ko sa kanya. Nakaupo siya sa swivel chair niya at para bang may binabasa. Agad naman niyang ibinaba ang papeles at tiningnan ako. Sinalubong niya ako ng ngiti."Hello, baby girl."I giggled when he called me that. Sabi niya kahit ilan taon na daw ako, ako pa rin ang number 1 baby girl niya. Naupo ako sa visitors chair na
Tia left the prom already. I saw her exiting the premises and I found myself wondering where she went. It's not my business, I know but I wanna know. Pakiramdam ko kasi ay may ginagawa si Tia na lingid sa kaalaman ng lahat. I just want to know so I can tease her about it.The prom was a bit boring for me. I was just sitting on my corner watching my classmates as they danced the night away. People were asking me to dance too, but I don't want to move a muscle. Pakiramdam ko kasi ay walang kwenta kung gagalaw man ako. I don't like this event. Pumunta lang ako para maisuot ang gown na binili ni Mama para sa akin. She bought the gown from Paris Fashion Week and I could already imagine her reaction kung sinabi ko sa kanya na ayokong magpunta talaga doon.I wanna be somewhere else...I wann be away... with that one person who can make my heart beat faster and faster and faster... Iyong tipong hinihingal na ako pero kinakaya ko dahil masarap sa pakiramdam na kasama ko siya. I want to be with
It was Tia vejar's eighteenth birthday and everyone in the family was invited. That night we were inside the Consunji Hotel's premises. Lahat ay naroon – mula sa lahat ng pinsan ni Mama hanggang sa mga pinsan ko – and because it was Tia's birthday – naroon din si Percy at ang mga kapatid nito. Tulad ng dati ay hindi ako sumasayaw kahit na halos lahat ng mga anak ng ka-business partner ng mga magulang at tyuhin ko ay inaayaw ko. Hindi ako sumasayaw dahil naroon si Percy – hindi ko lang talaga gusto.It was Tia's night and she really owned it. Napaka-emotional noong father and daughter dance nila ni Uncle Hades. It made me a bit teary eyed at dahil doon, niyaya kong sumayaw ang Daddy ko."Dad... dad..." May kausap siyang mga business people but he stopped talking to them the moment I called him."Everyone, this is my princess, Haley Demitri." Pakilala ni Daddy sa akin."Good evening..." I flashed my sweetest smile. Hinatak ko ang kamay ni Daddy tapos ay hinarap ko siya. "Dad, sayaw tayo
I am twenty – four now – and so far, I haven't forgotten what happened to me in the Philippines, almost eight years ago.Somehow, I think about coming back now, and it makes me feel different.I was looking at the window – all I could see were clouds and that little sunshine that's trying to break free from the clouds surrounding it. Tumaas ang sulok ng bibig ko."Perc, are you alright?" The woman beside me asked me. Her name was Alaina and right now, she's the girl I wanna fuck and I'm taking her home to the Philippines – just to fuck her there. Hindi ko naman siya kailangan ipakilala sa mga magulang ko lalo naman sa Mama ko, ma-stress lang ang Mama ko sa kanya.Lumapag ang eroplano sa lupaing sinilangan ko. I inhaled the air and felt a bit nostalgic."So, when are you going to introduce me to your parents?""Hindi kita ipapakilala sa mga magulang ko, Alaina. I'm going home, you're staying in a hotel and n Thursday, susunduin kita dahil pupunta tayo ng Boracay and in that place, I am
"Ma, sigurado ka bang anak mo ako? Hindi ba ako ampon o kaya man anak ni Papa sa ibang babae tapos bago mo pinatay iyong babae ni Papa kinuha mo ako and you raised me that will make me just a Vejar not a Consunji - Vejar as your own o kaya man, napulot lang ako sa tae ng kalabaw tulad ng panay sinasabi ni Kuya Pol sa akin noong bata ako o kaya man naiwan lang ako sa labas ng gate ng bahay natin o sa parking lot malapit sa kotse mo o kaya napalitan ako sa ospital? Anak mo ba talaga ako? Kasi baka nakalimutan mo lang tapos hindi mo talaga ako anak..."My mother's mouth fell open after hearing what I had to say. Alam ko naman ang tungkol sa sakit niya. In fact, lahat kami ay alam na ang sakit niya and true to my words, I avcted surprised. Nangyari iyon nang minsang mag-away sila ni Eleithiya at nawala si Mama sa sarili niya. She got lost. Natagpuan namin siya sa dati niyang silid sa ancestral home nila kung saan si Uncle Hermes na ang nakatira.I was hurt badly when I realized that she d