"Oh, Minah, maupo kayo rito ni Aurum," yaya sa akin ni mama.

Kanina pa kasi siya nag-aalala kay Aurum.

"Ma, pwede ba? Huwag ka ngang mag-panic," paki-usap ko at naupo.

"Kasi naman, sinama mo pa talaga si Aurum," sabi niya habang tinutulungan akong ayusin ang batang nakangiti lamang na kanina ko pa dala.

I smiled.

"E nagpumilit! Anong magagawa ko? Kaya naman ni Aurum, 'di ba baby?" I asked Aurum and gently kissed her neck.

She giggled. "Yes, mommy!" masigla niyang utas.

"Hay nako, mag-ina talaga kayo, ano? Pa-strong!" sabi ni mama.

Ewan ko ba kung hater ba siya ng pagiging nanay ko o ano.

"Lola, I'm strong po," at pagkasabi ni Aurum no'n ay naubo siya sa lamig.

I laughed at umiling na lang si mama. Pagkatapos kong ayusan at pakainan saglit si Aurum, ang sarili ko naman ang aking inabala.

"Hikers! Aakyat na tayo muli maya-maya," the tour guide announced.

We decided to hike Mount Pulag, one of the highest mountains in the Philippines. Madaling araw pa lamang kaya wala pang araw, the atmosphere was quite cold since it was February.

Today was a special day because it was Aurum's first birthday.

Sabi ni mama, magpa-party na lang daw kami kaso ayaw ni Aurum. And yes, sa edad ng anak kong ito ay marunong na siyang magsalita, magbasa, magbilang, mag-solve ng iilang problema at maglakad. Namana raw niya ang skills pati syempre ang kagandahan ko.

Isa pa, noong nalaman niya kasing magh-hiking kami ay nagpumilit siyang sumama. Ayaw niyang nalalayo sa akin, ganoon rin naman ako. She was as precious as a gold, kaya nga Aurum ang ipinangalan ko.

Sinakto ko sa birthday ng aking anak ang schedule ng hike bilang regalo at pa-birthday sa kanya. Now, our only goal was to see the rising sun in Luzon's highest peak.

Nagbalik paglalakad na kami. Medyo nagulat ang tour guides na kasama namin dahil mabilis daw kaming maglakad.

"Weak! Weak si tito Trojan!" asar ni Aurum sa kapatid ko.

Natawa ako. Nasabi ko bang namana niya rin ang pagka-pilosopo ko?

Tinawanan ko, ni Aurum, ni kuya Marcus at ng kanyang asawa at ni mama si Trojan na hinihingal na. Actually, kanina pa siya hinihingal pag-akyat nang pag-akyat namin.

"Palibhasa buhat ka lang, e!" patol ni kuya.

"Trojan, bata 'yan!" banta ni mama.

"Alam ko, ma," inirapan ni kuya si mama.

"Huwag mo kong ma-irap-irapan d'yan, ha! Dukutin ko yang mga mata mo," ani mama.

Nagbiruan pa kami habang patuloy na umakyat. Kailangan naming aluin si kuya Trojan dahil baka gumulong 'to pabalik sa pinanggalingan namin.

"Manghintay naman kayo!" sigaw ni kuya Trojan na hindi namin namalayan na na sa malayong part pa rin pala.

Jusko! Konti na lang ay mararating na namin ang peak, ngayon pa siya nagpahintay!

Wala sa sarili akong napatingin sa itaas. Hindi pa rin maliwanag. Sabi ng tour guide, malapit na kami sa lagay na 'to.

"Mommy, ang lapit natin sa stars!" puna ni Aurum.

I agreed. Para ngang ang lapit namin sa kalawakan. Punong-puno ng mga bituin ang itaas ng aming kinatatayuan. Kitang-kita at sobrang makinang.

"Mommy, nagg-glow necklace mo!" turo ni Aurum sa suot kong necklace.

