Could Have Been Better (Crush Series #2)

Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30 — Sacrifice

Naging isa ang desisyon namin ni daddy na kausapin si mommy tungkol sa aming napag-usapan. The next day, we told mom about everything. Nakita ko kaagad ang pagiging masaya ni mommy. I thought she'll be worried again and she would just change her mind but she didn't. Sa halip ay pumayag siya at nakiisa sa amin ni daddy.

At the back of my mind, while we were talking about going home, I was thinking if I would be ever ready to face it. Uuwi ako sa Pilipinas. Iyon ang lugar kung saan marami akong iniwang alaala, masasakit at masasaya. May mga iniwan akong tao na hindi ko man lang kinausap sa loob ng mga taong wala ako roon. Pabalik-balik sa aking isip ang mga kasalanan ko sa kanila. At hindi na yata magsasawa ang utak ko na alalahanin ang mga iyon.

"The best way is to apologize, anak," mom said when I asked for her advice. Malamlam ang mga mata ni mommy. She was worried but at the same time, she also encouraged me to do the things that I should have done years ago.

Sinabi ko sa kanila ang mga kinatatakutan ko. They understood and gave advices that can help me go through my fears.

"But what if they didn't forgive me?" mas nag-aalala kong tanong. "It's been five years, mom. And inbetween those years I did not even make an effort to reach them. I was so scared and I'm still scared that they won't accept me anymore." Napayuko ako sa sobrang pag-sisising nararamdaman.

Kinuha ni mommy ang kamay ko. Hinaplos niya ito at hinawakan nang mahigpit. "Then you have to do it again. If you have to do it a thousand times, anak, then you should."

Tiningnan ako nang mataman ni mommy. Daddy is also here but he is just watching us. Seryoso rin ang kaniyang hitsura at pinakikinggan kami ni mommy.

"Just like what your dad did," mom continued as she smiled at dad sweetly.

I looked at dad. He also smiled but I saw that tears are forming in his eyes. Hindi malungkot ang ngiti ni daddy ngunit masaya.

Lumambot ang aking puso sa nakita. I have longed for moments like this for years and now it is happening again. As a child, I hardly ever saw them act like this in front of me. Yes, I know that they love each other but they did not frequently show it to me. The incident changed everything. Nakikita kong mas minahal nila ang isa't isa.

Hindi nagtagal ay lumapit sa amin si daddy. We hugged each other so tight while all of us were crying. At gaya nga ng sabi ko, wala ni isa sa amin ang umiiyak dahil nasasaktan pa rin kami. It was all because we are happy that finally, we are okay again. Ibang iba ito sa mga nakalipas na taon. Yes, we seemed fine before but this was way much better. We are complete and happy. We love each other and nothing can ever separate us anymore.

"I will fix everything. Tatawagan ko ang mga kamag-anak natin sa Pilipinas upang ihanda ang lahat. Maganda ang itinakbo ng ating business sa mga lumipas na taon. Enrico handled it really well," ani daddy sa amin ni mommy.

May kaunting pitik sa aking dibdib sa pagkakarinig ng pangalan ng ama ng aking dalawang kaibigan.

"Hindi niya pinabayaan kahit na nakapagtayo na rin sila ng sarili nilang negosyo," dugtong pa ni daddy na nakakuha ng atensyon ko.

Bumaling ako sa kaniya. Nag-aalangan akong magtanong pero isinatinig ko pa rin ito. "They have their own business now, dad?" I asked curiously.

I remembered how Tito Enrico strived to discover a business that he likes and will make him successful. Naalala ko ang mga kwento ni Celine noon tungkol dito. Kaya nga madalas ay wala ang kanilang ama at tanging si Lola Encar lang ang nag-alaga sa kanila.