PORTION 52

Petot's POV

"I met her!"

"Tita?"

"Zack's mom?"

We looked at each other because of what we had said.

"She's your Tita?" Kuya asked Sam.

"You met her?" Sam asked me.

"Kuya, Zack's mom?" I'm asking Kuya, "Well, oo nga naman. Kapatid niya si Al e."

And at the same time, we asked each other.

"Wait! Tj and Petot, kilala niyo siya?" Sam was the first one who asked now.

"She's the girl that I met at your building." And pointed out the picture(now). "Al's Mom."

The girl and her daughter that I met were the ones who hugged me.

"I saw a picture of her; on her hands, there's Zack when he's a baby" As Kuya pointed to the picture (then), and pointed to the second picture (now) "And I already met her in person. Zack's Mom together with Professor Smith.

"She's my Tita. I don't know anything about her except for being Tito's wife, furthermore, she's in the UK the whole time but now she's here and I don't know why," Sam explained.

Sam sat down beside us, "Wait, I'll write it down."

Sam started to write something.

Kinulbit ko si Kuya, "Kuya, If I'm not mistaken. I asked you before about how come that Zack is a Coates, while Al is a Smith but they are siblings, right?"

"Yeah, right!" Kuya agreed.

"We used to play before. The three of us, Ate Eyey, Zack, and me. Dati parehas pa ang surname nila na Coates, pero parang ngayon, si Ate Eyey ay isang Smith na," Sam adding more information.

"Al said before, 9 years after living there, in the UK, saka niya na meet si Ate Eyey. Seems like they get along and change that surname for her," I added.

Kuya crossed his arms, "I don't know how to explain this, but as of now, I think Zack and his mom are not doing great." And more information from Kuya.

Bakit parang masama ang kutob ko rito?

I started to think about what happened that day.

Flashback...

"How old are you?" They keep saying the same.

"19?"

.

"Mom! You're 20 years or should I say, more than 20 years there in the UK. Imposible 'yun!" Ash protested.

End of Flashback...

20 years? ... but I was 19?

I suddenly remembered what Al's Mom said to me that I really looked like her, but who was she?

I frowned, "Wait, what if nakilala nitong Tita mo na Mom ni Zack ako kasi ganito rin ang itsura ni Mama before?"

And after saying that, I immediately had goosebumps. Sh•t!

Sometimes, It's hard to recognize the face of a mother to her son but if you're a girl, I think you can easily recognize it especially when you used to see her often.

I'm looking at them right now, I think I make them startled. . . . but after a few minutes, Sam started to do something on her laptop.

"Sam, what are you doing?" Tanong ni Kuya.

Sam didn't say anything and still doing this, it seems like she's—

"Here!" Sam shouted and pointed at the projector.

Looking for something.

"F•ck!" Kuya and I shouted.

"That's Tita back then!" Sam showed us a picture of our Mama on the projector. I don't know but I stood up and started to walk, then stopped beside my Mama's picture.

"You two look alike!" Sam and Kuya agreed, and spoke at the same time.

Sam stood up, nagsimula na siyang mag pira-piraso ng papel na sinulatan niya kanina lang.

"She must be the Ally that we all wanted to know; Allysa Jeanne Mae Coates-Smith. . . . but we will never know not unless you talk to Tita and confront her. Pati na rin yung nangyari kay Tito, 10 years ago."

Napatingin ako kay Kuya, "What do you think, Kuya?"

"Sam has point. Hindi lahat mananatiling nakatago," Kuya answered.

Sam smiled, "I know you're concerned because you love Tita, maiintindihan niya rin ang pinupunto niyo. You both have the right to know that, but of course, the decision is yours. Labas ako sa inyo, or I think mas mabuting lumabas na nga ako rito ng makapag-decide kayo. Take your time!" Sam dIdn't even think twice, she went out immediately after her sentence.

"Kuya . . ."

Kuya immediately walked towards me and then hug me, "Kung meron mang nangyari kay Mama, haharapin natin 'yon. We're one, we're family."

10 pm when we decide to go home, and meet our Mama.

Kakapasok ko lang ng bahay ng makita ko si Mama na nainom ng kape, "`Ma, bakit hindi ka pa natutulog?"

"Hindi ako makatulog," Mama answered and then take a sip of her coffee.

Hindi nga 'to makakatulog! Nagka-kape pa, eh.

Kuya grabbed my arms and pulled me away from Mama, "Do you think it's the right time, Petot?"

"I don't know."

"Well, there's no wrong time for the right person. . . . but if there's a wrong time, we must make it right. Now, get the book!" he proudly said that to me.

We're going to make it right to be alright!

