NOTHING FELT NORMAL after that night.
Not the throbs in my head.
Not the consistent thumps in my chest.
And not even breakfast.
"Shhh... Hush, baby. Look. That's not ‘mumu’, that's Auntie."
Often, Ren would look at me and sobbed as if he was scared. Then my brother would come up with the most silliest analogies including mumu, mamaw, multong bakla and so forth to soothe the child. The whole time, I was forced to play deaf, drowning myself to the image of a pseudo father cooing his child.
"Stop crying Ren, she's not Imaw. She's Nicolette. Tignan mo kasi o." Lumipat sa akin ang tingin ni Alexis. Mabilis na nawala ang lambing na nakasalamin doon at napalitan ng asar.
Ilang palitan pa ng iyak at pangungumbinsi bago... "Anak ng tokwa Nicolette, makaramdam ka naman. Hindi mo ba nakikita n
