Brave Hearts

Kabanata 13

Kabanata 13

"Nay, may tanong ako..." tawag ko sa pansin niya habang nagluluto siya.

"Hmm?" she hummed and glanced at me, ang mga gulay na ini-slice ko ay inilagay ko sa plato at sumulyap sa kanya.

"Have you ever been in love?" tanong ko.

Nakita kong nanlaki ang mata niya, isinara ang niluluto bago bumaling sa akin.

"Hmm, bakit mo naman natanong, Lia?" she asked smiling.

I shrugged, naupo ako sa upuan at tumingin sa kanya.

"I was just curious, Nay. Si ano kasi..." napatikhim ako. "Si Heart? 'Yong kaibigan ko, ano kasi...brokenhearted, first love niya kasi sana but it failed." I lied.

"Oh, may boyfriend pala si Heart?" she asked and I nodded slowly.

"Well, I've been in love." She smiled a bit at me. "Dati, he's my high school love, young love, Amalia."

I got curious, pumahalumbaba ako at nagtanong, "talaga po? What happened then? In any case...is it my father?"

I saw how a lone expression left her eyes, she sighed again and stood, shaking her head.

"Before I met your father, I met him first." Aniya. "He's just so amazing, magical, lovely, lahat ng hinahanap ng mga babae ay nasa kanya, Lia."

She opened the casserole and checked what she is cooking, "we're in love, akala ko nga kami na but then we're young and foolish."

"What...happened?" I asked, nararamdaman kasi ang lungkot sa boses niya.

"Ayaw ako ng pamilya niya because of my status," she muttered.

"Because of it lang, Nay? Dahil...wala tayong pera?" tanong ko.

"Well, anak dati kahit papaano may masasabi naman ang pamilya natin. Your Lola came from a rich family, we came from a rich one." Lumapit siya sa akin at kinuha ang mga gulay na ini-slice ko. "Ang mga magulang ni Lola mo, they wanted to marry her off in a rich family but she didn't like it because she loves your lolo so much."

That made me smile, "she fought for him?"

"Yes," ngiti niya bago naupo sa harapan ko. "Pero ang kapalit no'n, itinakwil ang Lola mo kaya nagsama sila ng Lolo mo rito sa Cagayan. May naipundar kahit papaano pero hindi na kagaya ng dati ang ngayon, nagmamahal ang mga bagay kaya mahirap kumita at muling umasenso. Pero alam mo, kahit gano'n ang naging buhay nila, they were happy because they got the love they wanted."

"That's too ideal, sana lahat ng tao kaya makakuha ng pagmamahal na pang-matagalan, Nay, ano?" I asked her softly and she nodded before sighing again.

"Well, iyong tinutukoy kong first love ko, Lia, hindi niya ako naipaglaban. Hindi namin napaglaban ang isa't-isa. We are still young that time so we tend to break apart, naghiwalay kami and I met your father."

I stopped, ngayon niya lang bubuksan ang usaping ito kaya sumulyap ako sa kanya at nakitang nakangiti siya.

"Your father's like a ball of sunshine, mabait, responsable at palagi akong pinapasaya, I thought finally there is someone who could love me for who I am and you are made, kaso nga lang. Noong pinanganak ka, he vanished...nalaman ko na lang na may ibang pamilya na."

I froze, hindi ko alam kung anong dapat sabihin, natulala lang ako at si Nanay ay ngumiti at hinaplos ang pisngi ko.

"Amalia, you see my baby, young love tends to fade away that soon because your heart's still young, indecisive and uncertain..." she smiled and I nodded, understanding her.