Jay-jay's POV
Mama was busy folding my clothes in my room. I kept glancing at her while pretending to be busy with my phone.
I finally got my phone back. I wasn't really doing anything, just reading the chats from the Ulupong group.
Eren: I have someone to set you up with, Felix. Her name's Mary Jewel Malaluan.
Felix: Shut up.
Drew: Just set her up with me instead.
Eren: But she likes Felix.
Blaster: Set her up with Edrix.
Rory: That's my friend already.
Eman: Still just a friend until now.
Edrix: Huh?
Kit: I thought there was already progress?
Edrix: What? What progress? Rory: NONE!
I grimaced. Rory's such a blabbermouth. It looks like he told everyone what we were doing but forgot to clarify that Edrix had no idea about it.
I stopped reading when a text message came in from GagongBaliw.
From: GagongBaliw Message: Hey, you're still not answering my messages.
I forgot to text him. I didn't even have my phone yesterday, so I couldn't reply. I quickly typed a response.
To: GagongBaliw Message: Ngh@y0n qouh lhangs n@küha ph0ne qowhs. (Ngayon ko lang nakuha phone ko.)
I glanced at Mama as she took out all my clothes from the cabinet. I winced when I saw my clothes looking like they came from a messy thrift shop.
"What is this? Learn how to fold your clothes properly," Mama said.
I ignored her and went back to texting.
From: GagongBaliw Message: What's up? Did you get scolded?
To: GagongBaliw Message: H3índhe. Pw3r0 mErhon aqowh n@laMhan. (Hindi. Pero meron ako nalaman.)
From: GagongBaliw Message: And what is that?
To: GagongBaliw Message: C MhaM@mia ey p3nagLhaban dhaw ang k@rhapAtn qouh ky Ppa. MhukAng na-hurt c MhaM@mia khya g@nheto ang dr@ma niya. (Si Mama ay pinaglaban daw ang karapatan ko kay Papa. Mukhang nasaktan si Mama kaya ganito ang drama niya.)
From: GagongBaliw Message: Jay… I don't understand a thing.
I pouted. It's so hard to type like this, and he still doesn't understand? I thought he was smart! And now it's "I don't understand." Where's your brain, man?
I jumped when my phone rang. Mama looked at me, so I quickly stood up and went out to answer the call.
"Why did you call?" I greeted.
["It's so hard to understand. Your message is like a cryptic code."]
That's Keifer, the idiot.
"That's just how I text."
["Just tell me what you've discovered."]
I peeked into my room before whispering everything I found out. He listened quietly, waiting for me to finish.
"Do you think that's the reason? Didn't you say you also found out things about Papa and that you even talked to him?"
["Unfortunately, I don't know the exact reason. But it's clear to me that your Papa respects your Mama's decision."]
I pouted. "Mama's as tough as a rock."
["Maybe time hardened her heart."]
Wow. Heart talk.
I was about to tease him for being cheesy, but I stopped when he said something serious.
["Some people become stronger because of the trials of time but keep a soft heart. And some become strong but end up with hardened hearts."]
He had a point. Mama had been through a lot, so it's not surprising that she became tough. But why was Keifer talking like this? Where was this life experience coming from?
"Are you going through something? Since when did you become this corny?"
["I'm telling the truth, Jay."]
I looked down. He was right.
"So, what should I do?"
["It's best to talk to your Mom and find out the reason for her grudge. Once we know the reason, we can think of other tactics to convince her."]
"Right, right." I nodded along.
["Start by asking how she met your Dad."]
That made me think. Despite everything I'd heard from our relatives about Mama, not once did I hear them mention how my parents met.
"I'll try. I just hope she opens up."
["I hope she does."]
I smiled a little. I could feel his support in helping me find a way to meet Papa. Honestly, we could just run away and go see Papa, but Keifer preferred doing things the right way without causing fights at home. I couldn't help but feel happy.
"Thanks."
["Anything for my girlfriend."]
I grimaced.
"Huh? I'm not your girlfriend."
["Not yet. But we will be."]
I could practically feel his wide grin. It made me want to grab some pliers and pull his teeth out.
Good thing he wasn't in front of me.
"Whatever. Bye now."
["Bye, my queen. I love you."]
I bit my lip and quickly ended the call without replying.
I stared at my phone. I wasn't sure if I should text him back.
"What are you grinning about?" someone asked, and I quickly hid my phone behind my back.
"A-Auntie," I stammered. "Just reading messages from my classmates."
She smiled meaningfully. "If you say so."
I glanced at what she was holding—my freshly laundered and ironed clothes, neatly folded and hung.
"I'll do it," I offered, but she pushed my hand away.
"No need. Just keep reading those messages from your 'classmates.'"
I blinked at how she changed her tone when she said "classmates."
She turned and went into my room. I had no choice but to follow and watch her and Mama organize my clothes. I scratched my head when I saw Auntie pointing at the clothes scattered on the floor.
That's Mama's fault.
