Prologue: Mnemosyne Blythe Zoyle

Ilang minuto kong tinitigan, nagbabakasakali na magbago, na baka nahihilo lang ako o mali ang nakikita ko.

I feel suffocated, hangang sa isa-isang pumatak ang mga luha ko sa mata.

With my trembling hands I grab the pregnancy kit — not one but three.

Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko, I wish I'm just delusional but I know. This is all real.

Anong sasabihin ko sa parents ko? Kay Papa?

Hindi ko na napigilan at humagulgol ako.

I cannot keep this a secret, sooner my tummy will grow, but how would I tell them about this?

How could I tell them how disgraceful I’ve become?

I look at my phone beside me, takot na takot na ako but I need to call my Mom.

I honestly don't know what to do, or how to tell her, pero si Mommy lang naman ang malalapitan ko.

Humihikbi akong dinial ang number ni Mommy. Her phone kept ringing but she's not answering it.

And when she picked it up...”M-mommy", nanginginig ang boses kong tawag sakanya, nagsusumbong. Hindi alam ang gagawin.

"Mnem, what's wrong?" Para akong binuhusan ng malamig na tubig, hindi ako nakasagot.

It's not my mom, it’s Papa. His stern voice feels like thunder in my ear. “Nasa meeting ang Mommy mo, napatawag ka?" Tanong nya ulit.

My lips were trembling, I was scared, so scared that my mind went blank.

"W-wala po, Pa. Tatanong k-ko lang po kung pu..pupunta sya sa condo ko tonight" I managed to say without crumbling.

I suppress my cries, hirap na hirap pero ayokong marinig ng Tatay ko ang pag hikbi ko.

"Are you alright?" he sounds worried. Lalo akong napaiyak, my left hand went into my mouth to stop my cries from coming out.

"I'm f-fine po, bye Pa, I know you're busy"

Hindi ko na sya hinintay sumagot, binaba ko na ang cellphone ko.

"Papaaa... I'm sorry!" and I cried like a child. Patuloy na humagulgol, sa sakit. Sa disappointment. Sa katangahan. Sa pag-alala.

I know.. I know my father is gonna get mad, kasi...kasi napagdaanan na nya 'to noon. From his own sister, and now.. her daughter repeated the same mistake.

I'm just seventeen, but I'm already pregnant. Imagining my parents’ rage, disappointment and pain, hurt me even more.

I crawled back on my bed and hug myself in fetal position. I felt so drained.

Problem after problems. Where did I go wrong?

I was no longer crying hard but my tears  kept falling. Soon, I fell asleep. Probably because of exhaustion.

**

"Mnemy, b-baby--''

I woke up because of my mother's cries. Disoriented, but when I heard her, I immediately stood up.

Sa pagbalikwas ko, nakita ko siyang naka-upo sa lapag, kasama ng mga gamit kong nagkalat. 

My eyes went wide when I saw her expression.

She's crying... and her hands were holding the pregnancy kits.

"M-mommy", pagkatawag ko ay humarap sya sakin. Nagtataka, umiiyak, nanghihina.

When I saw her, I cried too.

"Baby, what's going on-" hindi nya matuloy ang sasabihin dahil humagulgol at sumama syang umiyak ng malakas sa akin.

"B-baby pa ang baby Mnem ko, bakit naman ganito baby girl. Please tell mommy what's going on, please. Please tell me this is wrong"... “Please" she begged and it pained me even more.

"I'm sorry..  Mommy, I'm sorry!"

Walang ibang namagitan saming dalawa kundi ang pag-iyak. The whole room got filled with our cries.

Lumapit ako sakanya kahit nanghihina, lumuhod. Pilit kinuha ang dalawa nyang kamay, yumuko ako.

"Mommy I'm sorry.. I'm sorry! Sorry po! Mommy!" I kept repeating the same words, begging her to forgive me.

Inaalis nya ang kamay nya sa pagkakakapit ko pero hindi ko hinayaan.

She's devastated but I was.... I was hurting.

"Baby, naman...." nahihirapan nyang sita. Pero umiling lang ako. Nakaluhod parin sakanya habang nakayuko ang ulo. Humahagulgol.

"Sorry po.. Sorry po, Mommy sorry. Mommy please, please  forgive me" I pleaded.

Pero ganon nalang ang pagka-estatwa naming dalawa ng bumukas ang pintuan  ng kwarto ko at linuwal non si Papa.

"Have you readied her things yet-----" He stopped midway when he saw both of us on the ground.

His passive face turn confuse, pero bago pa sya maka react tumakbo ako sa braso nya at humagulgol.

"Papa!!!" pag-iyak kong tawag.

"Papa, Papa I'm sorry! I'm sorry Papa! W-Wag ka magalit. Papa please wag nyo ko iwan. Papa ko!" Umiling-iling ako, I buried my face in my father's arms.

"Mnemo, tell me what happened.” His voice is hard, and with authority. Like he always do when I go to him after doing something wrong.

I stubbornly shook my head and repeated the same words over  and over again.

"Baby, tell me what's going on.” He was asking mom, ramdam ko ang pagkalas nya sa kapit ko. I look up at my father and saw his eyes darkly staring at my mother.

"Jezzrel, tell me what's the problem.” Naka-kunot ang noo ni Papa, he's still holding me by my shoulder  to support my stance.

Habang si mommy, tahimik na umiiyak. She's biting her lip when she took me from my father grasp. Afraid of his reaction.

"Wint-'' I stopped mom.

"Papa, I'm pregnant." At tuluyan akong nalaglag sa sahig.

When I look at my father, I saw him took a step back. His dark eyes radiated anger. He look down on me, jaw clenched and then I saw a tear fell from his eyes.

Napa-nganga ako, pero tumalikod sya. Si Mommy niyakap lang ako mula sa likod at umiiyak sa braso ko.

"You're just...seventeen" He said. Wala sa loob na napatango.

"****" and the loud crash of vases followed.

My whole body shivered and my grip on Mom's embrace tightened.

I didn't expect my father to lash out. He's always calm, compose, and cold. He's not someone who can be wavered by a mere emotion.

When he's mad, he's never physical. Pagsasabihan nya kaming magkakapatid, sesermonan tapos aalis. He will remain silent for days then until he decided to forgive us.

"Sorry po..Papa sorry po!" pikit mata akong nagmaka awa. Mom was protecting even though we both know my father will not harm me.

"Papa--"

"Shut up, Mnemosyne!"  his voice growled and I flinched.

"Who's the father" he asked darkly.

Umiling ako, refusing to say a name.

"Tell me who's the fucking father  before I kill someone!'' Galit na galit nyang sigaw.

"No!" I screamed. "No! Wala po! Papa, wala po!" pagmamaka awa ko.

"Fucking lies! Who's that bastard! Hindi ka mabubuntis kung walang lalaki Mnemo! Stop this bullshit and tell me!"

Mariin pa rin akong tumanggi habang binabaha ng luha ang mukha.

Exhaustion started to envelop  my whole system, as my mind became hazy...

I passed out.

~•~

No parts of this book shall be reproduce, publish, distributed or transmitted  without the permission of the author.

Plagiarism is a crime.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***