Chapter 5-Secrets
1851 Words
[Akina Dein Archangel]
I crumpled the post-it note I was holding. I don't remember myself writing those.
At kahit naman hindi ko mabasa 'yon ay lalayo pa rin ako sa guy na 'yon…kahit professor ko pa siya sa Theater class.
That day went well dahil hindi ko na ulit nakita si Sir Bryan. Aica and I decided to go to the nearest mall to buy make-ups. Paubos na kasi 'yong akin and si Aica naman ay gusto ng bago.
"Wait, si Miggy!" Aica ran to Miggy when she saw him with his guy friends. Mga teammates niya sa swimming team.
Miggy immediately looked away from my eyes when he saw me, making me squint my eyes a little.
Galit pa ba siya tungkol sa kanina? He's overreacting na naman.
"Come with us, Miggy! Pupunta kami ng mall and bibili kami ng make-up!" sabi ni Aica nang makalapit siya kanila Miggy. I just stood near the gate, waiting for them.
"M-May pupuntahan pa kami nila Sandy!" Miggy tried to refuse. "Saka girly things lang naman ang mga bibilhin n'yo, eh! Ba't kasama pa 'ko?!"
"Wait, tumatanggi ka ba?!" Aica dramatically held her chest before looking back at me. "Akina, look! Hindi raw siya sasama! First time niyang ginawa 'to!"
I sighed lazily and just shrugged my shoulders. I know naman na nagtatampo pa siya kaya it's okay if hindi muna siya sasama sa amin. But Aica was right. This is the first time na hindi siya sasama sa gala namin.
"Anong magagawa ko eh may lakad nga kami nila Sandy!" Miggy reasoned out.
"Actually, wala kaming lakad ngayon ni Miggy. Pabebe lang 'yan," Sandy barged in, laughing. Miggy gave him a glare.
"May lakad tayo! Pupunta tayo sa…" He gave me a glance but he immediately looked away. "Pupunta tayo sa girlfriend ko! Ipapakilala ko kayong mga tropa ko! Tara na!"
"What?!" Aica couldn't believe what he had said. "You have a girlfriend now and wala kaming kaalam-alam?!"
I scoffed upon hearing those from Miggy. I slowly realized that things might change as we grow up. Each of us could hide a secret that even the closest person in your life doesn't trust you enough to let you know about their personal lives.
"A-Ano naman kung hindi n'yo alam ni Akina? Si Mom and Dad nga hindi alam, eh. Saka sa pogi kong 'to wala akong girlfriend?"
"You said no secrets." Aica's face became serious. "You don't trust your childhood bestfriends?"
Miggy looked at me but I looked away this time. My heart felt sinking, knowing that Miggy is gradually changing. The thought scared me. I was so used to him and Aica being with my side. I couldn't imagine my life without them, but he was slowly slipping away from us.
"S-Sorry. Saka na lang tayo mag-usap." His voice raised, which he purposely did to let me hear what he said.
He grabbed the arms of his friends as they walked away while Aica was left there stunned. When she looked back at me, her eyes were already bloodshot.
"Ang unfair niya! Bakit hindi niya sinabi sa atin na may girlfriend na siya?! Ang unfair!" Aica started to cry while we were on our way to the mall. Sumabay na siya sa sundo ko since wala naman 'yong driver niya.
"All of us could hide a secret. Maybe he wants to keep it private." I sighed while checking the unread messages on my phone.
"Pero dapat sinabi niya sa atin! I feel like hindi na siya 'yong dati nating friend! Nag-iba na siya!"
"Change is inevitable. Nangyayari talaga 'yon to the people we love."
"Wait, bakit parang makapagsalita ka ay alam mo ang dahilan kung bakit siya nagkagano'n?"
I shrugged. "I actually don't know pero 'yong pag-iwas niya sa atin…I guess he was still mad at me for kissing the man I just met last night. You know naman that Miggy is so overprotective pagdating sa atin—"
"What?! You kissed a man last night?! Sa party mo pa?!" She started pulling my hair kaya hindi ko na nabasa ang mga messages na pinadala ni Mommy.
"Yes, but I was drunk so I didn't know what I was doing."
"Who's the lucky guy na nakakuha ng first kiss mo?! OMG ka! Masarap?!"
"How would I know? Lasing nga ako last night saka wala nga ako maalala. And the guy was the man I recently hated."
"Si Sir Bryan?! OMG ka! Ang swerte mo! Gosh!" She suddenly forgot about Miggy and started to tease me by pulling my hair. "Why?! Paano nangyari?!"
"I don't know!" I rolled my eyes. "But he said we should forget about what happened kasi nga prof natin siya. He's right naman."
She giggled. "OMG…kung hindi lang sana natin siya professor…you guys are bagay!"
"Excuse me! I don't like old men! Duh!"
"But you like kissing them!" she teased.
"You shut up. Baka isumbong pa ako ng driver ko kay Mom and Dad. Lagot ka sa 'kin."
She screamed silently, kinikilig. I just shook my head and continued to read the messages from my mom. The last one scared the hell out of me that I had to bite my fingernails.
From: Mommy
Honey, this is your dad. I have something important to tell you. Your mom is here at your university's hospital.
"O-Oh my God!" I covered my mouth as I started to catch my breath. My chest became heavy. "M-My mom…"
"Why? What happened?" Aica's voice became concerned. "Si Tita Akira?"
