LADY AND A BABY (COMPLETED)

Chapter Seventeen

Luke's

Nakamata ko tungod sa tingog ni mama. She's holding my hand tightly, samtang ga storya.

Napansin pud nako nga naa kos hospital room.

“Sorry, I'm sorry son. Only if I know nga magka ingani diay. I shouldn't let him to come inside our house. I'm sorry. Please, wake up. Mama is sorry.”

Sige rag sorry si mama, ug naa s'yay gina storya nga dili nako masabtan.

I moved my hands nga nagpa tindog kay mama. She went outside ug pagbalik niya, naa na s'yay kauban doctor and nurses.

“Hmmm” hummed is only I can do. Murag nauga akong tutunlan and my whole body felt so weak.

Naay gihimo ang nurses nga wa ko kabalo. Samtang ang doctor kay ga tindog ra beside my mama.

Confused ko kung unsay nahitabo sa akoa. My body is still weak but to think my mom is safe, I feel alright.

“He's stable now. Just let him rest for more hours,” sulti sa doctor kay mama.

Daghan pag gi explain ang doctor before siya ni gawas kauban ang nurses.

I'm left alone with mom. Hilom ra s'ya ug puno'g pag mahay iyang mata.

“M-Ma.. w-hat happened??” I can't even make a straight sentence.

She get a glass of water ug gialalayan ko niya para mo inom.

After that nilingkod sya sa couch nga naa ras kilid sa kama. She held my hand and squeezed it.

“You're in coma for almost a week. You lose too much of energy. You got attacked by your anxiety and stress tungod siguro sa nahitabo. I'm.. I'm so sorry son,” tubag ni mama ug nitulo iyang luha.

“It's all my fault. I brought that bastard home because I thought I can trust him. I've been with him for a month pero wala ko nag tuo nga iyaha ra kong kawatan. All I want is someone to accompany me and care for me pero nagkamali ko. I trusted someone nga kwarta ra ang gusto sa akoa.” I felt my mom squeezed my hands again and again.

“M-Ma..” tawag nako sa iyaha. I now understand everything.

Gitan aw ko niya. Her eyes were filled with too much pain and regrets.

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry Lucas. It's just that I'm alone, I want someone to make me feel that I'm not. You were busy, and you even forgot to have time with me. But I know it's all my fault.”

“Ma, it's fine..” I tried to stop explaining pero nagpa dayun ra gihapon sya.

“It was all my fault. I wasn't there when someone bullies you, not even there to comfort you. I wasn't there when you studied engineering, and I'm even absent at your special days. I wasn't there when you got your first company to work. I was not there everytime you've reached another milestone of your life, because I'm too busy for my own life that I forgot about my son's life. I'm your mom but I'm not there when you speak your first word. I'm sorry. I think this is my karma” She cried.

Nakahinumdom kos tanan. Kung buot huna hunaon, I am with my yaya for my whole childhood. Makita ra nako si mama, twice a week. But I never blame her for being busy. Wala nako gi huna huna nga wala syay time sa akoa. My mindset is like.. My mom is doing this for my future too, I can't blame her for not having time with me. I still love her.

“Mama, I'm not blaming you. Never in my existence that I blame you. And remember my first word?” I asked her.

She nodded but kept crying.

“You weren't there everyday but my first word is mama, and you weren't there to wipe my tears everytime I got bullied but I still call you. Mama, you weren't there when I got successful but I have this..” I show her my ring tattoo.

Mas nakahilak s'ya pagka kita sa ring tattoo.

“I want you to know how important you are for me.” I looked at what's written on my pointed finger. “I got tattooed when I graduated in college. You're always in my mind. I can't forget about you 'cause you're my mom.”

I wiped her tears, “And I love you, ma.”

She cried hard and hugged me.

This maybe the first time I felt a hug that full of love and that's from my mom.

“I love you more, son. I love you.” she whispered and still crying.

Then,

Someone knocked and open the door.

Nahunong ug hilak si mama pagka kita sa ni sulod.

Her expression went shocked and confused when a kid called me,

“Papa”