Along Came Red Strings

Kabanata I

Mag d-dapit hapon na nang makarating kami nang aking kapatid sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport kaya naman hindi na kami nag atubiling subukan yung sinasabi ni Tita Edna na App upang mapabilis daw ang aming biyahe. I went to my pocket and grab my phone, then I gently tap the Angkas App which I've recently downloaded couple of minutes ago.

"I guess we're going to have separate rides then?" Tanong ni Mikki na parang hesitant pa kung mag t-taxi nalang o mag h-habal.

"Hey look, you don't want to be late on our mother's burial rites. Unless you want see her creep on your bed in the middle of the night." I scolded him.

"This is ridiculous damn!"

"Damn ridiculous. So yeah let's just get this done and probably have some good rest."

Moments later I find myself wearing a helmet and threading my way towards the burial place where my mother was supposed to find her peace. But of course, before I get my ass on the ride, I have to wait for my brother Mikki to have his own ride first. And then I let Manang Jossie took care of our baggages, sabi niya mag t-taxi nalang daw siya at ddiretso na sa Antipolo kung saan nakatira si Mama at kung saan din kami pansamantalang tutuloy.

It's been six awful years since I got back here in the Philippines. My brother and I have to endure our lives in Germany where our biological father resides. It's tough to live without a mother, but we have to stay there because according to my Titas mom caught a disease and it's not safe for us to be around. We insisted to stay of course, yet after battling with ALL of our relatives, we still end up migrating with Manang Jossie.

My Mum and Dad are separated, they decided to do so when we are toddlers. Michael, whose age four back then, was supposed to be with my father's care, but after two years he let my lil bro head back in the Philippines and live with us.

Hindi naman naging problema yung paghihiwalay ni Mama at Papa. Actually, bago sila maghiwalay my Old man left my mother with a business of her own. And There's my Tita Edna who help us out when we're needing a hand.

Managing the Boutique while raising two boys is not an easy job, but my Mum relentlessly work hard to provide our needs and she never fails to succeed. After five years of hard work, nakilala din yung designs niya at naging sikat sa buong bansa only then she became workaholic. And one day she suddenly got ill...

The only creepy thing about this is that I know how many days she has left before she'll die. I can feel her getting weaker each day as if we share the same body. How tired she is — and how cold her finger tips was. And then one day, nabulag si Mama. This leaves a great impact in our business. With her unable to make remarkable designs of her own, mabilis na bumaba ang demand ng garments at fabrics na galing sa aming factory. Not long after, tuluyan na itong nalugi.

Mum was so depressed back then... She's desperate and wanted her visions back. Sabi nila Tita Edna noon Brain Aneurysm daw ang dahilan kung bakit ito nabulag. Fourteen years old lamang ako noon at ang tanging nasa isip ko lamang ay kasalanan lahat ng tatay kaya ito nangyare. Hinding hindi ko malilimutan ang mga huling araw na kasama ko ang Ina. Nariyang unti unti siyang nangayayat at tuluyang nanghina  hanggang sa ma-bed ridden na ito.

At dumating na nga ang araw na hindi ko inaasahan, ayon kina Tita ay kailangan na nga daw naming lumayo saglit kay Mama upang makarecover ito. Ang tanging magulo lamang saakin ay bakit kailangang ilayo kami gayong hindi naman nakakahawa ang sakit ni Mama. At wala na nga kaming nagawa ni Mikki kung hindi sumunod nalang at lumipad pa-Germany.

Mag a-alas Sais na nang makarating ako sa aking destinasyon. Wala nang Tao sa sementeryo ng mga oras na iyon mga ilan-ilan na lamang. Natagpuan ko si Mikki na nakatayo sa harap ng puntod kung saan nakahimlay ang aming Ina at agad naman akong pumaroon sa kanyang direksyon.

"Hindi ko inaasahan na ganto ang mangyayare..." Sambit ni Mikki, habang pinupunasan ng panyo ang kanyang mga luha.

Hindi ko alam sa mga oras na iyon kung iiyak na rin ba ako o magagalit. Ngayon ay mag-isa na lamang kami ng aking kapatid, tila ba lahat nang taong malapit sa amin ay unti-unting umaalis. Pakiramdam ko ay sasabog na ang aking dibdib kaya naman, ipinatong ko na lamang ang mga bulaklak na aking binili sa puntod ni Mama at umupo muna doon ng saglit.

"Ang mahalaga, nakauwi na tayo." Ang tangi kong nasabi sabay muling tayo at hawak sa balikat ng aking nakababatang kapatid.

"Andito na kami Ma... Nakauwi na mga anak mo." Sabi ni Mikki na tila ba'y kausap ang tao sa ilalim ng hukay.

Hindi ko na lamang napansin na umaagos na din pala ang mga luha sa aking pisnge. Pero agad ko naman itong pinunasan at hindi ito napansin ni Mikki.

Alas Nuebe na nang gabi noong makarating kami ni Michael sa Antipolo at sa sobrang pagod ay dumiretso na ito sa kwartong kaniyang gagamitin at doon muna nag-stay. Habang ako naman ay ganun din ang ginawa. Wala akong ganang kumain ng mga oras na iyon kaya naman matapos maligo ay bumaba muli ako at lumabas para makalanghap ng sariwang hangin.

I silently walk in the streets of our village, then I saw a small park and sat there for a while. Afterwards, I went to my pocket and grab my phone to play some music of my own choice. I've never been this sentimental before, maybe because of the loss. According to psychology the process of moving-on will take some time. And then something hit me... I know for a reason that Mum is far from dying... Before we leave the country, I'm certain that her illness will not kill her and she will definitely survive any surgery that she may undergo. The thing about this is that, Tita Edna never mention to us about any surgery going on, I just thought something odd is happening. Something's strange...

I was amidst of this thoughts when I saw a glimpse of a man on my peripheral vision, he was tall, wearing a knee-length black coat holding some strange-looking Scissor. I perplexed and turn to his direction, only to find out that it was no one but a good childhood friend.

"Lucas?"