Begin Again

Chapter 13

"Mekeni, ito na ang magiging bahay mo," Leah said as she carried his cage through the living room and out to the backyard. She was so happy that Mekeni had gotten better and was now back to his old self. Whatever he had eaten was out of his system. The vet said he had put up a good fight and was now as healthy as can be.

"Diba ang laki? Eto, gumawa si daddy ng sabitan." She hung the cage up on the hook that Clark had installed over their back porch. "May puno ka pa, tapos gagawa rin si daddy ng birdhouse para sa 'yo."

Mekeni hopped around his perch and cooed. "Kapag nandito na sina Jordan and Jenny marami na magaalaga sa 'yo. Hindi ka malulungkot dito, Mekeni," she promised.

The house was almost completely furnished now. They just needed to decorate and buy things for the kitchen. Leah and Clark had agreed that they would move into the house after the wedding, and Jordan and Jenny would follow a few months after once the newlyweds had time to settle in.

Leah couldn't wait. The house was really coming together now. All of the furniture that Clark had made for it was beautiful and deserved to be exhibit pieces. Ever the marketing person, Leah had even convinced Clark to bring in a photographer to take pictures of the furniture inside of the still bare house so that the photos could be used as part of Woodlands' marketing materials.

"Wifey? Are you here?" Clark called.

"Nandito sa likod!"

The screen door slid open and Clark stepped out onto the porch. He smiled at her and kissed her in greeting.

"Ang laki ng backyard natin," Leah said.

"Syempre. I want our kids to have a lot of space to play. At mas mabuti dito kaysa sa kalye sila lagi naglalaro." Clark wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Maganda kung may mahabang mesa tayo dito. Para kapag nagkainan, dito na lang tayo lahat sa labas. Mga pamilya natin, kahit nga ang ibang tenementers...kasya lahat dito."

"Yes, boss," Clark said. "Gagawin ko agad."

"Maganda magtanim ng mga bulaklak dito..." Leah pointed to the ground below the porch. "At doon sa may fence. Ano sa tingin mo, Mekeni?"

She stroked him through the bars of his cage and Clark looked up at the bird.

"I'll make him a really nice birdhouse, isabit natin diyan sa puno. I already have the design in mind. Yung bahay na sana gagawin ko noong bata ako kung nagkaroon ako ng kalapati."

"Gusto mo ng kalapati?"

"Oo. Kasi may inalagaan ako noong bata ako. He was hurt and lost. I took care of him until he got better then I gave him back to his owner. Sabi ni mama ibibili niya rin ako ng kalapati, kaso pumunta na kami sa States."

Leah inwardly laughed at the coincidence. She still remembered Mekeni Boy that had given her back Pampu. But it was impossible for it to be Clark...right?

"Hubby...may pangalan ba yung kalapati na inalagaan mo?"

"Yeah, it was a funny name," Clark chuckled. "Pampu."

Leah spun around. "Pampu??"

"Yeah, why?"

She looked up at Mekeni and then carefully studied Clark's face. His eyes...they were the same light brown as that boy's. His eyes were practically the only thing that Leah remembered about that boy. It was because she could see the kindness in them, the way he had genuinely cared for her bird and was happy to return him to his rightful owner.

"Saan...saan mo sinauli si Pampu?"

Leah held her breath.

Clark thought. "Sa isang bahay sa Santa Mesa."