Treinta y siete (Dispute)

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Irene's point of view

I gently patted my daughter, waking her up.

"Gianna Louise Araneta I swear kapag hindi ka bumangon dyan lolo mo ang pababangunin ko para gisingin ka!" I shouted at a low voice.

"Huh? What?" She wakes up.

"Care to explain? What's this Im seeing? Who's baby is that?" I asked panicking.

"Ma, calm down, I'll explain everything to you, I'll just lay him in my bedroom" she said as she smiled genuinely.

I followed her to her room and watched her gently lay the baby.

"He's cute isn't he?" Tanong sakin ni Gia as she gently place the mini comforter to the baby.

"Gia, who's baby is that?" Tanong ko.

"Mine, he's mine" sabi nito as she sat beside the baby.

"What? I don't understand" sabi ko.

At duon na nga pinaliwanag sakin ni Gia ang lahat, I instantly remembered mommy.

After loosing our supposed to be bunso, she adopted Aimee, I can't absorb how hard my daughter is going through yet still trying to cope.

Fast forward
2 weeks later
Irene's point of view

"Oh honey, mommy is taking a bath so baba's with you" I baby talked to Joaquim who's crying.

I carried him and I sat on the rocking chair, and sang.
Minutes later he fell asleep.

I get up and placed him in his crib, minutes later lumabas na si Gia.

"Oh, he's asleep na pala eh" sabi nito habang pinupunasan ng towel ang buhok nya.

"Well I had to do something with his crying, where's David? Hindi pa ba umuuwi? It's 8:30" sabi ko.

"Over time sa work, sabi ko kung kailan mas sabik sya umuwi sa bahay saka sya nag o-over time" sabi nito at umupo.

"Im very happy with David's very positive approach to this love, im happy na he accepted Joaquim" sabi ko at umupo sa tabi ng anak ko.

"I am too ma, and sinong hindi matutuwa dyan? Ang pogi pogi oh, parang anak ng koreano" sabi nito habang pinagmamasdan si Joaquim.

"Gia?" Rining kong tawag ni David at tsaka pumasok sa kwarto.

"Oh hi tita" sabi nito at humalik sa pisngi ko.

"Oh hello, how's work?" Tanong ko.

"It's good, Gi! How's Joaquim?" Tanong nito at agad lumapit sa mag ina nya.

"He's doing good, getting bigger and bigger everyday" sabi nito.

Fast forward
Gia's point of view

"Yes, yes you are pogi!" Pagkausap ko kay Joaquim habang nasa hita ko sya, he's smiling at me so genuinely.

Nakita ko naman na lumabas si David ng banyo habang pinupunasan ang basa nyang buhok.

"Ok ok, kay daddy naman noh?" Tanong ni David at kinuha saakin si Joaquim.

I stood up at kinuha ang towel sa kamay ni David at isinampay ito.

Tumabi ako kay David at ipinatong ang ulo ko sa balikat nya habang hawak hawak padin si Joaquim.

"Can you believe? This is us now? May Joaquim na tayo?" Tanong nya.

"Hindi rin ako makapaniwala, suddenly we're three" sabi ko at hinimas ang buhok ni Joaquim.

"I just want to tell you that this is the best decision that you've made" sabi ni David saakin.

I smiled

"Gi, pakasal na tayo?" Tanong nya.

And my smile left me, handa na ba ako? Am I ready for marriage? Yes having Joaquim is already a big decision pero getting married?

"David, that's a big step we have to take and we still have to think about it" sabi ko.

"I know, but we need to consider it, in a few years Joaquim's gonna grow up and I want him to have my surname, I know ip-process mo palang ang papers ni Joaquim and ngayon palang I want to give him my surname" sabi nya saakin.

"Sandali, I will register him as an Araneta muna, I already asked Dad about it and he agreed" sabi ko.

"Ayaw mo na iregister sa surname ko?" Tanong ni David.

"It's not like that. I just figured out na we should get married first, you know? Then Joaquim could take your name" sabi ko.

"And when will we get married? Not any soon? Right? Gia I want Joaquim to have my surname? Can I just please have that? Please?" Tanong nya sakin.

"I don't kno-" sabi ko.

"Why? Bakit napaka unsure mo?" Tanong nya.

"David, he's my son!" Sabi ko nagsisimula nang tumaas ng boses ko.

"Does that not make him my son too?" Tanong ni David.

"Hindi ganun" sabi ko.

"Then ano? You have to breath and not be scared to commit, tanggap ko na you have issues, and even alam kong mahirap I pursued you, sigurado ako sayo at handa akong ipangako lahat sainyo ni Joaquim" sabi saakin ni David.

Kinuha ko si Joaquim na natutulog sa braso ni David, at tsaka sya inilagay sa crib.

Pumunta ako sa balcony at sumunod naman saakin si David.

"Bakit parang sinusumbat mo sakin yun? Bakit parang ako lang ang may deperensya sating dalawa ha? Eh kung isumbat ko sayo kung gaano naging mabuti ang pamilya ko sayo kahit na alam nilang anti marcos ka? Kung gaano kita nirerespeto at ang paniniwala mo? David, tinanggap ko lahat ng yun ng walang halong panunumbat sayo kasi mahal kita! Pero bakit pagdating sakin bakit para bang naghihintay lang yang mga salitang yan para isumbat mo sakin?" Sabi ko at umalis.

He was left there, dumbfounded with what I said.

Dumeresto ako sa kusina, I grabbed a bottle of wine and a glass.

Bumaba naman agad si mommy

"Narinig ko kayo, next time please kung mag aaway kayo malayo sa apo ko" sabi ni mommy.

"Ang hirap ma, bakit parang isinusumbat nya sakin na minahal at tinggap nya ako ng buo, bakit parang may bigat sakanya yun? Bakit parang ang dami nyang sacrifice para saming dalawa? Bakit parang sya lang yung may sacrifices?" Tanong ko habang patuloy na tumutulo ang luha mula sa mga mata ko.

Greggy's point of view

"Ang hirap ma, bakit parang isinusumbat nya sakin na minahal at tinggap nya ako ng buo, bakit parang may bigat sakanya yun? Bakit parang ang dami nyang sacrifice para saming dalawa? Bakit parang sya lang yung may sacrifices?" Rinig kong sabi ni Gia.

I can't help but feel angry towards David, hindi ko sya pinatuloy at tinanggap para iparamdam nya ang ganung bagay ang anak ko. Hindi ayan ang lalaking gusto kong iiyakan at ipag tatanggol ng anak ko sa harapan ko, I may have made a mistake but I never made Irene feel that kind of way just because of our differences, I came into her life, all along I knew who she is and where she came from, but that was nothing for me, she would've married someone younger than me, she would've married someone who's her father will like, but she married me. And that's enough for me, all of the thing I did for us, for her, was nothing when she said yes to me.

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