Jesse ’s POV:

"Mama, are you all right? I'll get you some herbs. Just stay there-"

"Oh Jesse, I just had a drink a while ago. Just stay here by my side, I want to look at you, child. You really are a beautiful child. You're not a child anymore, you're a young woman. Your birthday is in a week. Time flies by so fast. It seems like just a while ago I was holding you in my arms and I was letting you go," said Mom smiling.

I smiled weakly and kissed her hand. Mama is lying down and can't walk, she's also getting weak. Time flies so fast, it seems like just a long time ago we were still chasing each other in the orchard. The two of us bathe Tandang Orange and his son Tandang Green and our pet pigs.

"That's why you get well, mom. We're going to dance, maybe your body is getting stiff! You're going to cook me some delicious food too! You're going to prepare me, aren't you? You promise me that! Go to sleep, Mom, ha. I'm right here by your side, I'll always take care of you and watch over you. Don't leave me, mom," I cried and kissed Mom's forehead.

"Oh Jesse, it's really you. That's a promise, I won't forget it. You're a young lady now, you're the one taking care of me now. When I'm gone, I'm sure I'll miss you," said Mom crying.

I cried because of what she said. Why does mom seem to be saying goodbye? No, she shouldn't be saying that! She shouldn't be talking like that! She's the one who always buys me that.

"Mom, don't talk like that. It's like you're saying goodbye! You won't be lost, you'll get better. I'm here and I'll take good care of you, Mom. Just hold on tight, we'll be together it will pass. You will make it until my 60th birthday," I joked, making mom laugh.

Her smiles and laughter give me hope. I know that my smile is the same as hers. I can't live without mom, she is my life. I love my mother very much. I will take care of her like he took care of me since I was a baby.

"Jesse, sing me a lullaby. I'll just rest, you go to sleep too," requested Mom.

"What song do you want? I'll sing you anything," I asked.

"Anything, You're my favorite," Mom answered with a smile.

I smiled at Mom. I remembered the songs I had memorized. I want to be about mom.

I took a bite and started singing. I will fix it because I want Mom to sleep well. I will sing her A Song for Mama by Boyz II Men.
After I sang, I kissed Mama's hand and her forehead. It's cold outside because it's rainy season. There was no typhoon but the wind blew quite strong with occasional rain. Fortunately, Mom and I are safe here inside. No wild animals, accidents happening, trees falling, or anything else that could cause us to get hurt are far away.
 
I left Mom's room and got something to cook from our basket of vegetables. We also learned how to preserve vegetables to make them last longer.
 
I will cook pinakbet, it's mom's favorite. Apart from being quick to cook, only vegetables are involved. It is also delicious and can be paired with potatoes. When we run out of rice, we serve potatoes as rice. We also make this dessert with Mom. It is delicious to round and put a table inside before frying.
 
When I finished what I was cooking, I looked at the bullet in our living room. I saw the new CDs that Mom seems to have released. I just saw them now.
 
There is a CD that says Project Melos. What is this? Could it be a movie? I just shrugged and gave a glimpse. I hope it's not scary, I might be stubborn. I don't want Mom to wake up. That would worry me because I might think about what has happened.
 
The documentary has started. Under its Project Melos title are the words 'a documentation' at the bottom. I can understand Tagalog, English, Italian, and Korean because of books that teach how to speak other languages. I tend to read it until I learn it.
 
Many people can be seen. They were wearing lab gowns and a lot of equipment that was new to my eyes. It's a documentary, so is it true? Why wasn't it mentioned to me and mom said that the outside even the buildings are this beautiful?
 
I always see the old Philippines, I never thought that the technology of the world would be this advanced. I've always believed that mom kept a lot of things from me, but I respected that. I didn't force him to tell everything because the day will come when I will know everything. This is probably what he is telling me. My 18th birthday is also coming up.
 
My eyes widened when I saw a figure in the distance. I immediately took the remote and returned it. I saw Mom, I'm not wrong! She is pregnant, I think I am the one inside her stomach. He also had a woman next to him, I remembered my Aunt Bonnie who she always used to tell stories about. Mama said he is a doctor but why from what I am watching is he a scientist?
 
There is no burn on his face either, he said then that he got it from an accident. I can't believe the many theories that come to my mind now.
 
A slim woman came out. It looks like he's going to reveal the documentation.
 
"I'm Dra. Ye, a scientist and one of the leaders of Project Melos, we want to inform everyone about our study and the world's progress towards the fight against Melos Syndrome. Everyone listen carefully," he said and the screen suddenly went white.
 
"In the year 3030, scientists experimented with a syndrome and human mutation that spread throughout the world. It is a rare disease that no one knows how to treat and prevent. The Melos Syndrome, derived from the Latin word Melos = Limbs, where babies are born with incomplete body parts. All develop Melos Syndrome where hands, feet, and even bones are missing from the rest of the body.
 
There is also now what is called a barcode system. A system that separates and identifies each individual.
 
Barcodes are what separate people. Those with red barcodes lived before Melos Syndrome fully bodied and healthy. Those with black barcodes have disabilities who lived before Melos Syndrome and those with violet barcodes lived in the year 3030 and above with Melos Syndrome.
 
From the year 3030, all babies born have Melos Syndrome. No one survives so the whole world has been very alarmed for the past 20 years. Now heavily funded by the government in the hope that Project Melos will succeed. Two generations have tried to eradicate it. First was Project Pliris, Project Completum, and this current one is Project Melos. Everyone wants progress. And now, we want change. We also ensure that this project will be successful," said the voiceover in English but I switched it to Tagalog so it's only English subtitles. It's an amazing bullet because it's available in almost all languages.
 
But what is being said is a surprising and powerful question to me. It is now in the year 3134. That means I reached Melos Syndrome. But why am I without such pain? I'm weird too and I know it. Mom didn't want to tell me directly because she thought it would hurt me. But I was so curious about the difference between the two of us that I studied myself with books. That's when I discovered that I was strange.
 
"In order to solve the Melos Syndrome, scientists made an alternative method. People look like robots because of the hands and feet artificially attached to them. This is their alternative because of the advanced technology.
 
Cases of Melos Syndrome progressed and worsened until other babies were stillborn or the body's problems worsened within 20 years. That's when scientists thought and came together to think of a solution. But in the last 20 years, no one has succeeded," continued the voiceover while showing photos of people with Melos Syndrome.
 
I checked my body, I'm sure I'm not a robot, I'm human. I am not made of a machine and I know what a robot is. I have already read my novel books.
 
But why did Mom hide so much from me? Don't I have the right to know everything? I can't even swim in the ocean! But even so, I learned to swim in the lake when I ran away from my sleeping mother. Since then I have reduced my curiosity. It's really dangerous.
 
With so much content in my mind, I forgot what I was cooking. I immediately turned it off because it was on Billy.
 
I also put the bullet aside first and remembered how many minutes I had been watching. I immediately went to Mom's room to invite her to eat but I almost escaped from a trance at what I saw.
 
Mama is pale and her chest doesn't move. A syringe also fell at the bottom of the bed as well as a medicine bottle. Oh, Jusko, I hope I'm wrong!
 
"Mom, wake up! Mom, what did you do!?"