Summer Madness (Santander Series #1)

It has been a long time ever since I stepped foot here in Santander, Cebu, my beloved hometown. When was my last stay here nga? Around two or three years ago, siguro. I spent my whole summer here despite being busy with my college admission and scholarship requirements last 2019. It seemed like that was my last summer here kasi naging busy na rin ako sa college. And most importantly, it was hard for me at that time– to come back here when the memory and the feeling was still fresh. “Nathalie, welcome back!” Kakababa ko pa lang sa maliit na bus terminal dito sa barangay Liloan ngunit kitang-kita ko na ang mga pinsan ko na nag-uunahan sa pagtakbo papalapit sa akin. Si mama naman ay kalmadong naglalakad lang na medyo natatawa rin sa inakto ng mga pamangkin niya. Hindi pa nga ako nakakagalaw sa aking pwesto ngunit hinahalungkat na ng dalawa ang bag na dala ko. “Pasalubong?” “Check mo nga kung may jollibee!” “May fries ba rito, Nath?” “Wait nga! Sa bahay niyo na tingnan. Pwede ba tulungan niyo muna ako sa mga gamit ko before anything else?” sambit ko habang isa-isang binigay ang mga bagahe sa kanila. I could see how disappointed they looked at first before it melted into excitement. Mga hayok sa pasalubong talaga. Well, I really can’t blame them for that. Santander is just a small province sa southern tip ng Cebu. Wala masyadong establishments dito na makikita sa mga syudad and to be able to eat jollibee is a rare scenario for us– well, for me before I moved to the city for college. “Mamaya na ‘yan. Oy, Faith, ilagay mo na mga bag niya rito sa tricycle. Kiah, sabi ni Nath mamaya mo na ‘yan buksan, diba? Bilis! Baka magalit pa si manong driver!” “Ma’am. Hindi po ‘yan mangyayari kasi masyadong malaki ‘yung binayad nyo sakin. Hehe.” Natatawa na lang ako habang pinagmamasdan si Mamang mukhang mas stressed pa nga sakin. She should relax a little or tatanda siya nang maaga niyan. I approached her and hugged her from the side. “Miss you, Ma,” mahina kong sambit. She replied with a small hum before she flicked my forehead. “Aray Ma, huh?! Masakit!” Agad kong hinimas ang noo ko to lessen the pain. Si Mama talaga kahit maedad na malakas pa rin mga buto sa katawan. “That’s for not coming home for the past two years,” she said with a pout? Is she really acting like a baby right now in front of her own daughter? “Ma, I told you I was busy. Freshman pako noon and kailangan kong mas paghandaan pati na rin ang second year. Ngayon nga lang ako nakaluwag for summer now that I finished my third year. Hindi na kami masyadong pinag-iinitan ng mga professors,” I replied with a wide smile on my face. I’ll be on my fourth year na next school year so medyo maluwag-luwag and mas chill na ang lahat kesa sa first three years ko sa Civil Engineering na course. It was an advantage having another cousin, si Lloyd, na nag-aaral na sa dream school ko way before I could even enroll. Napagtatanungan ko siya tungkol sa mga bagay-bagay and he had been telling me na sa first and second year talaga kami susubukan ng mga professors. “Kahit na!” She replied at tinanggal ang pagkakayakap ko sa bewang niya. Does she really think she’s the only one who can act like a baby here? Nagpuppy eyes ako and I pucker my lips into a small pout. She looked at me, horrified, before her expression turned into disgust. “Yuck ang tanda mo na ta’s gumaganyan-ganyan ka pa rin? May I remind you miss ma’am kami lang ang may karapatang magtampo. Late ka pa ng one week sa arrival mo.” Is she really telling me that right now… mas matanda pa sya sakin? “Ma. Diba sabi ko inayos ko muna enrollment ko for fourth year and medyo late ‘yung pagbigay ng grades sa finals kaya medyo nahuli na rin ako sa pag-enroll,” I replied as I hugged her again, giving her air kisses. Nakikita ko na she’s slowly falling for it kaya she looked away at inismiran ako. Grabe ha. “Gano’n ba? Akala ko may iniiwasan ka lang,” sabi niya before she went inside the trike. That made me wonder if I was being too obvious. It’s not like