My mouth opened as its palm landed on my cheek. Another followed on my left cheek.
As soon as we entered the house, it immediately opened for me.
"What the hell did you put us in Celiza?"
Tears pooled in my eyes.
"I'm sorry Mom ..."
"Sorry? Did you know what you did? You have a fucking sex scandal! You're just eighteen Celiza! Fucking eighteen! Did you think about what others would say to you huh?"
"Aurora highly thinks of you! You're a saint to her! Pray she won't be able to watch that otherwise you're done Celiza!"
"How's Toci? Did I imagine how he would feel? You cheated on him!"
Tears pooled in my eyes. "I'm your daughter Mom... W-why are you thinking about other people than me? Why don't you care about this pain I feel?"
"It's your fucking fault Celiza! If you don't hit that soybean it won't happen!"
"Toci must have seen that video. Here, call him and say that you're sorry."
I kept my gaze on the phone he laid out in front of me.
Why is she doing this?
"What are you waiting for?"
I shook.
"What's wrong? You'll call Toci and you'll apologize for your flirtation and you'll beg her."
"I won't Mom."
"What ?!"
"I don't want to! I won't apologize to him and I will never beg him!"
"Celiza!"
"I do not want to!"
"Are you crazy ?! He's your only hope! How hard is it to like Toci ?! If he dumps you know you'll be wasted!"
"I don't want to! I'm tired of following everything you want for me! I don't want to be chained to their family! I don't want them to be part of my life! I don't want them! I don't want them! If you want to feel sorry for them but I won't --- "
My cheek with her palm. "Can you hear yourself Celiza?"
"He cheated on me... I don't love him. I don't even like him. You don't know how it feels every time he fill brought up the debt of our family whenever he wants me."
"You don't know how it feels Mom." My tears won't stop from falling. My eyes are dimming.
"Don't raise your voice in this house Maria Celiza! I even named you a saint, it doesn't have any effect because you grew up like that! Where did I go wrong ?!" Mom asked me tearfully.
It touched both my arms. "Where ?! Tell me!!" She shook me.
I just cried even more.
"Mom..." I called to her as tears flowed. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry because I'm embarrassed... I'm sorry because I'm not the child you dreamed of. I'm sorry if you're tired of a useless child like me. I'm sorry..." I sobbed in the middle of crying.
"I'm sorry because you have to suffer for me... I'm sorry because I'm just here, I'm sorry because I made a mistake ... I'm sorry Mom..."
"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."