Hot tears streamed down my face. "K-Kuya…" I called the driver. "Let's go back to our school. My mom's there."
"Okay po, Ma'am."
I couldn't even talk properly kaya hindi ko masabi nang maayos kay Aica kung anong nangyari. My whole body was shaking and my mind was thinking of so many scenarios of what happened to my mom.
Kung kailan naman kami nagmamadali ay saka naman nasiraan ang kotseng sinasakyan namin.
"What's happening?! Bakit hindi mo maayos, kuya?!" I started pulling my hair out of frustration while watching my driver fix the car. Aica tried to calm me down but I was so scared.
"Tita Akira is okay. Calm down."
"How could I?! Nasa hospital ang mom ko! Kuya, please! Bilisan mo naman!" I sobbed hard.
My mind was in a mess that I didn't notice a black car stopped beside us. The shotgun seat's window opened and I saw Sir Bryan.
"Do you need help?" he asked me, staring at me while I'm biting my fingernails.
"Sir Bryan!" Aica sounded hopeful. "OMG! Buti dumating ka! Nasiraan kasi kami and we need to go back to school! Nando'n kasi si Tita Akira sa hospital!"
He was stunned the moment he heard the name of my mom pero nakabawi naman kaagad siya.
"Sumakay na kayo. Ihahatid ko na kayo," sabi niya.
I don't have time to complain dahil si Mommy ang mas iniisip ko. Umupo ako sa shotgun seat at sa likod naman si Aica.
"Calm down. Your mom's okay. She's strong." He tried to calm me down while he was already driving. Mabilis pero maingat ang pagpapatakbo niya.
"Don't tell me to calm down," I told him.
"Miss Archangel—"
"And don't ask me to treat you as my professor. Wala tayo sa school ngayon."
"Akina…" Aica tried to stop me.
"Her paintings appear to be dark and lonely. I'm not sure what she's been through, but I'm sure she's not happy. I've never seen her paintings in color…even when I was a kid." I looked at him and I saw how the grip on his hands tightened while holding the steering wheel. "You don't know anything about her."
"I know…" he said, almost a whisper.
Hindi ko alam kung anong ibig niyang sabihin doon pero nararamdaman ko na affected siya dahil kay Mom. But whatever it is, I don't really care.
Nang makarating kami sa university hospital ay hinanap ko kaagad ang private room ni Mommy. Aica followed me and Sir Bryan insisted on going with me.
"Mom!" I hugged her tightly when I saw her lying down on the hospital bed. Dad was beside her. "What happened? Bakit ka nandito?"
Her pale lips curved into a smile. "Did I make you worry, honey?"
"Mom naman, eh!" I cried on her chest. "Just tell me the truth! Bakit ka na-ospital?!"
I looked at my dad when she didn't answer me. He just looked down, refusing to answer.
Naramdaman ko na pumasok si Aica at Sir Bryan at nakita ko ang gulat sa mga mata ni Mom habang nakatingin siya sa likod ko.
"B-Bryan…" she muttered.
With my mouth parted a bit, I turned my head to Sir Bryan. He was staring at my mom with concern in his eyes.
"Do you know each other?" I asked both of them with my brows furrowed. Ang alam ko lang ay si Dad lang ang kilala ni Sir Bryan.
Dad faked a cough and went to Sir Bryan. I almost forgot that they're friends.
"How did you know?" Dad asked him.
"It was a coincidence. Nakita ko kasi na nasiraan ng kotse sila Akina kaya hinatid ko sila rito. What happened to her…if you don't mind me asking?"
Dad remained silent which made me annoyed.
"Dad, please! Just tell me! Tell us what's happening!" I started crying. "Pinapunta n'yo ko rito para manghula? Please, this isn't a guessing game!"
"Honey, don't cry…please," my mom begged.
"Paano ako titigil, Mom? You're not telling the truth to me. Bakit feeling ko may hindi ako alam? May sakit ka ba?"
She smiled sadly which made my heart become heavier.
"M-Mom…"
"I-I have cancer, anak. I-I'm sorry…"
I was stunned for a moment. Aica and my mom started crying while my mind couldn't accept what I heard.
Cancer? She has cancer? How? Why? Bakit siya?
"Y-You're lying…" My tears couldn't stop from falling. "You're lying, Mom…"
She shook her head. "I'm not lying, honey. I was diagnosed with Leukemia six months ago—"
"And you didn't bother telling me?!" I was furious. "How could you hide it from me, Mom?! I'm your daughter! Why are you all hiding secrets from me?! Miggy and then you and Dad! How could you do this to me?!"
"Akina, just calm down…" Dad tried to hold my arm but I took a step back.
"My mom is dying and I didn't have an idea! Nagmukha akong tanga, Dad! I even celebrated my debut last night without knowing her condition! Dad naman!"
"Akina, please…" He tried to hold me again but I refused.
"N-No! This is not happening!" I shook my head over and over again, hoping that this was just a nightmare. "This is not happening! She's not—"
"Akina…" I felt a warm hand touch my arm from the back. It was Sir Bryan. "I know you're hurting but you should think about their feelings too. Nasasaktan din sila katulad mo at hindi 'to madali."
With my blurry vision, I turned my head to look at his face. As my eyes met his, my heart's raging storm suddenly subsided.
- Writer