my reasons weren’t true. Totoo naman na naging busy ako before for preparations for the next school years, marami pa akong dapat i-adjust, which was what I was thankful of kasi hindi ako makakauwi. That time, hindi ko pa talaga kaya kasi I felt like every place I visit sa Santander, I see him. Umupo ako sa tabi ni mama at mahinang nagtanong. Sa totoo lang, wala na talaga akong pakialam sa kanya. Medyo curious lang ako, gan’on. “Umuwi ba sya rito last year, Ma?” I asked hesitantly, weighing the current mood. “Hmm. Hinahanap ka nga sakin, eh. Umuwi rin siya nung last, last year,” sagot niya. Hinahanap niya ako? And he kept coming back here for the past summers after what he had done? Ang kapal naman siguro ng mukha niya kung ganoon, mas makapal pa sa readings ng roommate ko sa boarding house na nag-aaral ng law. “Bakit daw?” tanong ko ulit. Wala nga akong pake sa kanya diba. Oo, ‘yan sabi ko. Gusto ko lang naman malaman ang dahilan ng kakapalan ng libag niya para magpakita pa kay mama. “He’s sorry daw and he has something to say kemerut churva niya. Ba’t ba ‘yon nagsosorry, nak? Diba maayos naman kayo dati? Napano ba kayong dalawa at iniiwasan mo siya?” Hindi ko alam kung matatawa ba ako sa tanong ni mama dahil may nalalaman na siyang “kemerut churva” o kakabahan kasi wala nga pala siyang alam tungkol sa rason kung bakit naghiwalay kaming dalawa. Siguro nasa isip niya ay nangyari lang ‘yon because of long distance or priorities. Maybe up until now, she still has no idea na that man did something worse than one could ever imagine. It makes me mad just thinking about it. Hindi ko nga namalayan na nakarating na pala kami sa amin not until Faith poked me. “Daydreaming ka na naman, sis. Parang main lead sa K-drama lang?” saad niya habang natatawa. Bumaba ako sa tricycle at binatukan siya nang mahina. Baka ma-ospital pa’to ‘pag nilakasan ko, eh. “Aray! Nagjojoke lang kasi!” I chose to ignore her and focused on the view in front. Nasa tapat na kami ng bahay namin and I could even barely recognize it! Ang dating kulay brown, ngayon ay naging kulay yellow. It’s not like nangjujudge ako but why yellow? Hindi pa ata pantay ang pagkakapintura because some parts are still thin, nakikita ko pa ang pagiging brownish nito. Pininturahan kaya ng painter ang walls ng white before adding yellow? Did they even use a thinner? My engineer instincts are kicking in. “Te, kala mo ‘yung chismosang kapitbahay ‘yung tinititigan kung makajudge ‘to,” sambit ni Kiah as she stood beside me. “Sino ba kasi ang nagdesisyon na baguhin ‘yung kulay?” “Nanay mo malamang.” Other than the color, I noticed that what used to be a big sari-sari store became small. Para bang hinati ito into ¾. “Sa’n gagamitin ‘yung other side? Lumiit ang store, ah,” tanong ko sa kanya. Isinabit ko sa aking mga balikat ang mga bag ko bago pumasok sa loob. Natatanaw ko ang living area namin mula rito sa tindahan. May mga bagong appliances na. May dalawang mini at isang malaking sofa na sa may sala at isang maliit na glass table sa gitna. Ang dating malaking mesa namin sa dining area na medyo sumasayaw na dahil sira ang isa sa mga paa nito ay napalitan na ng rectangle-shaped glass table rin. Ang sari-sari store kasi namin ay nakakonekta lang sa bahay kaya kita rin mula sa labas kung anong meron sa loob. Just how much have changed ever since I left? “Ahh… Eh,” medyo nahihirapang sagot ni Kiah sa tanong ko. Why? Are they hiding something from me? Just thinking about it is already making me nervous. Hindi naman siguro nila niliitan ang store to utilize that one side for illegal activities, right? Working student naman ako sa CIT-U and scholar din. I made sure not to ask for too much money from my family. No way… Could it be that they're using the money for all of these? Hindi ko na hinintay ang sagot ni Kiah at agad kong nilapitan si Mama na nakatayo malapit sa ref para kumuha ata ng soft drinks. “Ma! Para saan ‘yung isang room sa may right side ng store?” I asked hysterically. I saw how her shoulder flinched before she turned to