All Chapters of Along Pangasinan: Chapter 21

20“Ma!” I called out to Mama, who was outside the precinct. She had gone to their place, so I hurried toward her. Jun, who had been holding me, had finally settled down.When I reached Mama, she hugged me tightly. In that embrace, the tears streaming down my cheeks felt both warm and suffocating. I was exhausted—tired from everything that had happened, and tired of Mama’s condition.“Your dad… your dad…” she kept repeating. I gently rubbed her back. “He’s been imprisoned,” she finally said through her sobs, unable to continue.When I heard Dave’s cellphone ring, I turned to him. He frowned as he listened to whoever was on the other end.Syrien remained silent, simply watching us—watching the tragedy that had befallen my family.Tears welled up in my eyes as I gently pulled away from Mama’s embrace. I wiped the tears from my cheeks, and then wiped Mama’s as well.Jun stood frozen, staring at the sign about visiting hours. It was too late. We couldn’t visit Papa anymore.Syrien handed