Snow White is a Gangster (Published under Cloak Pop Fiction)

Chapter 39: Unearthed from the Graveyard

Chapter 39: Unearthed from the Graveyard

Malakas at walang humpay ang pagbuhos ng ulan na tila hindi na ito titigil pa. Subalit hinding-hindi nito kayang lunurin ang lungkot sa paligid, ang mga iyak ng mga nagdadalamhating puso at ang kawalan sa aking dibdib. Mahigpit kong hawak ang itim na payong na pumuprotekta sa aking ina mula sa pagkabasa habang pareho kaming nakatayo sa harap ng libingan ng aking kapatid. Nagsisimula na ring mag-alisan ang mga taong nagsidalo sa malungkot na okasyong iyon–-halos hindi ko na marinig ang kanilang pamamaalam.

"Your father would hate to wake up once he finds out that his son would be sleeping for the rest of his life."

My mom stood tall and proud, I felt a little bit smaller at her side. I couldn't remember when she stopped crying. She just woke up in the morning of the second day of the funeral from a short sleep and decided to bury Wycliffe's body and let him rest. Ever since then, she became firm of her every decision, answering numerous business phone calls and assigning personnel to address technical problems. When I asked her about letting Wycliffe go without Dad, she just said that my brother needed to go to a peaceful place and she wouldn't let anyone hinder that-– not even Dad's condition. I didn't know how she became a rock that was as hard as steel. From a shattered diamond, she became a kind of stone that was difficult to break. And I couldn't blame her. He was my brother and I couldn't even bear the pain caused by his sudden death. He took a big part of me when he had his last breath and suddenly, I was not a 'sister' anymore. Suddenly, I became the only child of Arturia–-and how lonely was that? I had regret, guilt, and pain but I was sure that it was incomparable compared to my mother's.

Gertrudez Arturia was a mother. She picked the healthiest food for her young children. She chose the best attire to make her kids presentable. She tried her best to be with them no matter how busy being an Arturia could get. She was working hard because of her children. But now that her son was gone, everything seemed to be for nothing. She was a mother with her son dead and husband in the hospital–-I couldn't imagine the pain she's going through right now. It must be painful to bury your own son on the ground.

"Maybe we should have waited for Dad," mahina kong sabi. Natakot ako na baka dahil sa lakas ng ulan ay hindi niya ako narinig. Subalit saglit siyang sumulyap sa akin at saka muling ibinalik ang tingin sa puntod ni Wycliffe.

"Kung ako ang nasa kalagayan ng iyong ama, alam kong gagawin niya rin ang bagay na ito. I have to keep moving even though your brother is gone. I have to keep moving because your father is still in the hospital–-too weak to make decisions for our family. I have to keep moving because I still have you, Henrietta. And you are enough for me to keep fighting," wika niya sa matatag na tinig.

Pinigil ko ang pagbabanta ng mga luhang nangingilid sa aking mga mata. Masyado nang maraming luha ang iniiyak ng langit at ayoko nang dagdagan pa. Mangilan-ngilan na lang ang mga taong nasa sementeryo nang maging mahinang ambon ang malakas na ulan. Ang madilim na kalangitan ay bahagyang lumiwanag bagama't hindi pa rin nagpapakita ang araw.

Agad akong nag-angat ng tingin dahil sa mga pares ng mga matang naramdaman kong nakatuon sa aming direksyon. Agad kong nakita sa di-kalayuan ang dalawang taong hindi ko inaasahang darating sa lugar na iyon. Malaki ang porsyentong hindi maganda ang pakay nila sa amin at kung may balak silang sirain ito ay mapipilitan akong kalabanin sila sa harap ng aking ina.