Covered By My Own Umbrella

At The Dining Table

"You again? What are you doing here?" I asked aloud.

"Me? I'm here because I'm the person you expected to see. I'm Jax, and it's nice to meet you again, Harry Styles' fanny girl," he replied arrogantly.

"Huh? No way! Are you saying that you're Jax?" I was taken aback and clarified again.

"Yes I am, fanny girl," Jax said, sounding like he was teasing me.

"Oh, Eliah, do you know who my son is?" Aunt Cristina interrupts the conversation, feeling confused.

"Yes aunt, I met him in a clothing store in the airport earlier," I responded in a respectful manner.

"Oww, you're Eliah. It suits your name to you," while roaming his eyes in the living room, Jax uttered.

"Okay, but it appears that your first meeting did not go well. Eliah was so surprised that she even pointed her fork at you, my son," uncle Richard said while tapping Jax' left shoulder.

"Welcome to your grandma's house, son!" Uncle Richard greeted him warmly.

"But in any case, Eliah, I want to introduce him to you formally. This is Jax. He's my stepson, but he's my real son at heart," uncle Richard spoke up again.

Uncle Richard introduced me to his son, Jax. We shake hands, and I grip his hand tightly, symbolizing the rage I still feel toward him for duping me and buying the jacket I found first at the clothing store.

"Hello, Eliah! It's great to see you again! I'm looking forward to our happy bonding!" Jax said while shaking my hands.

"Oh, I think it's your first time holding a beautiful hand, you grip so tightly knowing I'm a true dapper," Jax stated that he was attempting to increase my hatred for him.

"Yes, this is my first time. It's as smooth and lovely as a woman's hand. It's so lovely that I want to chop and burn it," I said as I quickly held out his hand.

I returned to the table as uncle Richard introduced Jax to grandma, uncle Criz, uncle Charles, aunt Joce, mom, my brother Gabby, and my cousins.

Afterwards, aunt Joce invites Jax to join to eat with us.

"Jax, have you had your breakfast? Come join us here," aunt Joce said, being as welcoming as she always is.

"Thank you, aunt!" Jax responded while also pondering where he could put his backpack.

"Jax, just put your backpack here so you can eat comfortably," uncle Charles suggested.

"OK, thanks, uncle?" Jax replied that he didn't know who uncle Charles was.

"It's Charles, Just call me uncle Charles," uncle Charles introduced himself cheerfully.

At the dining table, we continue to converse and eat. I sat in the far left corner of the table, next to Cathy and aunt Cristina. Jax, who is sitting beside uncle Richard, is the person in front of me.

"Eliah hasn't told us that she met you earlier in the airport," mom said, initiating the conversation.

"It could be because she has no idea who Jax is. Right, sis?" Gabby responded.

"Yes, I don't know him, mom, and it's also my first time meeting him. I haven't seen him in pictures, either," I added to support Gabby's response to Mom's question.

"Okay, but how did you meet each other? I thought you just stayed in the van while we were picking up your uncle and his family?" mom directly asked me.

"That time, mom, I decided to go inside the airport and get something to eat, when I suddenly passed by a clothing store near the departure lounge. I went in and decided to buy the jacket that I accidentally saw through the store's glass windows, But when I was about to grab it and check it out, I was shocked when a guy tried to snatch it from me. And it was him, Jax. To be honest, aunt Cristina, he stole the jacket that I was about to buy," I went on to explain.

"He even boasted to me about his money, saying he would just pay me double the price of the jacket, but when I refused, he tricked me into thinking Harry Styles passed by the store, so I ran out, and when I returned, he had already checked out the jacket that was the last piece of the store," I added.

"Excuse me, but it's not my fault that you leave the jacket behind. Someone took it because you left. I'm a customer as well, and you're not the only one who likes that jacket," Jax contested.

"Huh? Do you think I'd leave it if you hadn't mentioned Harry Styles passing by the store?" I argued, looking so annoyed.

"You, not I, made the decision to leave the jacket behind. You were the one who fell into the trap. You can choose not to believe what I've said, but why did you?" Jax suddenly stood up, justifying his action.

(Moment of silence)

"Stop it right now, guys! It's only a jacket. I'll just give you another jacket, Jax, and you can give the jacket you're saying to Eliah," uncle Richard cut us off in our argument.

"Eliah, kindly accept my apologies for Jax' behavior. I think he was just tired that time, which is why he stole the jacket you were going to buy. I sincerely apologize," aunt Cristina said, trying to subside my anger.

"No, Cristina. You don't need to apologize. Eliah was the one who blundered. Jax is right that Eliah had the option of not believing Jax, but why did she believe him? So, Eliah, please say your sorry to Jax," mom ordered me.

I don't have a choice but to obey. They are all staring at me, waiting for me to apologize. Even though I didn't want to do it because I'm not really feeling sorry, I did it anyway.

"I'm sorry Jax, I was the one who was at fault. Sorry if I made it look as if you made the mistake," I said this, feeling hurt inside.

"Okay, the problem was finally settled. Let's go to the living room now and unpack the balik-bayan boxes. I guess you would love my gifts to all of you," uncle Richard kindly invited us.

"Ma, I've bought you the platinum karaoke you've been wanting for so long; come here and look at it," uncle Richard drew Grandma's attention.

