Concealed Truth

12

“ Napagod ata siya.” Jho said on the way home. Nilingon ko saglit si Liam and saw him fast asleep. Nakahiga na ang kalahating katawan niya sa backseat at nakalaylay na ang dalawang kamay niya sa gilid niya.

“ Sobrang hyper kasi niya today eh.” sabi ko as I went back to driving.

“ According to his lola, tahimik na bata si Liam. TV, comics or lapis lang laging kaharap niya, pero the moment he and I got to know each other, nagiging active na siya. It’s as if I was his charger. Kumbaga sa phone, ako yung nagbibigay ng buhay sa kanya”

“ That’s because you let him feel the love he’s been looking for. Yung kalinga ng isang ama na never niya natikman. Kaya siguro ganun na lang yung attachment niya sayo.” she replied.

“ Alam mo feeling ko nga may chance na magagaya ni Liam mga actions mo eh.”

“ Ha? What do you mean?”

“ Kasi ang bata, kung sinong madalas na kasama niya and kung ano yung parating ginagawa mong kasama niya, nagagaya niya without him noticing it.” she explained again.

“ Ganun ba yun?”

“ Yes.” tango niya

“ Yan ang sabi sakin ni mama. Nung bata daw kase ako palagi niya akong sinasama sa school kasi wala namang magbabantay sa akin since parehas silang nagtuturo nun ni papa. Yung isang co-teacher daw ni mama. Sobrang favorite ko kasama kapag andun ako. Pagkakaalala ko, yung teacher na yun ang pinakabata at pinakabago that time. So anyway, palagi daw ako sa kanya nakikipaglaro or nakikipagkwentuhan. Then habang tumatagal, napapansin nila mama na yung mannerisms nung teacher na yun naaadapt ko na pala ng di ko namamalayan. Kaya ayun.”

“ Alam mo nangyari din yan sakin. In my case naman yung Daddy ng Mommy ni Liam, when he was still alive, yun ang madalas na nakakakwentuhan ko pag andun ako sa kanila. Kasi diba nga iniiwan ako ng parents ko nun since they both have work. Pag andun ako, kaming dalawa yung madalas na magkasama. I would tell him stories about my adventures in school. You know? Stuff like that. Then sabi ng Mommy ko nun, pag daw umuuwi ako minsan yung way ko ng paglalakad or the way I eat is like how Maddie’s dad does. Ganun pala talaga yun noh?”

“ Oo ganun nga talaga yun.” she smiled

“ Pero maiba tayo. You haven’t told me anything about yourself. Laging ako nagkukwento sayo eh.”

“ Ano bang gusto mong malaman?” tanong ko.

“ Syempre lahat ng tungkol sayo no.”aniya

“ Okay…” sabi ko as I squared my shoulders.

“ Uhm… san ba dapat magsimula? Uhm.. okay I am an only child. Well I really thought I was an only child pero I just learned 2 years ago na may mga kapatid pa pala ako”

“ What do you mean?”

“ Well… when my mom died when I was in college ay nagpaalam sakin ang daddy ko that he’ll be going back to Australia for work. My dad was based there ever since I was a baby because he was an engineer. May firm siya dun kaya dun siya talaga madalas. Umuuwi lang siya dito kapag birthday ko or ni Mom or any special events. So yun. 7 years ago, I decided to travel around the world. I guess it was out of depression dahil namatay ang Mom ko before I graduated from college. Kaya I sold our house, took all the money I have in bank and just travelled around the world. Not even knowing where to go or what to do. I told myself na as I travel, I will learn new things as an artist. I did that. Pero for a year lang. I stopped when I learned that I can’t be as great as my dad. Si Dad kasi kahit engineer siya, he still has time to paint or sketch. Alam mo yun? May passion eh. Ako kasi, wala. Though I liked sketching. I have been sketching since I was 3. Akala ko yun na yung pwede kong rason to pursue it. Akala ko I’d be a great artist too. Pero as I go on with travelling, with meeting new people, narealize ko, wala pala talaga akong direction sa buhay. I graduated as a Fine Arts student but I don’t think it is still what I want to pursue. Lalo na nung binisita ko ang Daddy sa Australia. Akala ko masusurpirse ko siya. But it was the other way around. I found out that he has another family there. His eldest has the same age as me and that he’s married to their mom as well. And you know what really sucks? It’s when the one person you really looked up to is the same person who will let you down. I was so mad. I punched him. Wala na kong paki kung Daddy ko pa siya. Wala na kong paki kung mamatay siya. He deserved every punch. Kulang pa yun for lying to me and to my Mom. Akala ko perfect na yung family namin. Everyone in my circle of friends said so. But NO. Not every family is a perfect family.”