Sheena's POV
"How's the kids, love?" Colet asked Jhoanna who just returned to my living room, holding a wine in her hand.
Ilang taon na rin, ilang taon na siyang wala. Tinuloy ko ang mga pangarap naming dalawa. Gwyn Allistair is turning ten this month. I always asked him about his dream. Hindi ko naman siya pinepressure kaya okay lang kung wala siyang masagot but I was surprised when he said he wanted to be a Veterinarian like his Mommy Gwen.
"Anak, I know you're still young pero ano ang gusto mong maging paglaki mo?" I asked as I was preparing for his breakfast. I am hands-on when it comes to him kaya kahit alam kong hindi ako marunong magluto ay nagpatulong pa rin ako kay Aiah.
"What do you mean, Mama?" he curiously asked.
"Hmm. You know, like your future job. Like your Mommy Gwen, she used to be a veterinarian doctor. Your Ninang Colet is an architect. Your Ninang Jhoanna is managing the PR team of your Ninang Mikha's company. Your ninang Aiah is a lawyer. Your Ninang Maloi and Ninang Stacey are both doctors." I smiled. Dati, noong nasa high school palang kami, hindi rin namin alam kung saan patungo ang mga pangarap namin. Pero ngayon, sama-sama na namin itong inaabot sa gabay ni Gwen.
"How about you, mama? You're a dentist, right?" he asked again.
"Yes. Pero huwag mo na tanungin 'yung rason kung bakit. Masyadong complicated eh." I laughed.
He stopped chewing his pancake and looked up, parang nag-iisip. "Mama, I want to be a veterinarian doctor like Mommy Gwen. I always look at your photo album and even your old phone. I saw how dedicated she was. Bakit po puro stolen pictures niya lama ng phone mo? Stalker ka po niya before?"
"Ikaw talagang bata ka!" I shook my head. "Are the bullies in school still teasing you about having two moms?" I added.
Gwyn shyly smiled. "Yes, mama. But I don't care. Tinadyakan ko nga 'yung isa sa tiyan eh. Bakit ba sila nangengealam?"
"Gwyn Allistair! We'll talk about that once I talk to your principal. Hindi ba sabi ko sa'yo huwag kang nakikipag-away?" I lectured.
"I just don't like them teasing about you, Mama. I love you and I love Mommy Gwen. Tinatanong nila ako kung hindi raw ba ako nahihiya. Sabi ko, anong nakakahiya doon? Mas nakakahiya 'yong hindi ka marunong magmahal. In your case and Mommy Gwen's case, you guys love each other so much. Love is the most precious thing in this world, Mama." he explained.
It warmth my heart. Parang may malamig na hangin akong naramdaman sa sandaling iyon.
"Mama, there's this girl ..." he started. "She kinda looked like you. Her nickname is Cheska but I call her Mamay." he smirked.
"Anak, bakit ba gusto mo siyang laging inaasar?" I asked.
"Ugly names suits for pretty girls eh." he blushed.
I went back to reality nang maramdaman kong binatukan ako ni Mikha. Hindi pa nakuntento 'yong dalawang gago at binatukan din ako.
"Aray! What the fuck is your problem?" I asked.
"They're asking about Dustin kasi kanina pa!" Stacey rolled her eyes. "Hindi ba gusto ka niya? May chance ba?" she added.
But before I could answer, narinig ko na naman ang pang-aasar ng mga kaibigan ko.
"Boom! Bading!"
"Tumawid na siya sa kabilang daan!"
"Gwen pagalawin ang baso!"
I threw the used tissue to them. "Mga gago! Baka marinig kayo ng anak ko. Dustin is just a friend, hinding hindi ko ipagpapalit si Gwen. I will never love again if it's not her."
And with that, I felt Aiah held my hands while smiling at me genuinely.
"Maloi! Ngumiti si Aiah ng genuine oh, nabilang mo ba?" I teased. But she didn't respond, nang tingnan namin, mahimbing na siyang natutulog sa balikat ni Stacey.
