“What have I done to you that made you want to destroy my life?”
Iya Vellit remained still. My mother grabbed the pile of clothes and rushed out. I followed. The crowd parted to make way for us. Nanay ran to our house, and I did the same. She went inside her bedroom and cried and cried. Whatever feelings that she had hidden inside, carefully controlled throughout the years, bubbled up and fell as tears. I went to my room and sat on my bed. I could not bear to hear my mother cry. How I wished Tatay were here. He would know what to do. Or Mrs. Abellana. She knew how to make my mother laugh. I wanted to ask her to come, but instead of going to Rhuel’s house, I laid on my bed stricken with guilt. “If only I did not brag about being a man. If only I did not challenge Noli. If only I did not go