I wore the necklace that Monjardin gave me when I was in grade eight. Ito ang necklace na nagg-glow tuwing na sa labas ka at pinapanood ang mga bituin. It never got old.

Ngumiti ako dahil sa ala-ala. Binaba ko saglit si Aurum. Tinanggal ko ang necklace at sa kanya isinuot. Natuwa siya sa aking ginawa.

"Fits you perfectly," I whispered.

"Akin na po ba ito, mommy?" she asked.

"Sure. Mas bagay nga sa 'yo," sabi ko.

Totoo namang mas bagay sa kanya iyon dahil medyo maliit na sa akin... and seeing her wearing that necklace warms my heart. For a second, I remembered myself.

"Ako muna magbubuhat kay Aurum, Minah. Mukhang pagod ka na," kuya Marcus' wife offered.

I smiled.

"Yes, sure, ate. Medyo nangangalay na nga ang mga braso ko," I agreed.

Binuhat niya ang aking anak na patuloy na pinaglalaruan ang aking kwintas. Pinanood ko silang maglakad at sumunod na ako. Kuya Trojan was back on the track too.

"Nak, may tanong ako," I was surprised that Mom was beside me.

"Ano 'yon, ma?" I asked.

Naglakad na kami ngayon sa likuran ng mga kasama.

"Mahal mo pa rin ba si Math?" nagulat ako sa kanyang tanong.

We hadn't talk about him recently...

"Yes," I exhaled.

"Hanggang ngayon?" she assured.

"Yes," I answered.

Hindi niya agad nadugtungan ang sinabi ko dahil may dinaanan kaming kinailangan ng focus.

"Nak, may gusto akong aminin sa 'yo," aniya.

"Ano?" tanong ko.

May kinalaman ba 'to kay Monjardin?

"Back when you were fourteen, the time na iniwan ka ni Math," panimula niya.

Tinuon ko ang lahat ng atensyon sa kanyang sasabihin.

I knew the truth about what happened but I wanted to know what my mother knew.

"May rason siya kung bakit ka niya nilayuan," aniya.

Now, I got stunned. He never told me about it. Bakit kinailangan pa sa aking ina siya magsabi?

"Sinabi niya sa akin ang lahat ng side niya bago kayo makasal."

That caught me. Nag-usap sila? Teka, hindi ako makapaniwala.

"Ano namang reason niya?" I asked, impatient.

"He liked you that time. He liked you in a romantic way, Minah. Kinailangan niyang lumayo sa 'yo dahil ayaw niyang paasahin ka nang hindi siya sigurado sa nararamdaman," she answered.

I couldn't let the words sink. I thought Math only liked me when we saw each other again. Of course, I somehow assumed before but it was too surreal to believe.

"He protected you from death. Kaya na-ban at ipinakulong ang fraternity mo noon dahil gusto kang patayin ng mga ka-miyembro mo. Nagpatulong siya sa mga kasamahan ng papa niya noon pati sa isang magaling na detective para lang sa 'yo. Kaya ka niya itinago at inilayo. Kaya ka niya ipinilit na magbago."

I knew about it and I was so impressed that Math actually told everything to my mother.

"At noong kasal ninyo, kaya siya hindi sumipot ay para hindi ka na madamay sa gulo."

Naguluhan ako sa sinabi ni mama.

"Sinabi niya sa aking may gusto pa ring pumatay sa 'yo. Sinabi niyang may nag-aabang na kamatayan muli," mom confessed to me.

I had so many questions that I could almost fall.

"They investigated the case and it was late when they realized something," mom said.

"Anong na-realize nila?" I asked.

"Na hindi ikaw ang gustong patayin kung hindi siya. Siya ang target na patayin. Kaya hindi natuloy ang kasal dahil ayaw niyang madamay ka," she answered.

"Why did you know about this? Why did you keep it from me? I was silently begging for answers yet you didn't say anything at all," I hissed.

"We didn't want you to be stressed. You were carrying Aurum the past months," she reasoned.

