Eleven
– Hannah Mae’s POV –
I was sitting on the couch when I heard the door crack. I hope it’s mom and grandma. They went on a jogging early this morning and I forgot to ask mom about our photo album. You know, family tree. Project in Arts.
I lifted up my head to have a good look at the door. And good thing that I saw mom entered and followed by grandma behind her and closed the door.
“What took you so long?” I approach them.
Mom turned her head at me and she was taking deep breathes as she was approaching towards me.
“Do you really need to yell?” She respond under her breath and sat on the couch across me. She reaches for the towel on her shoulder and wipes her sweat away.
I was about to open my mouth and released a protest when I got interrupted by grandma.
“We happened to see your classmate, dear.” Grandma inform as she sat next to me.
I narrowed my eyes at her and grandma turned to look at mom.
After drying her face, mom respond, “We happened to see Carnillo. And he also went on a jogging all by himself.”
My eyebrows involuntarily raised as I stared at mom. I never thought about that side of him.
“But he’s kind of weird.” Grandma wondered aloud and my eyes landed at her gaze, “He looked like tense.”
Mom also turned to look at grandma, “You noticed it, either? I wanted to ask him if he’s alright but…” She paused as her lips curved, “he looked uncomfortable asking it.”
Grandma grimaced as she looked down, “Not just that. There’s something weird about him.”
Mom was puzzled, “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. I just have this feeling… that something wasn’t right at that moment.” Grandma mumbled.
I could sense my curiosity slowly eating my thoughts. But I quickly get myself together as I shut my eyes and shake the thought away.
“Anyways…” I spoke as I tried to think back about our project, “Where is our photo album, mom? I need our pictures for my project.”
“Oh yeah!” Mom exclaimed like something suddenly came in her mind, “I put it in a box under your closet. I’ll get it.”
Before a respond could came out from my mouth, mom excitedly stood and instantly gone at our eye shot. When she left, I noticed grandma was staring outside the window. She seems reminiscing something.
I slowly stood as I carefully walked towards her and sat on the arm of the couch.
“Are you alright, grandma?” My voice was low.
She sniffed, “That boy reminds me of your Uncle Alexander.” She paused in the middle when her voice crack, “They have the same exact eyes which makes me missed him.”
I felt like my heart was deliberately melting as I gently rub my hand against her back, “Its okay, grandma.”
She sniffed as she wiped her wet cheeks, “I was 5 when I was adopted by Don Julio and Doña Monica Gallego. That was the last time I saw his beautiful eyes.” She paused as she looked down and sniffed, “I ran away several times to look for him but fate was too cruel for both of us.”
I was still softly rubbing my hand against her back when I heard soft footsteps approaching us. Probably, it was mom sneaking to eavesdrop our conversation.
Mom went in front of grandma and kneel as she gently held her hand, “Mom, please. Your hurting yourself.” She reaches for her cheeks and gently wipes it.
Grandma sniffed as she swallowed, “I can’t deny it, Emilia. I miss your Uncle Alexander so bad.” Her voice became husky.
I saw mom’s eyes started to get wet as she looked down and caressed her thumb on grandma’s hand. She took the album from her lap and put it on grandma’s lap.
Grandma softly brushed her palm on the surface before she flipped the cover. She giggled when she saw her younger self as she continued to flip the pages. But the weirdest feeling is my heart pounding like it was about to jump out of my chest.
There were also pictures of the late Don Julio and Doña Monica cuddling with grandma, when she was months old. Mom was also there, carried by grandma when she was toddler. Grandma finally smiled back again, though it was a sad one. Mom also forced a smile though her lips were twitching.
But my heart sinks when grandma turned the page and a picture of her with a boy appeared. Her sad smile suddenly disappeared as her lips were trembling. She softly ran her fingers to the image of the boy as she sniffed.
My eyes widened as I suddenly stopped breathing. My heart skips a beat and my palms were sweating at the same time. I felt chills started to get to my nerves.
The boy… looks so familiar.. Is he..
“Is that… Uncle Alexander?” I didn’t realize that my lips were trembling until I tried to speak. I really don’t want to ask this but my curiosity is making my heart beats fast like crazy.
Grandma sniffed, “Yes, honey. Your Uncle Alexander Murfin.”
In that moment, I froze. My hand was shaking when I put it to my mouth and bite my fingers. My lips were abnormally trembling and my heart is about to explode in any minute now, considering how loud and fast it was beating.
I slipped from the arm of the couch and my weak knees caught my weight, even though it is slowly losing its strength.
I could feel mom’s gaze at me, when she noticed my weird reaction. But before she could asked me about it, I quickly ran to my room. I hurriedly opened it and slammed the door shut then locked it.
I don’t understand even the slightest thing but tears began to fall from my eyes. I gasped as my knees were totally losing it’s strength and fell on the ground, leaning my back on the door. My entire body was terribly shaking and I can even barely breath. I sniffed as I gritted my teeth while my lips were shaky.
What does this mean? My mind keeps on pushing a stupid thought out of it but I don’t want to believe it. I don’t want to. This is not true and possibly, not happening.
I keep on telling myself, even though I knew it was a huge lie. I was fool enough to be stupid by lying to my own goddamn face.