All Chapters of When The Sun Sets: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

“Hindi ganyan, anak. Tingnan mo kung paano ko gagawin, ha?”Masigla akong tumango kay Mama. She smiled and pulled another piece of paper from my bag to guide me further on doing the paper boat. It is currently raining outside and I asked her if I can play with the small plash near our house. Hindi naman ako mababasa dahil nakaabot siya sa bubong namin.“Ganito… itiklop mo muna ito.”“Ganito po?”“Hindi, yung kabila dapat anak.”I nodded enthusiastically before I corrected my mistake. Namilog ang mga mata ko at umawang ang labi sa mangha noong dalawang tiklop pa lang ay naghugis bangka na ito! Natawa si Mama sa naging reaksyon ko at napailing na lang bago muli kami nagpatuloy.“Kapag lumabas na po si Seira sa tummy mo, ma, tuturuan ko rin siya nito!”“Talaga?”“Opo!” masaya kong tugon, taas noo pa at nagmamalaki. “Magaling na po ako

TW: Self-harm, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) triggering scenes.   “Sandrine told me to buy you and Seira a ticket to San Francisco immediately so I booked the earliest flight. I was confused at first but hearing how agitated she was urged me to obey her requests. It was only then when I realized what she meant when you told me that… when you told me what happened.” Nagbaba ako ng tingin sa dalawa kong kamay na siyang may sariling dwelo. “Ate never told us about your situation here. She always assured me that you’re fine. That’s why I was so shocked when she called yesterday. I was… astounded, Siorse.” Auntie Luzette shook

TW: Self-harm.  Adjusting to a new life is hard, I’ve figured that out ever since I agreed for Auntie to take responsibility to us as our guardian. I adjusted the uniform after I wore it. It was a simple white button-down polo and black pleated skirt, matching with a red necktie and high-heeled black shoes. Two days after we arrived here in San Francisco, Aunt Luzette enrolled us in a private school to continue our studies. I don’t know how she managed to move me to college even though I know that I failed to attend the two years academic stand of being a senior high. Not until she told me that they don’t have that kind of program here. So, I have to go on as a first-year college student again in the medical field. Tatlong araw pa lang kaming napasok sa marangyang eskwelahan ay ginusto ko na agad sumuko. Kung hindi lamang sa panghihinayang sa ibinayad ni Aunt Luzette sa tui

By recalling everything that happened, I realized how much of a regret burden me still up until the recent time.Seira… it feels like I am living with a different person now ever since we were discharged from the hospital.Samantalang sa mga araw na bumibisita ako sa psychiatrist, natutunan kong luwagan ang kapit sa mga ala-alang sumisira sa akin.“What about painting?” Dra. Sanchez suggested. “You told me that you’ve tried before and it helped. What about… we focus on this activity first?”As I go along with the flow of life, I have found the hidden existence behind the obstacles that forced me out of my zone.I stared at the blank canvas in front of me. My mind, in a whirlwind of spectacles, as I try to figure out what to do first. At that very moment, I’ve conceded that I’ve reserved myself to the gloam of my torment that I’ve wasted a year of my life trying to figure out how to heal

The next day, my phone was bombed with notifications from Rein and Mavros. Some of my other friends sent me friend requests and accepted mine. Kahit si Kenzo ay nakita ko sa listahan. Bahagya akong natawa dahil doon bago tinanggap ang kaniya.Rein Liana: Ellei Rolloque Velasco. Sebi, ikaw ba talaga 'to? Ikaw ba 'to?Rein Liana: Sumagot ka naman, oh. Parang awa mo na, Sebi. Miss na miss na kita.Agad kong sinalo ang mga luhang tumulo kahit nangingiti dahil sa pagbabasa ng mga mensaheng pinadala nila.Maverick Rosu: Sebi... Ikaw ba 'to?Maverick Rosu: We miss you so much. We're here, okay? Nandito lang kami. Kahit nasaang lupalop ka man ng mundo ngayon, handa kaming pumunta kung nasaan ka man para damayan ka. Mahal na mahal ka namin, okay?Mavros: Thank you for reaching out again. Talk to us when you're ready. Nandito lang kami.Maybe at some point, I regretted leaving them behind and had them searching for t