Chapter 2: Anew.

KATANA. 

I found myself standing in front of a two-storey house beside my brother. Just like him, I'm scanning the whole view in front of me. 

It was a cool house, though it's not modern. It was a... let's say, a bit of vintage. Halos lahat ng dingding ay gawa sa kahoy bukod sa mga haligi na gawa sa semento. 

It's not the same as our house in Manila, because this house is way bigger than our home there, but I must admit, it was beautiful. 

Pinanood ko si Kuya nang katukin niya ang pinto, while I stood still in my position with our luggages. It took a minute or so before the door finally opened, and a petite girl stood there with... surprise expression on her face. 

Her mouth was wide open and I think a handful soil could fit in there. She was also immobilize for about thirty seconds as if she was some sort of robot who malfunctioned. When she get herself together, she suddenly inched the gap between her and Kuya and... unexpectedly, she jumped in for a hug. A very big hug. 

Kuya stared at me, stunned with the girl's sudden movement. While I stared back at him, trying to stifle my laughter. 

"Uh, Y-Ynah," Kuya awkwardly said as he pulled himself away from the girl's grip. 

"Karlos!" the girl beamed and stared at my brother's face with awe. Parang hindi siya makapaniwala na nabubuhay siya sa mundong-ibabaw. "Ang tagal nating hindi nagkita!" sabi niya pa at ngumiti ng matamis. "Saglit lang! Tatawagin ko sina Nanay!" paalam niya pa at bumalik sa loob ng bahay. 

Nang makaalis siya, napatitig ako sa hangin dala ng gulat. 

And uh... did she just ignored me? Didn't she saw me standing here? Didn't she felt my presence?! Wow, ha! 

"What the hell..." I uttered in disbelief, but my brother just awkwardly looked away. 

Matapos ng ilang sandali, muling bumalik ang babaeng tinawag ni Kuya na Ynah. Behind her is a chubby woman, probably around her late 40s, walking towards our direction with huge smile plastered in her face. 

Her eyes first landed on my brother. Just like how Ynah did earlier, she gave my brother a big hug. Pero hindi tulad kanina, mukhang na-i-enjoy ni Kuya ang yakap ng babae ngayon. He even uttered, "Nana Neli!" in a tone that tells us how much he missed her. He also has this weird smile plastered across his face from ear to ear so I guess, this woman is someone dear to him. 

Unfortunately, I know no one in this place. Kaya hindi ko ma-gets kung bakit nagyayakapn silang lahat ngayon. Kahit mga lugar nga ay walang pamilyar sa akin dito. Ang tanging pamilyar lang ay ang ilang pangalan na nababanggit nina Mommy at Mamala noon sa bahay. 

Umalis daw kasi kami rito noon when I was only three years old. Kuya was seven that time at siya lang ang pamilyar sa lugar na 'to. 

So, basically, I'm a total stranger in here.

I was pulled out of my own thoughts when the woman suddenly walked closer towards me with a huge smile. I was about to greet her, but I was halted by her big hug. 

"U-Uh..." I groaned as her hug became tight. "I-I can't b-breathe..." I uttered in a hoarse voice, probably because my body was being squished. 

The woman let go of my body, but then she cupped my face with both of her hands. "Katana!" she exclaimed with tears in her eyes, as if staring at her long lost... daughter. "Ang laki-laki mo na!" sabi niya pa at muli akong niyakap. 

I can't believe the tables are turned now! Kuya was the one who's trying to stifle a laughter while I was staring at him, dumbfounded. 

Dahil hindi pa rin bumibitaw ang babae, I decided to just tap her back and let out an awkward laughter. 

"Ang ganda-ganda mo, Katana..." sabi pa ng babae ng bumitaw na siya sa yakap. I just awkwardly smiled at her. 

Maya-maya pa, may tatlong lalaki ang lumabas ng pintuan. Hindi nalalayo ang tangkad nila kay Kuya at kung titingnan, parang magkaka-edad lang din sila. 

Pinanood ko silang tatlo nang makipag-batian sila kay Kuya. They did the... boys' thing. That handshake, fistbump and shoulder tapping thingy. 

"Karlos, pare, gago! Tagal nating 'di nagkita, ah?! Kamusta?!" sabi ng isang lalaki bago ngumiti kay Kuya ng malaki. 

Hindi ko na alam kung ano pa ang mga pinag-usapan nila. Pinanood ko na lang si Kuya dahil parang tuwang-tuwa siya sa mga taong kaharap niya ngayon. Dahil tuloy sa ngiti niya, may kung ano na naman sa dibdib ko ang tumutusok sa konsensya ko. 

Parang ang sama kong kapatid dahil hindi ko man lang iniisip ang epekto ng paglipat namin sa kanya. I always think about my feelings that I forgot about his. 

Parang... sobrang saya niya talaga. 

However, meron pa rin sa aking nagmamatigas. Pilit na sumasagi sa isip ko ang bilin ni Mamala na huwag kaming babalik ng Terryn. 

Pero bakit kaya? Ang sabi niya, wala na kaming babalikan pa rito. Malinaw iyon. But how did my brother knew that we had a house here? Did he had a communication with these people all these years? 

Muli akong bumalik sa realidad ng hawakan ng may katandaang babae ang braso ko. From what I heard earlier, she's Nana Neli and Ynah's probably her daughter. Tulad kanina, may ngiti na naman siya sa mukha. Pero iba na ito ngayon. It's a sad smile... 

"Kamusta kayo, Katana?" tanong niya na nagpagulat sa akin. "Kamusta ngayong... wala na ang Mamala ninyo?" 

I was taken aback by her words. Lalo na nang mapansin kong malungkot ang mga mata niya. I couldn't help but tear up dahil muli ko na namang naalala sina Mommy at Mamala. 

They used to asked me that same question everytime. Whenever I go home from school, whenever I wake up in the morning feeling so gloomy, whenever I don't like the food served in the table, or whenever I was soaking wet because of the rain. Parati nila kaming kinakamusta. 

And now that Nana Neli did, I felt a nostalgic emotion inside my chest. I suddenly picture her with us, serving us food, and acting like a mother who loved her children so much. 

"M-Mahirap po..." sagot ko sa kanya kasabay ng buntong-hininga. "S-Sobrang hirap..." 

She looked at me sadly as I teared up. Then slowly, she held my hand and squished it lightly. "Magiging maayos din ang lahat, Katana. Nandito ako." 

I stared at her with tears in my eyes, and I suddenly saw myself with a mother again.