Chapter 64 Pieces Finally Falling Into Place #3
"At first I couldn't believe it either eh. I kept asking him... saan ba nanggagaling 'yung pera? Sabi niya scholarship daw para sa akin, pero walang proper papers, walang official process talaga. I kept asking who was helping me... pero ayaw naman niyang sabihin.
So gumawa ako ng paraan para malaman....I look through his things, nakita ko... sa kwarto niya, sa mga gamit niya... may isang folder. And alam mo ba kung ano 'yung laman nun?"
She looked straight into my eyes, habang patuloy na tumutulo ang luha niya.
"Everything... all the receipts, all the letters... ikaw lang pala talaga. Nung gabing kinausap mo ako tungkol kay Iris... nung umuwi ako, sabi ko sa sarili ko hinding-hindi na ako lalapit sa'yo ulit. Pero naisip ko yung nakita ko...lahat 'yun... nung nabasa ko lahat...
alam ko na kailangan kong bumalik. Hindi para habulin ka ulit, kundi para maging 'yung kaibigan na deserve mo. Para tulungan ka... para bumawi sa'yo sa kahit anong paraan na kaya ko."
I sat there for a moment, just staring at her, trying so hard to put all the messy feelings into words. My chest feels so full, parang sasabog sa halo-halong tuwa at gulat at saya na hindi ko maipaliwanag.
"Hindi ko alam... I don't even know exactly what I'm feeling right now," I admitted softly, wiping the tears off my cheek. "But I know one thing, I'm so happy. Sobrang saya ko na ikaw 'yung natulungan ko noon. Na ikaw pala 'yun."
"Mas masaya ako, Zarya. Kaya hayaan mo na lang 'yun okay? 'Wag mo na masyadong isipin 'yung ginawa ko. Think of it as a repayment sa lahat ng ginawa mo para sa akin...but I know it's not enough." Xylla smiled gently, even though her eyes are still wet.
I shook my head fast, at hinawakan ulit ang kamau niya. "No, no, Xylla... it is more than enough. And I don't need any repayment from you, okay? Hindi ko kailangan ng kapalit. Ang gusto ko lang ay makita ka din na masaya, deserve mo 'yun nang sobra."
She took a deep breath, looking at me with so much hope. "So... now that you know everything... sana hayaan mo pa rin akong manatili sa buhay mo. Promise Zarya...hindi ako makikipag-agawan kay Iris."
A quick playful smile shown from her face, kaya napangiti na lang rin ako. "You don't have to worry about that. Iris will always have my heart, walang pag-aalinlangan 'yun. You have a place here too, Xylla. No one can take that spot."
She nodded slowly, nakita ko na naman ang ngiti niya. That genuine smile, but hindi nagtagal. she shifted the topic gently. "By the way... kailan mo balak sabihin kay Iris ang tungkol kay Aria?"
I sighed softly. "Hindi muna sa ngayon. Maybe after Eric settled in prison, and makalabas ka na dito. Maybe that's the right time na sabihin sa kaniya tungkol kay Aria."
Xylla shook her head a little. "Hindi mo na kailangan pang maghintay ng ganoon katagal eh. Pwede mo naman siyang ipakilala kay Aria ngayon pa lang. She deserves to know her niece, Zar. Kasi... sa totoo lang... kapag nakalabas na ako dito, uuwi na rin ako agad sa Pilipinas. Kailangan kong umuwi,
kailangan kong bisitahin si TitoDad. Alam kong humihina na siya... Gusto kong nandoon ako sa tabi niya."
I nodded slowly, realizing she's right. "Oo nga... tama ka. At tama rin na umuwi ka agad kapag kaya mo na. Your family needs you as well."
I took a deep breath, realizing na sobrang grabe na yung oras na naibigay niya saakin.
"Siguro... siguro tama ka. Baka panahon na talaga para makilala na rin niya si Aria."
"So gagawin mo na?" she asked softly.
"Hmm...I will talk to her later, kapag may oras." I answered.
"Tawagan mo na lang si Ate Sela," she suggested. "Dalhin niya dito si Aria."
I shook my head gently. "Hindi... pupuntahan ko na lang sila doon. Ang tagal ko na ring hindi nakikita si Aria...I think it's just right to get her myself."
"Whatever you think is best, zar." she said softly. "Masaya lang talaga ako para sa'yo, Zarya."
I squeezed her hand gently, tears coming back again but this time... they're happy ones. "Thank you, Xylla. Thank you for staying. Thank you for being here. I'm so, so grateful you're part of my life."
Ngumiti lang si Xylla, at natahimik na rin. Back in her thoughts na hindi ko alam kung ano, probably her family back in the Philippines.
While I sat there quietly after that, letting everything sink in deep inside me.
Finally... finally Iris will get to meet Aria.
Finally, she will know the little girl who carries so much of our family's love and loss.
I don't know how she'll react—kung iiyak ba siya, kung matutuwa, kung matatakot...
pero alam ko ang isang bagay. She has every right to know.
She deserves to know that even after all the pain, after all the people we lost...
there is still life left. There is still someone who connects us all...
my sister's daughter, her niece, and the most precious gift we have left.
Maybe this is the closure we've been waiting for all along. Maybe this is the start of something new, something good, something ours, something that Yana and Isaac would be so happy to see.
Soon, my love. Very soon, you'll finally meet her. And soon... everything will be exactly how it should be.