Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Ingrid's POV

"Popcorn, Ingrid?" Indigo asked me. I looked at him for a moment before accepting his offer. I was going to take some but he had already fed me.

"I have a hand," I said.

"Did I say you have none?" he asked. I glared at him because of that. That's why he just smiled sweetly at me before pouring popcorn again. I just rolled my eyes at him before turning my eyes back to the tv. I also handed popcorn to my siblings but they were busy eating the ice cream they requested from Indigo.

"There's a call," I said pointing to my phone that was just next to him.

“It's Cho." Melchora is actually fun to talk to. She was so intimidating to look at, but her personality was the opposite. Ever since I talked to her the last time we went to them, she often talks to me when she has free time.

"Hi!" she hyper said but Indigo and I know that she's not okay right now. Her Mima Joan died so they moved house. They were no longer in Cavite last month. After her school year ended, she immediately leave. Atlas and her separated after that.

"How are you, Chora?" I asked her.

“I'm okay! So, what's up? Tell me a story,” she said with a smile. She’s the type of person who chooses to avoid talking about the sad things in her life.

I just told her about some usual things in our life right now. She even managed to tease her friend. But her smile on the lips that was always up to her eyes was already gone. She looks unhappy right now.

"You can't do anything about it!" I laughed at Indigo when Chora teased him.

“Did you know when we were elem—” Indigo immediately complained because of that.

"Cho!" he said before taking my phone away from me. I just laughed before I tried to avert his hands.

“Heck, I’ll really enjoy teasing him. He's always embarrassed in front of you when in fact he's always a thick face.” Chora laughed so I laughed softly too. I looked at Indigo who just frowned. Chora really likes teasing her friends, no wonder they are both friends.

"How are you?" I asked her in a serious voice when I got out. She's already my friend now. A genuine one.

"I'm okay," she said with a smile.

“Do you want to talk to Indigo?” I ask. She immediately shook her head. She didn't want them two to be left to talk with each because she always felt that she was a burden. We have a resemblance in that part.

We just talked for a long time. We just randomly talk until she says goodbye. She doesn't want to call Indigo either because she will be only confronted eventually. She has a lot of problems right now but she's still trying her best to act like everything's fine. She's just really strong.

I was about to go inside when I saw someone outside our house. I just stopped when I saw who was coming in.

"What are you doing here, Pa?" I asked, frowning at him.

“That's why you don't visit home now, you have your own business. You don't even remember your Dad,” he told me. He goes straight to enter the house. Before he could finally go inside, he passed by Indigo who was sitting on our sofa. indigo even stood up when he saw the man coming straight into someone's room.

"Papa!" I shouted loudly when I knew where he was going. I immediately saw that he took my savings from the drawer where I kept the money. He’s not that kind of person so I was a little surprised. He still knows me because he knows where I keep the things that are important to me and one of that is money.

“I'll borrow your money first, Ingrid. Your sister needs to be hospitalized. Tina is not coming home anymore,” he said while taking the money from the wallet I was putting those I saved. I didn't want to but in a flash. My tears drop.

I don’t know if it's irritation, pain, or madness. As far as I know, I can't accept the fact that he act like a nice father to his child in that girl but when it comes to my siblings, he can't even give a cent. You still have to kneel before he gives you money.

"Sandro also got sick but you didn't even give a single cent!" I can’t stop raising my voice because of how I feel right now.

"How can you treat us like trash but treat your illegitimate child like they are the most important thing? You are making us feel like we are your bastard here," I said. My voice trembled while I'm suppressing my tears.

“Your brothers and sisters have no one, Ingrid. While Irah and Sandro have you, My daughter,” he said in a calm voice. I couldn't help but laugh in a sarcastic tone. He's really great when he needs something.

"Can you hear yourself, Pa?" I asked him.

"How about me? What about me, Papa? If they have you if they have me, who do I have?” I asked, unaware of the sobbing cry.

“You left all your responsibilities to me as a father. You left me everything you should be doing!” I said, clenching my fist.

“Because really, Pa? I am also tired of being the light and father of this family!” I angrily said. Not even able to control me anymore.

"Why are you just blaming me for everything?" he asked me with still anger in his eyes.

"Why don't you blame your mother who is just a burden?" he asked, pointing to Mama who was in bed.

“Pa, you talk like you didn't love Mama. You speak like you didn't marry her. She's still a wife. ” I laughed sarcastically again as I looked at him.

“Pa, Mama is here. One of my sources of strength but where are you? Having fun with your mistress?” I asked more.

“Did you really have the guts to look at Mama despite everything you did? Go fucking away, Pa,” I said without looking back at him.

"Take that money and please, don't come back here again," I said in a cold voice. Anyway, Jolie is also my sister, I don't want her to be sick too. I can still save money if I work hard. But who the fuck am I kidding? I'm fucking mad and jealous of everything.

He just went straight to the exit. I just smiled bitterly because of that.

Aside from hoping he would come back to us, Irah and Sandro were always looking for him. Always looking for a father.

"Papa!" Sandro shouted loudly when he saw him going outside. Irah, on the other hand, just kept her eyes on Papa.

Sandro wanted to chase after Papa who was out of the house but I immediately hugged him. I held back my tears as I watched my brothers and sisters who wanted to talk to Papa but he didn't even look at them.

“Ate! Papa is back! Why is he leaving again? ” Sandro asked while Irah was just silent. I knew the sister had a guess because I didn't tell them about Papa. When they are asking, I just say that he is far away because I don’t want them to go there one day and beg for attention like I often do.

