Novel & Cerita When Mama Told Me When I Was Young

After I turn five years of age and have my very own phone, I start receiving strange messages every single day. For some reason, the sender keeps referring to me as their mom. At 3:00 am, they send me another message. "Mom, I saw you in my dreams again. The rain is seeping into the attic. My stepmom told me to use a rag to soak up all the water, but the rag is too small. Even though I tried to wipe it up all night, it still wouldn't dry. Mom, I'm so cold and hungry. I miss you so much…" I tilt my head, looking at the rain pouring outside the window. I then earnestly reply, "Don't be scared, sweetheart. Where are you right now? I will bring you something yummy!"

“She knew when people were lying. She could draw toxins from the body with needles no one else could wield.” “And me?” My voice cracks. “What was I?” They exchange another glance, not of uncertainty, but of grief. “You were her legacy,” Mama says. “Even as a child, you were different.” “You had no fear of snakes or shadows,” Dad adds. “You used to touch people’s skin and frown and say, ‘Your insides are sad.’ And most times, they really were.” A single tear slides down my cheek.

My soul desperately drifted toward my mother's office, only to find her happily chatting with Sharon. Sharon flipped through my mother's notebook with wide-eyed amazement, her face full of envy. "Wow, Mrs. Cole, are these all the nutritional meals you made for Briana? "Every dish has instructions and health benefits written down. You must've been keeping this notebook for years." The moment I saw the notebook in her hands, my eyes stung. My mother had started writing in it the day I was born. She always said that as long as she followed the recipes inside, I would grow up healthy and strong.

My thoughts disappeared as I fell eagerly back into the nothingness, feeling its warmth surround me; my last conscious thought sent me back to that tiny, betrayed four-year-old child. 'Mama?' 'Mama, are you here?'

I liked that they were still going strong after so many years, not many couples made it to almost forty years in marriage. I had lost track of what mama had been saying for the past five minutes and I knew that if she caught on, I was in deep shit so I nodded and mmhmmed where I deemed appropriate, desperately praying for the conclusion of this meeting so I could go back to my beautiful king-sized bed and cozy sheets... "She's not even listening to me!" I heard Mama lament to dad as I jumped with a start. I didn't even realize I had dozed off.

I missed my mama every day. She told me she'd have to go to heaven first, but I hadn't really believed her. Or maybe I didn't understand what that meant. Everything she told me had been true. My daddy came to take his turn when hers was over, and he brought Cora. My mama hadn't been able to tell me much about her except that she would love me. And she'd been right.

Dad once told me and it made total sense to a fifteen year old me after watching some action movie with dad. "My first time holding a gun, I was pregnant with you. I had just known about the mafia and I was terrified. Your father and you gave me strength. I would die protecting my family." My mother told me when I had just turned eighteen over a glass of chocolate mild we had every midnight.

I whispered urgently to her. Then I peeked out from behind Miriam. "I’m not your daughter, Ma’am. My parents passed away when I was ten. "Sir? Maybe you should take your wife to the hospital. She might have a problem with her brain." My words seem to suck the oxygen out of the air. The woman in front of me seemed overwhelmed by immense sorrow. After a long pause, she seemed about to say something, but Miriam interrupted her. "Don’t speak yet. I’ll talk to you outside in a bit."

Sa edad kong pitong taon, hindi ko pa siya nauunawaan pero nalungkot ako sa mga narinig ko. Hanggang sa nagpatuloy kami sa paglalakad at nakarating kami sa ilog kung saan nandun sila Mama na halatang nag-aalala sa pagkawala ko. "San ka ba nang-galing? Kanina ka pa namin hinahanap?" sambit ni Mama na halos yakapin na ako. Isang oras lang naman ata akong nawala, masyado naman nila akong namiss.

to him. "Where's your Mom?" he asked. I didn't answer right away because I saw someone selling ice cream there, so I pulled him over there so we could buy it. "Chocolate," I said to the vendor. "I don't know where Mama is. I only saw her twice, and the last time we met was when she also pushed me away because she found out I got pregnant at a young age," I answered him. It still hurts me when I remember that thing, but I just forced myself to laugh to cover the sadness I felt.