Tatlumpung Taon na ang Nakalipas sa Pilipinas…

Thirty years ago, poverty was like a dark shadow, my mother – si Aling Rosa – had no choice but to hug my sister and leave her at the gate of a simbahan sa Maynila, then carry me – her only son, Mario – to work as a servant for a rich family in the village.

At that time, I was too young to understand, only remembering clearly the heartbreaking cry of my mother when she turned away, and the wide, innocent eyes of my sister – Luz – when she was left behind amidst the ringing of church bells.

Two Fates Parting Ways

Time passed, I grew up as a servant in a haciendero in Pampanga, while my sister Luz was raised by the madres in the church, and later adopted by a rich merchant family in Quezon City.

God bless, Luz had a full life, studied well, and then married a successful husband. Since then, she and I were like two worlds that never intersected.

Now, when my mother – Aling Rosa – discovered that she had terminal cancer, I quickly told her the news, hoping that she would return, so that my mother could see her daughter who had been away for decades.

However, my heart ached when I saw her coldly driving her shiny kotseng mamahalin back to the village, without a smile or a tear.

The Meeting After 30 Years

My mother was lying on a rickety bamboo papag, gasping for breath, her dull eyes shining with anticipation. I helped Luz in. The whole small house was dead silent.

My mother trembled and stretched out her hand, calling with difficulty:
– “Anak… Luz… patawarin mo si Nanay…”

But my sister pulled her hand back, her eyes cold:
– “Wala akong ina na nag-iwan ng sariling anak. Ang taong nagluwal sa akin… matagal nang patay, tatlumpung taon na ang nakalipas.”

(I don’t have a mother who abandoned her child. The one who gave birth to me… died thirty years ago.)

My mother felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart. She cried silently, her trembling hand fell limply.

I burst out:
– “Ate! Nanay that day was also because she was too poor, because she wanted you to have a chance to survive, so she gritted her teeth and left you behind! Do you know how much Nanay has been tormented for the past few decades?”

The air was thick, only my mother’s choked sobs remained.

The Last Confession

Just when I thought she was going to leave, my mother suddenly struggled to her limits and whispered:
– “Hindi… hindi… noong panahong iyon, hindi ko iniwan ang anak ko… May mga taong… pinilit ako… na iwan ka…”
(No… no… that year, I didn’t abandon you… It was someone… who forced me to leave…)

Before she could finish her sentence, my mother fainted. The whole family turned pale, my sister Luz was speechless, and I was devastated.

It turned out… behind the story of abandoning her child that year, there was a shocking secret hidden, which my mother only dared to reveal at the last minute of her life.

Part 2: Ang Katotohanang Matagal nang Nakabaon

In the thatched house in the village of Pampanga, the oil lamp flickered, my mother – Aling Rosa – gasped for breath, trying to force out her last words. Her voice was trembling, weak as a breeze:

– “Hindi ko… iniwan ang anak ko… Hindi ko ginusto ‘yon… Pinilit ako… ng pamilya ng asawa ko…”

A Mother’s Confession

My tears welled up, while Luz was stunned, her eyes wide, her voice choked:

– “Ano? Pamilya ng ama? Paano?”

My mother whispered, each word like salt on her heart:

– “Noong ipinanganak kita, anak, babae ka. Sa pamilya ng ama mo – mga de la Cruz – tanging lalaki lamang ang pinapahalagahan. Sabi nila, babae ay pabigat lang, walang halaga. Nakiusap ako, lumuhod ako sa harap ng lolo at lola mo, but they shouted at me: ‘Kung gusto mong manatili in this house, leave that little girl!’”

– “Your father… was weak, did not dare to argue back. I was beaten, dragged out of the house, forced to carry my child to the gate where Maynila was left. The church bell rang, my heart felt like it was exploding. I turned away… but from then on, every night I heard my child crying in my dreams.”

Luz’s Shock

My sister staggered, clutching the wooden door, tears welling up:

– “Ibig mong sabihin… hindi ikaw ang nag-iwan sa akin… kundi sila? Ang mga de la Cruz na tinatawag pa ngayong respetadong pamilya?”

Aling Rosa nodded weakly, her trembling hand holding her sister’s hand:

– “Oo, anak… Mom was weak. Mom is sorry…”

The space was suffocating, only the sound of the wind whistling through the thatched roof and the muffled cries of the three of us.

The Flame of Anger

I – Mario – burst out:
– “Ate, now you know the truth. Nanay never left you. You can be angry with Mom, but don’t let her go in such pain.”

Luz bent down, tears streaming down her face, but another fire flashed in her eyes – the fire of anger.

– “Kung ganoon… simula’t sapul, pinutol nila ang dugo at laman namin… Ngayon they are rich, respected by the world, but who knows that they once cruelly robbed me of my childhood and maternal love?”

Her words made the atmosphere in the house heavy as stone. I understood that, in her heart, hatred for the de la Cruz family had been kindled.

