Wynnona's POV

"Wynnona!" upon closing the door, a woman lying in bed exclaimed.

"Good evening," I greeted her nicely.

Kahit na halata ang ipinayat niya dahil sa sakit, at kahit pa napakaraming apparatus ang nakakabit sa kanya, hindi niya pa rin maialis ang kasabikan sa mukha nang makita ako. Well, lagi namang ganito ang matandang ito.

Tatlong beses ko pa lang siyang nakakasalamuha pero masasabi kong hindi siya tulad ng karamihan ng mga kamag-anak namin na plastic sa akin. This woman here is full of joy and sincerity in here. I wonder why isn't she like her sister who's the opposite of her.

"I'm very glad you visited," she closed the book she's reading and placed it on the side table of her room.

Nasa bahay nila kami ngayon dito sa Amsterdam. She already has a tanning in life and that made her want to stay in her house more than being confined in the hospital. We were never close, or I rather say I'm really not close to all of them, but I think I'll be hurt if that day comes after her.

"How are you, Oma Tess?" I asked while walking near her. I addressed her as Oma, because that's how you call a grandma in Dutch. She taught me this when I first met her.

"Of course still looking pretty like you," she even tried touching my face like she usually do before, but she's so weak right now to even do that.

Inilapit ko ang mukha ko at hinawakan ang kamay niya para maabot niya ang mukha ko. Nakita ko naman siyang ngumiti dahil sa ginawa ko.

I was never sweet to anyone who tried reaching me, even to dad and Marie. I guess weakness brought by damage in love made me like this.

"I miss you, my dear. I'll miss you more when I'm already in heaven," she said and that hurt me.

"You're going in hell, duhh," I broke the drama and she just laughed. "Remember when you still gave me those tons of chocolates before even if dad already said no?" I reminisced our past moment when I'm still a kid.

"Oh come on, dear. You didn't even say thank you to me back then," she said and we both laughed.

Our chitchat is interrupted when a tall old man, with a fair complexion, aging around eighty entered the room. It seems like he's a Dutch based on his appearance. Is he her doctor? But he's not wearing anything formal.

He smiled and greeted me before walking towards Oma Tess.

"Wynnona, this is Julian, my husband. Julian, this is Wynnona, my super pretty grandchild," she introduced us to one another. Julian and I shook hands.

It's my first time seeing her husband. I also never saw her kids and grandchildren because they aren't living here. I'll be meeting them tomorrow.

Ang hindi ko lang maintindihan ay kung bakit parabg Dutch din ang asawa niya. Dito kasi lumaki si Oma Tess sa Netherlands dahil half Dutch sila ng kanyang kapatid. Hindi naman posibleng hindi siya sumunod sa tradisyon at nagpakasal sa kalahi niya. Siguro nga mali lang ako ng iniisip.

May ibinulong ang asawa ni Oma Tess sa kanya na hindi ko maintindihan dahil Dutch ang lenggwahe nila. Nag-excuse sa amin si Julian at tinanguan ako bago umalis sa kwarto.

"He's a Dutch, right?" I straight up asked.

"Yes, of course. And he's handsome, right?" Oma Tess even chuckled after answering.

"Y-You remarried?" I asked while stuttering.

"What?" she asked back and I felt more nervous.

But why am I even nervous? There's no way she married and bore her kids with a Dutch like her.

"Oh, honey! Of course not," I stiffened and waited for her to utter a 'joke,' but she never did. "Julian is my first and last love. No way I would let go of that man," she exclaimed and giggled.

She tells more of their love story, but I can't process everything that she's saying. The only thing that replays on my mind is when she said she didn't 'let go'.

"B-But the tradition..." she's still storytelling but I cut her.

"You mean that toxic tradition?" she asked back.

"Toxic? Wait. Don't you mean you rebelled when you were young?"

Mula sa pagkaka-dekwatro ng binti ko, iniba ko ang posisyon ng pagkakaupo ko at bahagyang napalapit ang pang itaas na bahagi ng katawan ko sa kama. Para bang interesado at curious ako sa kanyang kwento noong kabataan niya.

"Of course! From the start, I never like the idea of being married to someone because of good image, money, and others. My parents never loved each other. Why would I sacrifice mg own love story when there are many chances that I would end up like them?"

