Always You

49

"Andrea  loves him. And she chooses him--"

"Huh ? Really?!", she interrupted. "Hinayaan mong mahulog ang anak ko sa anak ng kalaguyo mo?! Ano 'to?! Tell me, Anton! This is a mess!"

I closed my eyes in frustration. Tama si Mina, this is a mess. I could hear her cries over the phone.

"Mina, hayaan na natin sila. We can't do anything about it. And Zeke--that young man really loves our daughter",  paliwanag ko.

“No! I won't let that happen. Iuwi mo dito ang anak ko, Anton! At anong gagawin mo? Gawing katatawanan ang estado ng anak ko? You and Stella, at ang mga anak ninyo? Have you gone mad?!”, she mockingly said.

“I already cancelled the engagement with Stella. For everybody’s sake.”

Iyon lang ang nasabi ko dahil hindi ko na narinig pa si Mina na nagsalita pa ulit. I decided to end the call para makapag-isip din ng mabuti ang dati kong asawa.

It was not easy for me to accept Andrea’s decision and condition right now. As much as I wanted to stop them, hindi ko ginawa. Nakita ko sa anak ko kung gaano niya kamahal ang lalaking iyon. And it breaks my heart to know na isa ako sa mga taong nagpapasakit sa damdamin niya. Ito na siguro ang sinasabi nilang karma ko.

I started to feel a slight pain on my chest so I immediately took the medicine as prescribed by my cardiologist. Nagpahinga muna ako saglit bago ko binasa ulit ang last will ko.

Isang katok mula sa pinto ang pumukaw ng aking malalim na iniisip.

“Sir, may bisita po kayo. Si ma’am Stella po.”

Inutusan ko ang katulong na alalayan si Stella doon sa hardin. She has been visiting me almost everyday, convincing me to change my mind about the decision I’ve revealed when I was hospitalized a few weeks ago.

Nakita ko siyang nakatayo at tinitingnan ang paintings na nakasabit sa may dingding.

“Stella.”

She turned her gaze at me. Matamlay ang mga mta niya habang pinipilit niyang ngumiti sa harapan ko.

I let a deep sigh before offering her to sit down.

“Anton”, panimula niya. At nang hindi ko siya tiningnan ay bigla na lang siyang umalis sa kinauupuan at lumuhod sa tabi ko.

She was begging me to change my mind, but I’ve already decided. And she cannot change that.

“Please, don’t do this to me”, she pleaded. Doon na tumulo ang mga luha na alam kong kanina pa niya pinipigilan.

Hinawakan ko ang mga braso niya at dahan-dahang inalayan pabalik sa upuan niya.

“Stella, please. Let’s stop this.”

“Ayoko!” No!” She was shaking her head in disbelief, and I couldn’t blame her.

“This is for everybody’s sake, Stella. My daughter and your son. Let them be.”

"Ilang taon akong naghintay, Anton. Hanggang kelan ako maghihintay ulit? Eversince we were kids, ikaw lang ang gusto ko. Alam mo ‘yon. When you married Marianne, tinanggap ko ‘yon. Then, I waited for you again when she died, pero nagpakasal ka kay Mina. And I was left out!"

I always knew that Stella loved me ever since. She will always have a place in my heart. Kababata ko siya, but I never see her as someone that I could marry. Even when we started the affair, I never really see myself marrying her. I was the most selfish and arrogant man at that time. I did nasty things to save the company from Eleazer's wrath. Kaya lang ako pumayag sa engagement dahil ayokong magkatuluyan ang mga anak namin. That was my plan from stopping Zeke on pursuing my daughter.

"Alam mo ba kung gaano kasakit ang makita kang ikinakasal sa iba? I’ve been waiting all my life for you! Kahit pinilit akong ipakasal kay Eleazer, hinintay kita", she sobbed.

"Marami na tayong nasaktang tao Stella. And our kids don’t deserve any of these. We have been so selfish", I answered her. What happened years ago was the biggest mistake I did.

“Can you blame me? For being selfish? All my life Anton, hinintay kita.”

I didn’t want to answer her. Dahil may pagkakamali rin ako. Nasaktan ko si Eleazer at ang anak niya, si Zeke. If there’s one thing for me to pay for the sins I’ve done to them, iyon ay hiwalayan na si Stella at itigil na ang lahat ng ito. Tama si Andrea, sila ang nagbabayad sa kasalanan namin. Sila ang nasasaktan sa pagiging makasarili namin. That’s why I have to make things right this time, alang-alang na rin sa anak ko at magiging apo ko.

"We can get married and our kids can marry each other, too”, she desperately said.

“No, Stella. I cannot do that. Masyado ko nang nasaktan ang mga anak ko. Panahon na upang bumawi ako sa kanila. This is the best thing to do. So please, lets stop this", I firmly said.

“I can make your daughter’s life miserable, Anton”, she said out of nowhere.

Kumunot ang noo ko sa rebelasyon niya.

“Lalo mo lang masasaktan ang anak mo, Stella. And I won't allow you to hurt my daughter. Ngayon pa na nabuntis siya ni Zeke.”

Her face was horified by what I just said. Hindi na siya nagsalita, bagkus tumulo na lang ang mga luha nito mula sa kanyang mga mata.