WHEN SILENCE BLEEDS

CHAPTER 2: THE FIRST SILENCE

But the day finally came when I could no longer carry everything happening in my life. The pain, the fear, the silence it was all too heavy. So I decided it was time to tell Mama the secret I had been hiding for so long.

That morning, I gathered all my courage. I called Mama to talk. Papa wasn’t home since he was at work, so I knew it was safe for me to speak. Mama came over, smiling, and even told me to call Kuya so he could join the conversation.

The three of us sat at the table. I noticed how cheerful Mama was that day. She looked so happy, as if she was about to share good news. What I didn’t know was that it would be the very day my world would crumble even more.

“You’re going to have another sibling,” Mama said, her face glowing with joy.

I saw Kuya’s eyes light up he was smiling, almost jumping with excitement. But me… I was speechless. It felt like I had swallowed my own secret. It was as if the truth choked me.

So when Mama asked what it was I wanted to say, I forced myself to smile. I smiled even though the truth was, I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell her everything ,the nights I cried, the fear that consumed me, and the horrible things Papa had been doing to me.

But I couldn’t. I couldn’t say it.

Because I knew the moment I spoke, everything would fall apart. Our family would shatter into pieces. The baby still in Mama’s womb would grow up without a father. And Mama… she would lose the smile she had been waiting for all these years.

So I stayed silent. Once again, I buried the truth deep inside me. And once again, I pretended to be happy.

But behind every smile was a wound. And with every passing day, I could feel it slowly, my own secrets were eating me alive.