Napaawang ang bibig ko habang ang mga mata ay kumikinang. Kung isa lamang akong bata para na akong batang nanonood ng cartoons kung saan bilib na bilib ako sa bida.

Masasabi ko din na nakaka-relate ako sa sinabi niya kaya siguro ganito na lang ang paghanga ko sa kanya. Pero kahit pa man gano'n, pakiramdam ko hindi ko kaya ang ginawa niya... Dahil ibang iba ako sa kanya. Ako na lang ang natitira sa aming lahi.

Napangiti na lamang ako bigla ng mapait. Napansin naman iyon ni Oma. "Are there many like you?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"Yes. But all of them lack courage, except for me. That's why they're so envious of me," she seriously answered.

"You mean, you're the only one who didn't comply with the tradition?" I asked and she smiled.

"Yes. That's why you just seldom see me im reunions. And that's also why you never met my husband until now," she gave me a small smile. I can't believe that I'm hearing it from her right now.

"But... how? Didn't they get angry with you? You we're never kicked out of the family? Never shamed?" I asked, obviously being a coward of what our family might do to me when I follow her path.

"Are you in the same boat as me?" she suddenly asked. She held my hand slowly when I didn't answer. "Fine. I'll answer your questions first. But tell me what's bothering you, okay?" I just nodded.

"I have a younger sister and you know it. When we were still kids, everybody knows how rebel I was, and how ambitious my sister is."

"By the time that a man is about to get married with me, I ran away with Julian. It wasn't dramatic for me. Getting away and being chases is actually kinda fun," she even laughed while speaking. "And you know what? The man that's about to get married with me is the richest man in Europe that time. And what my sister did as an ambitious frog is of course... she volunteered to marry him."

Wala akong nakitang pagsisisi sa kanyang mukha. Sa halip, sobrang saya pa niya habang nagkukuwento. Talaga bang... dapat rin na ganito ang gawin namin ni Yamato?

"So they still treat you like a family?" I'm gaining my hopes back, until...

"No," Oma Tess sighed. "They never treat me as part of the family after that until now."

My hopes are shattered.

"But that's more of a blessing for me," she looked at me sincerely. "Because when they kicked me out of the family, that's when I met people who actually treat me how a family should treat each other."

Habang nakikipagtitigan sa kanya, bigla kong naalala ang mga taong nagparamdam sa akin na parte ako ng pamilya nila dahil naiintindihan nila kung ano ang nararamdaman ko. Marie, Pinky, Sheen, Yumi, Wine,

Yamato...

Nag-iinit na naman ang mga mata ko, hindi dahil malungkot ako, kung hindi dahil sa laki ng pasasalamat ko sa mga taong tulad nila.

"Search me on the family tree and you would never see my name there. But that's not when I stopped believing that I'll be a part of another family."

"I don't need records that will tell where ancestry I belong, and what are our achievements in life," she looked back at me and wiped my tears that finally escaped. "You and I, we were both carved in other people's hearts, and that's what a real family meant."

After saying that, I suddenly got up and hugged her so tight.

"Don't be afraid, Wynnona. Fight for the people who you know truly loves you."

I broke the hug and gave her a big smile, with full of confidence and boldness.

"I will."

--

May mga bagay pa din akong iniisip patungkol sa naging impluwensya sa akin ng sinabi ni Oma Tess. Gayunpaman, kahit na nag-aalangan, naisip ko rin na malayo na ang narating ko nang dahil sa pagmamahal kay Yamato.

Kabilang na sa mga iyon ang pagbabago ko. Pangalawa, pareho na kaming nasa acting industry ngayon. Paniguradong liliit ang mundo namin. Kung hindi ko ipaglalaban ang mayroon sa amin, patuloy lang akong iiwas sa kanya sa hinaharap... maliban na lang kung babalik siya sa Japan.

"Wynnona," Wine smiled upon seeing me.

Bago ako umuwi sa Pilipinas, nagdesisyon akong bisitahin si Wine. Sa pagpunta ko sa bahay nila, nagpasya akong bumili ng ipang-reregalo sa kanya.

"Just me call Wyn, okay?" I said and made me enter their house.