While they were busy fixing things, I suddenly thought of what Keifer said. I just needed to start asking about Papa.
"Ma…" I called out, and she glanced at me briefly.
"How did you and Papa meet?"
"Jay, can we not talk about that?"
"Oh, come on… The kid's just asking." Aunt Gema chimed in.
"Tell her, your daughter's just curious." My ears practically wanted to clap from joy. Thank goodness Auntie's here to back me up.
"Stop it, Gema," Mama answered irritably.
"Please, Ma? I just want to know." I insisted.
She just shook her head and continued what she was doing. I pouted, and Aunt Gema seemed to take pity on me. She put down the remaining clothes she was holding on the bed.
"Since your mom doesn't want to, I'll tell you." She said and sat beside me.
"Gema." Mama called her name warningly, but Auntie ignored her. "Your mom ran away from home when we found out she was pregnant with Aries." Auntie began.
"She didn't wait for your grandfather to kick her out — she beat him to it."
Wow. Talk about thinking ahead.
"Why would I wait to get cursed out and have my things thrown out of the house?" Mama cut in while still working. Auntie shook her head slightly and continued the story.
"She stayed with a friend and worked at their eatery. It just so happened that a building was being constructed not far from there — one owned by your father."
"He was also the engineer there," Mama added. "During lunchtime, their crew would eat at the eatery. And this Engineer Mariano — well, he seemed to want more than just food," Aunt Gema teased, earning a throw of clothes from Mama, which made Auntie laugh loudly.
"He kept going back just to see your mom. He was courting her with his stares."
What a love story. I couldn't help but smile at Auntie's story. I knew she and Mama were close, so I wasn't surprised she knew their story.
"But your mom was up to some mischief — she didn't give her real name or age. Your dad thought they were the same age and that she just looked young. So he really went all out courting her."
I paused, thinking. Mama was still young when she got pregnant with me. If Papa was already an engineer, that meant there was a big age gap between them. That didn't sound so good.
"How did he win Mama over?" I asked.
"How indeed?" Auntie echoed and looked at Mama.
"My friend's mom told me that my child needed a father. She said it was too late for me to be picky since my belly was already big." Mama closed my cabinet door. "I thought she had a point. So I talked to your dad and agreed for him to be Aries' father."
"Then what happened—?" I couldn't finish my question when I noticed her wiping her face. She quickly walked out of my room, and Auntie Gema followed. When I looked at the door, I saw Aries standing there, arms crossed, watching Mama leave.
"What happened there?" he asked me, but I just glared at him.
"I don't know." I answered irritably before standing up to take the clothes from the bed and put them in my cabinet.
"Still mad at me?" he asked again, and I ignored him.
"Look, I didn't mean to keep it from you. Kuya's stricter with you, so it was hard to find the right time—"
"Come on, Aries! It's such an easy thing to say! Even if Kuya disappeared for just 30 seconds, you could've told me!" I cut him off, annoyed.
"Easier said than done! You're impulsive — if I told you, you'd probably act without thinking again. Then Kuya would catch me, and we'd both be in trouble."
"How can you say that? Look, I'm holding myself back right now."
He sighed deeply. "That's because Mama's here to keep an eye on you. And we're in a different situation now."
"You have so many excuses!"
He shook his head and quickly turned his back on me. He probably knew there was no reasoning with me right now.
I quickly approached the door and slammed it shut before flopping onto my bed. I kept thinking about what happened to Mama while she was telling her story. Why did it feel like she was still hurting? Was her experience really that bad?
I glanced at my phone and thought about messaging Percy.
To: Percing… Message: Tühkm0L. (Tukmol)
It didn't take long for my phone to ring. When I checked, it was my stepbrother calling.
"Hey," I greeted.
["Why'd you text me that? Do you need a new phone?"]
"Idiot, no."
["You didn't text like that before. You're getting worse."]
"Of course, I was still getting used to having a good phone before. I was used to those old keypads."
He suddenly burst out laughing. ["You're so poor."]
The nerve of this guy. "You jerk! That phone was sturdy. It even fell into floodwater and still survived!"
He laughed even harder. I couldn't help but get annoyed at his reaction. It was like he'd never seen a non-keypad phone before, even though those were all the rage before touchscreens took over. He was acting like he was born yesterday when he was actually older than me.
"What did a non-keypad phone ever do to you that makes you so happy?"
["Nothing. I'm just laughing at you. You really enjoy the little things even though you could've just asked us for something better."]
I pouted. Sure, I liked material things too, but not in the way others always wanted the latest gadgets. I didn't even know why. Maybe because of Grandma. She always reminded me that what she could provide was limited, so I shouldn't ask for more. That's why most of my stuff was hand-me-downs — hand-me-downs from my perpetually cursing aunt.
["That's a good thing. Just enjoy the little things in life. So if I were you, I'd enjoy my good looks too — they're a big deal."]
"Screw you," I shot back without missing a beat.
He laughed even louder. It wouldn't have surprised me if he rolled on the floor from how hard he was laughing.
