Villanueva Series #2: Love's Fatal Twist

CHAPTER 33

"Hey, honey. Finally andito kana rin, nag luto ako, kumain kana ba?"

"Wala ho akong gana"

"Calista, tell me? why naman naka busangot ang muka mo?!"

"Can you please Tita, be honest with me, even just once?" I said, my voice almost breaking.

"Calista, darling what do you mean?" Hinawakan nito ang pisngi ko, namumula na ang mga mata ko habang nakatingin sa kaniyang mga mata

"Bakit kailangan mag sinungaling kayong lahat sakin, bakit po ang unfair niyo?" Mangiyak-ngiyak na saad ko

"I don't understand you, honey"

"Na-comatose po ba--"

"Yes, but one week lang ‘yon, hindi ba't sinabi ko naman sa’yo lahat"

Tumayo ako habang hawak-hawak ang noo ko, tinignan ko siya nang masama bago mag salita muli. "Tita, one week? you sure about that? that's fúcking bullshít!

Lumuhod ako sa harapan niya habang hawak-hawak ang mga palad nito, "Puwede ba kahit minsan maging totoo kayo" Hikbi ko sakaniya, umupo ito sa harapan ko at hinawakan ang pisngi ko

"I'm sorry, calista" Ramdam ko ang tensyon at bawa't pag durog sa boses nito

"Ano po ang sakit ko?"

"Wala.."

Tumayo ito at lumayo sakin, paikot-ikot ito na tila ba ayaw sabihin saakin ang katotohanan

"Tita, please. I need to know the truth. Pagod na pagod...Na pagod na po ako, pagod na po ako sa lahat nang bagay, hindi ko na po kaya"

Lumapit muli ito at naramdaman ko ang bawa't pag kawala nito nang buntong hininga, niyakap ako nito nang mahigpit bago siya muli mag salita sa harapan ko, pinunasan niya ang luhang tumutulo sa dalawang pisngi ko

"Ni..."

"Nilason ka"

"Po?" Para akong nadudurog nang paulit ulit sa tugon nito, "Bakit? sino?" Tanong ko, naguguluhan na ako

Yumuko muna ito bago muling tignan ang mata ko na humihingi nang katotohanan sakaniya. "Nilason ka ni Vivianne"

"Dinala ka niya sa France, seven months kang na-comatose, paulit-ulit ka niyang--"

Hindi pa man niya nasasabi ang bagay na hinihintay ko nang tatlong taon ay nag u-unahan na sa pag tulo ang luha ko, namumula at nanlulumo ang mga mata ko, pilit ko sinusundan ang bawa't sulyap na tingin ni Tita, kaso ay iniiwas niya iyon.

"Paulit-ulit ka niyang nilalason!"

Sarkastika akong tumawa para akong nanaginip na hinihiling na sana'y magising na lamang sa bangungot na ito.

"Hinayaan niyo lang?"

"I have no choice, I have no right to make decisions. That is the only way para maibsan lahat nang sakit na nararanasan mo"

Pinag ha-hampas ko ang dibdib ko sa harap niya, "Ngayon? hindi ba ang sakit nang ginawa niyo sakin, ‘yung pakiramdam na my whole family betrayed me, I was deceived. The world betrayed me, the person I love also betrayed me, and now you guys. Will you also disappoint me?!"

"I'm sorry, calista" Sinubukan nitong lumapit sakin ngunit umatras ako

"Noong nasa ospital, dilemma ba talaga ‘yon? or nakunan ako baka kasi kasinungalingan nanam--"

Pumikit ito lumuhod sa harapan ko, "Binayaran nang mommy mo ang ospital, ligtas ang baby mo nung araw na ‘yon, pero hindi ko na alam kung buhay pa ang anak mo"

The world seemed to stop as I heard those words from her. My entire world was falling apart around me, all my fears and suspicions were confirmed. I felt my body going numb and my eyes becoming blurry with tears.

A million thoughts flooded my mind, questions I've been trying to find answers.

"What do you mean, not sure if my baby still alive?" I asked, my voice was barely a whisper as I tried to hold in my tears.

"Hindi ko alam kung saan dinala nang mommy mo ang anak mo" She told me, finally being honest with me.

Naramdaman ko na parang maglalaho ang sahig sa ilalim ko, ang balita ay sobrang bigat. Hindi ako makapaniwala sa naririnig ko, hindi ko maipaliwanag na totoo ito.

There was a moment of silence as I stared at her, processing what she just told me. It felt like forever before I could speak again.

"Why are you just telling me this now?" I asked, my voice cracking as I continued trying not to cry. "Why didn't you tell me this before, inantay mo na ako pa mismo ang makatuklas nang katotohanan, tànginà naman!"

Tumayo siya nang tahimik, ang ulo'y nakataas, ayaw niyang tumingin sa aking mga mata. Ramdam ko sa kanyang reaksyon na pinagsisisihan niya ang kanyang sinabi. Nais niyang bawiin ang mga salita, ngunit huli na.

"I couldn't tell you, you wouldn't understand.." She said quietly, still not looking at me.

"Anak ko ‘yon! Hindi ikaw hindi kayo, anong karapatan niyo?"

"We were trying to protect you, we were just worried..." She replied, still unwilling to meet my eyes.

I felt my heart starting to race, I felt like I was going to explode with anger.

"Protect me!? Protect me from what!" I shouted, my anger getting the better of me. "Protect me from the truth?"

"Tànginà pinag muka niyo akong tànga, mag a-apat na taon na! wala manlang ako sa tabi nang anak ko? tapos sasabihin mo hindi mo alam kung buhay pa siya, anong klasing pamilya ka, anong klasing pamilya kayo!"

She was speechless, she couldn't even find a word to reply to my outburst.

"Púta ang sama ng pamilyang 'to," I muttered trying to calm myself down.

It was always like this, they would always keep secrets from me, they would always lie to me. I didn't know if I could forgive them this time, I was tired of always being lied to.

Maybe if they had just told me the truth in the beginning, things wouldn't have turned out like this. Maybe if I knew the truth, my life would have been different.