The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you – David Foster Wallace
Meara
"Mom, can you please tell me why do we need to stay here? I want to go back to Kuya Riel's house."
Hindi ko pinapansin ang kanina pang pagmumukmok ng anak ko habang nasa harap kami ng hapag-kainan at kumakain ng almusal. Tumingin ako kay Eli na humihingi ng pasensiya at tumawa lang siya habang naiiling. Tingin ko naman ay naiintindihan niya ang ipinagmamaktol ng anak ko. Sobrang close ni Riel at ni River kaya hindi ko masisisi ang anak ko kung bakit nagkakaganito.
"You can't. For now, we need to stay away from him." Sagot ko. "Eat your breakfast."
Pabagsak na binitiwan ni River ang hawak na mga kubyertos kaya pinanlakihan ko siya ng mata. Pero hindi pansin ng anak ko ang galit ko. Halatang-halata na nagagalit siya.
"I don't want to eat! I don't want to stay here! I want to go back to Kuya Riel!" ang lakas na ng boses niya at hindi man lang siya nahiya kay Eli.
"River! What's with that attitude?" Hindi ko na rin napigil ang sarili ko napagtaasan ko na siya ng boses.
"Meara," tonong sinasaway ako ni Eli.
"If I said that you are not going to see him, you are not going to see him. You don't know what is happening that's why you need to shut your mouth. You are being disrespectful."
Napailing ang anak ko. "You are always like that. You don't tell me what is going on. You just want to run. To go away. I don't like here! I don't like him!" Tumingin siya kay Eli at pagkasabi noon ay padabog na tumayo ang anak ko. Tinabig pa ang silya na kinauupuan niya tapos ay patakbong umalis doon.
"River!" akma akong tatayo para habulin siya pero pinigilan ako ni Eli.
"Let him. Hayaan mo na muna. Nag-a-adjust ang bata. You know kids. Their temper... we cannot easily tone them," mahinahong sabi ni Eli.
Nahihiya akong tumingin sa kanya at napapailing. "Pasensiya ka na. Wala na lang talaga akong maisip na matakbuhan kaya ikaw ang tinawagan ko." napahinga ako ng malalim at napabuga ng hangin. Naiiyak pa rin ako dahil sa nalaman ko. "I can't believe that this is happening to me. To my son. I... I thought I already got away from that nightmare. I never imagined that it will come back to haunt me." Napabuga ako ng hangin at mabilis na pinahid ang mga luha kong nag-uunahang maglandas sa mga pisngi ko. "Riel is a good person. He saved me so many times. I know it. I can feel it that he loves me. But the truth about his father..." napasubsob ako sa mga palad ko. "I can't believe it."
Hindi sumagot si Eli at napatikhim lang. "I am sure Riel is looking for you."
"I don't know. I don't have the courage to face him. I don't know how he is going to take the truth about his father. I know how he look up to that man. He never knows that the man that he idolizes is a monster."
"What about Riel? What if you know something about him? Something that he did that changed your life."
Kumunot ang noo ko sa kanya. "What do you mean?"
Napahinga ng malalim si Eli. "I did some digging, Meara. About your past case. Your drug possession case."
"And?" Nagtataka pa rin ako dahil nabanggit niya si Riel. "I told him about that. Wala akong inilihim sa kanya. Alam niya ang lahat ng nangyari sa buhay ko."
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