They Know The End

Alicia Magbanua

10:37 am

Death-Cast did not call Alicia Magbanua because she wasn't dying today, but she was afraid that her husband would get the call soon. His fever was only getting worse and it's almost a week since he was afflicted with it.

So, yesterday, she told her son to fetch some medicine.

"Unsaon ma na nako, Ma, nga there's no medicine lying around?" he protested. What should I do about it?

Her anger only boiled. "Pangitaa ug paagi, or di ka pasud-lon balik sa balay!" You find a way, or you won't be allowed back into the house!

There was a split-second of fear in his eyes as he disappeared into the shadows of the night. And those eyes were the only things she thought about all night.

And those eyes were all it took to break her.

She brewed some tea that night and shared a cup with her husband.

"Thank--" he coughed. "Thank you." After a while, he added, "You know, you shouldn't force your son to. . ."

"But you are sick!" she cried. "We need to bring you back to your good health. I can't stand looking at you like this."

"Wala raman ni," he replied. It was nothing. "Besides, I am getting old. And when you're old, you die. It's natural."

She placed a hand on his cheek and smiled. "It's not natural when your lover is the one who dies."

She felt a tear stream down her face. She didn't dare brush it off. But he reached out and touched it, wiping it away from her face. She held his hand with hers.

"Even now, you still look beautiful," he said.

She huffed. "Oh, stop it."

He could only chuckle. Then, he descended into a fit of coughs.

Her face scrunched up in worry. "Are you okay?"

"I'm. . .fine." He managed a smile. "And how about you? How are you?"

She looked into his eyes and saw a dulled dream, his ambitions stripped and bared. She thought about their life together. How difficult it was. How painful it was. How tiring it is. How poor it is.

How joyful it would've been.

The lump on her throat intensified into a knot as the tears spilled out. She moved closer and only hugged him. She didn't care about her hand burning from the tea she spilt.

"I'm. . .not fine. . ." she said through jer tears, gritting her teeth. "Not fine. . ."

-

All of that flew out of the window when she was in a fit of rage. She took the worn-out belt hanging on a rack and began spanking her son after he lost the medicine.

Blood roared in her ears, blocking out the cries and pleas of mercy. It felt like something finally cracked open in her. She felt her rage coming through with every spank. She screamed until her voice ran dry. Her arm ached after every lift of the belt.

What was left was a mother out of breath and a son in a fetal position, shaking and crying.

Once the horror of the sight registered in her mind, she dropped the belt and only kneeled down in front of him.

"What have I done?" she muttered, contemplating everything that she could contemplate about.

It was a painful sight. And the pain was caused by her. It was too late to undo the damage.

He would leave the world, knowing that she gave him his last suffering. The last moment with this broken family.

She could do nothing but weep.