Dress
“What’s going on here?” Dad said from behind me. He had probably just returned from work and was tired.
“Why are your eyes like that? What’s wrong? Did the Ateneo pass so you’re crying?” It’s a happy promise.
I didn’t tell them I didn’t pass there. I have no intention of saying that because they will only make me even more disappointed.
“Agnes, what happened?”
“Your daughter has a scandal.” Mom had no emotional response.
“What?” It seems like it was misheard.
“You heard me. I was called to school. I might not be able to graduate because of that. It’s spread on the internet.” Mom added.
“T-is that true Celiza?” It’s an unbelievable question. I nodded slowly.
“A-ah!” He was holding his neck, it almost fell. I would have supported it but avoided it. “Don’t touch me.” It’s a promise.
My chest tightened.
“I don’t have a child to flirt with.” It adds more.
“Dad …” I called him in tears. “Don’t call me Dad! I didn’t raise a child like that.” Shout it out. Every word it uttered was sharp.
“What’s happening?”
“Bliss, go upstairs.” Mom said.
Instead of following Mom she just stayed on the stand. The two of us met eye to eye. It ran closer to me.
“Why are you crying ate? You don’t look good.”
“Bliss!” I hugged her. I can almost read her tears.
“I said go upstairs Bliss!”
It snorted. “No.”
“Mom don’t shout at ---”
“No! I don’t want to go upstairs! Ate’s crying! She needs me!”
“Bliss, listen to me. Go upstairs if you don’t want to get hit by the tire your sister made.”
“No.” She shook me and hugged me even more.
“Get off from your sister Celiza! You might even infect her with your flirtation!”
“Dad!” I screamed when he grabbed Bliss away from me.
“Bliss kept trampling and slapping as Dad took her from me.”
“You’re not a good example to your sister Celiza.”
“I don’t want to! Away niyo si Ate! A-away!”
“Bliss stop it!” Mom shouted.
“No. I don’t wan ---”
“Bliss!” My eyes widened when she fell from the floor. Her body keeps on shaking.
“Oh my god!” I rushed towards it.
“Mom!”
“Bliss baby, what is happening?”
“Let’s bring her to the hospital.”
“I swear if something bad happens to your sister I will not forgive you.”
I was even more moved to tears by what Mom said.
“Doc, what happened to our daughter?”
“Why is he getting better all of a sudden?”
“Something triggers her. She can’t stand it.”
“Is she okay now?”
“She’s absolutely fine.”
“Thank God!”
“But that won’t last long.”
“What do you mean doc?”
“The symptoms will show sooner, Mr. and Mrs. Carosca.”
“Symptoms? Doctor, what are you saying?”
“She has a brain tumor.”
“Hey Bliss …”
“Celz! Are you crying?”
I pressed my lips together to stop myself from crying.
I nodded, “Not anymore.”
“Yey! Happy again!”
I pulled her closer to me. I like to think that what the doctor said is not true. Maybe it was just a mistake… But I’ve been noticing its frequent hair loss for a long time.
She looked up to me.
“Where are we?”
“You’re in the hospital baby.”
“Why?”
I averted my eyes from him.
I can not do it…
“I don’t like it here,” she said.
She sat on my lap. “I want to go home, let’s play.”
“We will, Bliss.” I said as I stared at her innocent eyes.
It’s hard to find a word to describe how our world fell apart based on what the doctor said.
Mom fainted, Dad was shocked and I couldn’t believe everything that’s happening to me.
Is this my karma for all the bad decisions I made?
Why is my brother still there?
She’s too young for a tumor. She’s only six years old!
She’s just starting to see the world. There’s a lot of beautiful things she needs to see. There’s a great future waiting for her, she can’t leave me … She can’t.
I’m not ready.
I’ll never be ready to let her go.
She’s my little angel.
“They don’t answer.” Mom said.
I just kept looking at him. We haven’t slept since last night. They watched over Bliss as I prepared the supplies for the hospital.
“Maybe they’re just busy right now, I’ll call again.” She tried again but they’re not picking up.
“What could have happened to them? I can just visit Aurora.” She suggested.
I turned to him wearily
Her eyes are still puffy and red like mine.
“Mom …”
She turned to me. “Are you coming? That’s good, so you and Toci can fix it. That’ll fix it.”
“They’re not going to help us,” I said.
“What are you saying? Bliss is like a daughter to her. She will definitely take care of ---”
I tried to take the cell phone from him. “Mom that’s right—” she cut me off.
“She’s my friend! She’ll help us!” she desperately grabbed the phone and dialed her number.
She waited but no one answered.
She sighed.
It slammed into the chair. He rubbed the palm on his face.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do … Your brother is still young, he can’t afford that operation. W-where can we get such a lot of money? Your Dad hasn’t repaid all the debts… No. that they will lend us. “
“What did I do for this to happen? Why is this happening to us?”
“She needs the operation but we don’t have money for it … What will happen to her Celiza? I don’t want my daughter to die…”
“Mom what ?! Bliss won’t be lost! Don’t think like that!”
Mom burst out crying. I could do nothing but cry as if it would help my brother’s treatment.
A few hours ago, I was able to get the equipment ready to take to the hospital. Mom reached out to the kitchen. I glanced at the wall clock, it’s noon, isn’t she still done eating Bliss?
“S-okay.” He then dropped the cellphone.
If I had looked at him. “Mom who called?”
“Get dressed, we’re going somewhere,” she said.
“I don’t want to go if you know ---” she cut off.
“We are not going there Celiza! Now get dressed!”
