The Last Word

                 The Last Word

  I

   It is rainy when the funeral started. Only her friends and some close neighbors who show pity on her attended the burial. Her daughter has been crying since then. Everyone in the burial is sorry for what happened to her. No one expected it would happen. Neither I.

  I first met her in the bakery. It is not a propitous day. I was buying bread at that time. She, on the other hand, is just starring on the loafs of bread. She looks so pale and thin in her white shirt. Her sleepers doesn't fit her thin feet. She seems she really needs it so badly. She keeps pointing at the bread. Apparently, she stood and asked for the same bread I bought. She asked for only one bread. Upon giving the money, the vendor shouted," you again? Didn't I told you, pay it exactly." She just bow her head and is really shameful of what happened. "Here's the money ate," I said. "Be thankful to her, she save your day," the vendor said. "Here's another bread 'Nay, take it." She smiled, accept the bread and run away after. She run fast and didn't even thank me.

   Before going home, I decided to take a little reroute. I came to a street with sharp curves and angles. At the end of this curves and angles, lies a street light, which, in turn, bend and defected. "It is not like this before," said I. A truck is on the edge with white scratch and some sprinkled red liquid. The crowds are shouting and seems like in trouble. "Then they are again," said I.

                    II

   She is 22 years old. She is thin and short. She appears to be a mother and a beggar due to her matured face and matured manner. She is the breadwinner of the family. Her husband died when he save her from the accident, from hitting a car and she took all the blame from her family, most importantly, her daughter. Only her younger son,Alex, seven years of age shows emphaty on her. Without her little son, she could not survive the rejection of her daughter.

   Her husband is the bread winner of the family. He sustained all their needs. He is a carpenter. Their house is located at the west near at the road. She is just a mother and a housewife but for some reason she doesn't share the same mutual feelings with her daughter. Her daughter, without doubt, holds grudge against her and all nothing to do is to make her mother's life into misery whenever her father is not around. She doesn't care for her.

  She is not a genuine mother of her daughter, otherwise, she hates her stepmother that much remembering all the misery happened to her at the time she lost her real mother. Whereas, her husband loves her that much just like she was his first wife. He treated her as her genuine wife and forgot his wife who passed away driving her daughter into rage . Hell started when her husband die upon saving her two years ago.

   Their house is small enough only for four person. They're not a well-to-do family. They're just simple, but they have a lot of neighboors who has a sincere concern for them. Most specially the old woman, her only recourse left.

   She's been working all night and day just to sustain their need. After her husband died, she became a slave of her own family particularly,her stepdaughter. She took all the blame and anger if they have no food for morning, afternoon or evening. She's been roaming the barrio in search for little money. Though her poor body can't endure the pain, her daughter won't tolerate it.

                    III

   I didn't expect our second acquaintance is too soon. She was surrounded by many. It was the time when I was from the bakery. She is not wearing anymore of her sleepers. She's bleeding and her blood is scattered on the road. One of her sleepers is on under the truck. The truck has her blood on the edge of the road.

  "Somebody call the police," a young lady said. "No, ambulance should," said the other. "Both should be called," the old man said. When both came, it was too late. The truck driver has escaped and the girl lost her concious.

   I decided to go with the ambulance to aid the girl in the hospital whom I met a while ago. In the hospital, she is still bleeding but she regain her consciousness. She asked for her family. Her daughter soon arrive.

   "I can't be your mother, sorry," said her. "No, don't say that. Stay still, don't move, stay right where you are," her daughter replied. "Kuya, thank you for the bread, my daughter has now bread to eat this morning." Then I remember that she didn't thank me. She ran away after. She vomitted blood and her life then ended. That was her last words. I asked her daughter what her name, " Megan," she said.

                    IV

   She scurried back home then. It is already 10:30 when she arrive home. Her daughter is on the front door standing and seems so furious of her arrival. "Two breads?" "Do you think its enough for us three? "No, its enough for you two, I'm fine," said her. "Even if you're not included in the count, it is still not enough. Go find another. We're starving."

   She left the bread on the table and gone outside. She roamed in the barrio and reach a street that have a strange angles and curves. In traversing this route, she met a light strong enough to block her sight. The one old-fashioned streetlight bended. Some trees were plown. One of her sleepers were thrown. Her white shirt is clad with blood.

                    V

   The funeral soon ended, the rain not. Most of them returned to their home except for an old woman still standing on the grave. Upon going home, it happened I pass by a bakery. I bought the same bread. I put it in the plastic and returned to her grave. The old woman is still there and she is not crying. I put the bread above his grave and offered a little silence. "That was her favorite bread," the old woman said.

   Her daughter cleaned Megan's bed. It is covered with dust and too dirty. The pillow turned gray and the parts were not stable. She then found a small box covered with dust and dirt. She wanted to threw it but something caught her attention. She opened it and found a beautiful flower made of plastic and seems new, with a letter in it attached. Tears then started to drop.