The Shadow of Power

News in the village was buzzing: Don Ernesto de la Cruz, my father’s father, was still alive, the chairman of a large real estate corporation in Makati. That family is now powerful, everyone respects them, no one dares to mention the past.

Luz wiped her tears, her voice cold:

– “Mario… oras na para harapin ang katotohanan. Pupunta tayo sa Maynila. Kailangan kong tanungin mismo si Don Ernesto… kung bakit kailangan niyang sirain ang buhay ng sanggol, ng sarili niyang apo.”

I squeezed her hand tightly, my heart trembling with both fear and determination:
– “Kung pupunta ka, Ate… sasama ako. Hindi na dapat manatili sa dilim ang kasaysayan natin.”

A Promise for a Confrontation

In the small house, the shadows of the mother and her three children were cast long on the cracked wall. Aling Rosa closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face, whispering:

– “Mga anak… huwag ninyong hayaang kainin kayo ng galit… Ngunit kung may araw na haharapin n’yo sila… let the whole mundo malaman ang ginawa ng mga de la Cruz.”

Outside, the lonely crow of a rooster sounded, signaling a new dawn. But in our hearts, it was the beginning of a tearful journey – a confrontation with an entire powerful family, to expose the truth that had been hidden for thirty years.

Part 3: Ang Pagharap sa Katotohanan
Manila – De la Cruz Holdings, Makati

The glass skyscraper stood tall in the middle of the bustling commercial center. The words “De la Cruz Holdings” were shining brightly above like a symbol of power. In my heart, every step was heavy.

My sister – Luz – was in a simple barong-style dress, but her eyes were burning. I – Mario – followed closely behind her, my hands clenched, trembling with tension.

Entering the lobby, the staff’s gazes were focused on us. They whispered:
– “Sino sila?”
– “Bakit parang diretso silang papunta sa opisina ni Don Ernesto?”

We went straight to the top floor, where the office of Don Ernesto de la Cruz – the man who forced my mother to abandon her biological child thirty years ago – was located.

The Confrontation

The heavy wooden door opened. Don Ernesto – now in his seventies, with white hair, still looking majestic in his expensive Tagalog barong – sat on a swivel chair, behind which was a glass door overlooking the whole of Manila.

He looked at us with a look of surprise mixed with annoyance:
– “Sino kayo? Sino ang nagpaakyat sa inyo dito?”

My sister took a step forward, her voice trembling but sharp:
– “Ako si Luz… apo mo. Ang batang itinapon sa simbahan tatlumpung taon na ang nakalipas.”

The room fell into a deadly silence. Don Ernesto’s eyes widened, then immediately darkened. He stood up abruptly, his voice gritting out each word:
– “Hindi mo alam ang sinasabi mo!”

The Truth Is Revealed

Mario couldn’t help himself, he stepped forward:
– “Alam namin lahat! Nanay Rosa confessed. It was you and the de la Cruz family who forced her to leave Luz. Bakit, Don Ernesto? Dahil babae siya?”

(We know everything! Nanay Rosa confessed. It was you and the de la Cruz family who forced her to leave Luz. Why, Don Ernesto? Just because she is a girl?)

Don Ernesto slammed his hand on the table, his voice roaring:
– “Oo! Dahil babae siya! Kung ipinagpatuloy namin, mawawasak ang pangalan at pamana ng pamilya!”

He continued, his eyes flashing with obsession:

“That Panahon, de la Cruz needs a male heir to maintain the pangalan. Kung may babaeng anak, mga karibal namin sa negosyo will laugh, say the family is weak. Ang tatay n’yo – anak ko – mahina! Hindi siya kayang protektahan ang pamilya. Kaya ako ang nagdesisyon.”

The Strike

Luz screamed, tears streaming down her face:

“At kapalit ng tinatawag mong ‘danh hon’, isang sanggol ang sinunog ang kinabukasan! Ako, apo mong dugo at laman, itinapon mo nhu nguc trash! Ngayon you still dare to talk about honor?”

Don Ernesto paused, his eyes wavering, but quickly regained his firmness. He laughed coldly:
– “At ano ngayon? Tingnan mo, kami ngayon is still pinakamakapangyarihang pamilya sa Makati. Kung hindi kita iniwan noon, hindi mo makakamit ang buhay marangya sa pamilya ng ampon mo.”

Mario gritted his teeth and rushed forward:
– “Marangya ba? Or is that just a wound that will never heal in my sister’s heart? Don Ernesto, you are rich, but you were never worthy of being a father, a grandfather!”

Open Ending

The atmosphere in the room was as tense as a string. Luz was breathing heavily, tears streaming down her face, but her eyes were burning with determination.

– “Don Ernesto… I’m not here. I’m not here yet, I’m not here yet. I’m not here yet, I’m not here yet, I’m not here yet, I’m not here yet, I’m here, I’m here… I’m here, …