Love

I looked at my mother.

“Did you just say what you’ve just said?”

I couldn’t have heard her right. It just couldn’t be that way. Not now, nor ever.

———-

Love can be fatal.

How true. It’s like everyone caterwauls about love and it’s descendants. Whenever I try to strike sensible conversations with my friends, they’d just look at me and cry. Why?

It’s because of that damn thing called love.

And I’ve fallen victim to it.

My mother and I were just going through our regular ShoeMart ritual. But there was something different. Something was wrong. My mom had this pinched look on her face as if somebody was hurting her. Something was definitely wrong. When I couldn’t help it anymore, I asked what’s bothering her. She told me.

And I wish she never did.

I never heard what my mom said next. The world was spinning. It was just too much. I felt the happiness inside me withered slowly with every tear that dropped from both my eyes. I saw my mom trying frantically to make me stop. From doing what?

Sobbing.

My father has outdone himself. He has left us for his real life – a real life of a Church-bound marriage and Church-blessed children. He has decided to leave us for his true family, taking with him all the love we’ve given him, and leaving us with nothing but a letter and bittersweet memories.