Tonight was a reunion, a gathering of souls bound by shared memories and a love that transcended time itself. Sino ba namang hindi maglalagi sa bahay ko kung may kanya-kanya silang kwarto? Sabi nga ni Mikha, tipid sa kuryente. Makapal talaga mukha nitong isang 'to dahil dinala niya pa mga gadgets niya para makicharge at 'yong elecrtic bike ni Ling at Haru.
We hadn't planned this gathering. It just happened, like the way fireflies appear in the twilight, drawn together by an unseen force. Years had bled by since Gweneth's illness, a cruel thief that had snatched her away, leaving a gaping hole in the tapestry of our lives and a profound ache in the cavern of my heart. Gweneth, with her infectious laugh that could chase away the darkest storm. The glue that kept our little circle from unraveling.
"Lasing na ako." Colet whispered while squeezing Jhoanna's cheeks.
"Masaya sana kung andito siya ..." I weakly said. "To Gwen," my voice thick with a grief that threatened to drown me.
When Maloi heard me saying that, bigla siyang nabuhayan at naki-taas din ng baso sa amin. The crystal glasses clinked, a solitary sound in the heavy silence. We each took a long drink, the wine a bitter counterpoint to the sweetness of the memories it invoked. The dam broke then, a torrent of shared recollections washing away the inhibitions the years and grief had built.
Aiah recounted, with a watery chuckle, the time Gweneth, ever the daredevil, had convinced us all to skinny dip in a supposedly haunted lake (which, in hindsight, was probably just a grumpy old goose we'd startled). Maloi, her voice thick with emotion, mimicked Gweneth's singing voice, a bad habit that somehow turned endearing when she belted out off-key show tunes, turning the sterile hospital room into a makeshift concert hall during her illness.
Laughter, tinged with tears, filled the room. Stories tumbled out, a bittersweet flood of moments shared, secrets whispered, and dreams chased. We spoke of her resilience, the quiet strength she had shown during her illness, the way she turned the sterile confines of the hospital room into a sanctuary filled with laughter and whispered jokes, a testament to her indomitable spirit.
As the night wore on, the laughter became laced with catharsis, tears flowing freely, a cleansing rain washing away the dust of grief. I spoke of the quiet moments we shared, stolen glances across the breakfast table, the way her hand fit perfectly in mine, a jigsaw puzzle finally complete. The ache in my heart, a constant dull throb, intensified with each memory, a testament to the love that bloomed and the life cut tragically short.
A comfortable silence settled eventually, filled only by the quiet clinking of ice cubes and the soft rustle of tissues. Grief, a heavy cloak, draped itself over us, but beneath it, a flicker of warmth remained.
"We miss her," Aiah rasped, her voice thick with emotion.
I nodded, a single tear tracing a path down my cheek. "But wouldn't she want us to laugh?"
A ghost of a smile touched Mikha's lips. "Yeah, she would."
We sat in comfortable silence for a while longer, the weight of grief a shared burden. But as the first rays of dawn crept through the blinds, casting the room in a soft golden glow, a flicker of a smile touched my lips. Gweneth may be gone, but the love, laughter, and strength she brought into our lives would forever be a part of us. The ache in my heart might never truly disappear, but tonight, surrounded by the people who knew and loved her, the memory of Gweneth felt less like a gaping wound and more like a bittersweet melody, a reminder of a life well-lived and a love that transcended time itself.
"I have an idea!" Aiah yelled.
"Babe, I am not liking your idea." Mikha replied.
"Shut up, boomer! Wala kang kiss mamaya." Aiah warmed so Mikha shut her mouth and let Aiah continue. "Let's camp in the cemetery! I mean, kay Gwen. Baka miss na niya tayo eh." she added.
"Attorney, kapag ba minulto kami doon at sinapian, kakayanin ng articles at revised penal code mo?" Stacey joked.