"Ate!" I only released Sandro when I knew Papa was no longer outside. He even managed to run out of our house just to chase after him. My tears welled up even more when I followed him and he saw no shadow of our father.

"Sandro, let's play," Irah told him. She even lifted the cell phone for Sandro to see it. My brother didn't seem to hear anything.

“Sandro,” I called to him.

"I'm coming in, Big Sister," he said quietly going back inside. I just close my eyes with the pain and sadness I'm feeling right now. I don’t know what I should feel anymore.

I followed them. I immediately saw Sandro crying. Irah couldn't stop herself either so I made them rest while stroking their backs.

"All right, your ice cream is melted because you two are crying so much," I told them so they cried even more. They stopped when they are completely tired. They were almost asleep so I let them go to the bedroom.

Then I just remembered that Indigo was here. Before I could even smile at him. I was in his arms and in an instant, I was like a child robbed of candy while crying. The only difference is, my father was the one who robbed us. With a lot of things. Opportunity to have a father. Opportunity to live a comfortable life.

"I'm sorry," I whispered when I realized that I cried so much in Indigo's arms. We just sat outside the house while gazing at the clear sky. Nice weather but here I am, crying.

“Why are you saying sorry when you didn’t do anything wrong?” he asked me. There was still a concern in his eyes.

“It’s fine to cry whenever you feel like crying. I can always lend myself. It's okay to sniff me too," he said, trying to make me smile and he never failed to do so. I feel like a fool crying and laughing because of him. Eventually, we just kept quiet until I broke it.

"The first man that I loved betrayed me," I said. He was the first man I thought would never leave us but he ended up with his mistress. We are not enough for him.

"Jayvee?" he asked me with a slight frown. I smiled before shaking my head.

"Nah, my father ..." I said so he stopped before he looked at me worriedly. I just smiled at him to say it was okay.

"He was the first person I thought would stay with me until the end but... he chose to go... He chose the easy life while giving us his responsibility as a father." I laughed as I wiped away the tears that wanted to drip again.

"Sometimes I want to run from everything but I think it's worth it because my family is happy and I'm happy when they are happy," I said.

“I hope someday you'll do things that you like. Where you are happy and I'll watch you do that,” he told me. I hope so too.

"You're indeed strong, My Ingrid," he whispered before stroking my hair.

"I heard you asked your father… That how about you, who do you have…" he said so I looked at him.

“You have me…”

I'm glad that I really have him. I don’t even know how to thank him. I just cried and cried at him. He didn’t even leave me all night.

"Go home, I'm fine," I laughed, saying that I was still pushing him because it was already night.

“Are you sure? Call me if you don't,” he told me so I smiled and nodded.

"Thank you," I said, kissing him on the lips.

“Hey?! That's not valid!” he said so I shrugged.

"It's valid, we're together now," I said before rushing inside. I immediately received a series of calls from him.

"I love you," I told him. I even said that I could feel the strength of my heartbeat immediately. I heard his heavy breathing.

"Is this real?" he asked.

“No. All this is just a fabrication of the Illuminati,” I said.

"What is it, Ingrid?!" he complained so I laughed softly. I'm planning to answer him. I just didn't expect that day to be today.

"I love you." I was just genuinely happy.

I also let Mama out when our conversation ended. I even see Indigo standing in front of our house. It looks like he's thinking real hard. He just went home when I shooed him away.

"I'll kiss you," he said so I looked at him.

"Stupid, Mama is here," I said but he still came over just to kiss me on the forehead.

"I love you," he whispered. I almost lost myself because of him.

"I'm going first," he said with another smile.

"Bye, Tita," he smiled and said goodbye to Mama.

"I love you too," I said so he stopped.

"Ma, that's Indigo, my boyfriend," I introduced him. He was even more shocked by what I said.

“Wait, I forgot my speech! Why are you full of surprises today?” he complained. He even introduced himself to Mama. As if he didn't introduce himself the first time. Eventually, he left as well because I drove him away.

I just smiled a little because of that. I talked to Mama when he was finally gone. I was already looking at the sky.

“Ma, I'll be the one saying sorry for Papa. I'm sorry. Don't think about what he said,” I said.

“Just for me, you are still my Mama. I love you so much, ” I said, kissing her on the cheek.

"You are one of the most important people in my life, Ma," I whispered to her.

I don't often tell stories about how hard it is to Mama so that she won't be worried. I feel better as long as she's looking at the sky next to me.

My lips parted when she took my hand. I can't believe I looked at her because of that. When I looked into her eyes, millions of messages wanted to be said. I just didn't realize that my tears were dripping because of that. Little did I realize that I was crying to her like a child. In the past years, I always suppressed my emotions because I just wanted her to get better but now I can't.

When I finished crying, I just laughed to myself because I was already feeling mixed emotions. I was even able to tell her about Indigo after I cried about Dad.

“Mq, I was very lucky with him. I never thought I'd love someone again. Now that he's here, I can't even compare the love I feel for Jayvee.” I know it's deeper than that. I gambled because he was the only one I could be sure of.

I was just talking as I took her to her room to call her doctor because she also made a big improvement in holding my hands earlier. Today is like a roller coaster experience.

“Good evening, Nurse Venice. Is Doc there? ” I explained to her what happened.

The smile on my lips did not go away as I returned to the room but I was immediately stunned when I saw Mama not moving an inch.

"Mama?" I asked while my lips are parted. I tried to go to her side again but she was already lifeless. I tried to rub her wrist again and again but she left us… she left me… I only lost a few minutes…