Here, Here In My Heart

Chapter 5 - Weva Cartera (Tita Pretty)

WEVZ CLEARED her mouth first before talking. "Five years ago we migrated to Canada. This is because I got into an accident which caused me to be in a coma for 3 months."

Wevz heard Mrs. Fontanilla gasped as she started sharing her life story.

"The moment I woke up, I didn't even remember my name." She smiled sadly as she remembered that day.

"It's okay, hija. I understand if you don’t want to continue anymore." Mrs. Fontanilla said. She was so understanding.

She smiled. "It’s okay Auntie, I want to share it with you anyway. You welcomed me to your house wholeheartedly. I think it’s just fair to share my life story with you."

Mrs. Fontanilla nodded and smiled at her. Part of her wants to share her life story while Syke is there and listening. Though he is kinda pretending to be busy with his food. Wevz simply took a glance at him and he saw him change his facial expression as she continuously shared some part of her life story.

Maybe she just wants him to realize that he is not the only one who has experienced difficult things in life.

"I don’t even know my parents. They said I was 24 back then. Till now I can’t remember anything about my life then. The only thing that I remembered was when I woke up from the comma. All the things I know right now regarding my life before that were just all based on the story of my parents."

"That must be very difficult."

She was surprised when she heard Syke say that. Then their eyes met.

"Yeah it is, but I'm trying to cope." She replied to him and smiled.

Then she saw him just shrug his shoulders and continued with his food.

"My mom and dad are both surgeons. However, according to them, I am not in the medical field because I am happy with painting.

The funny thing is, I didn't even know how to handle a paintbrush properly when I woke up. But, yeah, I graduated from a university with a degree in Fine Arts."

"It must be a terrible accident considering that you even lost your passion for the arts." That was Mrs. Fontanilla.

"Yeah, a terrible car accident." She said and she saw Syke look at her a little bit surprised.

"Car accident? 5 years ago?" He asked.

It seems that he suddenly became interested in her life.

She nodded and smiled. "Yeah, my parents said we are from Iloilo but I don't even know how to speak our dialect—"

Wevz was not able to finish what she was trying to say when they heard the sound of Syke’s spoon and fork dropping onto his plate. And shock was an understatement to describe his reaction as he was looking at her.

Did she say something wrong?

"I've been to Iloilo. If you don't mind, what is your family name, hija?" Mrs. Fontanilla asked, which caught her attention.

“Family of Cartera, Auntie.” She replied politely.

"How are you related to Ben and Julie Cartera?"

Wevz eyes widened upon hearing that question from Mrs. Fontanilla. "You know my parents, Auntie?"

"Oh! What a small world! I don’t know if your parents still remember me, hija. They used to volunteer for lots of medical missions then. And about how many times I’ve worked with them because I used to organize medical missions back then. I did not forget them because they are really good at their field and they really have a good heart, hija.” Mrs. Fontanilla shared happily.

Wevz can’t believe it either! What a small world indeed!

“Really, Auntie? I was really amazed!”

“Yes, hija. And I remembered that they told me about you as well during that time. They told me that they have a daughter but she is not in the medical field. And I am just glad that I am with their daughter right now.”

“Thank you so much, Auntie. I will tell them about you and I’m sure they can still remember you.” Wevz said, and then her head turned in Syke’s direction as she saw him stand up.

“Excuse me. I’m done.” He said without even waiting for their answers and left.

Then she saw Lily take the twins as well, because they had finished eating as well.

“Don’t mind my son, hija. Maybe he just remembered his late wife. Five years had passed when she met with an accident. It was a car accident in Iloilo as well.” Mrs. Fontanilla explained.

She was surprised by that fact as well. Maybe that was the reason why Syke’s reaction was like that. Little did she know that while she was sharing her life story with them, Syke was remembering what happened to his late wife. And she knew that that was not easy at all. Then suddenly it seemed like something touched her heart.

After that, Mrs. Fontanilla encourages them to enjoy their meal. And then this time she was the one who shared some stories about their medical missions together with her parents.

"CAN WE CALL you Tita pretty from now on?"

Wevz chuckled when she heard that from Enzo.

She was currently inside the room of the twins. She told Lily to rest and she would take care of the kids.

After their meal, Gia told her that she would be in Syke’s office because they needed to discuss some important things. While Mrs. Fontanilla said that she wanted to rest early today because she got tired from her activity the whole day.

Wevz decided to help the twins with their homework. It was easy for her to guide them. And as promised, she shared some snow stories in Canada after they finished their homework.

She can see the happiness in both Thea and Enzo’s face and it seems that they don’t want to stay away from her anymore. The twins have their own bed. There is a big and soft sofa as well inside their room and they are there as of this moment. She was sitting in the middle of the sofa while the two kids' heads were on her lap. She was gently touching their foreheads and that really brought joy in her heart.

"You can call me Tita Wevz or Tita." She said while smiling.

"Tita pretty is much better," Said Thea.

She chuckled again upon hearing Thea.

"Tita pretty?" That was Enzo.

"Hmmm?"

"What is it like to have a mother?"

She suddenly looked at him. That was actually an innocent question coming from a kid like him. Both twins' eyes are closed. Her heart went out to those two kids. If she did the math, the twins would not be able to feel the presence of a mother because they were too young then.

She was caught off guard. She does not want to talk about how happy having a mother is because she knows that it will just make their longing for motherly care heightened.

"Dad said our mom is in heaven already," Thea said while her eyes were still closed.

"Sorry if we are asking you, Dad may not tell us but we know that he does not want to talk about Mom." Said Enzo.

Wherever their mother is right now, Wevz knew that she was so proud of these two. At five years old, they are very smart.

"He even removed all mom's pictures from this house," Thea said. "But it's okay, Mamu said that we just have to pray that Dad will find another woman who will love us as well." She added.

She smiled upon hearing that. Mamu is what they call Mrs. Fontanilla.

"You are lucky actually. Even though your mom is already in heaven, I'm sure she is watching over you every day."

"Like a guardian angel?" Thea opened her eyes and looked at her with her eyes sparkling.

She smiled sweetly. "Yes, like an angel. And besides, you have Mamu, you have Big Sister Lily, Auntie Gia, and your Dad, who are always there for you."

Wevz wanted the twins to understand that there are lots of people loving them.

"And we have you now, right?" Enzo said while opening his eyes and looking at her as well.

She nodded and continued caressing their foreheads and hair. And as time passed by, it seemed that the twins felt sleepy. Wevz saw them yawn as proof of it.

"I think Papa Jesus has already answered my prayer," Thea whispered before she slowly shut her eyes.

"Yes, when we saw Tita pretty," Enzo answered, as his eyes were slowly shutting as well.

She shook her head while smiling because of what she heard from these two kids. And then she carried them one by one and settled them on their beds.

She can’t explain the happiness that she’s feeling right now. Just by merely looking at the twins sleeping peacefully sends some overwhelming feelings into her heart.