"Tara!" I agreed.
"Shee, seryoso ka? Paano ang mga bata?" Colet asked dramatically.
"Gago! Andyan naman sila mommy." I said.
As we unloaded the camping gear from Mikha's Ford Raptor, ramdam ang dilim sa bawat espasyo ng sementeryo. Mabuti nalang at parating may guard dito dahil baka hindi ko rin kayanin.
I love Gweneth pero baka kasi iba 'yong matawag namin dito.
"Glamping with ghosts, huh?" Jhoanna quipped, eyeing the brightly colored tents.
Stacey chuckled, hoisting a bag overflowing with marshmallows. "More like a five-star resort for the dearly departed. We wouldn't want to offend Gwen, would we?"
I offered her a weak smile. "Right. Wouldn't want that."
We approached Gweneth's headstone, the silence heavy with unspoken emotions. I knelt and placed a bouquet of wildflowers beside the marble slab.
"Hey Gwen," Mikha murmured, her voice soft. "We brought the party to you."
Stacey nudged me with her elbow. "Don't worry, Sheena. We'll keep it classy... ish."
I managed a laugh, the sound brittle in the stillness. Together, we set about constructing the campsite.
"You sure this is sturdy enough, Maloi?" I asked, eyeing the precarious pile of stones hes was assembling for the fire pit.
"Fort Knox ain't got nothin' on this, Sheena," she declared with mock seriousness. "Guaranteed to withstand even the most restless spirits."
As the moon showed up, casting long shadows across the cemetery, we finally finished setting up camp. Jhoanna uncorked a bottle of wine, the pop a sharp counterpoint to the chirping crickets.
"To Gwen," she said, raising her glass. "The most vibrant ghost we know."
We settled into the camp chairs, the flickering firelight reflecting in our eyes. "Remember that time we convinced Gwen to go skinny dipping in that supposedly haunted lake?" Stacey asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Colet snorted. "Supposedly? More like definitely! We almost gave that old goose a heart attack."
We spent the next few hours reminiscing, each story a shard of a shattered memory pieced back together. Laughter mingled with tears, a bittersweet melody in the cool evening air. Alam kong lasing na tong mga 'to dahil kanina pa namin pinagkukwentuhan ang mga ito sa bahay. Inuulit-ulit nalang nila.
"Hey, remember that time Gwen turned the hospital room into a karaoke bar?" Maloi asked.
I smiled, a wave of warmth washing over me. "How could I forget? Celine Dion would have been jealous of her rendition of 'My Heart Will Go On.'"
As the night wore on, the conversation turned more reflective.
"She was strong, you know," Aiah said, gazing into the flames.
"The strongest," I agreed, my voice barely a whisper.
"She wouldn't want us to be sad forever," Mikha added gently. "She'd want us to keep living, keep laughing, for her."
We sat in comfortable silence for a while longer, the crackling fire a comforting presence in the quiet night. The stars twinkled like a million tiny diamonds scattered across the velvet sky.
"We missed you so much, bebe." I finally whispered, the words carried away by the gentle breeze.
But in the quiet companionship of my friends, under the vast expanse of the starry sky, the ache in my heart felt a little less sharp. Gweneth might be gone, but the love and laughter we shared would forever be a part of us, a testament to a life well-lived and a bond that even death couldn't break.
I smiled when Colet started strumming her guitar.
'Wag nang mangamba, hindi ka nag-iisa
'Wag ka nang mag-alala, dadamayan kita
Sa oras ng kalungkutan, hindi kita bibitawan
Sa 'kin ka magpahinga
'Wag kang susuko, 'wag magpatalo
Ano mang pagsubok ng mundo, oh-oh-oh
Tibayan ang puso, lakasan ang loob mo
Tumingala, taas noo
Na-na-nandito lang, na-na-nandito lang ako
Na-na-nandito lang, na-na-nandito lang ako
Na-na-nandito lang, na-na-nandito lang ako