"And Math wanted us to keep this as a secret from you," she reasoned.

"Why did you tell me now?" I asked.

"it's been almost two years... you needed to know about it," mom answered.

I chuckled, "Wow, thank you," I sarcastically said.

My mind was clouded. Hindi ko na alam kung na saang parte na ba kami. Wala ang atensyon ko sa paligid.

"Na saan na siya ngayon?" I asked again.

"Iyon ang hindi ko alam," sagot ni mama.

Paano kung... kung... hindi. Hindi mamamatay si Monjardin. Hindi pwede 'yon. My eyes watered imagining that it might happen. I wanted to distract myself from that thought but it was too important to not to think about.

Ilang oras pa bago bumalik sa akin ang aking anak. Wala sa sarili ko siyang mahigpit na niyakap. Kung wala na sa mundong ito si Monjardin, then I must be grateful that Aurum came.

"Mommy, you cried?" puna ni Aurum.

"No. Napuwing lang ako," I excused.

Tumango si Aurum at sumandal sa aking balikat. I could feel her sleeping as we walked.

Seven AM, we have reached the peak. We also saw the sunrise. Hindi ko nga lang sigurado kay Aurum kung nakita niya noong naalipungatan siya.

Napangiti ako dahil parang may humilot sa aking kaninang mabigat na kalooban. The morning breeze felt good. Sa harap namin ay ang mala-bulak na dagat ng mga ulap.

Naglakad ako para makalayo sa maiingay naming mga kasama. I admired the whole place. I decided not to disturb my child and only wake her up later. I was peacefully looking from afar when someone touched me.

I jumped with the feeling of arms embracing me from behind. Sinubukan kong lumingon ngunit hindi ako hinayaan ng taong ito na gawin iyon.

Binaba ko ang aking tingin sa kamay ng estranghero. Fuck?

"M-Monja-"

"I missed you," he. Fucking. Whispered.

I couldn't say anything.

"Is she our little princess?" he asked after he kissed my neck.

I nodded despite of the shock I was feeling. What the hell?

"I really missed you," he whispered again.

He hugged me tighter than before and I unconsciously let myself rest inside his arms. I missed this kind of warmth.

"B-Bakit nandito ka?" I asked.

"I'm here to be with you," he simply answered.

"Bwisit ka, alam mo 'yon?" I ranted na bahagya niyang tinawanan.

But honestly speaking, I was thankful he made it this far to be with us. It seemed like everything paid off.

"I told you to trust me."

"I did," I said.

Hinaplos niya ang singsing na kanyang huling binigay.

"I know because you found me," he whispered.

"You have a lot of things to explain to me, Math," sabi ko.

"I will tell you everything, Lierre," he assured me.

"Baka umalis ka pa, sulitin mo na," I joked.

"No, hindi na ako aalis," he said to me.

For a while, we stayed silent.

"Do you still remember what I said back then? Iyong sinabi kong ako ang magiging dulo mo?" he opened up.

"Of course," I answered.

"Pwes, na sa dulo tayo ng Pilipinas. Nandito na tayo sa dulo, Lierre," he said happily.

I was in tears of joy. I would never let this go.

"Dami mong alam, Math," natatawa kong sabi.

"Mommy?" rinig ko ang daing ni Aurum.

I saw her curiosity inside her eyes when she noticed the man hugging us.

"Hi, Aurum," he greeted our daughter.

He even knew her name.

"Sino ka po?" Aurum asked innocently.

"I'm your father, baby... and I'll marry your mother," he answered Aurum.

Aurum smiled at her father. She gently reached out her tiny hands to caress Math's face. Aurum laughed cutely as she pinched Math's pointed nose.

Nilingon ni Aurum ang magandang view sa aming harapan nang natapos kay Math at natahimik kami. This was it.

This was the only thing I wanted in this world; to be with him in the end.

We were above the clouds and I felt satisfied knowing that the man I used to reach was now finally with me.