Reclaim The Game (COMPLETED)

Chapter 45

#RTG45 Chapter 45

Sandro didn't tell me what he and Sancho talked about. Tahimik lang silang dalawa nang matapos silang mag-usap. I wanted to ask... but I also wanted to respect Sandro's wishes. Sigurado naman ako na kung gusto niyang pag-usapan, sasabihin niya sa akin.

"Check your things. Baka may maiwan tayo," sabi ko sa kanya nang mag-ayos na kami dahil aalis na kami. We still had to go to Boracay dahil naka-schedule na iyon. I really had no idea kung paano ang kinatunguhan ng pag-uusap nila ni Sancho... If Sandro asked me to stay here for few more days para makapagbonding sila, ica-cancel ko naman iyong trip namin sa Boracay... But he was mum about it.

I watched as he checked the bed and the surroundings. Tahimik lang niyang kinuha iyong bag. He was awfully quiet habang naka-sakay kami sa bus pabalik hanggang sa maka-balik kami sa Manila.

"Do you still want to go to Boracay?" I asked him nang maka-balik kami sa hotel. He nodded. "You sure? You're too quiet."

"Just tired, Mom," sabi niya sabay higa sa kama.

That was partially true... We've been travelling nonstop mula Seattle to Manila to Isabela... tapos ngayon papunta naman sa Boracay. But I also knew that his silence wasn't about that.

"Okay," I replied. "If you wanna talk—"

Bigla siyang naupo sa kama. "He told me everything."

My face remained passive. I didn't know what he meant by everything. Maraming nangyari kay Sancho... Sinabi niya ba lahat kay Sandro? Did he understand it all? Kasi kahit matalino siya, he's still too young to process all that.

"Everything?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"I don't know," sabi niya sabay binagsak ulit ang katawan sa kama. "It's a lot for my young mind."

Napa-awang ang labi ko sa narinig ko mula sa kanya. Itong batang 'to talaga! Inabot ko iyong unan at hinagis sa kanya.

"Be serious," sabi ko.

"I'm serious... I listened, Mom. I really did. But it's... too confusing," sabi niya.

Ilang segundo akong naging tahimik. Naiintindihan ko siya. Everything was just too confusing. And complicated. I couldn't even begin to think how a single act could trigger a chain of even like that.

The ripple effect.

One fucking kiss...

And all those happened.

"What did you tell him?"

Muling naupo si Sandro. He crossed his legs and faced me. He really looked like his dad. Kamukhang-kamukha niya talaga. Kaugali niya nga rin. Parang ako lang talaga ang nagdala sa kanya.

"Nothing," he replied.

"Nothing?"

He nodded. "I had nothing good to say... And I remembered all the times my classmates told me nasty things. I didn't want to do that to him."

Hindi ako maka-sagot sa mga salitang lumabas sa bibig niya. He's just... really too mature for his age. I felt a swelling feeling of pride inside me. I raised that kid. I raised him with empathy.

"Should I have told him something, Mom?"

"Not if you're not ready."

"I mean I think I'm still mad at him for being absent all my life... But I also listened to his explanation and apology..." sabi niya at bigla siyang yumakap sa akin. "I wanna go back already..."