After two days had passed, I took my vacation leave and headed to my hometown for the All Saints’ Day. I usually took my leave on my father’s death anniversary and the first day of November. In this way, I can forget what had happened to me. No more worries to think of and no more exhaustion from work.

When I arrived home, I can smell a delicious aroma as I got inside the living room. My tummy growled, rushed to the kitchen and I saw my mother cooking for lunch. I hugged her right away and she was surprised.

“Kioko! You’re here.” She exclaimed. “I cook your favorite food, Stuffed Chicken. Just take your seat and wait for this to be done.”

I sat down and picked up a piece of banana. “Ma, what time will we visit father’s grave?” I asked while biting the banana bit by bit.

“Around 1pm, after lunch dear.” She answered.

The place was kind of boring so I the TV and watched a variety show while waiting for the food. The smell of the food made my mouth watery. I took my phone from my bag and posted a status update on my Facebook account while the commercials were played.

“Done!” mother said.

She served our food on a bowl and I put away my phone for a while. We started eating and at the same time we talked about my work and her life here alone in the province. I know that mother had a difficult time alone in our house after my father died two years ago. She both managed our small business in the city proper and also our mini-store in our house. It was all that she had just to enjoy herself. I really don’t want to leave her alone but I don’t have a choice, I need to work for my living too.

“That woman is so beautiful. How I wish I have a hair like that.” She said while watching the TV.

The advertisement was played and it was an ad of the shampoo that I was invited by T.O.P. and knew their relationship between him and Yoochun. I ignored the commercial until it ended. I ate too much and trying to divert my attention on visiting my father’s grave, later. As we were done eating, I washed the dishes and told my mother to get ready. Even washing the dishes, the night that happened flashback on my mind and drop the plate and broke. My mother rushed down to the kitchen as she heard a smash.

“Are you okay Kioko?” she asked while catching her breath.

“Yes, Ma. The plate slipped from my hand.” I answered and picked up the broken pieces of the plate.

“Okay. Be careful on picking those broken pieces.” She instructed and went back upstairs.

I kept on thinking what Yoochun has said to me, the truth behind his lies. The facts that he reasoned out were trying to get me off from T.O.P. and sometimes, I tried to realize that Yoochun’s insecurities had pushed him to that. It was been long I haven’t seen both of them.

“Enough Kioko. This time, get off from that case.” I murmured while picking up the broken pieces and finished washing the dishes.

My mother was all set holding the car’s key and gave it to me. I took the flower that I bought from the city and put it inside at the backseat of the car. I drove the car to the cemetery just a few kilometers away from home. While driving, my mother asked me about boyfriend and I pretended that I wasn’t shocked from it. I told her that I don’t have time for boyfriend but she insisted that I needed to have one, at least.

“When I get old, Kioko, you will be alone if you decided not get married.” She told.

“I’ll enter the convent and be a nun.” I jested.

She laughed when I told her that and she started to pull out some jokes about herself and me. When I felt the bond with my mother, I suddenly missed the days when father was with us telling some jokes and doing some pranks to mother which she usually laughed all of it. She never got mad when we pranked her instead, she will cry.

We arrived the cemetery and headed to my father’s grave with the flowers and vigil candles. The cemetery was crowded and some were camping in. I placed the flower beside the gravestone and lit the candles. My mother started talking to the grave as what most people will do. There were thing that I wanted to say but I can’t with my mother beside me. Still, mother shed tears when she remembered father fighting for diabetes and I was trying to hold back my tears from flowing.

The weather became cloudy and wind was started blowing trying to get along with the people who visited their loved ones’ graves.

“I’ll buy some water for us.” She said and went outside the cemetery.

I took my chance to share something on my father’s grave about what happened in my life back in the city. The time that I was fooled and the truth from a lie have revealed.

“Father, I am disappointed on myself because I didn’t use my brain… I let the flow took over my life. The moment that I figured out the truth, it gives me pain yet I was freed from it too. I don’t know why I was hurt at that time, it looks like something was shattered.”

I sat down on the ground and lit the candle when the wind blew off the fire. I continued talking and trying to get some answers on how I should dealt with them. Those people were inevitable because T.O.P. is working in the hospital where I work, Daesung who is currently my co-worker and Yoochun… a persistent guy but he will be out soon as he goes back to Manila. I didn’t pray that these guys would like me except for Yoochun who had a fiancé already and the one who played around. But… deep inside of me wanted him to be around.

Mother came back and she gave me a bottle of water and a piece of Biko, a traditional Filipino delicacy. We started to eat the food and shared some funny memories with father. We were so happy remembering our memories with father and I suddenly hugged mother and told her, “I love you, both!” It was the best feeling that I felt when I hugged my mother again after two months. I really missed her and my father too.

We took the whole afternoon in the cemetery on my father’s grave and the sun was about to set.

“Let’s go home?” she asked.

“Okay Ma, let’s get back home.” I replied.

I poured the water that was left in the bottle that I drank to the flowers. We stood up and said our goodbyes to father before we left his graveyard. We left with our happy faces while mother was hugging me when we walked back to the car. Mother told me before I got inside the car that she wanted to buy some ripe mangoes in the market. I the engine and headed to the market on my mother’s request. I waited for her inside the car while she was out to buy ripe mangoes. I wanted to buy some grapes but I left my wallet at home. My mother came back after 10 minutes and I drove us back home.

When we were near to our house, I saw a grand car that parked in front our mini-store. Mother was a little upset when she saw the car blocking the store and it distracted the people who wanted to buy at out store.

“I’ll go out and ask the owner to park it somewhere.” Mother said.

I stopped nearby and she went out from the car and walked towards the car, saw her knocking at the car’s window and talked to someone. Then, she showed her courteous smile while she talked and the car’s door opened. I looked closely and when mother was showing her hospitality every time we had a visitor then the person came out from the car.

My jaw dropped and my eyes can’t believe what I saw. Yoochun came out from the car and mother escorted him inside the house without knowing that her daughter was waiting for her to come back. I sighed hardly and parked the car at the back of our house. When I went out, I passed by Yoochun’s car and Mario called me while opening the window.

“Mario! I’m glad to see you again.” I said and approached him.

“Same here, Kioko. By the way, where can I park the car?” he asked.

I guided him to park the car beside my car at the back of the house and told him to come inside after he was done. Before I went inside, I took a sigh to calm down myself before seeing Yoochun who was inside my house. When I opened the screen door, I heard mother was entertaining Yoochun inside asking what food he like to serve for dinner.

“Anything will do, Ma’am.” Yoochun answered.

Mother was so delighted when he saw Yoochun and who wouldn’t be delighted when you saw a tall, handsome and elegant man. I went inside and told my mother to cook pasta for him. Yoochun looked at me and stood up.

“Kioko, I …”

“Sit! And wait for your pasta.” I interrupted.

Then, mother hit my head with a ladle. “Be hospitable, Kioko!” she exclaimed.

I sighed and helped mother cook the pasta while Yoochun sat down, patiently waiting. He had the guts to come here all the way from the city and I don’t know what he wanted. I ignored him but mother kept on talking to him on how we met. Yoochun answered the truth but not the latest situation that we had. Maybe he was self-conscious about it and I was about to forget what happened in the event.

Honestly, my heart felt happiness when I saw him again… the person that I wanted to see.