"You're having fun there," I said irritably.
["Anyway, why'd you text me?"]
I thought about the reason I messaged him. I really did want to know why Mama reacted that way.
"Do you know why Mama is so angry with Papa?"
He fell silent for a moment before clearing his throat.
["Didn't I tell you before? Grandpa threatened us."]
"Oh?"
["That's all I know. I wasn't around yet when your dad met Mama."]
I smacked my forehead.
["But I know he loves you guys."]
I sighed deeply. "I really want to meet him."
["You'll find a way eventually."]
I wanted to cry, but I held it back. I said goodbye to Percy and ended the call. I curled up on my bed, my mind a mess as I tried to figure out how to convince Mama. I didn't know how long I'd been thinking about Papa, Mama, and what we'd have for lunch.
If my stomach hadn't growled, I wouldn't have thought of leaving my room. I headed straight for the kitchen. I ran into Aries and immediately gave him an icy glare. He just shook his head and walked past me.
All afternoon, whenever I crossed paths with Aries, I did nothing but act cold toward him — glaring, scoffing, or rolling my eyes. Even at dinner, while we were eating, I kept at it.
"Jay, stop that," Kuya ordered, looking at me.
"You keep eating and rolling your eyes," Mama added, putting rice on my plate.
That's a lot of rice. I didn't even need that much, but I couldn't bring myself to give it back. It was already on my plate — sending it away would be rude. And wasteful.
I pursed my lips as I took a bite of rice. I stayed quiet while Tita Gema and Angelo talked, with Mama and Aries occasionally joining the conversation. I chose not to speak because I knew I'd only say one thing.
"Do you want more, Jay?" Mama asked.
Without thinking, I answered her. "I want to see Papa."
The words left my mouth before I fully realized what I was saying. Mama let out a deep sigh, and so did Kuya.
Before any arguments could start at the table, I stood up on my own. "I'm done," I said and turned my back on all of them.
I went straight to my room. As soon as I closed the door, I washed my face. It was hard to convince them like this.
What if I just ran away and met Papa without telling them? But like Keifer said, it's better to convince Mama because that would cause less trouble.
I just decided to get ready for bed. I cleaned myself up, brushed my teeth, and changed into my sleepwear. I jumped onto my bed when I was done.
I was about to sleep when my phone suddenly kept going off. When I checked, it was Ci-N sending me messages. I quickly peeked at them — all photos.
Photos of new toys.
I winced when I accidentally spotted the receipt for one of them. One toy cost 25,000. He was even asking for help assembling one.
While I was busy replying to Ci-N's messages, I heard a knock on my door. Slowly, the door opened, and Mama came in.
"I'm sleeping here," she said.
"Why? Did I say you could?" I asked, my voice laced with annoyance.
"I'm not asking for your permission," she replied and lay down beside me.
I grimaced before moving over and fixing the bed. I just put my phone aside and lay down too.
I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling. Not because I wasn't used to having someone beside me, but because it had been so long since I'd last slept next to Mama. It felt strange.
I tried to think of the last time we'd shared a bed, but I couldn't really remember. Maybe that's how it is when you grow up — you forget childhood memories faster. Or maybe it was because of everything that happened in my past.
I hoped it was just the growing up part.
Flashbacks of my experiences came back to me briefly. Not complete, but enough to understand.
"Ma…" I called to see if she was still awake.
"My answer is still no — you can't meet that useless father of yours," she answered quickly, her back still turned to me.
What a villain.
"You're wrong. That's not what I was going to ask," I said, and she slowly turned to face me.
"Then what is it now?"
"Where were you when I was waiting for you? Where were you during the Christmases I hoped you'd come? Where were you during the birthdays that passed by without you showing up? Why didn't you ever come to see me during those times?" I asked her one after another.
She stared at me before looking back at the ceiling.
"Don't ask anymore. What matters is the present."
I laughed bitterly. "You're something else. I don't know if you really want us to make up or fight even more."
"Of course I want us to make up."
"Then why are you like this? You should be making it up to Aries and me."
"I am. That's why I want a complete family for you."
I rolled my eyes at her. "What complete family?"
"A mother, a father, and their children."
"What fool taught you that?"
She looked at me like I was the dumbest person she'd ever talked to. "What's wrong with you? That's how a family is supposed to be. They teach that in school too."
"School teaches it wrong. Anyone can be family as long as they accept and support each other. Blood relations aren't what's important."
I smiled a little, thinking of the Ulupong gang. They were more than just friends to me. Even though we teased and annoyed each other a lot. Even though they tricked me. I still accepted them.
In a way, the prank they pulled turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It tested all of us. Now I knew that I mattered to them too.
Keifer?
Just like his fellow Ulupong members, he was also willing to prove himself to me. Not just once. Even with my issues with Papa, he was ready to help me. He put in all the effort. Maybe it was time.
Mama chuckled a bit. "And where did you learn that?"
"Experience."