look at me and gave me a nervous smile. “Ma…?” She slowly put the two bottles of Coke on the table and clasped her hands together. “Nak… Alam mo kasi…” “Ma! What were you thinking? Oh my God. I told you diba na you don’t have to worry much about the expenses ‘cause I’ll find a way. Nakapasa ako sa scholarship and nagworking na rin ako sa mismong school para mabawas-bawasan ang mga bayarin. Mama naman… Why did you resort to doing such an illegal act?” Sunod-sunod lang ang aking pagsasalita, walang preno at hindi ko alam kung kailan ako makatitigil. Nanginginig at nanlalamig ang aking mga kamay. Naalala ko na naman ‘yung sinabi ng roommate ko na hindi na siya makapaghihintay maghandle ng isang case. It looks like we’ll be the first one na hahatulan niya ng guilty sa court! “Nak, what are you saying? Anong illegal act? Hindi naman ata illegal ang ginagawa ko,” she replied as she stared at me, confusion was etched on her face. “Chill ka nga lang te, hintayin mo kaya mag-explain si tita, no?” sabat ni Faith. “Eh mukhang highblood kana riyan kaya ako na magsasalita. ‘Yang isang room diyan naging available last month lang. Wala na kasi masyadong bumibili sa store and timing na may balak magrenta before na babae kasi rito siya naassign sa work niya for that month. For more kita, pinagawan ng maliit kwarto ni tita ‘yan at ginawang rental. Anong illegal ka riyan? Ang dramatic mo,” dagdag niya. It seemed like I was holding my breath for too long, not until she explained it to me. Parang tinanggalan ng bato ang aking dibdib sa gaan ng aking paghinga. “Ma naman, you should’ve told me para alam ko. Hindi ‘yung ganito. Alam mo ba kung gaano ako kinabahan?” She even had the guts to laugh at me. I gave her a halfhearted glare. “Sorry, nak.” Nilingon ko ang maliit na silid at ngayon ko lang namalayang naka-on ang mga ilaw dito. “Nandito pa rin po ba ‘yung babae? Shouldn’t we call her to join us?” tanong ko habang isa-isang nilagay sa malaking sofa ang mga bag. Dadalhin ko na lang ang mga iyan sa kwarto matapos kumain. Medyo gutom na rin ako after 4 hours na byahe. “Hm? Hindi. Umalis siya noong nakaraang linggo matapos ang schedule niya. ‘Yung nakatira riyan ay…” Huminto si mama at nakita ko kung paano siya huminga nang malalim bago magsalita ulit. “... bangong tenant na kakarating lang din last week.” “Sino raw?” Hindi ko alam ngunit bigla nalang akong nasa modong magtanong. Me and my curiosity nga naman. “Si-” “Tita! I brought the sandwiches with me. They were out of stock na sa crinkles so I bought an alternative. Okay lang po ba ang burger?” Naputol ang dapat na sasabihin ni mama nang may lalaking nagsalita sa likod ko. “Burger!” “Hala, burger!” The loud voices of my cousins were muffled by how loud the beating of my heart was. Kahit hindi ako lumingon, I could recognize the owner of the voice. I knew who owned that too well. “Engineer Sean! Halika. Ilagay mo ‘yan sa mesa. Hihi,” ika ni mama habang kinukurot pa ang aking braso. After gathering up the courage, I turned to look at him. God’s timing talaga eh, no? God nga ba o Lucifer? Bad timing kasi, eh. I decided to come home kasi akala ko hindi na siya babalik, kasi akala ko na hindi ko na siya makikita ulit, kasi akala ko okay na lahat. But seeing him again this close crashed out all those assumptions and I just found myself going back to zero. Suddenly, everything felt like it all happened yesterday now that he’s close in proximity. The pain I thought I had already forgotten came crashing down, like it was a feeling I chose to ignore over the past year, or maybe it really was. “Nath,” he called and it was ironic to see him look miserable and pained at the same time, na para bang hindi siya ang rason kung bakit kami nagkaganito. The tension in our living area was high, no one dared to talk. I could even hear the slightest sound of air brushing against my skin sa sobrang tahimik. Imbes na makipag-usap sa kaniya ay pinili kong tumalikod at pumasok sa aking kwarto. How can he just show up in front of me after abandoning me like that?