Chapter 16: Confrontation

Every day, Divina cries because of her mother's hurtful words against Marco. She feels pain in her chest every time she mocks him. Divina is angry at how she looks down on them both because of their profession. The teaching profession never made anyone rich because it is a heart work, especially now that the country is in crisis, teachers' salaries are extremely low compared to other professions. Divina kept her silence as to avoid heated arguments with her mother. She feels so little every time her mother would criticize her and reminds her that even if she is a teacher, she has no right to preach her of what to do or not because she is the mother and mother knows best… even though she has certain things she doesn't agree with. 'Hello? Hello?", a stranger calls outside their small cottage but Divina could recognize his voice. 'Yes, what is it young man?!", Divina's mother answered in a very strict tone towards the stranger. 'Oh, hello madam. Good morning. I am Marco Salvador and I would just like to ask if Divina is here.", Marco answered cheerfully. 'What did you say your name was?!", Divina's mother frowned. 'Oh, Marco Salvador.", Marco still answered politely even though he got the hint that he was being unwelcomed by the madam. 'So you were the Marco Salvador that my daughter told me about? Huh! You're so brave to come here!", Divina's mother grumpily said and crossed her arms. Marco was both surprised and confused as this madam in front knows him… and yet she seems angry with him. Marco kept silent, waiting for her next few words to get a hint of the flow of their conversation. 'My daughter is not here! Get out! Get away from her and never return!!!", Divina's madam tried to shoo Marco away. Divina panicked. 'MARCO!!!", Divina cried happily and went over to hug Marco. 'My DIVINA!", Marco happily hugged Divina too. They missed each other so much and they couldn't contain their happiness of seeing each other again. 'What are you doing to my daughter?!!", Divina's mother yelled and angrily separated the two lovers from their embrace. 'Mother! Marco is my darling! I love him!", Divina seems to beg her mother. At that moment, Marco realized what is happening… Divina's mother knew about their relationship, no wonder she was treating her very coldly earlier when she heard his name. Her mother is against their relationship. This fact brought a sharp pain to Marco's heart. He was even more heartbroken to see how Divina cried in front of her own mother, begging for her to accept their love. 'You! You, idiot! All you brought me are problems! You are always a burden to me!", Divina's mother angrily yelled as she continuously struck Divina's arms while pointing fingers at Marco. 'You! Stay away from my daughter! GET OUT!!! Get out and never return here!", Divina's mother angrily yelled at Marco. Marco wasn't able to answer as he was shocked by how violent Divina's mother is now acting especially when he saw her getting scissors. 'If you won't go, I will shave her head! She will lose her glory and dignity as a woman! She will become a humiliation because of you! Come and challenge me!!!", Divina's mother shouted as she grabs Divina's hair. Divina fell on the floor, feeling the pain of her mother's grasp. Divina couldn't do anything but cry. 'Marco…", Divina cried. 'And you still have the nerve to flirt in front of me?!", Divina's mother becomes angrier when she heard Divina calling Marco's name. Out of anger, she was about to cut Divina's long hair. 'NOOOOO! NO!!!", Marco yelled and cried. 'Please… Please don't do this to your own daughter, madam. I will… I will go away. I'll stay away from her.", Marco cried as he slowly moved farther from them. It eases Divina's mother and loosens her grip on Divina's hair. Divina grabbed the opportunity to move away from her mother. 'If you are only rich like Alfredo then I won't be against your relationship… but my daughter has a beautiful future! And you are ruining it! I hope you understand me… as Divina's mother, please do respect my decision. I just want her to have a good life.", Divina's mother emotionally said to Marco. 'But I can be a good provider for Divina, madam---', Marco was interrupted with his explanation. 'Young man! Our family is already living in poverty, I don't want us to stay in this pit forever! And that will happen if Divina will also marry a poor man… like YOU!", Divina's mother said. Marco fell silent. Yes! I am able to provide for Divina and our future family, sufficient enough for a humble living but… if it's luxury that her mother wanted… then I am not able to give them an extravagant lifestyle., Marco sadly thought. 'Mother please stop this already! I love Marco and it will never change!", Divina said, standing firm. 'Love? You know, Divina, your father and I also loved each other dearly too… But a person is always destined to die someday. Now, that he has been dead for a long time already… Where is his love? Where did his love bring us each night we slept with an empty stomach? Did his love do anything for us not to starve?", Divina's mother sarcastically said. 'Mother---', Divina tried to explain again but was interrupted by her mother. 'That's why, YOU! Young man, get out of my sight, NOW! You're poisoning my daughter's mind with your lies about love! Get out! Get out!", Divina's mother yelled at Marco once again, she cried as she couldn't contain her anger and disappointment, Marco doesn't want to worsen what is happening now and put Divina in a more difficult situation, so he decided to back off and give Divina's mother space. He needs to think about how to deal with this situation too. 'You! Get inside!", Divina's mom yelled at her and pushed her inside the house. 'Mother! Mother nooo! MARCOOOO!!!", Divina cried before her mother had shut the door closed. 'DIVINAAAA!!!", Marco cried too but he couldn't do anything but to leave the place. 'I am warning you, Divina! If you don't want this Marco to get hurt, straighten yourself out!", Divina's mother warned her. 'Mother, why are you doing this to me?!", Divina cried as she complained. 'Because this is the right thing to do, Divina!", her mother answered back angrily. 'Right thing to do? For who? To you?! Because what my heart says, this is not the right thing, mother!", Divina tried to argue. 'Your heart is selfish, Divina! I am doing this for all of us! For you, for me, and for your brothers… for everyone! That is why this is the right thing to do!", Divina's mother argued back. 'Mother, I am no longer a child. I too have my own decisions!", Divina answered back. 'But you are acting like a child, Divina! You're ignorant when it comes to love!", Divina's mother replied angrily. 'If one learns to love, mother… even the smartest person in the world becomes ignorant too.", Divina persuaded. Silence ruled over them for a moment. Her mother stared at her intently as if she was gauging her thoughts. 'In real life… you are not allowed to be ignorant, Divina. Especially when you see your own children dying of starvation.", Divina's mother ended their argument and she is saying this out of her experience when their father died and they had their starving sleepless nights. She couldn't just say anything against it because she had experienced it all. Her mother grabbed the opportunity of her silence to leave her alone. Divina can't do anything and ended up crying, her brothers had arrived and saw her. They ask them what happened but their mother answered in her stead. 'Don't let her step out of this house! If any man would come to find her, shoo him away immediately unless if it is Alfredo!", Divina's mother ordered to Divina's brothers. 'She needs to be suppressed! She's getting out of hand and had gone mad!", her mother added.