"I guess wala pa din 'yung mom mo. Sayang 'di ko siya makikilala bago ako umuwi," I sighed while sitting.

"Uuwi ka na? Akala ko next week pa?" I shook my head and explained her why.

"Oh, really? Then that's great! Go for it, Wyn! Sayang lang pero kasi hindi mo mame-meet si mom..."

"I can always come back here 'pag naasikaso ko na ang mga kailangang asikasu--Hey! Are you okay?"

Agad akong napatayo nang mapansin naming pareho ni Wine na naduduwal siya. Sinundan ko siya sa kanilang banyo at tinulungan siyang sumuka roon.

"Are you okay? May nakain ka bang masama?" I asked worriedly.

"I don't know, but maybe," sabi niya matapos linisin ang sarili. "Kukuha lang ako ng damit sa kwarto." Nabasa kasi ang damit niya nang maghugas ng mukha at kamay.

"Okay. Can I come in?" Hindi na siya sumagot at hinayaan akong pumasok. Katabi lang din naman ng kwarto niya ang banyo.

I sat on her full size whit bed. Luminga linga ako sa paligid at napansin kong hindi gaanong malaki ang kwarto niya, pero hindi rin masikip dahil kaunti lang at organized ang mga gamit. Neutral colors naman ang kulay na bumabalot sa kwarto.

Nagulat lang ako nang buksan niya ang isang cabinet. Mabilis niya rin iyong isinara dahil nakakuha siya agad ng damit.

"Did I see that, right?" bulong ko sa sarili pero mukhang narinig naman niya.

"What do you mean?" she asked without a clue.

"The contraceptives and... pills I mean," I asked shyly.

Hindi ko rin namalayan na talagang nasabi ko ang mga iyon sa kanya. Kailan ba ako natutong mangialam lalo na sa mga supoosed to be censored na bagay? Napapala ko yata 'to sa kasasama kay Pinky eh.

"A-Ah..." she uncomfortably got what I mean. She's now blushing and I kinda regret what I told her. "H-Hindi ko naman na ginagamit. I mean the pills... hindi ko talaga 'yon sinubukan."

She never took pills? But does that mean, she or I mean they used the condoms?

"I see..." I just and never asked about those things after that.

"Good bye, Wine. See you next time," I bid my last goodbye on her.

Hindi na ako nagpahatid pa sa kanya sa airport dahil may trabaho pa siyang kailangang puntahan. Ayaw ko naman na abalain pa siya.

On my way to airport, I called Marie to inform her about my plan. She's not my assistant anymore, but I always feel that she has to know what's going on with me. I see her as my mother anyways.

"Marie, uuwi na ako," panimula ko.

Matapos niyon, tinanong niya ako kung bakit at syempre sinabi ko sa kanya ang nangyari sa pag-uusap namin ni Oma Tess.

"Yamato called and begged to me for many many times that I can't even count," when I heard what she said, I immediately got a pang in my chest. "Mula noong hindi mo na siya pinansin hanggang noong isang araw."

"Thanks for informing me," tipid kong sagot. I was glad because he still cares but of course it's more saddening and devastating for the both of us.

"Do you want me to inform him? Or baka gusto mo man lang na ibigay sa kanya 'yong bagong number mo?" she asked but I chose none of them.

"No. I'd rather surprise him," I said with a smile. With that, I know I'm ready to flight and to fight.

--

After grabbing a car, narito na ako ngayon sa lobby ng condo namin ni Yamato. I don't know what awaits me there.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Are you miss Wynnona Ferreira?" or should I say I don't know what awaits here.

A man wearing the same uniform as the other personnels here in the lobby approached me. He guided me into someone's office. I guess it's his boss'. The boss told me that I'm already blacklisted and can't enter my own unit.

As I was about to go out of the condominium, security guards suddenly held me. They told me that they're calling my father and that I shouldn't leave the office. I knew something would happen when I step inside this building, but never knew that dad went this far.

"Long time no see, Wynnona. How's Amsterdam?"

As all of the people from the office got out, I heard a cold familiar voice. If I am a normal person, I would stiffen because of his approach, but I'm not.

When I left Netherlands, the lion spirit that I lost came back to me. My dad has a cold gaze, voice, touch, and everything. But unfortunately, his daughter cane back to her senses and is all fired up to fight for what she knows is right.

