“The love of a mother will always be stronger”

My eyes were only bleary and half-opened when the sizzling noise from the kitchen
reached my ears. The sweet and savory aroma that smells exactly like home was emanating in
the air. My mother was in her usual floral dress she wears every three days, and her hair was
swept in a disheveled bun. She moved as if she was bound to the kitchen, but as I lightly
trudged towards her direction, she faced me with a smile that’s sweeter than candies.
“Gutom ka na ba nak? Kain ka na.” She said as she stirs the pot with a wooden spatula.
The clock’s hands pointed 5 o’clock in the morning. Yet instead of sleeping, my mother
was in the kitchen cooking my favorite dish on her own volition. She didn’t even give me a
chance to mince the onions or crush the garlic on the chopping board like she has always told
me. No, she didn’t even wake me up to ask for a helping hand!
“Hindi naman ma. Ba’t ang aga mo?” I replied.
My mind wasn’t processing at that moment. I wanted to be the one holding the wooden
spatula. I wanted to be the one asking her if she’s hungry. And I wanted to be the one getting
out of bed at 5 in the morning just to make her feel special.
“Bawal ba maging maaga?” She chuckled, as her lips widened into a smile. “Mahal ko
kasi kayo.”
When she said that, it didn’t even take a minute for a tear to start trickling down my eye.
It felt as if the flame of love started guttering down my chest. I realized this is Mama, the one
who I grew up with. The one who kissed me goodbye when I got sent off to school. The one who
fixed my collars or ironed my clothes. The one who used to carry me whenever my legs hurt
from walking. The one who lulled me to sleep by swinging me gently back and forth.
We pulled in for a hug. A hug mended and joined our unwavering love for each other. I
wished I could give her more than the hug. No, I wished I could give her the world. Because no
matter what I do, the sacrifice and love she has expressed towards me could never be
compensated for. It’s worth more than a million dollars. So, from that moment, I knew I wouldn’t
even come close to it, but I was determined that I would do whatever it takes to repay
everything she had done for me.
 “But I’m just a little child”
The despicable scent of smoke and ash was everywhere in the area, reaching my nose
as well. I didn’t want to cough, but my chest involuntarily forced it out. A rubble of rocks rolled
towards my tiny bare feet, and my legs were noodles. The sky seemed sad, reflecting a dark
gray tone. With all the houses torn down, missing roofs and windows, I couldn’t tell which one
was mine.
“Mama! Papa!” My voice echoed throughout the area. No one paid attention to it, except
the land and the sky. But there were no responses from the land and sky either; they were
merely staring at me blankly, perhaps even taking pity on me.
My tiny hand that used to wrap my father’s finger is now left alone. My small-sized
sneakers that my mother bought from my favorite store is no longer in sight. All I have with me is
my body and some ripped clothes, but I don’t even know how to take care of it. Where are the
toys I used to play with every after lunch? Where is the blue hat that Papa always said suited
me well? Where are my best friends whom I used to play pretend engineers with?
With my mind filled with fog, I can’t tell which day of the week it is or which month it is on
the calendar. No, I can’t even look at the calendar. All I want is to wake up from this nightmare.
All I want is to see Mama and Papa. All I want is to be looked after. I’m the family’s most valued
treasure, aren’t I?
A piercing and wailing sound travelled through the sky. Apparently, it’s what the adults
around here call the alarm. I wasn’t sure what kind of alarm it was, but everyone was wailing
and running, like they knew something ominous was approaching. My guts instinctively told me
to call for Mama and Papa, but before I could even open my mouth, I was thrown across the
rough ground as I saw an eye-blinding bright light illuminate the sky. I didn’t know what was
going to happen next, but my consciousness was fading away second by second.
Before I plunge into the state of what adults call death, I just want to ask the ones who
are behind this chaos: I’m just a little child, but what did I do to deserve this?