"Gabby and Leigh, these are the basketball shoes I mentioned earlier; get them here now," uncle Richard said, cutting the tape that was attached to the box.

While he invited everyone to help him unpack, I secretly went outside to stroll and wander for a while. I just kept walking until I found a playground with no kids playing and no people walking. I went there and decided to ride in the swing and push it by myself slowly.

As I continue to push myself in the swing, someone behind me pulls the galvanized chain, attempting to prevent the swing from moving. I was surprised to see Abed as I looked around. He smiled at me before he went in front of me and kneel.

"Why are you here alone?" He asked me directly.

I stared at him for a few seconds before responding with a hug. I hugged him as my eyes welled up with tears. I feel like I need to cry my heart out in order for it not to burst when it gets too full.

"Thank you for coming here!" I uttered, sobbing.

Abed hugged me back and comforted me. He didn't ask any further questions. He's just trying so hard to comfort me.

"It's okay to cry. There's nothing wrong with it; it's a symbol of strength rather than weakness. A strength that drives you to admit that you, as a person, are not immune to misery. So you can cry all you want," Abed comforted me with his words.

While hugging him, I sobbed for several minutes. Until the pain I've been feeling subsides. Abed sat beside me on the swing and waited for me to say something.

"Oh, why didn't you ask anything?" I asked him a question.

"I just don't want to force you to say something if you don't want to. It's fine with me if you don't want to tell me what happened. What matters to me is that I was able to make you feel better after I consoled you," Abed said genuinely while pushing his swing by himself.

"Thank you for being here, Abed; I appreciate your concern for me. Despite the fact that we haven't seen each other in years. You haven't changed at all. You're still my best friend I used to know," I told him sincerely.

"By the way, uncle Richard and his family have already arrived. When you have time, go to the house; grandma and uncle are expecting you. He will, without a doubt, now give you the acoustic guitar you've been wishing for him," I smiled as I said it.

"Really?" Abed asked again.

"Yes. Abed, can I ask you something?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Sure, what exactly is it?" Abed responded.

"How do your parents show you their love?" I asked him, wanting to carefully listen to every word he would say.

"I think whenever they support me in every decision I make for myself and always protect me from those who wanted to hurt me," Abed replied, trying to recall memories with his mother and father.

"I remember how supportive my father was when I decided not to take the exchange student examination last year because the exam day coincided with my team's Inter-school basketball competition. I anticipated him to show up at school and drag me out of the game to take the exam, but he didn't. He simply went to school with my mom to show their support to me. I know that they loved me so much because they didn't resent me for choosing my team over my exchange student exam," Abed narrated.

"Oh, how I wish my mother was like them," I remarked, feeling envious.

"Wait, I want to ask you as well," Abed said abruptly.

"That answer, I believe, is one of the reasons you cried. Is there something that your mom did again that made you cry?" Abed spoke up again, clearly interested in what I am about to tell him.

"Hays, you truly are my best friend! You are, indeed," I said, smiling.

"So, what exactly is it? I already answered your question. To be fair, you can answer my question too," Abed stated, swinging himself.

"And now you're compelling me to spill the tea?" I retorted, jokingly.

"Lol, but yes!" Abed said, laughing.

(Moments of silence)

"Unlike your parents, who love you in the same way that you love them. You were already aware that mine is different. Mom and I have a one-sided love, in most sense. I grew up thinking that if I could only feel one unconditional love on this planet, it would be the unconditional love I could receive from my mom. But what exactly have I been feeling? I have a mom, but I don't feel her love for me. It appears that she has been pushing me away from her umbrella, preferring that I be covered only by my own," I told my story, my tears falling down my cheeks.

Abed rushes over to me, removes my spectacles, and wipes my tears away with his hands.

"Eliah, don't cry. I know your mom will realize how precious you are to her one day, so stop crying now because you're ugly when you're crying," Abed said, trying to make me laugh.

"Jeez, I'm being serious Abed!" I uttered, laughing too.

"Yes, me too. Always remember that you are worthy to be loved whoever you are," Abed assured me.

“Sus, but you know what, let's go home now, I know mom and Cathy are already looking for me,” I said as I stood up and invited Abed to join me.

“That’s right; let go!” he second that motion

While we were leaving the park, we decided to walk home rather than ride. For us, we enjoy the quality of time spent when we try to walk. But, when he saw me being scorched by the sun, he immediately took out his umbrella from his backpack and covered me.

“Eliah, stay close to me, the umbrella is too small for us two,” Abed explained.

“No problem, you're the one who needs the umbrella, especially since you still have to go to school. You'd sweat if you soaked in the sun,” I said, refusing to his offer

“Don’t worry about me,” He said when he eventually grabbed me so close to him.

“You're so stubborn, just stay close to me. Okay?” He spoke to me while looking at me.

“Of course,” I said as I quickly averted my gaze from him.

We walked for more than five minutes, and when we arrived at our house, Abed didn't bother to greet my family.

“So, I'm off to school now,” Abed explained as he folded the umbrella.

“Wait, don't you want to say hello to Grandma and Uncle first?” I inquired.

“Not right now because I'll be late for my first class if I do, but I'll come here after I finish my basketball practice,” he said quickly.

“All right, bye, enter your house now, it's hot outside,” he said as he walked away from me to go to school.

“Bye for now, take care!” I exclaimed joyfully.