"It's so fine," I answered sarcastically while flashing my innocent-acting face that I often wear before.

"That's good. I even heard that you got the chance to talk with your dying grandma?" when he looked at me, I know he's mocking because he copied my expression.

"Well yeah. And what could I expect from someone like you? Of course you already know what we talked about," I said it so calm, but I'm angered on the inside.

"Very good. At least you know that," he said and chuckled. "Is that why you're here? Because you want to meet your Nihongo prince?"

Honestly I didn't like what he branded Yamato, because that's the other reason why we all thought that he's a real Japanese. He can't understand English and Filipino, and the only language he knows is Japanese.

"Of course. Princesses can save their princes too, right?"

"Sure, dear," he went near to me and whispered something that made my lips parted. "but he already left you. He went back to Japan just yesterday."

Nang tingnang muli ako ni dad, hindi ko pa rin matanggal sa mukha ko ang pagkalungkot at gulat sa sinabi niya. Nakita ko siyang napangisi sa naging reaksyon ko.

I'm here to see him, to talk to him, to fight with him... to make everything right. Maybe dad's just fooling me.

"I'm sorry but I refuse to believe," tumayo ako at kinuha ang bag ko.

"Okay, go. See it until you believe it," nagsenyas siya na papasukin ang boss na nakausap ko kanina. Inilabas ng boss ang isang susi at ibinigay iyon sa akin. Kahit wala siyang sabihin, alam ko kung para saan iyon. "Goodluck," dad said and waited in the office.

Sumunod sa akin ang mga body guard ni dad. Sa likod nila ay dalawa pang security guard ng condominium. Sila pa talaga ang walang tiwala sa akin, gayong sila ang mas hindi mapagkakatiwalaan.

At first, I even tried to rang the doorbell of Yamato's unit, but I guess no one's really inside. The last hope to confirm if he's really here or not, is to open the unit all by myself.

I looked at the key while my hand is shaking. I don't want to expect anything so that I won't be hurt but just thinking that if he really left me, I already felt betrayed and unloved.

Nang isinuksok ko ang susi at ipinihit ang seradura ng pinto, agad iyong itinulak ng isang g*gong body guard ni dad. Tumawa tawa pa sila na parang alam na nila kung anong makikita ko sa loob.

Nang makita ko nang maayos ang loob ng unit, agad akong nanlumo. Wala ng buhay ang unit. Ang mga bagay na dating naroon, maging ang pagkakaayos ng mga iyon na tandang tanda ko ay wala na. Ang aso niya na si Shine, na lagi akong tinatahulan ay hindi ko na rin nakita. At higit sa lahat, ang taong lagi kong gustong pagbuksan ako sa loob ng unit na ito ay.... wala na rin.

Iniwan na niya ako.

Nang pabalik sa opisina kung saan kami nagkita kita kanina, agad kong tinext si Marie para tawagan si Yamato. Agad naman akong nireplyan ni Marie. Nakabalik na kami't lahat lahat sa opisina at nakailang tawag na rin siya kay Yamato, ngunit hindi raw matawagan ang telepono niya. Ang numero daw ay invalid.

"So, what did you see?" dad asked cooly, while I'm standing in front of him, about to cry due to anger.

I want to punch and shout at him like crazy. I want to throw hurtful words or even cuss. But right now, I just felt so really tired and weak.

Seeing Yamato is my only hope of coming back to him to fight for our love. I thougt when I go back here, I will see him and at peace we'll continue loving each other. I guess I got my hopes too high.

Too high that I didn't know I can't even reach...

"He's a Filipino-Japanese. Imagine, dalawa ang bansa ang kinabibilangan niya, pero hindi niya piniling manatili kung saan naroroon ka."

"Just accept your fate, my daughter," inakbayan ako ni dad at tumitig sa akin na mas lalong nakapagpakulo ng dugo ko.

"How you like that?"

--

A/N: So may sasabihin akong importante and that is...

COMEBACK NA NG BLACKPINK OMGGGGGGG!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAA

Hope you Enjoy reading po! Votes and comments are highly appreciated ♥ God bless y'all!

Ha? How you like that ;)