Sinunod ko yung sinabi ni Kuya, kinuha ko yung libro nung kasal nila Mama at Papa. We decided to start there.

Kuya and I sat down beside our Mama. Kuya's on the right side and I'm here on the left side.

"`Ma, paano kayo nagkakilala ni Papa?" And then I put the book of their wedding in front of her, on her lap.

Mama's POV

(Petot and Tj's Mama)

"Ma, paano kayo nagkakilala ni Papa?" And then put the book of our wedding in my lap.

I smiled, "Mga anak ko nga kayo, matatalino kayo eh. . . . but I'm smarter."

Flashback...

"Inay, malapit na ulit."

I'm here in my Inay's room.

Inay hug me, "Ikaw eh huwag matakot. Ilang beses kong sinabe sa iyo na sabihin mo eyang dinadala mo sa iyong mga anak, ika'y ga'y nakinig sa akin? Edi ga'y hinde? Edi ayan lalo ka tuloy nasasaktan."

Mas napayakap ako ng mahigpit, "Eh, baka kamuhian nila ako."

"Ey baket?! Eh, kukuritin ko sa singit ang dalawang iyon kapag ginawa nila iyon!"

"Inay naman, eh!"

It's just the two of us here. Petot, Tj and their friends are at Peryahan and I know, late silang makakauwi.

Umalis ng yakap si Inay, "Pinatatawa lang kita, ika'y sadya namang seryoso eh! Ika'y makinig sa akin. . . . Dalaga't binata na ang mga anak mo, panigurado'y maiintindihan ka nila at saka wala namang may gusto nun, eh! Maniwala ka sa akin, darating din ang araw na malalaman nila ang lahat. Mangyari nga lamang na sana ikaw na mismo ang magsabi at alam kong maiintindihan ka nila, basta sabihen mo ang tutuo!"

Ang payo ng Inay sa akin.

End of Flashback...

"Alam kong darating din ang araw na makakapagsabi ako sa inyo, and I want that day to be today." After saying those words, I hugged them. "Sorry for saying it late, hope you understand my situation."

"No, Ma, it's okay," Petot said.

"And Ma, everything will be okay," Tj added.

It is such a blessing to have them in my life!

Umalis na kami ng pagka kayakap, nagkanya-kanya kaming pahid ng luha.

I need to say everything now.

"Before that, I met Ally way back when I'm 18. We're going to the same school, then we became best friends just like you and Sam." And pinch Petot's nose, "And I figured out that she has a boyfriend. Isang Smith ang boyfriend niya. Sa school namin dati kapag sinabi mong Smith, mababait, the school know that. So nung nalaman ko na ang manliligaw mo ay isang Smith, it's like a relief to me, mabait sila at hindi ako binigo ni Al."

She already has a Smith, Samantha Melanie Smith, and now she's having more. . . . but should I say that he threatened me? No, Zake and Al are two different people.

I saw a big smile from Petot's Face, so I smile too.

"And after that, I met your Papa. Ally introduced him to me, they are best friends, actually. Naging manliligaw ko siya at ilang buwan nakalipas naging kami. Years and years passed, long-time boyfriend ni Ally yun but they broke up because Zake's parents wanted him to study abroad, pero kami ng Papa mo, going strong."

They are looking at me, smiling like there's no tomorrow. They stayed quiet while I'm talking.

"We decided to get married. And at the age of 25, we're married. Kaming dalawa ng Papa mo tuloy ang trabaho, habang si Ally, gusto niya kasing mag doctor kaya mga 10 years pa siya," I continued.

I could see how Petot frowned, sumingit siya at saka nagtanong sa akin.

"Ma, if that's the case, how come na binabangungunot kayo kada katapusan ng buwan na 'to? Kasi sa inyo na nanggaling, you're in terms."

"And where's Ally now, Ma?" dagdag pa na tanong ni Tj.

After hearing them, especially Ally's name, I tried to smile but I knew there were tears in my eyes that it could fall at any time.

As I expected, magtatanong sila ng ganito.

"Dumating yung punto na nagkayayaan mag-gathering kaming magkakatrabaho. I asked them if I could bring a friend, kasi simula nung nag trabaho ako ay nawalan ako ng time sa kanya, and they replied me na it's okay so i invited Ally—" I stopped because I started to cry. Napayuko na lang ako sabay hagulgul, "K-kung sana hi-hindi na lang ako nag-imbita pa . . ."

They hugged me, "Ma, can you tell us?"

I'm not looking at them but I know it's Tj who asked.

"Pinagnanasaan na pala nila ako nun. They invited me to get drunk so they could accomplish their plan against me, even though I didn't do anything." At saka tuluyang humagulgul ng sobrang lakas.

"Ma, don't tell me that someone raped you?"